Dweezil Zappa is headliner of Zappanale #28. On the occasion of his only German guest appearance this year, eclipsed spoke with the 47-year-old US-American about his father's legacy, the meaning of "Freak Out!" and the dispute in the Zappa Family Trust.
eclipsed: This year you are headliner of the Zappanale, a festival dedicated to the musical legacy of your father since its foundation in 1990. How are your feelings before the show in Bad Doberan?
Dweezil Zappa: Since the beginning of my touring project, I have endeavoured to share a wide selection of my father's music with the public, emphasising his work as a composer and guitarist. That's why I'm particularly looking forward to the Zappanale. I know that the audience in Bad Doberan is very familiar with the amazing qualities of this music. I am sure that there will be an intense connection between me and the audience of this year's Zappanale.
eclipsed: Over the past few months, you've put the Mothers-of-Invention debut "Freak Out!", which celebrated its 50th birthday last year, at the centre of your show. What do you think of the record today?
Zappa: "Freak Out!" is a masterpiece. It is worth seeing the album from the perspective of 1966, the year it was made, and comparing it with the music of its time. I like to imagine how dangerous it must have sounded back then. It still seems dangerous and subversive to me today. I've always loved the controlled chaos, sarcasm and sonic distortion that can be heard on songs like Who Are The Brain Police.
eclipsed: It's songs like "Who Are The Brain Police?" or "Hungry Freaks Daddy" that still sound current. What makes your father's work so attractive to today's listeners?
Zappa: Yes, it's true, these songs sound very present. I often joke with the audience and say that we play music from the future and not from the past. I think my father was ahead of his time. Somehow he was some kind of rock'n'roll Nostradamus. His ability to compose songs that included messages from his observations on society and politics are essential reasons for me why his songs are so respectable. He wasn't afraid to tell the truth. And he was able to underpin his lyrical statements with empirical evidence, complex rhythms and harmonic contours. That is why his music has the amazing ability to endure time.
