What Would Frank Be Doing Now?

[Burble]

With the anniversary of Zappa's passing, it makes me think of a lot of things. It makes me remember that he was only 53, which I'm not too far from being. It makes me realize that he would now be 72. Which makes me think about how recent it seems that he went and - SHIT! - realize that it's not so far from 53 to 72. Yikes.

But I wonder what he would have done with those extra years. After the 1988 tour debacle, I don't know if he'd have ever gone back out. What to do with 19 years when he didn't have to select and rehearse and break in a band? More orchestral stuff? More studio stuff? Something new, even for Frank?

I was much less fond of his later works, actually, and often wondered if he was trying to punch his way out into something kind of new for him. He almost certainly would have moved on from the Synclavier technology into something else, but - well - given what's out there and how it would suit his compositional tendencies, WHAT? Or how would his compositional tendencies absorbed current technological trends?

I wonder what the hell he would have gotten up to in, say, the last five years.

[ThomasKDye]

There is definitely one PE poster who might know from close-up experience...

My guess is "orchestra, orchestra, orchestra." I think he'd trying to break parameters of orchestral performances...

[rapidfirerob]

Discussing how much worse the GOP has become.

[Haruspex Carnage]

Hopefully telling his sons to give it a rest...but seriously, what Thomas said i think...

[flowerking]

Not just the GOP. I'd guess he'd be writing some very shrewd lyrics or commentary on the state of US politics. I don't think its ever been more farcical than it is now and FZ would I'm sure have a lot to say on it.

Musically, I'd guess he would have delivered several synclavier opuses by now and I doubt he'd ever work with another real life musician again.

[polmico]

Musically, I'd guess he would have delivered several synclavier opuses by now and I doubt he'd ever work with another real life musician again.

I think he couldn't help himself, and he'd have to get out and play with a band every once in a while.

[Baribrotzer]

Musically, I'd guess he would have delivered several synclavier opuses by now and I doubt he'd ever work with another real life musician again.

Or at least rock/jazz musicians, on his own payroll. But he might have continued working with the Ensemble Modern and similar organizations, and have effectively made the transition to being a classical composer. Which, in some sense, is what he always wanted to be.

Although I could also see him, like Fripp, concluding that in spite of all the aggravation it entails, he also needs to get out in front of people and play ROCK. In that case, perhaps he'd do residencies rather than tours, and play multiple performances in one city. Imagine a small tight rock band of his own guys, augmented with a couple dozen avant-classical specialists reading off charts, and playing the same venue for several weeks in NYC. Then doing it in Cologne, Germany with the same band but a different chamber orchestra, and doing the whole thing every three or four years. Rather like the Yellow Shark and Zappa's Universe presentations he was involved in in his last years.

[Steve F.]

Licensing his catalog out to the 1st 1,000 people who pony up $1,000.00 each!

fer sure!

[Dean Watson]

President of the United States.

[ItalProgRules]

Discussing how much worse the GOP has become.

Why yes, controlling all of one half of one branch of the government for the past two years (and controlling absolutely nothing in any branch of the government for the previous two) certainly means we should blame the GOP for everything. My esteemed betters in the MSM tell me this every day as well, so it must be true.

"Facts aren't mean. They're just facts." - Andrew Breitbart

[gpeccary]

As mentioned above I believe he would have done more with the Ensemble Modern, The Metropole Orchestra, etc. He was always a composer and rock was the pragmatic way to support that side. I personally think he left the reservation a bit from his earlier work, Im not always sure what he was trying to prove. But he ALWAYS challenged me musically. I think his little cottage industry as he coined it, would have supported him doing more orchestral work for sure. He was always at the cutting edge of technology, the synclavier would have gone away, and God only knows what could have been.

[sonic]

Sitting back in his favorite armchair and smoking a cigar.

[Mick]

IMPO... Franks' political AND cultural sarcasm may have been more subdued if he thought he could have been more active to actually change the path on which the country was heading 19 years ago.
He was always somewhere behind the scenes DOING things which helped artists within the music industry, so involving himself even further would not have been out of character.
However... "They're only in it for the Money too" could have easily been a follow up title, if he failed to get attention of the political powers that were.

[Mister Triscuits]

I think he couldn't help himself, and he'd have to get out and play with a band every once in a while.

I agree. He swore off touring in '83, and again in '85, but the call of the road was too strong. If he hadn't gotten sick, I bet he would have been out on tour again even before 1993.

[rcarlberg]

He might have moved into something completely new for him, he was always trying to stretch himself. Maybe visual art, or remixing somebody else, or hip-hop versions of MOI, or politics.

Damn sure he would've made different commercial decisions than Gail.

WWFD

[Zonefish]

Zappa Playing Zappa Playing Zappa

[JKL2000]

Renaming his children.

[Drakma]

I think one of the main joys of appreciating all things Frank is that..........we really have no idea where he would have gone. Hop on for the ride kids. That is what was so great!

[rcarlberg]

Amen to that Drakma.

[Oreb]

Frank would be looking askance at social media and asking "Does it matter that this waste of time is what makes a life for you?"

[ronmellot2]

The answer is obvious...if Frank Zappa were alive today? Jammin' with Jimi

[Dave (in MA)]

He'd be asking GZ why there's a damn candle on his website, and while we're at it, what's a website?

[flowerking]

I think one of the main joys of appreciating all things Frank is that..........we really have no idea where he would have gone. Hop on for the ride kids. That is what was so great!

You go that right! How many left turns did he take during his life?