Frank Zappa & Ron Paul – American Fascism

In these two distinct interviews, 21 years apart – Frank Zappa on CNN’s March 28th, 1986 episode of “Crossfire”, and 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul on the December 23rd, 2007 episode of “Meet The Press” – both men discuss the danger of America’s slide towards a type of theological, right-wing, corporate Fascism. Amazing how Zappa’s very idea of an American theologically based fascism brought him nothing but ridicule in 1986, while in 2010 we are currently living in the very world he had described. Zappa was most definitely a futurist in his own right.

The Hungry Freaks – Viva Zappa!

Based in Ottawa, Ontario – The Hungry Freaks are English Canada’s only Mothers of Invention era coverband, combining personal and faithful renditions of the early music of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention with their own fresh interpretation (as the video, above, live at Barstorm 7, in Finch, ON, demonstrates). Click here to hear their versions of such classics as “Magic Fingers”, “I’m So Happy I Could Cry”, and “DogMeat” on their MySpace page.
Continue reading “The Hungry Freaks – Viva Zappa!”

Mystery Zappa Album Poster

9illustrations wants to know:

The original uploader Farbror Sid is not sure what Zappa album this poster, by Dave McMacken, came with. Anybody? I’ve been looking around on the web for a while and I can’t find this poster or any references to it. Maybe it’s very rare in real life too. I seems it’s a Mothers (of Invention?) jubilee and I’m counting six candles.

Here’s the poster in question (click to enlarge see the full poster):

Zappa poster - click for full image

Heh, well I was about to ask you guys, but one visit to the wiki identified the above as… a 1974 Christmas card. All hail The Mighty Wiki! The folding creases in the image however do suggest that this illustration was also printed in a poster format… and possibly shipped with an album?

Turn Your Peter Green

Although I hardly ever contribute to the wiki anymore (yes, shame on me), I am still subscribed to the “Recent Changes” feed. Not only is it a delight to see the site grow at such an amazing speed (4,098 articles and counting), there’s also some highly entertaining stuff going on behind the curtains at times. Take this discussion for instance, regarding CC Clues for “In France”:

I’m behaving like an over-enthusiastic fido at the moment, but I think I’m getting the hang of it. Take the point on ‘some fans’ being unqualified. I based it on the ‘fact’ that among about 3 distinctly different social groups of people (fans) I knew at the time this album was released, all of them picked up on the notion that this was another Zappa leitmotiv- a ‘dig’ (using the phonetic of Peter Green) by the inbuilt Zappa nose that could sniff out the negatives that can result (by public elevation) from plain virtuosity appreciation to the ‘sucking dry’ or ‘ejaculations’ of repetitive stardom. Perhaps in the same vein as FZ’s ref to Clapton? e.g. Nasal Retentive Calliope Music.

Yes, I knew some Weird People then. Some of them had Short Hair.

Is this simply a shallow verse about a blow job? Why a ‘mystery’ blow job… a ref to some French glory-hole…or the setting up of the next line?

I did attempt some research. I shall do more.
–Tonefish 15:48, 18 May 2008 (PDT)

To which Duncan, ever the thorough researcher, responds:

I suspect it means what it says. Peter is a slang nickname for the penis. It was nothing more than infelicitous fellatio which turned peter green.
–Duncan 10:52, 19 May 2008 (PDT)