Interview From Hell - Revision history

Jason.Kreitzer at 18:55, 14 September 2021

2021-09-14T18:55:41Z

Jason.Kreitzer at 13:48, 30 August 2021

2021-08-30T13:48:33Z

Jason.Kreitzer at 18:09, 20 August 2021

2021-08-20T18:09:10Z

Jason.Kreitzer at 15:05, 4 August 2021

2021-08-04T15:05:59Z

Jason.Kreitzer at 22:05, 23 July 2021

2021-07-23T22:05:30Z

Jason.Kreitzer at 22:27, 21 July 2021

2021-07-21T22:27:08Z

Jason.Kreitzer at 22:17, 21 July 2021

2021-07-21T22:17:47Z

Spider of Destiny at 07:02, 14 November 2020

2020-11-14T07:02:47Z

Propellerkuh at 10:16, 26 February 2020

2020-02-26T10:16:52Z

Maroual at 19:57, 16 October 2011

2011-10-16T19:57:30Z

@@ Line 119: / Line 119: @@
 I want to be able to do live music that sounds good, which is always hard on television, and to do talk and commentary that's ... direct.
-'''Was the [[Joan Rivers]] appearance a sort of trial run for that?<br>
+'''Was the [[Wikipedia:Joan Rivers|Joan Rivers]] appearance a sort of trial run for that?<br>
 No, they'd called me before that show went on the air.

@@ Line 158: / Line 158: @@
 You have to use a special Synclavier guitar or another type of MIDI output guitar in order to enter data that way. And although I have strummed around on the Synclavier digital guitar, and have actually recorded some data that way, I don't own the device because, ultimately, it didn't suit my playing style. It felt clumsy to me. And so I didn't buy that device.
-'''What's (engineer] [[Bob Rice]]'s role in the process?<br>
+'''What's (engineer] [https://www.discogs.com/artist/527951-Bob-Rice Bob Rice]'s role in the process?<br>
 Basically he trims samples, keeps track of the catalogs, and types in the XBL, the computer language data. For example, recently he typed in from the handwritten music, the clarinet solo from "[[Mo 'n Herb's Vacation|Mo's Vacation]]," the original lead sheet of "[[Inca Roads]]," things like that that have been sitting around. He knows how to type Script and XBL and I don't.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 Since Frank Zappa has basically despised the introductions and "fantasies" that have accompanied articles on him in the past, he's offered the opportunity, at this interview's end, to describe, in his own words, his environment, his clothing and any involuntary facial movements.
-"Okay," he obliges, "I'm wearing a yellow shirt, I'm wearing some baggy [[Japan]]ese pants, I'm wearing Reebok black tennis shoes and argyle socks which are light blue, light yellow, light pink and lavender. I'm sitting in a grey chair in my recording studio. My dog – one of my dogs, [[Dogess|Doggus]] [''[[wikipedia:Sic|sic]]''], is sleeping over in the corner. It's 11:07 at night, and I just finished a meeting with a lawyer and three people from [[Virgin Records]]. The crew has just left, and when I get finished talking with you, I'll get to work on the digital editing for a little while and then I got four more interviews that start at 4:00 in the morning."
+"Okay," he obliges, "I'm wearing a yellow shirt, I'm wearing some baggy [[Japan]]ese pants, I'm wearing Reebok black tennis shoes and argyle socks which are light blue, light yellow, light pink and lavender. I'm sitting in a grey chair in my recording studio. My dog – one of my dogs, [[Dogess|Doggus]] [''[[wikipedia:Sic|sic]]''], is sleeping over in the corner. It's 11:07 at night, and I just finished a meeting with a lawyer and three people from [[Universal Music Group|Virgin Records]]. The crew has just left, and when I get finished talking with you, I'll get to work on the digital editing for a little while and then I got four more interviews that start at 4:00 in the morning."
 And what, Mr. Zappa, were the most extreme expressions or gestures that you made during the course of this interview?<br>

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
-In which composer/musician/[[Barking Pumpkin]] record mogul [[Biography|Frank Zappa]] considers the relationships between business, technology, and the evil forces of repression. Bill Formann interrogates. Exhibit "A" photos by Robert Matheu.
+In which composer/musician/[[Barking Pumpkin Records|Barking Pumpkin]] record mogul [[Biography|Frank Zappa]] considers the relationships between business, technology, and the evil forces of repression. Bill Formann interrogates. Exhibit "A" photos by Robert Matheu.
 Since Frank Zappa has basically despised the introductions and "fantasies" that have accompanied articles on him in the past, he's offered the opportunity, at this interview's end, to describe, in his own words, his environment, his clothing and any involuntary facial movements.
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 "I tapped my foot three times."
-For the record, Frank Zappa is the longtime leader of the Mothers Of Invention who has recently been seen almost exclusively in the company of his Synclavier, the computerized synth on which he recorded most of his new album, [[Jazz From Hell]] (released on his own [[Barking Pumpkin]] label and distributed through Capitol). When not composing, recording, or fixing up earlier albums for CD release, he continues to be an outspoken opponent of the various [[Parents Music Resource Center|Washington Wives]] and used car evangelists who are out to save the world from rock music and any other potentially subversive discourse. The following interview contains bad words.
+For the record, Frank Zappa is the longtime leader of the Mothers Of Invention who has recently been seen almost exclusively in the company of his Synclavier, the computerized synth on which he recorded most of his new album, [[Jazz From Hell]] (released on his own [[Barking Pumpkin Records|Barking Pumpkin]] label and distributed through Capitol). When not composing, recording, or fixing up earlier albums for CD release, he continues to be an outspoken opponent of the various [[Parents Music Resource Center|Washington Wives]] and used car evangelists who are out to save the world from rock music and any other potentially subversive discourse. The following interview contains bad words.
 ----
 '''There's an ongoing belief that creative people aren't supposed to be businessmen and vice versa. Though you now have your own label, was there ever a point when you believed that?<br>

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 Who in the fuck is gonna give me grant money? You know what kind of people get grants ... Grants baffle me. I've never applied for a grant and I hope I never have to, because that means that a committee someplace has to agree among themselves that your life is worthwhile and that you should be encouraged to stay alive and encouraged to work. And I refuse to submit myself to that kind of scrutiny from those kinds of people.
-'''Do you still find people like [[Captain Beefheart]] or [[Wild Man Fischer]] that you're interested in sponsoring?<br>
+'''Do you still find people like [[Captain Beefheart]] or [[Larry Fischer|Wild Man Fischer]] that you're interested in sponsoring?<br>
 No.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 "I tapped my foot three times."
-For the record, Frank Zappa is the longtime leader of the Mothers Of Invention who has recently been seen almost exclusively in the company of his Synclavier, the computerized synth on which he recorded most of his new album, [[Jazz From Hell]] (released on his own [[Barking Pumpkin]] label and distributed through Capitol). When not composing, recording, or fixing up earlier albums for CD release, he continues to be an outspoken opponent of the various [[PMRC|Washington Wives]] and used car evangelists who are out to save the world from rock music and any other potentially subversive discourse. The following interview contains bad words.
+For the record, Frank Zappa is the longtime leader of the Mothers Of Invention who has recently been seen almost exclusively in the company of his Synclavier, the computerized synth on which he recorded most of his new album, [[Jazz From Hell]] (released on his own [[Barking Pumpkin]] label and distributed through Capitol). When not composing, recording, or fixing up earlier albums for CD release, he continues to be an outspoken opponent of the various [[Parents Music Resource Center|Washington Wives]] and used car evangelists who are out to save the world from rock music and any other potentially subversive discourse. The following interview contains bad words.
 ----
 '''There's an ongoing belief that creative people aren't supposed to be businessmen and vice versa. Though you now have your own label, was there ever a point when you believed that?<br>
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 '''And in order to do that ...<br>
 And in order to do that you have to learn certain mundane business skills that every other business guy has to know. And you have to do those mundane things, because basically it.. is difficult, if not impossible, to trust other people in the business world. I've been to court often enough to cite yards of examples about that kind of stuff. I don't enjoy doing it. It's not much fun to do the business side of it. But if you don't keep an eye on it; then you just have to live with the results.
+PMRC
 '''Would you suggest that business people are inherently less trustworthy than non-business people?<br>
 No, I think that the business climate in the United States is such that – if there is such a thing as moral decay in the United States, it really should be described as ethical decay. And it's not the fault of the kids, it's the fault of the parents. And the ethical decay is a matter of people willing to accept cheating, willing to accept lying as a necessity of civilization. And I can't buy that. I think that it's possible to be civilized, not have to lie, not have to cheat, and not have to steal. I think when you get to that, you can really call yourself civilized. But the whole idea of screwing the other guy in business is something that is so widespread in the United States – I'm sure it is in other places too, but I'm not that familiar with business practices in other countries – but just from what I've seen in all different types of businesses in the United States, it's common.
@@ Line 205: / Line 205: @@
 No. We have a joke here at the studio. Bob Stone, the engineer, refers to some of my compositions as "near dance."
-'''On the subject of censorship, is it true the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] fired the lobbyist who hired you to testify regarding the [[Parents Music Resource Center|PMRC]] controversy?<br>
+'''On the subject of censorship, is it true the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] fired the lobbyist who hired you to testify regarding the PMRC controversy?<br>
 The lobbyist that was hired by the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] was Bruce Bereano. He's a lawyer and a lobbyist, and he works for a whole bunch of different clients. He's a freelance guy. He makes about a half million dollars a year, has a real good reputation and he's an efficient operative in that field. And he was hired by the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] because, through the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]'s own stupidity, in agreeing with the PMRC last November 1st, using the theory that if you give them an inch they'll take a mile, suddenly out of nowhere a piece of legislation appears in the state of Maryland, where somebody – taking their cue from the PMRC – decides to actually enact the law. The PMRC had always stated they didn't want legislation, but now somebody comes along and says they do want legislation, and furthermore, the same type of legislation was being examined in ten other states. This could have proved to be a real disaster for the record industry, because once laws like that get on the books, you've got endless grief at the retail level and in the courts. It could have been a real disaster.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
-In which composer/musician/[[Barking Pumpkin]] record mogul [[Frank Zappa]] considers the relationships between business, technology, and the evil forces of repression. Bill Formann interrogates. Exhibit "A" photos by Robert Matheu.
+In which composer/musician/[[Barking Pumpkin]] record mogul [[Biography|Frank Zappa]] considers the relationships between business, technology, and the evil forces of repression. Bill Formann interrogates. Exhibit "A" photos by Robert Matheu.
 Since Frank Zappa has basically despised the introductions and "fantasies" that have accompanied articles on him in the past, he's offered the opportunity, at this interview's end, to describe, in his own words, his environment, his clothing and any involuntary facial movements.
@@ Line 205: / Line 205: @@
 No. We have a joke here at the studio. Bob Stone, the engineer, refers to some of my compositions as "near dance."
-'''On the subject of censorship, is it true the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] fired the lobbyist who hired you to testify regarding the [[PMRC]] controversy?<br>
+'''On the subject of censorship, is it true the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] fired the lobbyist who hired you to testify regarding the [[Parents Music Resource Center|PMRC]] controversy?<br>
-The lobbyist that was hired by the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] was Bruce Bereano. He's a lawyer and a lobbyist, and he works for a whole bunch of different clients. He's a freelance guy. He makes about a half million dollars a year, has a real good reputation and he's an efficient operative in that field. And he was hired by the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] because, through the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]'s own stupidity, in agreeing with the [[PMRC]] last November 1st, using the theory that if you give them an inch they'll take a mile, suddenly out of nowhere a piece of legislation appears in the state of Maryland, where somebody – taking their cue from the [[PMRC]] – decides to actually enact the law. The [[PMRC]] had always stated they didn't want legislation, but now somebody comes along and says they do want legislation, and furthermore, the same type of legislation was being examined in ten other states. This could have proved to be a real disaster for the record industry, because once laws like that get on the books, you've got endless grief at the retail level and in the courts. It could have been a real disaster.
+The lobbyist that was hired by the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] was Bruce Bereano. He's a lawyer and a lobbyist, and he works for a whole bunch of different clients. He's a freelance guy. He makes about a half million dollars a year, has a real good reputation and he's an efficient operative in that field. And he was hired by the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] because, through the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]'s own stupidity, in agreeing with the PMRC last November 1st, using the theory that if you give them an inch they'll take a mile, suddenly out of nowhere a piece of legislation appears in the state of Maryland, where somebody – taking their cue from the PMRC – decides to actually enact the law. The PMRC had always stated they didn't want legislation, but now somebody comes along and says they do want legislation, and furthermore, the same type of legislation was being examined in ten other states. This could have proved to be a real disaster for the record industry, because once laws like that get on the books, you've got endless grief at the retail level and in the courts. It could have been a real disaster.
 So the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] decided they were going to fight it in Maryland, and they hired Bereano to fight it. And in the process of fighting it, because Bereano was so dose with all of the people in the Maryland state legislature, he was told by the head of the senate judiciary committee that – how did it go? – they weren't even going to have a hearing on the bill unless Bereano could get me to come there. And so Bereano called me, and I agreed to go there and testify. And when I did testify, I stated very dearly that I had nothing to do with the RIAA, even though Bereano was on their payroll.
@@ Line 214: / Line 214: @@
 '''Do you have big fans in the Maryland State Senate?<br>
-Well, I was born in Baltimore. And, as a matter of fact, I do have a few in the Maryland State Senate. So the [[Z-Pack - Prepared Statement Of Mr. Zappa|testimony]] was prefaced that I speak only as a private citizen. These are my opinions and in no way represent the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]], nor would they want me to. And the main disagreement that I have with the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] is two points. One is the absurd tactic of agreeing with the [[PMRC]] on something which has absolutely no scientific substance, which is that rock and roll lyrics cause antisocial behavior. Number two is that by kissing the ass of these wives of all the people in government, that somehow they were gonna grease the chute for their legislation.
+Well, I was born in Baltimore. And, as a matter of fact, I do have a few in the Maryland State Senate. So the [[Z-Pack - Prepared Statement Of Mr. Zappa|testimony]] was prefaced that I speak only as a private citizen. These are my opinions and in no way represent the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]], nor would they want me to. And the main disagreement that I have with the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] is two points. One is the absurd tactic of agreeing with the PMRC on something which has absolutely no scientific substance, which is that rock and roll lyrics cause antisocial behavior. Number two is that by kissing the ass of these wives of all the people in government, that somehow they were gonna grease the chute for their legislation.
 '''The home taping legislation.<br>
-Yeah, I mean, totally absurd concepts to live your life by, I think. And I don't believe that I'm alone in that opinion, even within the record industry. I was just talking with a guy here today with Virgin Records. He says it's totally implausible, that the record industry should think that by throwing a bone to the [[PMRC]] that all is going to go well for their legislation. It's not going to happen. And secondly, I disagree with the need for the blank tape tax legislation itself. Because I think that the record industry estimate, which is from a poll that they funded themselves, that states the record industry loses $650 million a year through home taping – I think they've even inflated the figure higher than that this year – I mink that that's really stretching the point. And to want to impose this extra surcharge under the guise of helping the artists who are being ripped off, is a complete fraud.
+Yeah, I mean, totally absurd concepts to live your life by, I think. And I don't believe that I'm alone in that opinion, even within the record industry. I was just talking with a guy here today with Virgin Records. He says it's totally implausible, that the record industry should think that by throwing a bone to the PMRC that all is going to go well for their legislation. It's not going to happen. And secondly, I disagree with the need for the blank tape tax legislation itself. Because I think that the record industry estimate, which is from a poll that they funded themselves, that states the record industry loses $650 million a year through home taping – I think they've even inflated the figure higher than that this year – I mink that that's really stretching the point. And to want to impose this extra surcharge under the guise of helping the artists who are being ripped off, is a complete fraud.
 '''Given the situation, who do you have a lower opinion of, the senators and their wives, or the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]?<br>
-Definitely it goes to the senators and their wives. It's not that I hate the RIAA so much. It's just that I think it's really a cop-out to agree to putting warning labels on records. One, they are not necessary. Two, giving in to these women an inch, it's like doing business with a terrorist. Giving them this thing as a ransom encourages them to do even more. And, you see, they're back this year, asking to have all the loopholes closed up in the agreement. The agreement itself was between the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] and [[PMRC]], okay? An agreement between a non-governmental agency with no authority and a lobbying organization which does not represent everybody who is in the record business. And the agreement itself was full of holes. It stated that any artist who had contractual control over his own packaging was free to ignore the understanding. So if you can control your album cover, there's no way in the world that this agreement makes you liable to put a sticker on it. And the judgment of what is to be deemed explicit is completely out of the hands of the women. It is still left up to the record companies. This is right off of the Associated Press wire copy, that I still got from last November.
+Definitely it goes to the senators and their wives. It's not that I hate the RIAA so much. It's just that I think it's really a cop-out to agree to putting warning labels on records. One, they are not necessary. Two, giving in to these women an inch, it's like doing business with a terrorist. Giving them this thing as a ransom encourages them to do even more. And, you see, they're back this year, asking to have all the loopholes closed up in the agreement. The agreement itself was between the [[wikipedia:Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] and PMRC, okay? An agreement between a non-governmental agency with no authority and a lobbying organization which does not represent everybody who is in the record business. And the agreement itself was full of holes. It stated that any artist who had contractual control over his own packaging was free to ignore the understanding. So if you can control your album cover, there's no way in the world that this agreement makes you liable to put a sticker on it. And the judgment of what is to be deemed explicit is completely out of the hands of the women. It is still left up to the record companies. This is right off of the Associated Press wire copy, that I still got from last November.
-I mean, the thing is virtually unenforceable. Now they come back this year and they wanna close the so-called loopholes in the agreement. And the reason that they wanna close them is that people are still putting out records that they don't like, but apparently they're being put out on independent labels, which is when most of them were coming from before. And the independent labels aren't party to this agreement. So how are you supposed to make these indies fall into line? The trick is that in many cases independents are distributed by majors, so they're hoping to apply pressure to everybody else. I mean, it really seems endless. Its a bunch of endless meddling by people who I do not believe are well intentioned. I don't think that the motives of the national [[wikipedia:Parent-Teacher Association|PTA]] and the [[PMRC]] are all that holy.
+I mean, the thing is virtually unenforceable. Now they come back this year and they wanna close the so-called loopholes in the agreement. And the reason that they wanna close them is that people are still putting out records that they don't like, but apparently they're being put out on independent labels, which is when most of them were coming from before. And the independent labels aren't party to this agreement. So how are you supposed to make these indies fall into line? The trick is that in many cases independents are distributed by majors, so they're hoping to apply pressure to everybody else. I mean, it really seems endless. Its a bunch of endless meddling by people who I do not believe are well intentioned. I don't think that the motives of the national [[wikipedia:Parent-Teacher Association|PTA]] and the PMRC are all that holy.
 '''One thing that's strange about their tactics is that by virtue of supposedly trying to suppress this kind of discourse, they end up perpetuating it further, either by reading it into congressional record, or making a group like WASP more famous, or by forcing it to be printed on the back of the covers.<br>
@@ Line 278: / Line 278: @@
 '''Are you surprised that the music industry has come under this kind of attack? Do you think it's really that radical? It seems to do its own share of censoring.<br>
-It's all about dollars. Any industry that's that large and, you know, a multimillion dollar business, certainly is not going to escape the purview of the United States government. Warner Brothers has their own personal lobbyist in Washington. The RIAA is moving their office to Washington. You know, it's a business, and in order to do huge business like that on an international level-and keep those billions rolling in, you need government cooperation. And whenever you need the government to do something for you, they're going to want to extract their pound of flesh. And it's no coincidence that the wife of the Secretary Of Treasury is a member of the [[PMRC]].
+It's all about dollars. Any industry that's that large and, you know, a multimillion dollar business, certainly is not going to escape the purview of the United States government. Warner Brothers has their own personal lobbyist in Washington. The RIAA is moving their office to Washington. You know, it's a business, and in order to do huge business like that on an international level-and keep those billions rolling in, you need government cooperation. And whenever you need the government to do something for you, they're going to want to extract their pound of flesh. And it's no coincidence that the wife of the Secretary Of Treasury is a member of the PMRC.
 '''Do you think that the record industry is more conservative now than it was when you were working for mainstream labels.<br>

@@ Line 275: / Line 275: @@
 '''And what compels you to use that sort of language, if you'll excuse the senate investigating committee line of questioning?<br>
-The thing that compels me to use it is that it's direct and it gets the point across faster than any other word in the English language. I try not to beat around the bush about stuff, which is something that everybody in government does. They earn their living by beating around the bush until there's no bush left. And then, you know, remember who paid for the bush. It was the guy who voted for the asshole. So anything that doesn't beat around the bush tends to threaten the lifestyle of people in politics. That's one of the reasons that they get upset about it. They can't stand direct questions and answers. They fucking can't stand it.
+The thing that compels me to use it is that it's direct and it gets the point across faster than any other word in the English language. I try not to beat around the bush about stuff, which is something that everybody in government does. They earn their living by beating around the bush until there's no bush left. And then, you know, remember who paid for the bush. It was the guy who voted for the asshole. So anything that doesn't beat around the bush tends to threaten the lifestyle of people in [[politics]]. That's one of the reasons that they get upset about it. They can't stand direct questions and answers. They fucking can't stand it.
 '''Are you surprised that the music industry has come under this kind of attack? Do you think it's really that radical? It seems to do its own share of censoring.<br>
@@ Line 294: / Line 294: @@
 '''Like [[shoes]].<br>
 That's right. It's exactly like shoes. And so in order to do something in volume, it has to be the lowest common denominator, and that's the thing that's most irritating about it, because lowest common denominator is never the best possible music.
 [[Category:Interviews with Zappa]]

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 '''But would you still describe yourself as a businessman?<br>
-Well, I always have. I even said it during the '60s when it was the worst thing in the world to say. But I think that I'm a pretty honest person, and when somebody asks me a question, whether you like the answer or not, it's gonna be the real deal. I don't beat around the bush. And there's no way not to call yourself a businessman if you're dealing with things like units sold and packaging and specifying typefaces and just mundane garbage. That doesn't make me any better or any worse than anybody else because I say I'm a businessman, mat's just a statement of fact. I have to do things' that are of the business world.
+Well, I always have. I even said it during the '60s when it was the worst thing in the world to say. But I think that I'm a pretty honest person, and when somebody asks me a question, whether you like the answer or not, it's gonna be the real deal. I don't beat around the bush. And there's no way not to call yourself a businessman if you're dealing with things like units sold and packaging and specifying typefaces and just mundane garbage. That doesn't make me any better or any worse than anybody else because I say I'm a businessman, that's just a statement of fact. I have to do things that are of the business world.
 Whereas other people who are in the music business, including [[Paul McCartney]], who I had a conversation with one time, they act like [''adopts astonished Brit accent''], "How can you do business? You should have someone doing those things for you!" And sometimes you do have to have people doing those things for you, but then you find out that they're not always too trustworthy. And that's why lawsuits occur.