Papers
Make a Sex Noise Here”: Frank Zappa, Sex and Popular Music
Co authored with Prof. Richard J Hand - currently working on paper for conference in Halle an der Saale, Germany
“Make a Sex Noise Here”: Frank Zappa, Sex and Popular Music
Paul Carr and Richard J. Hand
University of Glamorgan, Wales UK
Throughout his controversial career, Frank Zappa (1940-93) was often associated with his right to indoctrinate his First Amendment rights into both his music and lyrics. Although his very public confrontation with the Parents Music Resource Centre in September 1985 is probably the pinnacle of his antipathy toward state prescribed restrictions, it is apparent that his entire compositional portfolio is littered with both overt and more subliminal references to sex. The inaugural instance of this practice began in 1964 after Zappa was arrested and imprisoned for producing an audiotape of simulated sexual acts while still a jobbing musician, and was to continue in more legitimized forms for the next three decades. There is a matrix of sexual reference to Zappa’s oeuvre: content ranges from seemingly immature references to sex (concert set-pieces such as ‘Make A Sex Noise Here’ and ‘The Groupie Routine’); quasi-moral narratives about sexually transmitted diseases (‘Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?’); sex as a conduit for social and religious satire (‘Jewish Princess’ and ‘Catholic Girls’); sustained science fiction visions of sexual dystopia (Joe’s Garage Acts I, II and III); conspiracy driven accounts of the rise of AIDS (Thing-Fish); to anthropological adventures, including the voyeuristic recordings which included genuine samples of his wife reaching orgasm. Zappa rationalized his liberalistic views on sex by stating that the ‘sex equals sin’ propaganda instilled by pressure groups such as the PMRC only resulted in the institutionalization of the “neurotic misconception that keeps pornographers in business” and that lack of sex had the potential to result in some of the USA’s social problems. At times a libertarian with principles that seem to match aural explorations with oral expediency, Zappa remains one of the most extraordinary and far-reaching figures in popular music to have explored sex in the analysis of the human condition in all its cruelty, comedy and potential freedom. This paper concerns Zappa’s frequently strategic anti-essentialist relationship with sex drawing on a range of examples from Zappa’s oeuvre.
“Twist'n frugg in an arrogant gesture”:
Published in Popular Music Online 2008
Frank Zappa’s ability to fuse diverse styles into a unifying idiolect, make him a fascinating case study in intertextuality. Zappa’s work not only represents an extraordinary confluence of styles that was profoundly ironic in nature, but a prolonged and considered interchange of musical traditions. These gestures represented the beginning of a long-term unwritten contract Zappa forged with his audience, which presented him with an unparalleled amount of artistic freedom. Additionally, Zappa’s concerts achieved a legendarily theatrical status in which dramatic gesture was immensely important. This essay is concerned with examining how a multitude of musical and theatrical gestures influence the implementation and interpretation of Frank Zappa’s music, and hopes to present an explanation into the processes that underlie his complex multifaceted performances and recordings. How and why was Zappa’s music described as rock despite its numerous incongruous influences? How and why were the more “serious” aspects of his music usually juxtaposed with humour and frivolity? How and why did “non musical” gestures such as comic and absurdist theatricality in performance, dress code, album packaging, concert promotion, and political views influence the way his music was received? Throughout this essay, the word gesture will be used to describe any artistic activity that communicates “meaning” between Zappa himself and an external source. These paradigms range from the innovative “conduction” techniques Zappa employed on both musicians and audience, to the stylistic parameters of his music, to the often “absurdist” theatricality of his stage shows.
Title: An Autocratic Approach to Music Copyright?: The means through which Frank Zappa translated and adapted both his own and other composers’ music
Published Conference Procedings 2009
Since the death of Frank Zappa in 1993, there has been an ongoing legal battle between the Zappa Family Trust (ZFT) and the so called ‘tribute bands’ that are determined to continue translating his music through live and recorded mediums. It could be argued that these ensembles effectively not only pay direct homage to Zappa’s legacy by interpreting his music in numerous innovative ways, but also keep his memory alive by interfacing with both his long standing audience, and with a younger generation who may not be aware of his music. The most famous of the rock based ensembles is entitled Zappa Plays Zappa and has the unusual credit of being ‘legally’ sanctified to perform his music live. This legality is no coincidence, as the band is headed by Zappa's eldest son Dweezil and features the 'Vault Master' responsible for compiling the legal recordings heralding from the ZFT - Joe Travers on drums. This paper intends to contribute to the small number of academic documents pertaining to Zappa by investigating the means through which he translated and adapted both his own and other composers’ work over. This research was carried out principally through musicological and content analysis of a range of Zappa and related recordings, which were consequently contextualized by key texts. This is the first stage of a two part research process, which will subsequently include an investigation into the various philosophical, legal and industrial factors behind why the ZFT are so intent on selectively prohibiting performances of his music and how/why such a diverse range of tribute bands and ensembles are so intent on continuing to experiment with Zappa’s music despite the threat of legal challenges
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The Big Note – The Ultimate Gesture: The incorporation of time and space in performing, composing, arranging and producing Frank Zappa’s music
Currently working on paper for a conference in Cardiff in November 09.
Widely regarded as one of the most prolific and versatile composers of the rock idiom, Frank Zappa’s ability to amalgamate numerous popular music styles alongside musique concrète, electronic, and serial techniques make him a fascinating case study on the interdisciplinary roles of performer, composer, arranger and producer. One of the earliest musicians to successfully and consistently experiment with fusing these skill bases, Zappa’s unique oeuvre is now gradually beginning to be recognized as one of the most prolific and original in the history of popular music. Using these factors as creative mediums, Zappa can be considered the only rock musician to consciously and consistently engage with both time and space throughout his entire career, having a compulsive fascination with ensuring his entire life’s work was considered part of his self titled Big Note, with many of his performances, compositions, arrangements and productions being part of an overarching and unifyingly premeditated organisational structure. Developing the terminology project/object to describe the difference between the completed work of art and the process of redefining it, Zappa made countless rearrangements of many of his compositions, and clearly considered individual works of art as being in a constant state of development, skilfully utilising available studio technology to create highly original ‘virtual performances’, always relocating the work into his current conceptual continuity practices. Examples range from the purely functional (For example re-recording all of the drum and bass tracks for Crusin’ With Ruben and the Jets (1967) to improve the aesthetic impact of the album), to the more experimental employment of Xenochonic and cut and paste techniques (For Example “Friendly Little Finger” from Zoot Allures (1976)) which brings together otherwise unrelated bass and drum parts), in effect synchronically fusing time and space environments. This paper proposes to examine how Zappa pushed the boundaries of available studio technology to develop compositions, (re)arrangements and performances/virtual performances of his work. After presenting an overview of his early career throughout the 1960’s, the discussion will progress to analyze albums such as Joe’s Garage Acts 1, 2 & 3 (1979), Sheik Yerbouti (1979) and the You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore (1988 - 1992) series, cumulating with his work on the synclavier during the late 1980’s – early 1990’s with albums such as Jazz From Hell (1986) and Civilization Phaze III (1993).
No one had ever heard a guitar played like that before: The redefinition of the jazz aesthetic in the work of post 1970’s electric guitarist composers
Draft - publication pending
An Autocratic Approach to Music Copyright?: The potential negative impacts of restrictive rights on a composers legacy – The case of the Zappa Family Trust
Early Draft Copy
Since the death of Frank Zappa in 1993, there has been an ongoing legal battle between
the Zappa Family Trust (ZFT) and the so called ‘tribute bands’ that are determined to
continue translating his music through live and recorded mediums. It could be argued that
these ensembles effectively not only pay direct homage to Zappa’s legacy by interpreting
his music in numerous innovative ways, but also keep his memory alive by interfacing
with both his long standing audience, and with a younger generation who may not be
aware of his music. The most famous of the rock based ensembles is entitled Zappa Plays
Zappa and has the unusual credit of being ‘legally’ sanctified to perform his music live.
This legality is no coincidence, as the band is headed by Zappa's eldest son Dweezil and
features the 'Vault Master' responsible for compiling the legal recordings heralding from
the ZFT - Joe Travers on drums. After outlining the means through which Zappa consistently translated and adapted his own and other composers’ work over his 27 years
in the public eye, this paper will explore how and why such a diverse range of bands and ensembles are so intent on continuing to experiment with his music, despite the legalchallenges outlined above. This paper will subsequently examine the various philosophical, legal and industrial factors behind why the ZFT, an organization who have
contributed so much to Zappa’s legacy over the last 15 years, seem intent on selectively prohibiting recorded and in particular live performance of his music, followed by a conclusory discussion of the cultural impact of this stance in the light of the supreme irony that Zappa was himself someone who ‘borrowed heavily’ from his diverse influences such as Surf Music, Do Wop and Chicago Blues, in addition to ‘serious’ composers such as Stravinsky, Stockhausen and his childhood hero - Edgard Varèse.
An Autocratic Approach to Music Copyright?: The potential negative impacts of restrictive rights on a composers legacy – The case of the Zappa Family Trust.
Currently working on paper for publication
Please see my blog for a comprehensive draft.
The Big Note – The Ultimate Gesture: The incorporation of time and space in performing, composing, arranging and producing Frank Zappa’s music
Currently working on paper for a conference in Cardiff in November 09.
Widely regarded as one of the most prolific and versatile composers of the rock idiom, Frank Zappa’s ability to amalgamate numerous popular music styles alongside musique concrète, electronic, and serial techniques make him a fascinating case study on the interdisciplinary roles of performer, composer, arranger and producer. One of the earliest musicians to successfully and consistently experiment with fusing these skill bases, Zappa’s unique oeuvre is now gradually beginning to be recognized as one of the most prolific and original in the history of popular music. Using these factors as creative mediums, Zappa can be considered the only rock musician to consciously and consistently engage with both time and space throughout his entire career, having a compulsive fascination with ensuring his entire life’s work was considered part of his self titled Big Note, with many of his performances, compositions, arrangements and productions being part of an overarching and unifyingly premeditated organisational structure. Developing the terminology project/object to describe the difference between the completed work of art and the process of redefining it, Zappa made countless rearrangements of many of his compositions, and clearly considered individual works of art as being in a constant state of development, skilfully utilising available studio technology to create highly original ‘virtual performances’, always relocating the work into his current conceptual continuity practices. Examples range from the purely functional (For example re-recording all of the drum and bass tracks for Crusin’ With Ruben and the Jets (1967) to improve the aesthetic impact of the album), to the more experimental employment of Xenochonic and cut and paste techniques (For Example “Friendly Little Finger” from Zoot Allures (1976)) which brings together otherwise unrelated bass and drum parts), in effect synchronically fusing time and space environments. This paper proposes to examine how Zappa pushed the boundaries of available studio technology to develop compositions, (re)arrangements and performances/virtual performances of his work. After presenting an overview of his early career throughout the 1960’s, the discussion will progress to analyze albums such as Joe’s Garage Acts 1, 2 & 3 (1979), Sheik Yerbouti (1979) and the You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore (1988 - 1992) series, cumulating with his work on the synclavier during the late 1980’s – early 1990’s with albums such as Jazz From Hell (1986) and Civilization Phaze III (1993).
Researching the Development of industry based Foundation Degrees: A Case Study Partnership between Glamorgan University and Roland UK
Draft Awaiting Puplication
This case study outlines the progressive development of a strategic partnership between Glamorgan University and one of the largest music technology manufacturers in the world – Roland. The resultant Roland ‘Music Academy’ was officially launched in April 2008 at the ATRiuM in Cardiff by Roland Founder Ikutaro Kakahashi, who was presented with an honorary professorship for his services to music, and has subsequently proceeded to the research and development of two work - based foundation degrees: the Foundation Degree in Popular Music Technology and the focus of much of this case study - the Foundation Degree in Music Retail Management. In addition to discussing the development of both qualifications, the study will also report upon factors such as the impact of cultural similarities/differences of the education/industry divide, the potentials for implementing Work Based Learning in the music retail sector and practicalities of offering Accreditation for Prior Learning (APL).
Researching the Development of a Foundation Degree in Musical Instrument Retail Management: A Case Study Partnership between the University of Glamorgan and Roland UK
Currently editing for publication
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