Lumpy Gravy by Frank Zappa—A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This dissertation is in two parts: a composition for mixed chamber ensemble and electronics and an article on Frank Zappa’s album, Lumpy Gravy. The composition, Everything, is in three movements (Ether, Ecstatic, and Deviant) and is scored for a mixed chamber ensemble of Flute/Piccolo, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, Trombone, Violin, Double Bass, and two Percussionists. Electronic interludes are placed between the movements that provide a sonic backdrop for the onstage movement of chairs and instrumentation changes. The piece is 25 minutes in duration and is a summation of my musical interests over the past several years. The article is concerned with Frank Zappa’s 1968 album Lumpy Gravy. In 1967 Frank Zappa was approached by Capitol Records to produce an album of his music. Although Zappa was under contract with MGM as a performer, the offer from Capitol allowed to serve as music arranger and conductor for a project that would result in one of his most interesting and enigmatic albums, Lumpy Gravy. The litigation pursued by MGM following Lumpy Gravy’s creation prompted Zappa to re-imagine and remix the music recorded for Capitol to create a new recording for MGM. The result is a mixture of high classical and popular music, interspersed with staged conversations by musicians in the band covering a bizarre range of subject matter and which serve to create a parodic tone. The correspondences and divergences between the original Capitol recording and the final MGM release reveal much about the central role of parody and satire in Zappa’s Lumpy Gravy, not to mention the tremendous scope of Zappa’s musical tastes and ambition.