thoughts on frank zappa

Zappa was genius. Literally. Granted many found his more known music 'weird', and much of his creations 'out there', but of course opinions, preferences, and how open people are to giving music a chance, or trying to understand it vary greatly. The same can be said about many genres, musicians, and composers.

I always find it humorous the amount of people, that as you said, considered him a 'drug crazed nut', which I always find humourous as he was not involved with drugs at all and didn't drink. Unless you consider the fact that he considered cigarettes a food group, and drank coffee to no end.

Outside of music, his ideas and writing are just as wonderful.

Listen to Overnite Sensation or One Size Fits All...absolute genius...I know many of his other works were genius, those two just happen to be my favroites

A correction: Zappa didn't have any college degree

"If you want to get laid, go to college, but if you want an education, go to the library.”

"You get nothing with your college degree."

(a true zen saying: nothing is what I want. the results of a higher education...)

Zappa was a genius, not only in music.

and for those of you who didn't already know, Zappa was -- except for nicotine -- TOTALLY CLEAN AND SOBER HIS WHOLE LIFE. He was not remotely "drug crazed" but I think maybe be was a "nut." And that's a good thing.

I agree with all of you! Frank Zappa was a genius, and yes was clean and sober through it!

I had the pleasure of seeing him live at Madison Square Garden’s Felt Forum on Halloween night or the them or Us tour. I think it was ’85 as I was in HS at the time, great show from the second row my buddy and I some how snuck into for the entire show…which we where both dressed as sheiks for! My brother was a huge Zappa fan and collector, and I’m sure to this day still has his COMPLETE Vinyl collection, mainly original pressings and at least one unopened copy of all early work (yes, ALL the early stuff) up to at least Sheik yer bouty (sp?). We even had our mother listening to Frank! She loved the song Bobby Brown (SYB).

As for his education…. Frank was a graduate of Juliard. He graduated last in his class, but got in and finished!!

I think for me he really shined in the congressional hearing. Unfortunately, many ‘rock starts’ went to these hearings, armed with little more than angst and a preference. Some, Dee Snyder also comes to mind, went with intelligible ideas and presented themselves in a professional manner, getting their points across in a positive way. Frank was undoubtedly the top of the top in this arena! I’m sorry he’s gone… but I’ll never forget him that Halloween night!