Zappa and the Mothers in the 60s

[rich]

hey all--

newish UK documentary about the first incarnation of the Mothers from
its beginnings to its disbanding in 1969.

lots of nice background on the freak scene in LA at the time.

lots of talking head stuff but its still pretty good. it does
criticize Zappa's decision to disband when they did; Zappa hated the
hippie music emerging from SF; one critic notes that the LA freak
scene was not as enamored of drugs as they were in the Bay Area in the
mid-late 60s (sorta hard to believe that one)

‘Where the hell did that come from?’ was likely the response from many
on hearing The Mothers of Invention’s debut album Freak Out upon its
release in June 1966 – a time when music was changing, but to a degree
that hadn’t yet hinted anything this bizarre was on the horizon. But
once the freaks and the beautiful people had cottoned on to what Uncle
Frank and his Merry Men were up to (despite the latter community often
being the target for some of Zappa’s most hilarious lampooning), the
scene was set for a fanbase of the most dedicated variety to emerge
and a respect from critics, musicians, performers and the
intelligentsia almost unparalleled in the history of pop culture.

http://www.chromedreams.co.uk/frank-zappa-and-the-mothers-of-invention-in-the-1960s-604-p.asp


rich