Difference between revisions of "Ode To Gravity - Frank Zappa: World Affairs Commentator"

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==From 50:51 to 56:59==
 
==From 50:51 to 56:59==
There's one guy you might want to check out, his name is John Benzhaf, who … B-E-N-Z-H-A-F, (…) <br> (in process of being transcribed by Propellerkuh …)
+
There's one guy you might want to check out, his name is John Benzhaf, who … B-E-N-Z-H-A-F, he was the first person to get a so… piece of software copyrighted and the piece of software was a computer analysis of the inequities ### to elector assessment (?), ah he teaches at the George Washington University, I wanna check him out. I'm not sure how well you guys get along, 'coz he's a … a rabid anti-smoker.<br>
(…) I'm Charles Amirkhanian, stay tuned for the re-broadcast of the KPFA Evening News.
+
 
 +
'''FZ:''' (laughs) well, I guess it's a fax relationship …<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' (laughs) but check it out. Thanks for your music.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Thank you.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''CA:''' Good evening, you're on KPFA with Frank Zappa.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' Oh yeah, hi Frank, greetings from the Sub-genius Church …<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' oh yeah, good (both laughing)<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' Thanks for always …<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' How is old Bob?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' Oh, he's doing good. He sends his regards.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' You know the best things about Bob?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' What's that?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' He's a smoker.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' Yeah. Yeah, throb all the way. Well, not really, but ah … anyway, I want, you mentioned in your book, and I, I hope I'm paraphrazing you accurately here, that attittudes of a number of people you've encountered fallen to the roam of bad mental health … ahm … my question is, do you have any thoughts on what kind of job the mental health system is doing in this country and second, do you have any views on the prescriptioning uses psychotic tranquilizers and other mind altering medications used today?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Well, let's take the mental health system first. It's a desaster area, because … ah … most of the facilities were decimated by the early budget cuts at the beginning of the Reagan administration, and when those facilities closed, a lot of people who were in there being cared for wound up sleeping under bridges and in cardboard boxes and on cratings in Washington, D.C., and people who should be receiving a medical help are now regarded as these denizens of the underworld and … ah … it's, really a very sick thing for a society that likes to think that it's fair and caring, it's a sick thing for it to do to save a couple of bucks on the back of people in those institutions, I just … that's reprehensable.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' Do you think that the mental health system works when it's allowed to work?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Well, let's just say, that having one is better than not having one. I would disagree with some of the techniques that are bein' used in mental hospital, not that I'm an expert, I've never been an in-mate in one, but based on things, that I've herd about what goes there, I wouldn't say that we're talking about a system that had spectacular good results in healing people, but, at least in the case of the people who are now sleeping in the street, they had a place, they wouldn't freeze to death. Whether or not they would ever get over their Shizophrenia is another question, but at least they're not gonna freeze to death because they hear voices.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' What would you plan to do if you are President in that kind of situation?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' The same thing I would do about the rest of the homeless problem: You go to the Congress and say, "Fix it." You know? Spend the money and do it. Because, obviously there are people, who have dealt in the roam of social services who know far more about this than I do, but nobody is turning to these people saying, "Do it."<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' Hm. Well, I'd … I'll not only vote for you but I'll campaign for you in '92.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Well, I gotta figure out whether or not …<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' If you do decide … yeah <br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Yeah, that's …let's keep that … because I'haven't made the decision to do it, but it's nice to talk to people to see there that there is some enthusiam …<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' … you got … there is … uh … and keep up the good work musically and politically.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Let me just say something about your second question about the mind altering drugs. I don't think that's a good idea to use them, I think that, one of the reason why they work is, the drug changes your body chemistry, ok? The chemistry of your body is being changed in most instances by artificial substances. In other words, a chemical which is derived from isolating a molecule, that came from a plant, or a mushroom, or a some other source that has a special chemical effect on the human body <br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' So this kind of things goes on regularly, ah …<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' THat's right. In other words, if you wanna feel mutated, you could just eat a strange diet and you'd be out there, I mean, how many macro-biotic people do know?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' Ok, … (laughs)<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' You know, they're kind of bobbed out, and if you want to be altered, I think you could probably achieve some unique results by over-amping on a certain kind of Pizza, if your body responds to the chemical …<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' What do you think about not ah … drugging, which is not of one's own free will? I would assume …<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Oh I think, that that's a no-no. You mean like sticking stuff in the water supply? That's terrorism<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' No. Drugging someone in the mental hospital who doesn't necessarily agree with that.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Well, now you're getting in a Constitutional area, because I'm not sure, that I'm fully informed as to what the legal status is of a person, who has been committed to a mental institution. Whether or not he retains the … still retains the right to reject medication. Because he's in there because he is out of his mind. It's a little bit difficult for the doctor to sit there and say, well, what do you think? Do want to take these pills now? Come on, let's negotiate it, okay?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Caller:''' (laughs) … okay, it is a tricky area.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''CA:''' Thank you very much for your call. Ah, we're out of time, Frank, I'm sorry to say we have 36 more callers waiting in line. Is there any chance you'd do this again for us?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Sure<br>
 +
 
 +
'''CA:''' How about May 20th, at this time? Are you gonna be in town?<br>
 +
 
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'''FZ:''' Well, I should be.<br>
 +
 
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'''CA:''' That's a Monday night.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Yeah?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''CA:''' Okay, we'll do it one more time and by then, will you know anything about your political ambitions?<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Well, by then I will have met with … ahm … ah, Ray Struthers, but I don't know whether I will have met with the other guy, and I really need to talk to both of these guys befor I can draw a conclusion. And the other that I would do before I would announce, is, I would tryin' to line up a bunch of the people … <br>
 +
 
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'''intruding call: '''if you would like to make a call, please hang on …<br>
 +
 
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'''FZ:''' Hallo?<br>
 +
 
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'''CA:'''I think, we're back, go ahead<br>
 +
 
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'''FZ:''' (laughs) That was a good one. I wanna try to do is line up a bunch of people who are not involved in politics, who might like to volunteer to go with me in case I won, to go to Washington and help fix this crap up.<br>
 +
 
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'''CA:''' The only thing I'm worried about is that since John Cage is macro-biotic, he won't be available for the Cabinet now.<br>
 +
 
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'''FZ:''' Well, you know, there are other things to do besides to be in the Cabinet.<br>
 +
 
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'''CA:''' Yeah, that's right, there's also …<br>
 +
 
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'''FZ:''' Y'know, how about Hood?<br>
 +
 
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'''CA:''' How about Secretary the Army?<br>
 +
 
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'''FZ:''' That's a good idea!<br>
 +
 
 +
'''CA:''' Our guest has been Frank Zappa, thanks so much for visiting, that it's been a pleasure to having you with us on our anniversary and we'll see you again on May 20th, at this time.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''FZ:''' Ok, thanks, ###, bye-bye.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''CA:''' All right, bye-bye. Once again, Frank Zappa's new, 2-CD-set hits the stands tomorrow, it's on the [[Barking Pumpkin]] label, and it's called, [[Zappa – The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life|The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life]]. I'm Charles Amirkhanian, stay tuned for the re-broadcast of the KPFA Evening News.
  
 
End
 
End

Revision as of 09:44, 12 December 2008

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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


Ode To Gravity

CA: Tonight we celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Radio KPFA, which went on the air 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 the 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 – whether it means anything, that … uh … Pacifica hasn't lost its license … er … and does it mean in fact that the Government's not listening and we're no threat to the status quo and do you think it really does any good to … try to counter the propaganda machine which keeps … ah … Bush's approval rating at record high levels on the positive side?

FZ: I think part of the reason why you guys are still in business is, maybe they think that nobody listens to the radio and most of the propaganda comes out through the television. Most of the propaganda function of radio is to provide happy talk and, ah … kind of … er … non-musical tapestry to your life style … so it's … probably statistically they think the amount of broadcasting damage that could be done by a Pacifica station is neglegiable compared to the amount of brain washing that can be … ah … conveyed to the public through CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC …

CA: Could you tell me how it is that you've been gathering information lately? What, what d'you think we should be watching in the media other than Pacifica to get the straight stuff?

FZ: I recommend C-SPAN and C-SPAN2. Those are the cable networks that ally you to watch the Congress … ahm … in action. C-SPAN1 shows you the House of Representatives in action and C-SPAN2 shows you the Senate in action. And when either of those two bodies is not convened, the rest of their programming is live coverage of Congressional hearings of all different types and … ah … sometimes call-in shows from viewers who can talk with Government officials or other journalistic experts about current events … and … ah … on Sundays they have shows about recent political books that have come out. So, I think it's very interesting programming for me, and there's a lot of raw data there, that there's no commercials on there, and all of the material is presented uncut, end-to-end, uh … nothing beeped out, and it's really very interesting.

CA: Well, I wonder if there's anything recently, that you've seen on C-SPAN, you'd like to comment about?

FZ: The other day I watched an interesting hearing on the A-12. Now, the A-12 is a type of aircraft, a stealth-type aircraft, that was running Billions of Dollars over budget and way behind schedule and Dick Cheney, the Secretary of Defense, cancelled the contract in January. And, what happened at the point of the contract cancellation, was, the … these two companies, who are partners in building the plane, McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics, they were sharing the Government contract to build the plane, and they had been … ah … paid, overpaid and paid in advance to the tune of about 1.35 something-something-something Billion Dollars, and … ah, when the program was cancelled, they were obliged to return this money to the Government. But instead of giving the money back, they worked out some kind of a hanky-panky with the governmental agency, that is supposed to oversee these contracts. And they kind of let it slide, and the net result was the biggest bail-out in Government contracting history, except that it wasn't a bail-out, it was a de facto bail-out, and so they were holding a hearing on this matter, I guess about three hours worth, that went on C-SPAN the other day, and I taped it, it was quite interesting. The chairman of the committee was Representative Connors, and the thing that struck me about the proceedings was, it was very bi-partisan. The Republicans and the Democrats on the committee were equally irate, that this event had occurred, and it was propably the least partisan committee that I viewed on there, just because all these guys seem to be equally outraged at what had happened.

CA: What about George Bush? Did you happen to see a speech over the weekend?

FZ: I watched his speech, in fact I taped the speech, that he made at the airforce base in Alabama.

CA: Anything strike you about it?

FZ: Well, he's still talking about the New World Order. And one of the great lines in there was, "… Yeah! Well, the New World Order: of course we'll be using force. But then we'll extend the Hand of Friendship or the Hand of Comfort or something like that. And at the point where he says that, he reaches up and scratches his face.

CA: Very convincing!

FZ: Yeah! Well, the hand went nowhere except to his face. So what do think from a guy who goes fishing when there is a war?

CA: I wonder … maybe you could give us an idea of any thoughts you've ever had about political ambitions. Have you ever thought of running for office?

FZ: Well, funny you should bring that up at this particular moment, because last week I made a decision that I would investigate that possibility, and last Wednesday I made a phone call to a guy named Ray Struthers, who is a … he used to be a political consultant and is now in the business of making political commercials. He … I think he ran Gary Hart's presidental campaign. And I had seen him on C-SPAN about a year and a half ago in this symposium with Lesley Stall. He and Bob Beckal were the two outstanding speakers on this thing. And at the end of this symposium he made this comment, that nothing was goin' to change in American politics unless somebody came in from the outside.
So I called this guy up, and I said, I seen you on that symposium and I also saw you about a week ago on C-SPAN talkin' to some college students and you made the same comment twice. So, I'm thinking about being the guy who would come in from the outside to run for President, and … his jaw dropped a little bit … and I said, do you ever come to California? He said, yeah, I'll be up there in two weeks. So, in two weeks, ah, he's gonna come over, and, we're gonna discuss whether, in his view, I would have any chance to mount any kind of a campaign, because I want to do it as a non-partisan candidate. I don't want be connected with any party. In fact, I think, the condition of politics in the United States right now is so drastic, that any thinking individual, who still says he belongs to a party, is just kidding himself, because neither party is doing anything for anybody except their buddies.

CA: Yeah, but everybody who runs as a third or a extra party does it more or less symbolically. You wouldn't be intending to just make a statement you'd really seriously be trying to be elected?

FZ: Well, first of all, I'm not sure that I would announce that I was gonna run, until I have done some research. There are certain things that have to be found out. One of the question marks, aside from how I would get any money to do this, is … ah … because of the 1990 Census, there's a lot of wiggling around, that is being done to create new districts and lose some other ones and it's gonna have an impact on the electoral collage. And, I need the advice of people who understand the strategy and tactics of dealing with that final problem that any candidate will face, 'cos no matter what amount of vote you would get in the general election, it doesn't matter, unless you got electoral votes. That's really what the name of the game is for a Presidental campaign. And, so, hrm, that's one of the things I've been talking with them about, and, ah, I've also called Beckal, to see how he felt about it, and he's coming out in May, and I … I'm pissed off enough that I'm at the stage where I'm considering running and I'm taking concrete steps to look into it and between now and the time when I would meet with these guys I'll be conducting some other research to see whether there's any real reason to do it, 'cos if I do it, I would do it to win! Not, just … ah, go out there and … just be … symbolic.

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 a quest 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 trussed into 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 or any 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 to guide some other principals of their revolution. But when it comes time to talk about the Czech economy, he'll aim 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 Pacifica radio's 42nd anniversary. You've got a Pacifica 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 to order 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 C-SPAN did 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 Turkey shoot it was and the amazing gun hole 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 comes 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, in fact that just happened just before you got on the phone.

CA: So you've just been composing the whole time, getting ready to... [laughs]

FZ: Yeah! Well, it's... That was a quite time consuming thing - a little though - to be ready with a cassette in the machine at the point where you suspect that news was going to happen. You got - especially in terms of CNN - you got a feeling for the rhythm of when the news cycle was going to refresh itself, and they got into a special cycle. Because of the time difference between here and Bagdad where you knew that the live reports that were gonna come in would come in, at a certain time in the middle of the night. So you had to be there to tape that, otherwise all you would get was their shrivelled down encapsulated version of it that they would run later in the day.

CA: I've been thinking a little bit about your composing lately and what might inspire you to write a piece of music. And it seems like you have several different kind of things that get you going. Is there anything besides the war that's got on you going lately? Or is that been a primary focus and would you make a piece of music or series of pieces based on this research?

FZ: One thing that we started doing today is ... I have a new piece of gear in the studio called Sonic Solutions, and this is a hard disk based digital audio editing system. It's got a Macintosh frontend, and then it has a an interface box and several hard disk [sic] which can store up to five hours of stereo digital material. And today we started transferring in my collection of George Bush speeches. And the first thing we are going to do, after we get it loaded in there, is find as many times that he - over the month of this event - that he's said the name "Saddam Hussein". And we're gonna get a collection of those, and that in itself should be pretty good material for a tech sound composition.

CA: Why is that? Did ... because he prounounces it differently each time?

FZ: It's a set of variations, it's like listening to a Jimmy Reed record, you know? You know ... you know the riff is gonna be the same but there's a few things that change. And the other thing we're looking for in speeches is the times when he has gagged on words. You know when the word doesn't quite come out and that should make a nice assortment of background textural things that can be used as percussion.

CA: I understand, everything the president says is in the public domain, so you shouldn't have any copyright problems there.

FZ: I can't imagine why! I mean, he said it, he must be proud of it. Hum ... then there's some of these classic statements like at one of his press time once he blurts out: "THERE'S NO ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT ANYMORE! [imitating the voice of George Bush]".

CA: That sounds very useful. We're talking with Frank Zappa in case you've just joined us on KPFA and KFCF in Fresno. Hum... and tonight Frank, we're gonna be listening to a cut from a new two-record set that hits the stands tomorrow. The title of the album is "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life". And this is recordings of the Zappa band made in 1988 while you were on tour between February and June. I noticed in the album notes, it says that you rehearsed for 4 months before you recorded all this material. And then the band self-destructed. What happened to the band?

FZ: Oh, well! There was a couple of guys in the band who decided that they hated the bass player. And they convinced everybody else in the band that this bass player was such a subhuman individual that they should never perform with him again. And what happened was, we had a bunch of concert dates locked in the US. We started the tour in the US in the winter... in the spring, for two months. And then we went to Europe for two months and we were supposed to come back in December and play at the West Coast and the South and those parts of the Midwest I've been missed. And the gigs were there but I have to cancel all of them because of the end of the European part of the tour. After asking everybody in the band how they felt about this bass player, they all said "No, we hate him and we're not gonna play on stage with him anymore". So I didn't have any choice there was no time to replace anybody whether it was the bass player or anybody else, because there was not time to put another four months of rehearsal before I did the gigs in the US. We disbanded the tour in Genoa, Italy.

CA: Well, it's good that we had the recordings, we do because the band was really an amazing unit, there were ten players and we're...

FZ: Twelve. [inaudible]

CA: We're... How many?

FZ: Twelve.

CA: Twelve.

FZ: Yep.

CA: And we're gonna be listening to your arrangement of Boléro by Ravel. Why did you select this piece for treatment?

FZ: I always liked Boléro, I think that it's really one of the best melodies ever written, and most people in the audience have heard it in one form or another over the years. So into going to conduct an experiment in arranging technique - this is a reggae version of the Boléro - it's nice to be arranging a tune that people are already familiar with.

Interlude: [Boléro from The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life]

(...)

From 23:41 to 30:23

CA: Recorded in Rotterdam, the Zappa band from '88, doin' Boléro, arranged by Frank Zappa, who is on the line (…)

(…) FZ: believe me, the First Amendment is an important part of that.

Caller: Well, thank you for your responses, Frank.

From 30:23 to 39:51

CA: You think you'll legalize Music if you get elected?

FZ: (laughs) Well, I certainly will improve the recording equipment in the White House.

CA: Good evening, (…) (…) they went to somebody else's school system.

From 39:51 to 50:01

Female caller: Um … could you say something about Geography as it's bein' taught now and (…)
(…) the restructuring that is occurring as a result of the 1990 census.

From 50:51 to 56:59

There's one guy you might want to check out, his name is John Benzhaf, who … B-E-N-Z-H-A-F, he was the first person to get a so… piece of software copyrighted and the piece of software was a computer analysis of the inequities ### to elector assessment (?), ah … he teaches at the George Washington University, I wanna check him out. I'm not sure how well you guys get along, 'coz he's a … a rabid anti-smoker.

FZ: (laughs) well, I guess it's a fax relationship …

Caller: (laughs) but check it out. Thanks for your music.

FZ: Thank you.

CA: Good evening, you're on KPFA with Frank Zappa.

Caller: Oh yeah, hi Frank, greetings from the Sub-genius Church …

FZ: oh yeah, good (both laughing)

Caller: Thanks for always …

FZ: How is old Bob?

Caller: Oh, he's doing good. He sends his regards.

FZ: You know the best things about Bob?

Caller: What's that?

FZ: He's a smoker.

Caller: Yeah. Yeah, throb all the way. Well, not really, but ah … anyway, I want, you mentioned in your book, and I, I hope I'm paraphrazing you accurately here, that attittudes of a number of people you've encountered fallen to the roam of bad mental health … ahm … my question is, do you have any thoughts on what kind of job the mental health system is doing in this country and second, do you have any views on the prescriptioning uses psychotic tranquilizers and other mind altering medications used today?

FZ: Well, let's take the mental health system first. It's a desaster area, because … ah … most of the facilities were decimated by the early budget cuts at the beginning of the Reagan administration, and when those facilities closed, a lot of people who were in there being cared for wound up sleeping under bridges and in cardboard boxes and on cratings in Washington, D.C., and people who should be receiving a medical help are now regarded as these denizens of the underworld and … ah … it's, really a very sick thing for a society that likes to think that it's fair and caring, it's a sick thing for it to do to save a couple of bucks on the back of people in those institutions, I just … that's reprehensable.

Caller: Do you think that the mental health system works when it's allowed to work?

FZ: Well, let's just say, that having one is better than not having one. I would disagree with some of the techniques that are bein' used in mental hospital, not that I'm an expert, I've never been an in-mate in one, but based on things, that I've herd about what goes there, I wouldn't say that we're talking about a system that had spectacular good results in healing people, but, at least in the case of the people who are now sleeping in the street, they had a place, they wouldn't freeze to death. Whether or not they would ever get over their Shizophrenia is another question, but at least they're not gonna freeze to death because they hear voices.

Caller: What would you plan to do if you are President in that kind of situation?

FZ: The same thing I would do about the rest of the homeless problem: You go to the Congress and say, "Fix it." You know? Spend the money and do it. Because, obviously there are people, who have dealt in the roam of social services who know far more about this than I do, but nobody is turning to these people saying, "Do it."

Caller: Hm. Well, I'd … I'll not only vote for you but I'll campaign for you in '92.

FZ: Well, I gotta figure out whether or not …

Caller: If you do decide … yeah

FZ: Yeah, that's …let's keep that … because I'haven't made the decision to do it, but it's nice to talk to people to see there that there is some enthusiam …

Caller: … you got … there is … uh … and keep up the good work musically and politically.

FZ: Let me just say something about your second question about the mind altering drugs. I don't think that's a good idea to use them, I think that, one of the reason why they work is, the drug changes your body chemistry, ok? The chemistry of your body is being changed in most instances by artificial substances. In other words, a chemical which is derived from isolating a molecule, that came from a plant, or a mushroom, or a some other source that has a special chemical effect on the human body …

Caller: So this kind of things goes on regularly, ah …

FZ: THat's right. In other words, if you wanna feel mutated, you could just eat a strange diet and you'd be out there, I mean, how many macro-biotic people do know?

Caller: Ok, … (laughs)

FZ: You know, they're kind of bobbed out, and if you want to be altered, I think you could probably achieve some unique results by over-amping on a certain kind of Pizza, if your body responds to the chemical …

Caller: What do you think about not ah … drugging, which is not of one's own free will? I would assume …

FZ: Oh I think, that that's a no-no. You mean like sticking stuff in the water supply? That's terrorism

Caller: No. Drugging someone in the mental hospital who doesn't necessarily agree with that.

FZ: Well, now you're getting in a Constitutional area, because I'm not sure, that I'm fully informed as to what the legal status is of a person, who has been committed to a mental institution. Whether or not he retains the … still retains the right to reject medication. Because he's in there because he is out of his mind. It's a little bit difficult for the doctor to sit there and say, well, what do you think? Do want to take these pills now? Come on, let's negotiate it, okay?

Caller: (laughs) … okay, it is a tricky area.

CA: Thank you very much for your call. Ah, we're out of time, Frank, I'm sorry to say we have 36 more callers waiting in line. Is there any chance you'd do this again for us?

FZ: Sure

CA: How about May 20th, at this time? Are you gonna be in town?

FZ: Well, I should be.

CA: That's a Monday night.

FZ: Yeah?

CA: Okay, we'll do it one more time and by then, will you know anything about your political ambitions?

FZ: Well, by then I will have met with … ahm … ah, Ray Struthers, but I don't know whether I will have met with the other guy, and I really need to talk to both of these guys befor I can draw a conclusion. And the other that I would do before I would announce, is, I would tryin' to line up a bunch of the people …

intruding call: … if you would like to make a call, please hang on …

FZ: Hallo?

CA:I think, we're back, go ahead

FZ: (laughs) That was a good one. I wanna try to do is line up a bunch of people who are not involved in politics, who might like to volunteer to go with me in case I won, to go to Washington and help fix this crap up.

CA: The only thing I'm worried about is that since John Cage is macro-biotic, he won't be available for the Cabinet now.

FZ: Well, you know, there are other things to do besides to be in the Cabinet.

CA: Yeah, that's right, there's also …

FZ: Y'know, how about Hood?

CA: How about Secretary the Army?

FZ: That's a good idea!

CA: Our guest has been Frank Zappa, thanks so much for visiting, that it's been a pleasure to having you with us on our anniversary and we'll see you again on May 20th, at this time.

FZ: Ok, thanks, ###, bye-bye.

CA: All right, bye-bye. Once again, Frank Zappa's new, 2-CD-set hits the stands tomorrow, it's on the Barking Pumpkin label, and it's called, The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life. I'm Charles Amirkhanian, stay tuned for the re-broadcast of the KPFA Evening News.

End

Transcribed by the Zappa Wiki Jawaka Team.


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