[dhdallas]

Frank Zappa and I Am the Slime - a cautionary tale still valid 52 years later!

In 1970 I was in the tenth grade and my first introduction to Frank Zappa was when a friend of mine bought a copy of “Chunga’s Revenge”. Next came “The Mothers ‎– Fillmore East - June 1971” and I became an instant lifelong FrankmZappa fan. Zappa recorded a cut from his “Roxy and Elsewhere” in Edinboro, PA where I live most of the year and I had the good fortune to see him in concert in Erie, PA in the late ‘70s. Needless to say, the performance was fantastic.

I have copies of pretty much everything that has been released & last fall I bought the Frank Zappa remastered release of “Halloween 81: Live At The Palladium, NYC, 6 CD Costume Box Set”. My all time favorite is still that 1971 Mothers live at the Fillmore album.

Frank Zappa was first and foremost a serious and gifted musician and a stern taskmaster who did not condone the use of drugs. Band mate and already established jazz great George Duke said Frank insisted that he (Duke) read & follow Frank’s sheet music. Zappa could do straight-up jazz, fusion, blues and rock as good or better than anyone but he had a real flair for mixing in a lot of fun stuff with the music (“The Dangerous Kitchen” 1983), political commentary (“Joe’s Garage” 1979) and in support of free speech (“You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore” 1988).

Fast forward to 2021 as we are bombarded daily with COVID exaggerations, misinformation and government mandates. Imagine what Frank would think of the mindless groupthink behavior linked to COVID. The song “I am the Slime” may have been released 52 years ago but his cautionary tale of manipulation is as valid today as it was then.

I Am the Slime

I may be vile and pernicious
But you can't look away
I make you think I'm delicious
With the stuff that I say
I'm the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I'm the slime oozin' out
From your TV set

You will obey me while I lead you
And eat the garbage that I feed you
Until the day that we don't need you
Don't go for help . . . no one will heed you
Your mind is totally controlled
It has been stuffed into my mold
And you will do as you are told
Until the rights to you are sold
- Frank Zappa, 1973

I don't think that the government could ever have designed a more effective mind control experiment as we have with COVID (or did they?). Frank would agree with me, I’m sure!

Dave Dallas - Village of Bradford

[John_W]

I saw Frank on the Them or US tour in Atlanta about '85. I say I saw them, the lights were so dim and purple you could barely make out what they were doing. Frank I think just conducted and didn't play. I really liked when they did Whipping Post for an encore. I had seen REM the year before and they had the same kind of dim purple lighting.

Disco Boy was my favorite song on the album. I probably don't have to tell you anything about the band, that's Terry Bozzio on drums. He was also the drummer for Missing Persons and was married to the singer Dale Bozzio.

Frank Zappa - Disco Boy - YouTube

[LiverpoolWalrus]

It’s good to know there are FZ fans in the Villages. I’ve seen him at least four times, first in the mid ‘70s and last in 1988. He was an unmitigated genius and one of my favorite performers of all time. I have all his and the Mothers albums up till his death.

I also had the good fortune of hanging out with Frank in the Capitol before the Senate music labeling hearings in 1985 (one of the perks of my job at the time). He seemed to be impressed that I brought along the booklet for the Old Masters box set, which had just recently been released, for him to sign. He also signed my cover of You Are What You Is in silver sharpie. It’s framed and hanging on my wall and it’s one of my most prized possessions.

There will never be anyone else like him. To your point, I’m sure he’d be bashing the brainwashing that seems to be in full swing these days on all sides of the spectrum. He’d probably have some cogent theories for how and why we’ve managed to devolve as far as we have. My guess is he’d be writing about the toxic influence of social media and cable news.

[Taltarzac725]

Who benefits might be a good question to ask about the COVID manipulation?

I represented a DJ who sold made-up stock options to his small town friends. He was out of prison but his friends who were also his past customers and listeners wanted to hold him financially responsible. They also were going after the underwriter.

The judge heard from the underwriter's lawyer who was a Yale Law School trained litigator. He then told the clients/friends of the DJ who had sold them made-up stocks that they should have done their homework. Lots of materials were available in their hometown library about real companies. The judge basically said that these people should have done their research and ruled against them and for my client and the underwriter.

I was a 3rd year law student when this DJ was represented by a legal clinic I was involved with back in 1989 at the U of MN Law School.

[JerryLBell]

FZ was a straight-up genius. I only managed to see him play live but have listened to him for 50 years and have amassed over 140 of his albums (more of which keep coming out as his son Dweezil continues to release albums from tapes of his live concerts). And while is lyrics range from the ridiculous to the sublime, his guitar work is what continues to amaze me. My favorite album? Hot Rats.

[LiverpoolWalrus]

Originally Posted by JerryLBell

FZ was a straight-up genius. I only managed to see him play live but have listened to him for 50 years and have amassed over 140 of his albums (more of which keep coming out as his son Dweezil continues to release albums from tapes of his live concerts). And while is lyrics range from the ridiculous to the sublime, his guitar work is what continues to amaze me. My favorite album? Hot Rats.

Hard to pick one but I’d probably agree with Hot Rats for the solo era. But overall I favor the first four Mothers albums.

[dhdallas]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Who benefits might be a good question to ask about the COVID manipulation?

I represented a DJ who sold made about stock options to his small town friends. He was out of prison but his friends who were also his past customers and listeners wanted to hold him financially responsible. They also were going after the underwriter.

The judge heard from the underwriter's lawyer who was a Yale Law School trained litigator. He then told the clients/friends of the DJ who had sold them made up stocks that they should have done their homework. Lost of materials were available in their hometown library about real companies. The judge basically said that these people should have done their research and ruled against them and for my client and the underwriter.

I was a 3rd year law student when this DJ was represented by a legal clinic I was involved with back in 1989 at the U of MN Law School.

As to your question; who benefits?

Who benefits? The media sells advertising with their "Shock & Awe" clickbait headlines on COVID deaths. Big pharma gets bigger & richer. The government is printing money as fast as it can and giving it away for anything even remotely COVID related (though how much is properly used is questionable), medical equipment manufacturers (ventilators, masks, gloves, syringes, etc.), politicians can sneak favorite items/projects into COVID relief bills, the teleconferencing apps & equipment makers, and the list goes on.

Who doesn't benefit? The people who believe everything the government tells them and that everything they read in the news just has to be true. They are living in fear, hiding behind masks & closed doors, and afraid to go anywhere.

They have also developed an intense hatred of anyone who dares think things like, “Maybe COVID isn’t as bad for most normal healthy people as we are led to believe” or “Are we sure the vaccine will not show ill effects later in life since it was rushed into approval & contains genetic instructions” or anyone (like me) who dares venture a dissenting opinion.

Now as to the story of the DJ & the lawyer...
I am trying to figure out how your story has even remotely something to do with either Frank Zappa, media/government induced groupthink, or COVID. ?????

[Taltarzac725]

Talk to your doctors, pharmacists, etc, about the COVID problem and check whatever they say with respected resources. FOX news and that ilk are not reliable fact checkers. They are entertainment only. Try critical thinking and not broad based assertions. Like the judge in southeastern Minnesota advised-- do your homework. Try calling a reference librarian!!!

Originally Posted by dhdallas

As to your question; who benefits?

Who benefits? The media sells advertising with their "Shock & Awe" clickbait headlines on COVID deaths. Big pharma gets bigger & richer. The government is printing money as fast as it can and giving it away for anything even remotely COVID related (though how much is properly used is questionable), medical equipment manufacturers (ventilators, masks, gloves, syringes, etc.), politicians can sneak favorite items/projects into COVID relief bills, the teleconferencing apps & equipment makers, and the list goes on.

Who doesn't benefit? The people who believe everything the government tells them and that everything they read in the news just has to be true. They are living in fear, hiding behind masks & closed doors, and afraid to go anywhere.

They have also developed an intense hatred of anyone who dares think things like, “Maybe COVID isn’t as bad for most normal healthy people as we are led to believe” or “Are we sure the vaccine will not show ill effects later in life since it was rushed into approval & contains genetic instructions” or anyone (like me) who dares venture a dissenting opinion.

Now as to the story of the DJ & the lawyer...
I am trying to figure out how your story has even remotely something to do with either Frank Zappa, media/government induced groupthink, or COVID. ?????