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 1993
August
Number 117
Frank Zappa
By Dan Ouellette, 7 pp
Additional reporting by Bill Milkowski and Rob Samler
20th-century popular music's philosopher-king (or
its Harvey Kurtzman) has inspired independence movements in Eastern
Europe and lampooned stupidity in the west. Now he faces his most
serious challenge.
It's April, and Los Angeles is nervously awaiting the outcome of
the second Rodney King beating trial. A car heads toward Frank
Zappa's Laurel Canyon home blaring the song "Trouble Every Day" from
the first Mothers of Invention album, Freak Out! Written by
Zappa in '65, while the Watts riots were escalating out of control,
the song is eerily appropriate nearly 30 years later, when the city
is once again bracing for the worst. With wailing harmonica and
turmoiled bass in the background, the lyrics ominously and
prophetically tumble out,
"It's the same across the nation
Black and white discrimination
...and all that mass stupidity
that seems to grow more every day
each time you hear some nitwit say
He wants to go and do you in
'Cause the color of your skin
Just don't appeal to him
No matter if it's black or white
Because he's out for blood tonight."
(read more @
Pulse! Magazine by Dan
Ouellette: August, 1993 )
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