Humility? Never occurred to me.

[gramps5299]

I just got The Real Frank Zappa Book a few days ago, and just got to the part where he describes his vocal/guitar/lyrical abilities, and it never occurred to me how modest he was. You'd think someone of his immense talent would let it get to his head, but I never thought someone like him could be so modest. Frankly, though, when he says his lyrics are often stupid, that's just bullshit. He certainly wasn't poetic, at least not on the same level as Bob Dylan, but he had a talent for prosy lyrics with ingenius turn-of-phrases and plays on words. Maybe his lyrics tended to get a bit profane, but that was his nature; describing disgusting acts in lurid detail in order to point out the darker sides, or stupidity, or wahetever, of his subjects. Now if THAT's stupid, I don't know what's intelligent.
Secondly, I agree, his voice wasn't all that great (but you gotta love that creepy voice he does a la "The Torture Never Stops", and "I'm the Slime".)
Thirdly, his guitar playing may not have been virtuoisic (like he says, a virtuoso can play ANYTHING, and he's slightly restricted in his style), but it was just barely less than virtuoisic. Anyone that can release 2 multi-disc albums of nothing but improvised guitar soloes and have it sound great anyway deserves more credit than he gives himself.

[handlebarjohnny]

well said gramps.  he was too modest.  i think in the book he says that he considers himself a composer first,  musician second, and a musician that happens to play electric guitar (is that close enuff?), and not even a good one at that.  and yes, his lyrics were possibly so genius, maybe even he didn't even notice!  

[Lonesome Cowboy Squirt]

We all know our fearless leader was particularly demanding on his employees.  It would stand to reason that he was just as hard on himself.  If you want nothing short of excellence, expect little praise and no adulation.

Following the premise that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, it would also stand to reason that FZ set high standards that he himself could not fulfill.  Having the knowledge that all other band members could, one can operate in realms that are not otherwise possible.

Makes perfect sense to me.

[pappap999]

just a little more on his being hard on his musicians as well as himself.  I watched this man from the garrick in the village to the benedum center in pitt. pa., and I found him truly amazing to raise an eyebrow, lift the right/left side of his lip and many other gestures to cause his musicians to play a sound or mix of music. maybe not as perfect as he would have wanted but always better than the conducter using the pointed stick.