A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by a couple of old friends I knew in High School, and among our collective reminiscences, were those long afternoons we spent listening to my Frank Zappa and Mothers of Invention records on my parent’s ancient, mahogany console stereo. “Do you still listen to Zappa? they asked, wondering perhaps if I’d put aside my childish concerns for more adult oriented fare. Of course, it’s their children, now, who are listening to Zappa. Songs like “Catholic Girls“, just a reminder of younger days. What is it about Zappa’s music that turns the average, ordinary fan, musician, into a life-long freaks of his music, I wonder?
Take this two part, fan-made video of the extended version of “Trouble Every Day” performed live at The Spectrum Theater in Philadelphia, PA, on November 17th, 1974, for instance:
Is it the composition itself that is so appealing? Or the individual parts and players that make up this live performance – it’s Gestalt, so to speak? And is that what transforms initial entertainment into something much, much more?
Mothers of Invention, 1974