But the composer/guitarist/bandleader/political figure, who registered 11,000 audience members to vote in the last presidential election, is overlooking one crucial element in his current business profile. He has become collectible.
Zappa? The man who brought you "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"? And Sheik Yerbouti? And the best entertainment of the congressional "record rating" hearings? Could Frank Zappa actually become the passion of collectors who foam at the mouth for Spike Jones and anything that spins at 78 r.p.m.?
Since his earliest recordings in the '60s, Zappa, now 48, has been regarded as an alien, a visionary ahead of his time. Hardly career-retrospective material. Not someone to scrutinize seriously. Not the kind of artist whose limited-release covers yield big bucks.
Think again. Over the last few years, Zappa has gained control of his entire artistic output - more than 50 albums, countless tapes of live performances, assorted films, videos and book treatments. He was one of the first artists to sign an exclusive agreement for the release of compact discs independent of his record contract; now his CDs are released by Rykodisc. He established a video distribution company, Honker Home Video, which this week released two new titles, Uncle Meat and The True Story of "200 Motels." He established a toll-free number that provides information on (and takes orders for) his inventory. He has involved himself in tour merchandise, book publishing and the repackaging of his early works in an Old Masters series.
His current endeavors - such as the incisive, melodically developed LP Broadway the Hard Way and an autobiography, The Frank Zappa Book, due in May
