Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, bandleader, and noted guitar virtuoso. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestral and musique concrète works; he also produced almost all of the 60-plus albums that he released with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. His work is characterized by nonconformity, improvisation sound experimentation, musical virtuosity and satire of American culture. Zappa also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. He is considered one of the most innovative and stylistically diverse musicians of his generation.
- The Mothers of Invention
- Frank Zappa - guitar, vocal
- Roy Estrada - bass
- Don Preston - keyboards
- Jimmy Carl Black - drums, vocals
- Bunk Gardner - woodwinds, tenor sax
- Studio albums:
- Freak Out! (1966)
- Absolutely Free (1967)
- We're Only in It for the Money (1968)
- Lumpy Gravy (1968)
- Cruising with Ruben & the Jets (1968)
- Mothermania (1969)
- Uncle Meat (1969)
- Hot Rats (1969)
- Burnt Weeny Sandwich (1970)
- Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970)
- Chunga's Revenge (1970)
- Fillmore East – June 1971 (1971)
- 200 Motels (1971)
- Just Another Band from L.A. (1972)
- Waka/Jawaka (1972)
- The Grand Wazoo (1972)
- Over-Nite Sensation (1973)
- Apostrophe (') (1974)
- Roxy & Elsewhere (1974)
- One Size Fits All (1975)
- Bongo Fury (1975)
- Zoot Allures (1976)
- Zappa in New York (1978)
- Studio Tan (1978)
- Sleep Dirt (1979)
- Sheik Yerbouti (1979)
- Orchestral Favorites (1979)
- Joe's Garage, Act I (1979)
- Joe's Garage, Acts II & III (1979)
- Tinsel Town Rebellion (1981)
- Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar (1981)
- Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar Some More (1981)
- Return of the Son of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar (1981)
- You Are What You Is (1981)
- Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch (1982)
- The Man from Utopia (1983)
- Baby Snakes (1983)
- London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. I (1983)
- Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (1984)
- Them or Us (1984)
- Thing-Fish (1984)
- Francesco Zappa (1984)
- Old Masters, Box I (1985)
- Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention (1985)
- Does Humor Belong in Music? (1986)
- Old Masters, Box II (1986)
- Jazz from Hell (1986)
- London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. II (1987)
- Old Masters, Box III (1987)
- Guitar (1988)
- You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 (1988)
- You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 (1988)
- Broadway the Hard Way (1988)
- You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 (1989)
- The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life (1991)
- Make a Jazz Noise Here (1991)
- You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 (1991)
- You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5 (1992)
- You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 (1992)
- Playground Psychotics (1992)
- Ahead of Their Time (1993)
- The Yellow Shark (1993)
