Ode To Gravity - Frank Zappa: World Affairs Commentator

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KPFA Radio Interview
April 15, 1991
Frank Zappa interviewed by Charles Amirkhanian.
Source URL: http://www.archive.org/details/OTG_1991_04_15_c1

"Host Charles Amirkhanian talks with musician and world activist Frank Zappa live by telephone. Discussion includes the state of world politics and culture from the viewpoint of one of the United States most provocative and original speakers. At the time this recording was made in April 1991, Zappa was exploring the possibility of running for president of the United States, and he discusses his views on the first Persian Gulf War, the legacy of George H. W. Bush, and the possibility of having John Cage or Noam Chomsky in his cabinet. A phone-in segment enabled callers to speak with Zappa directly to pose questions on topics of significant interest. Also, the intergalactic premiere of Zappa's arrangement of Ravel's "Bolero", performed by the 12-piece 1988 Zappa Band and found on the CD, 'The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life'".

— KPFA Folio

From 0:00' to 9:48':

Ode To Gravity

Tonight we celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Radio KPFA, which went on the air in April 15th 1949, and joining us to do that, live by telephone from his studio in Los Angeles, one of America's most outspoken prevailors of the free speech crusade, composer and guitarist Frank Zappa. We're going to hear him discuss current World events and introduce his new 2-CD-set on Barking Pumpkin called "Zappa – the Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life".

In the second half of our hour-long program we're going to be hearing listeners talking directly with the composer through our KPFA calling number and … ah … we'd like to wish a good evening to Frank Zappa, who's with us from Los Angeles … Hi, Frank … you there? … Good evening, Frank. Can you hear me now?

FZ: Yeah, I hear you.
CA: Oh, I'm sorry about that.
FZ: … hear me?
CA: Yeah.
FZ: OK
CA: I just wanted to … ahm … welcome you to our 42nd anniversary second … ah, ah celebration of KPFA and … I'm beginning to wonder as, maybe you have – ah, over the past few years – (...)

From 9:48' to 13:26':

(...)

CA: Let me ask you something. Are there particular people you look to as models, politically somebody that you admire as a policital leader and who might have given you some inspiration in what might be ###### for this office?

FZ: Well, from time to time, you see people that you agree with. And then two weeks later, you go "No! He could not possibly say that!". And just about everybody that I have admired who stood up for something has had their good days and had their bad days, as far as that kind of stuff goes. I mean there are some traits of Harry Truman I have found really outstanding. And then others that I have found "Well, that's quite miserable!". Now, on the other hand, there are some things that, I found out later in life, that Eisenhower had done that I didn't appreciate at the time that he did them. And... It's... There's good days and bad days for most of these guys. I am still waiting for George Bush to have a good day though. I mean... That's... He's a real big disappointment as far as I'm concerned.

CA: Let me ask you this. I'm... I understand that you were about a year ago in Czechoslovakia. You met with Václav Havel who is a fan of yours musically speaking. Could you give us an impression of what he is like as an individual?

FZ: He's really a very nice man and is also, I would say, a reluctant politician. I don't think he wanted the job of president. He was kind of ######## to it. And he was probably just as happy writing and having his plays performed and his books published. But he was the right guy to do that job at that time and he's got the position. Now his biggest liability is, and he admits it, that he doesn't really understand economics #### that kind of stuff. He's kind of in there as a moral and spiritual leader of that country. The people really respect him because of what he went through and how he helped the guides ########## principals of their revolution. But when it comes time to talk about the Czech economy, he ###### aiming in the direction of other people in his cabinet.

CA: We're talking with a composer, guitarist, politician Frank Zappa who is live with us on KPFA this evening in celebration of a Pacific radio's 42nd anniversary. He's got a specific station in Los Angeles KPFK, have you listened to it off and on during the war?

FZ: No, most of the time I was busy. Taping all the different video sources for the war. I've got quite a collection of war artifacts, everything from the first time that the Desert Storm T-Shirt was announced on the Home Shopping Network including the women who called up the ward at the shirts' and say how nice they were. And looking at the world wrestling federation when they had a fake Iraqi wrestler in the ring. And some of the coverage that ############ of the war which is interesting. They had some one-on-one interviews with some of the pilots who have been dropping the bombs talking about what a ####### it was and the amazing gun #### attitude. And also comparisons between what CNN was doing and the networks and sloping back and forth and trying to collect as much stuff as possible and now when people come over and the war ends up as a topic, if I've got a point to make, I can generally reach into this little chest that's here in the basement and pull out the tape and show them what was said and what was done at a certain time and ~facts that just happened just before you got on the phone.

(...)

Transcribed by the Zappa Wiki Jawaka Team.

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