Today is listen to Zappa's 'JOE'S GARAGE' all day- day. bye.

It was strange to see this new documentary 'EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS'and to know that Frank's children do not speak to each other anymore due to the warring over his music's money and the Zappa estate. The film is very well woven and laced with archival footage (largely VHS!), presenting Frank's genius and his humorous public persona since the ripe age of 15! Who knew!? Frank was composing avant-garde pieces on live television with bicycles and metal sticks at the age of 15 with short cropped 50's hair. Before he fought Tipper Gore's ridiculous PMRC, he was already a very vocal conservative. Frank did not use any drugs and was against drugs as a methodology to create his mad music, he essentially was drugs (and also was a terrible chain smoker). The film is very similar to the last Marlon Brando documentary which uses the subject matter's own voice and footage as a storytelling timeline guidance counselor. I paid close attention to his band members, desperately looking for guitarist virtuoso Steve Vai who I remember joined Frank at the age of 17 by sending to him a hand written letter begging to be a part of the Zappa experimental rock composition movement. Vai dropped out of high school to join 'The Mother's of Invention.' Well, NO STEVE VAI. Then I knew that this entire documentary film was 'rigged' as Trump so eloquently puts it (Steve Vai remains very close with Frank's musician son DWEEZIL Zappa- that was what raised my RED FLAG). The movie ends immediately with an abrupt fade in to 'FOR GAIL' (Frank's widow) and then 'PRODUCED BY AHMET' (one of Frank's most litigious sons) and that was all I needed to know. You see, Frank spent most of his career vocally charging the music industry for it's hubris and destructive money hungry nature, and it seems now that Frank created a self-fulfilling prophesy for himself. Before his death at 52 from prostate cancer, Frank requested that his wife Gail terminate all ties with the music business - Gail did not. And, the one thing that gave Frank Zappa security and strength to combat the ruthless music industry, got consumed and destroyed by it - his children and loving family. Frank Zappa WAS a family man. To date, Gail has recently died at age 70 and Frank's four children only communicate now via lawyers and lawsuits against one another.  None of this is in the film, and honestly should not be as the film is really about Frank's creative passion for composition writing and performance art.

Frank said at the end of his life that his life "does not matter."  Frank was so very wrong. Frank's life DID matter and does matter. Actually, much of the family war is probably centered around the love they have for him and the loss that they all feel as a family. Frank's legacy of work and passion continues to inspire new generations of different thinkers and creative people. Frank inspires me. And, he was friggin' halarious! 

   bye.