Zappa: A Biography - Hardcover
FRANK ZAPPA: A BIOGRAPHY
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About the Author:
Barry Miles is author of many seminal books on popular culture, including the authorised biography of Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now; Ginsberg: A Biography; William Burroughs: El Hombre Invisible; Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats and The Beat Hotel: Ginsberg, Burroughs and Corso in Paris, 1957-1963.
From Publishers Weekly:
Pop culture biographer Miles (Paul McCartney; Ginsberg; etc.) paints an engrossing portrait of the troubled musical genius who died of prostate cancer in 1993 at age 52. Zappa endured a peripatetic youth and an early brush with the law that fueled his trademark anti-authoritarian strain; his musical brilliance eventually transformed him from class clown into one of rock's major icons, with such landmark records as We're Only in It for the Money and Joe's Garage. Miles skillfully weaves together the major beats and minor notes of Zappa's remarkable life, no small feat given the musician's many contradictions: he was a hard-rocking star, but also a meticulous, studious composer influenced by Varèse and Stravinsky; he despised drug use and the trappings of stardom, but he loved groupies (he partook of their favors freely, eventually marrying one and fathering...children). A virtuoso, a perfectionist and a shrewd businessman, Zappa alienated, sued or otherwise offended nearly everyone in his life at some point; he especially loved tormenting his audience. Miles hits the ups and downs of Zappa's life like a skilled composer in his own right, and he captures the contentious eras (from the late 1950s on) in which Zappa's genius emerged. The result is a penetrating look both at Zappa and at the social and political milieu in which popular rock music stepped to the fore.
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherATLANTIC BOOKS: GROVE ATLANTIC LTD
- Publication date2004
- ISBN 10 1843540916
- ISBN 13 9781843540915
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages480
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Frank Zappa
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Frank Zappa
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Barry Miles knew Frank Zappa intimately and was present at the recording of some of his most important albums. This sparkling biography brings the Zappa the musician and composer, Zappa the controversialist and Zappa the family man (despite his love of groupies, he was married for more than 30 years) together for the first time. Barry Miles' biography follows Zappa from his sickly Italian-American childhood in the 1940s (when his father, Frank senior, worked for the US military and was used to test the efficacy of new biological warfare agents) to his death from cancer in the 1990s. Miles shows how Zappa's goal had been to become a classical composer, until he realised that he would starve to death pursuing this ambition in post-war America. In an effort to make music people would actually listen to, in the mid-1960s he joined a noisy new band called 'The Mothers of Invention'. Before long, Zappa had taken over as singer, song writer and lead guitarist and together they exploded on to the San Francisco freak scene. Following the release of recordings such as Freak Out, Absolutely Free, We're Only In It For the Money and Hot Rats, Zappa's reputation in the United States and in Europe, especially the UK, Germany and Holland, took off. When the Berlin wall fell, Frank was surprised to learn that his extravagant music embodied sixties liberty for a generation of dissidents (including Vaclav Havel, who invited Zappa to be his minister for culture). Frank Zappa is an authoritative and hugely enjoyable portrait of a singular man and a vivid evocation of the West Coast scene. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR001380889
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Frank Zappa
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: No Dustjacket. 1st Edition. NO DUSTJACKET. 464 pages.Very clean black hardback binding . B&W plates. Very clean pages. Seller Inventory # 718665
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Zappa: A Biography
Published by
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(2004)
ISBN 10: 1843540916
ISBN 13: 9781843540915
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Book Description Condition: Good. The cover may have some normal wear. The text has no notes or markings. Seller Inventory # 1EY7SO008LMC_ns
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Frank Zappa
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ISBN 13: 9781843540915
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Clean black boards, with gilt titles to spine, illustrated endpapers, and an unclipped DW. A tight, bright and clean copy with no inscriptions. 464pp. (16.5x24cm). Please contact us for any more information. Seller Inventory # 6032
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FRANK ZAPPA. (SIGNED)
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Book Description Large 8vo. pp xv, 464. Original publisher's black cloth, lettered silver on spine. Signed by the author on the title page to 'Oz' publisher, later media tycoon, Felix Dennis (1947-2014), "To Felix, another one for your library! Abit more mythology of the sixties. Barry." ISBN: 1843540916 Fine in fine dust jacket. Seller Inventory # C47152
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FRANK ZAPPA. (SIGNED)
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Book Description Large 8vo. pp xv, 464. Original publisher's black cloth, lettered silver on spine. Signed by the author on the title page to 'Oz' publisher, later media tycoon, Felix Dennis (1947-2014), "To Felix, another early Zappaist! All the best from your old chum, Barry." ISBN: 1843540916 Fine in fine dust jacket. Seller Inventory # C45764
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