Difference between revisions of "Rip Rense"
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | + | [[File:Rip Rense.jpg|500px|thumb|right|Rip Rense.]] | |
| − | He first interviewed Frank Zappa in 1975. He also introduced [[Nicolas Slonimsky]] to Zappa. Rense was present at many of the Friday Night Soirees from one of which he recalls making Zappa laugh: | + | '''Rip Rense''' is a [[Los Angeles]] journalist, essayist and novelist, who wrote for The [[Los Angeles Times]], [[The New York Times]], Philadelphia Inquirer, L.A. Weekly, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, Los Angeles Magazine, ICE, Musician, Spin and Guitar World. |
| + | |||
| + | He wrote the press-kit essay for [[Tom Waits]]' ''Mule Variations'' (1999) and the liner notes for the 2014 box set ''Sun Zoom Spark'' by [[Captain Beefheart]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Frank Zappa== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Rense first interviewed Frank Zappa in 1975. He also introduced [[Nicolas Slonimsky]] to Zappa. Rense was present at many of the Friday Night Soirees from one of which he recalls making Zappa laugh: | ||
<blockquote><p> | <blockquote><p> | ||
| Line 15: | Line 21: | ||
</p></blockquote> | </p></blockquote> | ||
| − | Rense | + | Rense wrote the liner notes for ''[[The Yellow Shark]]'' (1993) and is one of the people receiving thanks for their ''"very special but no less significant contributions"'' in ''[[The Yellow Shark]]'' liner notes. <ref>http://donlope.net/fz/notes/The_Yellow_Shark.html#Acknowledgements</ref> |
| − | + | ==Post-Zappa's death activities== | |
| + | |||
| + | Rense wrote the liner notes for ''[[The Lost Episodes]]'' (1996). | ||
| + | |||
| + | Rense instigated and produced the tribute album ''[[Frankly A Capella]]'' (2000) by [[The Persuasions]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Some of his articles about Zappa are available on his personal website, like ''Molecule Sculptures Over Time'' <ref>https://www.riprense.com/Zappanotes.htm</ref>, ''Zappa Drinks and Goes Home'' <ref>https://www.riprense.com/zappa_drinks.htm</ref> and ''Zappa Program Notes''. <ref>https://www.riprense.com/Zappanotes.htm</ref> | ||
==Articles== | ==Articles== | ||
| Line 27: | Line 39: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==External links== | ||
| + | * [[Wikipedia:Rip Rense]] | ||
| + | * [https://www.riprense.com/Riprense.htm Bio on his website.] | ||
[[Category:Supporting Cast|Rense]] | [[Category:Supporting Cast|Rense]] | ||
[[Category:Record Producers|Rense]] | [[Category:Record Producers|Rense]] | ||
[[Category:Journalists|Rense]] | [[Category:Journalists|Rense]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Novelists|Rense]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Essayists|Rense]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Celebrity Fans|Rense]] | ||
[[Category:The Yellow Shark (The List)|Rense]] | [[Category:The Yellow Shark (The List)|Rense]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Liner Notes Writers|Rense]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:12, 4 August 2026
Rip Rense is a Los Angeles journalist, essayist and novelist, who wrote for The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, L.A. Weekly, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, Los Angeles Magazine, ICE, Musician, Spin and Guitar World.
He wrote the press-kit essay for Tom Waits' Mule Variations (1999) and the liner notes for the 2014 box set Sun Zoom Spark by Captain Beefheart.
Frank Zappa
Rense first interviewed Frank Zappa in 1975. He also introduced Nicolas Slonimsky to Zappa. Rense was present at many of the Friday Night Soirees from one of which he recalls making Zappa laugh:
"My favorite memory of those many special nights, as I write this, was the last such salon I attended, in the summer of 1993. It was, in fact, the night of the great talk with director Shrader. (...) I knew that few people appreciated absurdity as much as a guy who named his entrepenurial business Intercontinental Absurdities. Besides, as he said on the Mothers "Live at the Roxy" album, "I love monster movies." I readied my tape recorder.
"This requires a bit of set-up," I said. "In one of the cheesiest of the old Universal 'Frankenstein' movie sequels, 'The Ghost of Frankenstein,' Ygor, the crazed shepherd played by Béla Lugosi, plots to have his brain implanted in the monster's head. Dr. Bohmer (Lionel Atwill), aids in the plot. The monster eventually revives from surgery---with Ygor's brain---then rampages through the house, which, like all Frankenstein houses, is surrounded by angry villagers. Ygor/Frankenstein opts to lure the villagers into the house, which is outfitted with gas jets, and do away with them en masse. And this is what he yells."
I hit the tape. Out came the gravelly voice of the great Lugosi, screaming, "Bohmer! Turn on the gas!" I played it repeatedly.
Zappa literally doubled over with deep laughter, his face crinkled, tears in his eyes. On the AAAFNRAA scale, it was apparently a ten. I played the tape again and again, and he laughed on and on, as did I, until at last he became collected enough to bid me goodnight. We shook hands, for what turned out to be the last time, and as I rose leave, I heard the final words I ever heard Frank Zappa speak---quintessentially sardonic, ironic, somewhat bitter, painfully blunt, and hilarious:
"Turn on the gas!""[1]
Rense wrote the liner notes for The Yellow Shark (1993) and is one of the people receiving thanks for their "very special but no less significant contributions" in The Yellow Shark liner notes. [2]
Post-Zappa's death activities
Rense wrote the liner notes for The Lost Episodes (1996).
Rense instigated and produced the tribute album Frankly A Capella (2000) by The Persuasions.
Some of his articles about Zappa are available on his personal website, like Molecule Sculptures Over Time [3], Zappa Drinks and Goes Home [4] and Zappa Program Notes. [5]
Articles
- A different Zappa emerges in epic 'operapantomime'
- The Lost Episodes: about the album
- The Lost Episodes: about the cover art
- Z-Pack - L.A. Times article
