Tag: pop music

Frank Zappa And Sex

Paul Carr, who wrote earlier about the ZFT’s agressive copyright policies, has published another paper. This time, the subject is Zappa’s attitude toward sex. The essay closes with a quote from Herbert Marcuse which pretty much hits the nail on the head:

Obscenity is a moral concept in the verbal arsenal of the Establishment, which abuses the term by applying it, not to expressions of its own morality but to those of another. Obscene is not the picture of a naked woman who exposes her pubic hair but that of a fully clad general who exposes his medals rewarded in a war of aggression; obscene is not the ritual of the Hippies but the declaration of a high dignitary of the Church that war is necessary for peace.

Amen!

Meet The Über-Fans

Chuck Klosterman has a look at those kooks who attempt to physically resemble their musical idol, and comes to a conclusion which I think reaches beyond just that phenomenon:

My suspicion is that highly prolific artists – especially ones slagged off by cultural elitists – unknowingly present themselves in such a way that audiences recognise elements of themselves within the sonic iconography. If a musician a) ignores public criticism while b) producing a substantial body of work, an unwavering fanbase will self-select itself. They will see the artist as extra-human, will feel they “understand” how that artist’s music reflects (and replicates) their own experience, and will immerse themselves in the musician’s catalogue.

Don’t miss the photo gallery.