Frank Zappa needs no introduction . . . or does he?
Though considered one the 20th century's greatest composers by critics, much of his music, wasn't accessible to mainstream audiences. Songs like "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" and "Valley Girl," a duet with daughter Moon Unit, broke through, but only enough to present Zappa as a novelty act. His passion for composition that pushed the boundaries of modern rock by incorporating elements of jazz, rhythm and blues, disco, and electronic and classical music was lost on most ears.
That, however, is changing though a series of Zappa Plays Zappa tours orchestrated by his son Dweezil, who is determined to preserve his dad's legacy while simultaneously introducing it to a new generation of listeners.
"People under the age of 30 didn't really know that much about my dad's music," Zappa says by phone from his Los Angeles studio. "They might have known his name, might have heard the kids' names, but the majority of what his music represented was lost on that generation.
"I'd like to see that change," Zappa says. "I always felt that his music and his contributions to music were underappreciated, so I thought it's worth embarking at least on some journey to present the music to new generations to see what this music is like performed live. It makes a really big difference seeing it performed live as opposed to just listening to it."
Zappa sees his role as an educator as well as entertainer. Frank Zappa's music was never popular in the traditional music sense: selling millions of copies and getting heavy radio airplay. What airplay he did receive for the aforementioned tracks only distorted Zappa's musical genius, leaving many to think his forte was comedic songs. Far from it, of course.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
 | The Lost Broadcasts DVD - £9.99 |
| The Interview Sessions CD - £9.99 |
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