The Real Frank Zappa Book Quotes

“The more boring the child is, the more the parents, when showing off the child, receive adulation for being good parents — because they have a tame child-creature in their house.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:educationboredom

“All the old history was written for the amusement of the ruling classes. The lower classes couldn't read, and their rulers didn't care about remembering what happened to them.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:reading

“I think it is good that books still exist, but they make me sleepy.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:books

“Anything can be music, but it doesn't become music until someone wills it to be music, and the audience listening to it decides to perceive it as music.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:music

“Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance space is sculpted into something.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:music

“Believe it or not, there are places in the world where music is important. There are places in the world where all the arts are a matter of national pride.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:musicartpride

“Definition of rock journalism: People who can't write, doing interviews with people who can't think, in order to prepare articles for people who can't read.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:music

“A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:musicwill

“The more varied your musical experience, the easier it is to define for yourself what you like and what you don't like.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:musicexperienceopinion

“I would say that today, dishonesty is the rule, and honesty the exception. It could be, statistically, that more people are honest than dishonest, but the few that really control things are not honest, and that tips the balance.”

― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book

topic:honestycontrol