Difference between revisions of "Them Or Us (The Book)"

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[[Category:Bibliography]]
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[[Image:Them_Or_Us_book.jpg|right|frame|Front cover for "Them Or Us"]] __NOTOC__
[[Category:Books by Zappa]]
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'''''Them or Us''''' is a book written by FZ, initially published by [[Barfko-Swill]] (Los Angeles) in 1984 (no ISBN), containing 351 pages. As noted on the cover: This book used to be called '''Christmas in New Jersey'''.
  
 +
A 360-page paperback edition was published by Pinter & Martin in 2010 (ISBN 978-1-905177-56-1).
  
"Them Or Us (The Book)" is the first book writen by FZ, published by [[Barfko Swill]] (Los Angeles) in 1984 (No ISBN), containing 351 pages.
+
The front cover is from the same session as the cover of ''[[True Glove]]''. The album covers on the back of the original issue, and reproduced as the last page in the 2010 edition, are: ''[[Francesco Zappa]]'', ''[[Them Or Us]]'', ''[[Thing-Fish]]'' and ''[[The Old Masters, Box I|The Old Masters]]''.
  
The book is written in quasi-screenplay style and contains tons of [[Conceptual Continuity Clues concept|conceptual continuity clues]]. It is partly narrated by [[Francesco Zappa]].
+
The foreword explains:
 
+
<blockquote>"This cheesy little home-made book was prepared for the amusement of people who already enjoy Zappa music. It is not for intellectuals or other dead people. It is designed to answer one of the more troubling questions related to [[:Category:Conceptual Continuity|conceptual continuity]]: 'How do all of these things that don't have anything to do with each other fit together, forming a larger absurdity?' Your enjoyment of the contents could be anhanced by hearing some of the music described in the text. The albums shown on the back cover contain some of these songs. Other songs derive from ''[[Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III|Joe's Garage]]'' and ''[[Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch]]''. This is a story book. It is not a rock & roll biography. This is the only REAL & OFFICIAL FRANK ZAPPA BOOK. All other books attempting to trade on my name are unauthorized and full of misinformation. This book is dedicated to all of the fans who have made the last 20 years of large-scale absurdities possible. This book used to be called ''Christmas In New Jersey" </blockquote>
The book opens with a foreword:
 
 
 
''This cheesy little home-made book was prepared for the amusement of people who already enjoy Zappa music. It is not for intellectuals or other dead people. It is designed to answer one of the more troubling questions related to [[:Category:Conceptual Continuity|conceptual continuity]]: 'How do all of these things that don't have anything to do with each other fit together, forming a larger absurdity?' Your enjoyment of the contents could be anhanced by hearing some of the music described in the text. The albums shown on the back cover contain some of these songs. Other songs derive from '[[Joe's Garage]]' and "[[Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch]]'. This is a story book. It is not a rock & roll biography. This is the only REAL & OFFICIAL FRANK ZAPPA BOOK. All other books attempting to trade on my name are unauthorized and full of misinformation. This book is dedicated to all of the fans who have made the last 20 years of large-scale absurdities possible. This book used to be called '[[Christmas In New Jersey]]'.''
 
 
 
 
 
The album covers on the back of the book are: "[[Francesco Zappa]]", "[[Them Or Us]]", "[[Thing-Fish]]", and "[[The Old Masters]]". The front cover is that photo from "[[True Glove]]" with FZ and his oven mitten.
 
 
 
"Them Or Us (The Book)" contains the lyrics to "[[Flam Bay]]", "[[Spider Of Destiny]]" and "[[Time Is Money]]", originally issued as instrumentals on "[[Sleep Dirt]]", but being part of the (unproduced) "[[Hunchentoot]]" stage play.
 
 
 
...
 
  
 +
In a [[The Frank Zappa Interview Picture Disk, pt.2|contemporary interview]] Zappa explained:
 +
<blockquote>
 +
"It's due off the press in 2 weeks in the United States, and it's Three hundred and sixty-something pages and I'm publishing it myself...The first printing is 5000 copies. ...It's a book for people who hate to read, and it's written in the style of a screenplay so that each situation is described in terms of what a camera would see, what the physical action is, what the people say and what they do. And so it takes you very quickly through some complicated situations.... And it's a fiction book and it's very funny. ...the way it works is: the book ...  in physics they have this thing that they've been looking for – it's the Unified Field Theory that explains the interrelationship between how gravity works and atomic energy and all this stuff – they're looking for one equation that explains it all and makes it work because right now there's contradictions. And ... let's just say that the book is like a Unified Field Theory that will hold together "Billy The Mountain", "Greggery Peccary", "Joe's Garage" "Them Or Us", "Thing-Fish" ... all these different stories, it shows you how they work together to make one long, really complicated story. And the "Them Or Us" album is only one part of this major release that is coming out this year. There are three other albums that are released at approximately the same time. The Boulez album, the Francesco album, and the "Thing-Fish" album – and the book relates ... The Boulez album is not related to it but all the rest of the stuff is related. And so if you read the book and listen to those three, plus knowing from the past "Joe's Garage", "Billy The Mountain", "Greggery Peccary" then it would make an awful lot of sense to you. But other than that it's very hard to describe. ....People, especially in Europe, when they want to know more about what the lyrics mean, if they can read English the book would help them.  And if they can't it'll ... . confuse them very much."
 +
</blockquote>
 
==The Index==
 
==The Index==
  
See also: [[:Category:Them Or Us (The List)|Wiki style index]].
+
See: [[:Category:Them Or Us (The List)|Wiki style index]].
  
 
+
[[Category:Books by Zappa]]
<H3>#</H3>
+
[[Category:1984]]
'[[200 Motels]]', 18 <br>
 
'[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]', 182, 247 <br>
 
[[3 Stooges]], 244 <br>
 
[[60 Minutes]], 122 <br>
 
<H3>A</H3>
 
[[Aaron]], 302 <br>
 
[[ABC]], 68 <br>
 
[[Abraham]], 302 <br>
 
[[Academia]], 255 <br>
 
[[Acapulco]], 148 <br>
 
[[Ajax]], 127 <br>
 
[[Alabama]], 81 <br>
 
[[Alaska]], 178 <br>
 
[[Algeebra]], 152 <br>
 
'[[Alien|Alien, The]]', 178, 253 <br>
 
[[Alladin Hotel]], 304 <br>
 
[[Allan]], 139-141, 143-146, 151, 153, 165, 168-171, 173-174, 177, 181, 187, 247 <br>
 
[[America]], 21, 184, 255, 257, 262, 306, 310, 322 <br>
 
'[[American Werewolf In London]]', 146, 161 <br>
 
'[[Amos & Andy]]', 262 <br>
 
[[Angelina]], 13-14 <br>
 
'[[Annie Sprinkle's Home-Made Porn Book]]', 157 <br>
 
[[Annie]], 278 <br>
 
[[Appliantology]], 90, 93 <br>
 
[[Artificial Rhonda]], 313-315, 317-318, 320-321, 330, 333, 347-348 <br>
 
[[Atlantis]], 274 <br>
 
'[[Aunt Jemima]]', 53, 55, 264 <br>
 
[[Avon Co-log-nuh]], 152 <br>
 
<H3>B</H3>
 
'[[Babes In Toyland]]', 221 <br>
 
'[[Baby Take Your Teeth Out]]', 152 <br>
 
[[John Smothers|Bald-Headed John]], 107-111 <br>
 
[[Banco Ambrosiano]], 117 <br>
 
[[Barney]], 72, 155-158, 160-164, 166-167, 171, 247, 250-251 <br>
 
[[Beatle Boots]], 73 <br>
 
[[Mr. Bemmelmans|Bemmelmans, Mr.]], 118-121, 147 <br>
 
[[Benny-Hanny]], 344 <br>
 
[[The Bible|Bible]], 262, 301, 304 <br>
 
[[Big John Masamanian]], 43 <br>
 
[[Big Swifty]], 44 <br>
 
[[Billy The Mountain]], 34-40, 49, 56-57 <br>
 
[[Gay Bob|Bob, Gay]], 99-100, 102 <br>
 
[[Boney's Market]], 41 <br>
 
[[Mrs. Borg|Borg, Mrs.]], 72, 74-75 <br>
 
[[Sy Borg|Borg, Sy]], 74, 95-103 <br>
 
[[Botchino]], 139, 180 <br>
 
[[David Bowie|Bowie, David]], 11 <br>
 
[[Bozo]], 161, 251 <br>
 
[[Brainiac]], 153 <br>
 
[[The Brasserie|Brasserie, The]], 83-84 <br>
 
'[[The Brnoqqa|Brnoqqa, The]]', 153 <br>
 
[[Broadway]], 25, 193, 196, 223-224, 239, 247, 261, 266-267, 269, 278-281, 308, 310, 312, 340-341, 347-348 <br>
 
[[The Broadway|Broadway, The]], 53 <br>
 
[[Brown Moses]], 302, 308, 317, 319, 338-339, 347-348 <br>
 
[[Bun-raku]], 283 <br>
 
[[Burger King]], 276 <br>
 
[[Officer Butzis|Butzis, Officer]], 75, 77, 166 <br>
 
<H3>C</H3>
 
[[Cadillac El Dorado]], 35 <br>
 
[[California]], 26, 39, 158, 256 <br>
 
[[Canoga Park]], 39, 84 <br>
 
[[Toni Carbone|Carbone, Toni]], 77 <br>
 
[[Count Catanti|Catanti, Count]], 12, 14-15 <br>
 
[[Cecil]], 124, 126-134, 136-137, 147, 181-182, 184, 217-218, 220-223 <br>
 
[[The Central Scrutinizer|Central Scrutinizer, The]] 70-72, 74-75, 78, 82, 87, 89-90, 93-94, 97, 103-104, 106-107, 111 <br>
 
[[Channel 13]], 153 <br>
 
[[Charmin]], 161 <br>
 
[[Cheeseburger]], 15-17 <br>
 
[[Cheviot Hills]], 39 <br>
 
[[Chicago]], 333 <br>
 
'[[CHiPs]]', 173 <br>
 
'[[Christmas In New Jersey]]', 1, 351 <br>
 
[[The Closet|Closet, The]], 94, 112 <br>
 
[[Wayne Cochran|Cochran, Wayne]], 3 <br>
 
[[Vinnie Colaiuta|Colaiuta, Vinnie]], 77 <br>
 
[[Columbus]], 40 <br>
 
[[Copenhagen]], 111 <br>
 
[[Francis Ford Coppola|Coppola, Francis Ford]] ([[Frankie C.]]), 12-15, 348 <br>
 
'[[Corn Hole]]', 159 <br>
 
[[The Count|Count, The]], 348 <br>
 
[[Crab-Grass Baby]], 317-318, 321, 338, 344, 347-348 <br>
 
[[Crisco]], 336 <br>
 
[[David Crosby|Crosby]], 52 <br>
 
[[Warren Cuccurullo|Cuccurullo, Warren]], 76, 80, 86, 101, 142 <br>
 
[[CYO]], 75-76 <br>
 
<H3>D</H3>
 
[[Daisy]], 127-129, 138, 349 <br>
 
[[Dano]], 287 <br>
 
'[[Death Valley Days]]', 137 <br>
 
[[Debbie No 2|Debbie]], 21 <br>
 
[[Debra]], 152 <br>
 
[[Quentin Robert DeNameland|DeNameland, Quentin Robert]], 50-51, 296, 301, 304-305, 309, 317, 320-321, 323, 330, 348 <br>
 
[[Denny]], 344 <br>
 
[[Deutsches Museum]], 120 <br>
 
'[[The Devil In Miss Jones|Devil In Miss Jones, The]]', 25, 350 <br>
 
[[The Devil|Devil, The]], 18 <br>
 
[[Dodge]], 72 <br>
 
[[The Osmonds|Donny 'n Marie]], 329 <br>
 
[[Downey]], 35 <br>
 
[[Drakma]], 187, 189-196, 205-209, 211, 213, 215-217, 224, 227-233, 235-236, 238, 241-242, 244-248, 251 <br>
 
'[[Dream Girls]]', 268, 345 <br>
 
[[Reginald, Duke of York|Duke of York, Reginald]], 4-9, 12, 22, 256, 296, 317 <br>
 
[[The Dummy|Dummy, The]], 26-32, 34-35, 37, 39-40, 42-43, 51-54, 56-57, 61, 66-67, 69-70, 83, 100, 119, 121, 142, 147-148, 182-184, 217-224, 247, 351 <br>
 
[[Durk]], 196-203, 207-211, 213-214, 225-246, 250, 349 <br>
 
[[Dutch Girl With Ugly Teeth]], 10 <br>
 
[[Dutch Midgets]], 10, 18, 296, 348 <br>
 
<H3>E</H3>
 
[[Earth|Planet Earth]], 186-188, 190-191, 195-196, 209-210, 214-215, 223, 225-226, 229-230, 232-234-236, 239-242, 244-245, 247<br>
 
[[Ebneezra]], 152<br>
 
[[Eddie]], 18 <br>
 
[[Edwards Air Force Base]], 39 <br>
 
[[Egypt|Egypt-Land]], 317, 319, 338 <br>
 
[[Albert Einstein|Einstein]], 63 <br>
 
[[Elephant Man]], 14, 154, 296 <br>
 
[[Encino]], 139, 144, 168, 173, 257 <br>
 
[[Ethell]], 34-41, 56-57 <br>
 
[[Europe]], 14 <br>
 
[[Evelyn]] (aka [[Killer Collie]]), 154, 163, 170 <br>
 
[[The Evil Prince|Evil Prince]], 260, 276-282, 284, 301, 311-312, 340-344, 347 <br>
 
[[Exorcist]], 69, 113, 115 <br>
 
'[[Eye of The Tiger]]', 119 <br>
 
<H3>F</H3>
 
[[Falcum]], 109 <br>
 
[[Fred Fanoga|Fanoga, Fred]], 130 <br>
 
[[Larry Fanoga|Fanoga, Larry]], 72-74, 78-82, 86, 130-134, 136-137, 147, 181-182, 184, 217-218, 220-223 <br>
 
[[Fender]], 72 <br>
 
'[[Fiddler On The Roof]]', 24-25 <br>
 
[[Fido]], 250 <br>
 
[[The First Lady|First Lady, The]], 25 <br>
 
[[Florence]], 72, 155-158, 160, 162-164, 167 <br>
 
'[[The Flosser|Flosser, The]]', 153 <br>
 
[[Force-lings]], 196-204, 207, 209, 214-215, 225-230, 241-244, 246, 249 <br>
 
[[Foster Grants]], 153 <br>
 
[[France]], 10, 16 <br>
 
'[[Francesco Zappa|Francesco Zappa's String Disco Trio]]', 24 <br>
 
'[[Francesco Zappa|Francesco Zappa's String Trio Opus I, 2nd movement]]', 12 <br>
 
'[[Francesco Zappa|Francesco Zappa's String Trio Opus I, number one]]', 3 <br>
 
[[Francine]], 141, 146-147, 153, 157-158, 167 <br>
 
[[Freckles]], 111 <br>
 
[[Freedent Gum]], 149 <br>
 
[[French Revolution]], 14 <br>
 
[[Fresno]], 9, 262 <br>
 
[[Frunobulax]], 163, 249, 251 <br>
 
<H3>G</H3>
 
[[The Galleria|Galleria, The]], 144, 169 <br>
 
[[Genghis Kahn]], 349 <br>
 
[[Georgia]], 81 <br>
 
[[Germany]], 14 <br>
 
[[The Garden of Gethsemane|Gethsemane, The Garden of]], 114 <br>
 
[[Gladys]], 44 <br>
 
[[Glendale]], 39-40 <br>
 
[[Glenoaks]], 40 <br>
 
[[Mr. Gorgonzola|Gorgonzola, Mr.]], 67, 183, 196 <br>
 
[[Billy Graham|Graham, Billy]], 302 <br>
 
[[Granada Hills]], 39 <br>
 
[[The Grateful Dead|Grateful Dead]], 306 <br>
 
'[[Grease (The Film)|Grease II]]', 79 <br>
 
[[Greek Town]], 293 <br>
 
[[The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary|Greggery Peccary]], 43-51 <br>
 
[[Gretchen]], 140-142, 147, 149, 152-153, 157, 165, 168-173, 176-177, 180-182, 223, 248 <br>
 
'[[Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]', 3-4, 349 <br>
 
[[Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People|Grunt People, The]], 181-184, 218, 220-221 <br>
 
<H3>H</H3>
 
[[H.B.O.]], 120 <br>
 
[[The Hague|Hague, The]], 10 <br>
 
[[Halloween (The Event)]], 65 <br>
 
[[Happy Valley]], 124 <br>
 
[[Harley]], 34 <br>
 
'[[Harnilton]]', 243-245 <br>
 
[[Harry]], 152-153, 161, 166-167, 259, 265, 267-271, 281-282, 287-288, 294, 305, 307-308, 310-311-313, 332-338, 340-341, 345-348 <br>
 
[[Harry-As-A-Boy]], 305-310, 313-315, 317-321, 347-348 <br>
 
[[Hawaiian Lunch]], 321, 330 <br>
 
[[Hawthorne]], 39 <br>
 
[[Hello Dolly]], 278, 281 <br>
 
[[Jimi Hendrix|Hendrix, Jimi]], 67, 175 <br>
 
[[Herzberg]], 59-61, 66, 117-121, 147, 197, 232 <br>
 
[[Hilton]], 320 <br>
 
[[Adolf Hitler|Hitler, Adolf]], 120, 147 <br>
 
[[Hohner]], 192 <br>
 
[[Hollywood Boulevard]], 53 <br>
 
[[Hollywood]], 152, 175, 248 <br>
 
[[The Holy Land|Holy Land, The]], 114 <br>
 
[[L. Ron Hoover|Hoover, L. Ron]], 90-93 <br>
 
[[Horace]], 145-147 <br>
 
[[Hunchentoot]], 187, 190-195, 204-211, 213-217, 236-251, 253 <br>
 
[[Hunchmen]], 48-49, 67 <br>
 
[[Hustler]], 314 <br>
 
<H3>I</H3>
 
'[[Ignint McNugget]]', 275, 296 <br>
 
Ike, 84 <br>
 
[[Irwindale]], 39, 43 <br>
 
<H3>J</H3>
 
[[Jack Daniels|Jack Daniels]], 304-305 <br>
 
[[Jack-In-The-Box]], 87-89 <br>
 
[[Japan]], 248 <br>
 
[[Jerry]], 140, 169-170, 172-173 <br>
 
[[Jerusalem]], 115, 117 <br>
 
[[Jesus]], 114-117, 147, 211, 302, 341 <br>
 
Jimmy, 72, 154-158, 160-164, 167, 171-172, 251, 253 <br>
 
Joe, 72-76, 78, 86-104, 106, 111-113 <br>
 
'Joe's Garage', 1 <br>
 
John, 172 <br>
 
[[Al Jolson|Jolson]], 263 <br>
 
[[Father Riley B. Jones|Jones, Father Riley B.]] (a.k.a. [[Buddy Jones]] a.k.a. [[Father Riley]]), 75-77, 84-86, 106-108, 111, 113-117, 147 <br>
 
[[Jordache Jeans]], 287 <br>
 
[[Josie]], 127-128 <br>
 
[[Jumbo]], 344 <br>
 
<H3>K</H3>
 
[[Debra Fauntleroy-Magnesium Kadabra|Kadabra, Debra Fauntleroy-Magnesium]], 153 <br>
 
[[Kaiser Broiler Foil]], 53 <br>
 
[[Kato]], 111 <br>
 
[[Muhammar Khadaffi|Khadaffi, Muhammar]], 115, 147, 159, 163, 248-250 <br>
 
[[Killer Collie]] ([[Evelyn]]), 164, 167-173, 177-178, 248 <br>
 
[[Killer Squis]], 152, 154, 159, 162, 174, 176-177 <br>
 
[[King of The Grunts]], 183-184, 196 <br>
 
[[Kiss]], 156-157 <br>
 
[[Henry Kissinger|Kissinger]], 70 <br>
 
[[KTTV]], 39 <br>
 
[[Stanley Kubrick|Kubrick]], 183 <br>
 
<H3>L</H3>
 
[[L.A.]], 152 <br>
 
[[L.A.P.D.]], 75, 166 <br>
 
[[Lady Aurora]], 4, 6-9, 12, 296, 317 <br>
 
[[Kelly Lang|Lang, Kelly]], 68, 168, 171-172, 177 <br>
 
[[Lankershim Boulevard]], 152 <br>
 
[[Las Vegas]], 32, 37-38, 64, 129, 304 <br>
 
[[Leave-It-To-Beaver]], 72, 154 <br>
 
'[[Lemme Take You To The Beach]]', 176 <br>
 
[[Levi Cloth]], 125-126, 137 <br>
 
[[Jerry Lewis|Lewis, Jerry]], 16, 40 <br>
 
Lincoln, 35 <br>
 
[[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln, Abraham]], 25-26, 67, 101, 122, 147, 350 <br>
 
[[Little Miss Muffett]], 241, 248 <br>
 
[[Lomita]], 39 <br>
 
[[Long Island]], 345 <br>
 
[[The Love Doll|Love Doll, The]], 3 <br>
 
[[LSD]], 73 <br>
 
[[Lucille]], 87-90, 98, 102 <br>
 
[[Lunar Maiden]], 180 <br>
 
<H3>M</H3>
 
[[M.B.A.]], 314 <br>
 
Mac Donalds, 188 <br>
 
[[Madison Square Garden]], 116, 119 <br>
 
'[[The Mammy Anthem|Mammy Nuns]]', 262-264, 266-269, 272-273, 282, 284-286, 301, 308-309, 312-314, 317, 319-320-321, 327, 333-334, 340-341, 346-347 <br>
 
[[Manhattan]], 68, 340 <br>
 
[[Manx Needs Women|Manx]], 112, 151, 159-160, 174 <br>
 
[[Marie Antoinette]], 349 <br>
 
[[Mary]], 76-79, 81-87, 98, 102 <br>
 
McDoodle, 111 <br>
 
[[Zubin Mehta|Mehta, Zubin]], 41 <br>
 
[[Mercedes Benz]], 288, 291 <br>
 
[[Mercedes Benz|Mercedes]], 141 <br>
 
[[Miami]], 83-85 <br>
 
[[Milan]], 3-4 <br>
 
[[Mildred]], 44 <br>
 
'[[Missile to The Moon]]', 151 <br>
 
[[Joni Mitchell|Mitchell, Joni]], 52 <br>
 
[[Mojave Desert]], 34, 38 <br>
 
[[Mongolian]], 349 <br>
 
[[Marilyn Monroe|Monroe, Marilyn]], 122, 349-350 <br>
 
[[The Moon|Moon, The]], 137-138, 180-181, 184, 218, 225, 233 <br>
 
[[Tim Moore|Moore, Tim]], 262 <br>
 
'[[Mother, Mary 'n Jozef]]', 130 <br>
 
[[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], 4, 11-12 <br>
 
[[MTV]], 253 <br>
 
[[Mudd Club]], 293-295 <br>
 
[[Rance Muhammitz|Muhammitz, Rance]], 18 <br>
 
[[Munich]], 118-120 <br>
 
<H3>N</H3>
 
[[N.A.A.C.P.]], 262 <br>
 
[[N.A.S.A.]], 135 <br>
 
[[The National Enquirer|National Enquirer, The]], 65 <br>
 
[[NBC]], 18, 171, 177 <br>
 
[[Nevada]], 304 <br>
 
[[New Amsterdam]], 22 <br>
 
[[The New Gilded Grape|New Gilded Grape, The]], 115 <br>
 
[[New Jersey]], 1, 3-4, 56, 301, 305, 317, 321 <br>
 
[[New York]], 21-24, 37, 54-55, 68 <br>
 
[[Newhall]], 39 <br>
 
[[Wayne Newton|Newton, Wayne]], 64 <br>
 
'[[Night of The Living Dead]]', 170 <br>
 
[[Nivea Lotion]], 285 <br>
 
[[No Not Now]], 347 <br>
 
[[No-Doz]], 322 <br>
 
<H3>O</H3>
 
[[Ohio]], 40 <br>
 
[[Oklahoma]], 278 <br>
 
[[Old Zircon]], 31-32, 43-51, 68-69, 113, 116-117, 121, 147, 350 <br>
 
[[Oldsmobile]], 317, 319 <br>
 
[[One-Adam-Twelve]], 285-286, 288, 303, 318 <br>
 
[[Opal]], 304-305, 348 <br>
 
[[Orange County]], 41 <br>
 
[[Little Orphan Annie|Orphan Annie]], 341 <br>
 
<H3>P</H3>
 
[[Pacoima]], 39 <br>
 
[[Jack Palance|Palance, Jack]], 281 <br>
 
[[Palmdale]], 39 <br>
 
[[Palo Alto]], 65, 143 <br>
 
[[Papier Mache Spider]], 151, 159, 184-185, 192-193, 219, 221, 223-224, 247<br>
 
[[Parco Redecessio]], 4 <br>
 
[[Park Avenue]], 68 <br>
 
[[Partinico]], [[Sicily]], 12-13 <br>
 
[[Peter Pan|Peter Pan]], 278 <br>
 
[[Phlorescent Leech]], 18 <br>
 
[[Phydeaux III]], 85 <br>
 
[[Pinewood Studios]], 18 <br>
 
[[Pinocchio]], 42 <br>
 
[[Playa del Rey]], 39 <br>
 
[[Playboy]], 346 <br>
 
[[Playgirl]] Magazine, 86, 142 <br>
 
[[Poland]], 116 <br>
 
[[Pomona]], 111 <br>
 
[[Pope]], 311 <br>
 
[[Porcelana Fade Cream]], 168 <br>
 
[[Porsche]], 141 <br>
 
[[The President|President, The]], 25-26, 65, 67, 69, 101-102, 116, 137-138, 350 <br>
 
[[Elvis Presley|Presley, Elvis]], 67, 175 <br>
 
[[Princess Celestia]] ([[Gretchen]]), 182 <br>
 
[[George Putnam|Putnam, George]], 39, 41, 43, 51-52, 54-55 <br>
 
<H3>Q</H3>
 
'[[Queen Of Outer Space]], 138, 180 <br>
 
<H3>R</H3>
 
[[Raggedy Ann]], 333 <br>
 
[[Ralph's]], 53 <br>
 
[[Dan Rather|Rather, Dan]], 122<br>
 
[[RCA]], 346 <br>
 
[[Ronald Reagan|Reagan, Ronald]], 276 <br>
 
[[Regines]], 68 <br>
 
[[Rhonda]], 259, 265, 268-271, 281-282, 287, 294, 305, 307-308, 310-313, 324, 332-338, 341-342, 345-348 <br>
 
[[Ricky The Dwarf]], 159, 162, 176-177 <br>
 
[[Ringo]], 19 <br>
 
[[Robbie]], 293 <br>
 
[[Elliot Roberts|Roberts, Elliot]], 52 <br>
 
[[Roger]], 151, 159 <br>
 
[[Will Rogers|Rogers, Will]], 40 <br>
 
[[Rolling Hills]], 39 <br>
 
[[Rolling Stone]], 52 <br>
 
[[Rosa]], 149, 157 <br>
 
[[Rosie]], 127-129 <br>
 
[[Royal Crown]], 285 <br>
 
<H3>S</H3>
 
Sagan, Almost Carl, 124-130, 132, 134, 136, 140-141, 180, 185, 192, 219, 224, 247, 249-250 <br>
 
[[Carl Sagan|Sagan, Carl]], 124 <br>
 
Sagan, Not Quite, 185-189, 192-194, 196, 199, 215, 223, 225, 227, 241, 249-250 <br>
 
[[Saint Loomis]], 343-344 <br>
 
[[Sally]], 139, 168, 171-172 <br>
 
[[San Fernando Valley]], 72, 75, 143, 174 <br>
 
[[San Fernando]], 39 <br>
 
[[San Joaquin Valley]], 39 <br>
 
[[San Quentim]], 261, 270, 282, 284, 344 <br>
 
[[Santa Claus]], 332, 334 <br>
 
[[Santa Monica]], 21, 39, 309 <br>
 
[[Carmenita Scarfone|Scarfone, Carmenita]], 77 <br>
 
[[Neil Sedaka|Sedaka, Neil]], 42 <br>
 
[[Sedelmayer]] beer, 41 <br>
 
[[Shadow Hills]], 39 <br>
 
[[Shemp]], 15-25, 253-254, 260, 263, 276 <br>
 
[[Brooke Christa Shields|Shields, Brooke]], 22 <br>
 
'[[Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch]]', 1 <br>
 
[[Short Forest]], 48 <br>
 
[[The Short Girl|Short Girl, The]], 29-31, 34, 36, 41-42, 55, 57 <br>
 
[[Sicily]], 12-14 <br>
 
[[Jeff Simmons|Simmons, Jeff]], 88 <br>
 
[[Singing Cowboys]], 41, 52, 55-56, 73, 144-145 <br>
 
[[Sister Anne de Devine]], 263, 267, 282, 319 <br>
 
[[Sister Ghenghis-Adonis-Osmosis]], 263, 267, 282, 285, 319 <br>
 
[[Sister Jasmine Noxema-Tapioca]], 263, 267, 285, 297 <br>
 
[[Sister Ob'dewlla 'X']], 260, 267-268, 271, 277, 314, 332, 334-335, 338-339, 342, 344, 347-348 <br>
 
[[Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon]], 263, 267, 287-294, 319 <br>
 
[[Sister Potato-Head Bobby Brown]], 263, 267, 285, 297 <br>
 
[[SLC]], 292 <br>
 
[[Smith-Barney]], 69 <br>
 
[[Miss Snodgrass|Snodgrass, Miss]], 46 <br>
 
[[Bob Spree|Spreen, Bob]], 35 <br>
 
[[Annie Sprinkle|Sprinkle, Annie]], 157<br>
 
[[Squat]], [[The Magic Pig]], 29-31, 34, 36, 41-42, 55, 57, (96) <br>
 
[[Sylvester Stallone|Stallone, Sylvester]], 115 <br>
 
'[[Star Wars]]', 78 <br>
 
'[[Steaming Poop-Chute]]', 154, 160 <br>
 
[[Shirley Stoller|Stoller, Shirley]], 260 <br>
 
[[Strato-Caster]], 72 <br>
 
[[Studebaker Hoch]], 41, 52-57, 79 <br>
 
[[Studio '54]], 296 <br>
 
[[Ed Sullivan|Sullivan, Ed]], 241, 268 <br>
 
[[Sunland]], 39 <br>
 
Sunset, 53 <br>
 
[[SWAT]], 75, 166-167 <br>
 
[[Billy Sweeney|Sweeney, Billy]], 118, 124-126, 128-129, 132-137, 147, 181-182, 184, 218-223<br>
 
[[Sweenoid]], 181 <br>
 
[[Sylmar]], 39 <br>
 
<H3>T</H3>
 
[[TeleFunken U-47]], 82, 101 <br>
 
'[[The Thing|Thing, The]]', 178 <br>
 
'[[Thing-Fish]]', 253, 255, 259-260 <br>
 
[[Thing-Fish]], 260-278, 281-288, 295, 297-299, 301-308, 310-315, 320-335, 337-339, 342-344, 347-348 <br>
 
[[Tijuana]], 317, 319 <br>
 
[[Toad-O]], 72, 83 <br>
 
[[Tokyo]], 111 <br>
 
[[Torrance]], 39 <br>
 
[[Tujunga]], 39 <br>
 
[[Tupper-Ware]], 280<br>
 
<H3>U</H3>
 
U.S., 124-125, 181, 184 <br>
 
U.S.A., 273 <br>
 
[[Uncle Ben's Rice]], 308 <br>
 
[[Uncle Willie]], 26-32, 34-41, 43, 51-54, 56-57, 61-63, 65-67, 69-70, 83, 100-102, 122, 142-143, 147, 350 <br>
 
[[Utah]], 321, 328-329 <br>
 
<H3>V</H3>
 
'[[Valley Girl Beach Party]]', 144, 152, 173 <br>
 
'[[Valley Girl]]', 143, 145 <br>
 
[[Van Allen Radiation Belt]], 128-129, 135 <br>
 
[[Ventura]], 144 <br>
 
'[[The Village People|Village People, The]]', 308 <br>
 
[[Vine]], 53 <br>
 
[[Virginia]], 260, 287 <br>
 
[[Volkswagen]], 43 <br>
 
[[Volvo]], 317-318 <br>
 
<H3>W</H3>
 
[[Wall Street Journal]], 145 <br>
 
[[Wall Street]], 71 <br>
 
[[Wanda]], 44, 346 <br>
 
[[Warner Brothers]], 337 <br>
 
[[Washington]], 302 <br>
 
[[Westchester]], 39 <br>
 
[[The White House|White House, The]], 25, 122 <br>
 
[[White Street]], 293 <br>
 
[[Wilson family]], 26 <br>
 
[[Andrew Wilson|Wilson, Andrew]], 26, 65 <br>
 
[[Buddy Wilson|Wilson, Buddy]], 26, 59-62, 65-68, 113-117, 147 <br>
 
[[Carolyn Wilson|Wilson, Carolyn]], 26, 65 <br>
 
[[Chrissy Wilson|Wilson, Chrissy]], 26, 61-62, 65-67 <br>
 
'[[No Not Now|Won Ton On]]', 347 <br>
 
[[Woolite]], 269-270 <br>
 
<H3>X</H3>
 
[[Sweeney X-1|X-1, Sweeney]], 134-135, 138, 180-182 <br>
 
[[Xenon]], 22 <br>
 
[[XQJ-37 Pan-Sexual Roto-Plooker]], 95, 104 <br>
 
<H3>Y</H3>
 
[[Neil Young|Young, Neil]], 52 <br>
 
<H3>Z</H3>
 
Zappa, 169, 171, 254, 256 <br>
 
[[Francesco Zappa|Zappa, Francesco]], 3-25, 253-260, 262-263, 268, 281, 283, 295, 305, 314, 317, 321, 332, 336, 347-349 <br>
 
Zappa, Frank (a.k.a. Moon's Dad), 1, 169-170, 172-174, 253, 255-260, 262-263, 268, 281, 348 <br>
 
[[Moon Zappa|Zappa, Moon]], 144, 169-174 <br>
 
[[Zyklon-B]], 71 <br>
 

Latest revision as of 04:15, 22 November 2021

Front cover for "Them Or Us"

Them or Us is a book written by FZ, initially published by Barfko-Swill (Los Angeles) in 1984 (no ISBN), containing 351 pages. As noted on the cover: This book used to be called Christmas in New Jersey.

A 360-page paperback edition was published by Pinter & Martin in 2010 (ISBN 978-1-905177-56-1).

The front cover is from the same session as the cover of True Glove. The album covers on the back of the original issue, and reproduced as the last page in the 2010 edition, are: Francesco Zappa, Them Or Us, Thing-Fish and The Old Masters.

The foreword explains:

"This cheesy little home-made book was prepared for the amusement of people who already enjoy Zappa music. It is not for intellectuals or other dead people. It is designed to answer one of the more troubling questions related to conceptual continuity: 'How do all of these things that don't have anything to do with each other fit together, forming a larger absurdity?' Your enjoyment of the contents could be anhanced by hearing some of the music described in the text. The albums shown on the back cover contain some of these songs. Other songs derive from Joe's Garage and Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch. This is a story book. It is not a rock & roll biography. This is the only REAL & OFFICIAL FRANK ZAPPA BOOK. All other books attempting to trade on my name are unauthorized and full of misinformation. This book is dedicated to all of the fans who have made the last 20 years of large-scale absurdities possible. This book used to be called Christmas In New Jersey"

In a contemporary interview Zappa explained:

"It's due off the press in 2 weeks in the United States, and it's Three hundred and sixty-something pages and I'm publishing it myself...The first printing is 5000 copies. ...It's a book for people who hate to read, and it's written in the style of a screenplay so that each situation is described in terms of what a camera would see, what the physical action is, what the people say and what they do. And so it takes you very quickly through some complicated situations.... And it's a fiction book and it's very funny. ...the way it works is: the book ... in physics they have this thing that they've been looking for – it's the Unified Field Theory that explains the interrelationship between how gravity works and atomic energy and all this stuff – they're looking for one equation that explains it all and makes it work because right now there's contradictions. And ... let's just say that the book is like a Unified Field Theory that will hold together "Billy The Mountain", "Greggery Peccary", "Joe's Garage" "Them Or Us", "Thing-Fish" ... all these different stories, it shows you how they work together to make one long, really complicated story. And the "Them Or Us" album is only one part of this major release that is coming out this year. There are three other albums that are released at approximately the same time. The Boulez album, the Francesco album, and the "Thing-Fish" album – and the book relates ... The Boulez album is not related to it but all the rest of the stuff is related. And so if you read the book and listen to those three, plus knowing from the past "Joe's Garage", "Billy The Mountain", "Greggery Peccary" then it would make an awful lot of sense to you. But other than that it's very hard to describe. ....People, especially in Europe, when they want to know more about what the lyrics mean, if they can read English the book would help them. And if they can't it'll ... . confuse them very much."

The Index

See: Wiki style index.