Author:Moon Unit Zappa
Moon-Unit Zappa’s memoir of growing up in the Zappa family household is both fascinating and disturbing. It very much fits with Tolstoy’s observation, now almost a cliche, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” My 40+ years of being a psychologist prepared me for the abusive household, awful hippie parenting (by her mother, Gail, dad often being distant, away, or focussed on one of the many affairs and groupies who Gail tolerated, but used as a stick to control Frank and take out on the family), Laingian scenes, parental favouritism, and resultingly Moon-Unit’s disturbed attachment and the need for therapy. I’m used to it, other readers may find it shocking (not that troubled families and painful family dynamics are unusual.)
Moon-Unit mostly writes well – her recourse into therapy speak at points is hard work to a Brit (even one in mental health), but probably comes with the territory, and helps her to live with what she lived through. The book can be very funny, and for those of us immersed in all things Zapparian, it is interesting to see the “conceptual continuity” that influences Zappa’s subsequent work (Gail’s “Cosmik Debris”, his satirising of prosaic American household items, Broadway musicals), and occasional characters who drift in and out, eg., Terry Bozzio. Names are sometimes named, and other times fragile or litigious egos are protected, though doubtless shrewd deduction could fill in the gaps.
There are touching moments, and something like a grudging reconciliation – or at least an acknowledgement things could have been different between Gail and Moon Unit – but nothing that could heal the fractured Zappa family, which, 31 years after his death, has not been able to resolve it’s problems over money, though Zappa’s will (allegedly not respected by Gail) simply said, “Sell everything. Divide it equally. Have a great life”. If this had been respected, they might all be still speaking to each other. Moon Unit’s wealth is now in her name, het wits, and her contribution to Zappa’s oeuvre, “Valley Girl” (here covered in detail, funny, alarming, interesting, and emotionally loaded, in turn) providing further clarifications for the Zappaologists out there. Later, we have sections on the serious illness of her child, the subsequent breakdown of her marriage, and more talk of therapy and gurus. It would be interesting to know if Frank accepted this kind of thing in his family, but he was not a normal paterfamilias discussing life with his children over the dining table or as he drove the children from here to there, like most fathers might.
The book is inevitably one person’s perspective. Family life is often about indignities, compromises, unkind moments, and disappointments, along with loving the people you are with, as it is, after all, one’s family is the family you know best until you create your own. Though there are awful moments, there are also happy times, even in unhappy families. Moon Unit is still not talking to her siblings. Will they write their own memoir to present their side of things?
Length of Read:Medium
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
“Mommy Dearest”, misery memoirs, “The Real Frank Zappa Book”, “Freak Out: My life with Frank Zappa”, the many books on the LA music scene around Laurel Canyon.
One thing you’ve learned
Apparently in another cuckquean* rage, Gail threatened Frank with a gun . I did not know Zappa would allow one in the house. Though a libertarian, he was not gun- or drug-liberal. I’d like to know more.
* The female equivalent of a cuckold.
Thanks for that interesting review. The Strictly Commercial best-of and You Are What You Is represent the sum total of my Zappa cpllection, but I always imagined him to be an interesting person, although maybe a bit too creative/prolific to live with. From your review, it sounds like I wasn’t too far off the mark.
It seems like Moon has overcome a lot, and good luck to her. Her contribution to Valley Girl is great fun.
One question, though: what are Laingian scenes? As a layman I’m guessing they’re bad, but what do they involve?
I would guess they’re something to do with R D Laing. Hoping @Vincent will explain.
Thanks for the kind words, chaps. Yes, I’m using Laingian to refer to RD Laing, who thought many mental health problems were caused by the contradictory emotions and feelings in problematic family relations (“i’m hurting you because I love you”/ “i hate you but I’ll pretend to like you as families should always like each other”) which cause double bind situations because a person receives different or contradictory messages. Gail allegedly did this to Moon Unit a lot.
Thanks very much. I imagine the Zappa home was probably an interesting place to be an observer.
Interview with MUZ in today’s Sunset Times magazine
Thanks Vincent. Only read one book on Moon’s dad. Came across as a prick. Unsurprising really.
Thanks. One thing I don’t understand. His kids falling out over his money. What money? He never sold many records in his lifetime and when he died was apparently millions in debt. I doubt the mishandled releases following his death have sold in huge quantities.
Well house, studio, equipment, all those tapes of concerts and studio recordings.
How were his debts paid off?
His entire physical archive plus publishing etc. was eventually sold to Universal Music Group. The house and equipment was also sold off.
During his lifetime he had obtained the masters and the rights to all of his previously-released recordings (apart, possibly, from the “200 Motels” soundtrack), so basically everything he’d recorded was owned by the Zappa Family Trust when he died.
They couldn’t successfully monetise it themselves so had to sell up to avoid bankruptcy and losing it all anyway. At that point only Ahmet and Diva were involved in running the Family Trust, Moon Unit and Dweezil having been excluded by Gail before her death AIUI.
I expect they got a good settlement from UMG.
Thanks, MikeH! Such an unedifying end to his career, but then perhaps, given the book, FZ’s focus on his work and himself (ego being important for artists pushing boundaries) meant he ignored things he felt trivial, but now would realise they weren’t: fidelity, trust, love, and protecting one’s resources and creations emotionally and legally.
Thanks
I’m seriously wondering how Universal will recoup their outlay on what was only ever an artist with fringe appeal, no matter how influential.
Depends what they paid for it all. No doubt UMG’s accountants did their calculations and made their offer accordingly. They are very hard-nosed and experienced professionals. The 21st century corporate music biz is nothing like what it was in the ’80s, when Frank wrote “Cocaine Decisions”.
And I don’t think the ZFT were in a very good position to haggle.
“Mishandled releases following his death”? That’s nuts. The Zappa back catalogue has been revitalised since his death, and much of it at very reasonable prices (3-CD Uncle Meat – £8.99).
It’s the early CD releases, fiddled about with by Zappa himself in the dire 1980s, that have to be avoided at all costs.
Exactly.
Those 80s CDs from Frank were the absolute nadir of his catalogue. I mean, why..? There was a similar effort from ZZ Top called the six-pack, where someone ran the old masters through some drum replacement tech, and added reverb. Nobody can have listened to it before release.
That was a grim time.
Also around then Ozzy reissued “Blizzard of Oz” having replaced the rhythm section with a couple of journeyman LA work smiths. Fans went mad
Sharon Osbournes smart idea to get back at Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley for taking them to court for unpaid royalties and songwriting credits
Similar motivation for Zappa, replacing Jimmy Carl Black and Roy Estrada on the CD versions of those early MOI albums, because they wanted royalties and/or credit.
In the end they settled before it went to court. A payoff but no credit ever.
Yes Bob Daisley talked about it at length on a podcast.
Bob Daisley has been continuing his claim he wrote all the lyrics (which he probably did, as Ozzy admitted in his autobiography that he can do melodies and the odd word, but not a full coherent lyric)
In terms of debt, I’ve read that Frank’s medical bills were significant. Once Frank died, Gail’s mental health seems to have taken a hard knock, and she became intensely possessive of FZs legacy. She spent millions trying to get FZs tapes back from Rykodisc and millions more suing everyone and anyone that she deemed to have infringed FZs rights. Which were a great many, with any wins more pyrrhic than profitable.
Frank wanted his trust to be split evenly among his children but Gail overrode his wishes and by giving Ahmet and Diva 30% each. That drove a wedge between the older and younger siblings that finally ended in a legal agreement to stop badmouthing each other, but little more. Ahmet maintains it was justified because he ran the Trust and got more music released, Dweezil argues that he was the only one actively promoting Frank’s music, something which he still says the trust tried to stop him from doing, and withheld money he’d made on their behalf.
None of the family seem to be clear where the money finally went – Moon and Dweezil point out they had no say in the house sale to Gaga, no say in the Alex Winters documentary. The sale of the catalogue is thought to be worth around $30m and will have covered the debts the family faced, thought to be around $5m, absolving Ahmet and Diva of any further role in the Trust.
Case of where there isn’t a hit* there’s writ.
* Well there was Valley Girl but that was it
Bobby Brown was number one in Sweden and Norway, also a hit in some other European countries.
Fun fact: the Zappa home and studio, known as the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen, was sold to Lady Gaga in 2016 and she recorded part of her last album, Chromatica, there. It has since been sold to Elizabeth Jagger, so I’d worry of the future of the studio there.
I wonder how any of these big buy up of artists catalogues will make a return.
Where is the money? Vinly reissues ? Streaming? Apart form the occasional use in a movie or commercial – where are the bucks?
The Zappa catalog may not have the »hit album«, but it’s a steady seller. When a lot of the 60 core albums were out of print before Universal bought the rights, big shops like JPC and Amazon had such a high demand that they were constantly asking the Zappa people for reissues. (Which prompted Gail to desperately try out one-off distribution deals for single albums – which only caused more confusion and irritation)
If you watch the sales statistics at JPC – or check the racks at your local megastore – more or less the whole catalog is available at mid price on perfectly mastered and presented CDs, plus a fantastic range of box sets with unreleased concert and studio recordings. And no, they don’t follow the Bowie model of constantly re-issuing the same stuff as picture disc, dripping rare tracks here and there on Record Store Day, or pressing up vinyl »collectors edition« with a new cover…
@junior-wells
Assuming it didn’t cease to exist following its founder’s death a couple of years back, The British Apostrophe Society could snap up the rights for Apostrophe
Charlton Athletic’s women’s football team would surely be a prime target for Valley Girl while Amnesty might want to use The Torture Never Stops
I’m sure AWers who are far wittier than I am can suggest many others…
Claire’s Accessories could use “I’m so cute”
MacDonalds “cruising for Burgers”
RSPCA could used “don’t you eat the yellow snow”
There really should be a recipe or fruiterers to appropriate “peaches en regalia”.
Tip of an iceberg.
The tourist board for a certain German city could use “Holiday In Berlin”.
BT could try out “You Didn’t Try To Call Me” and see how it goes.
Anglian Water had best not use “Let’s Make The Water Turn Black”.
The Cosmetic Surgeons Confederation could maybe have “What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body”.
OTOH, the Trump presidential campaign might not appreciate “You’re Probably Wondering Why I’m Here” or “How Could I Be Such A Fool”.
The Harris/Walz campaign could try “It Can’t Happen Here”.
Thanks for the review. I’ll ask for the book for Christmas
Regarding the Zappa catalogue, these days they’re mining the “50th anniversary” meme, meaning all the great 70s albums are getting the full remastered, studio outtakes, live performance treatment. They keep releasing them, a new box set every few months (“Apostrophe” is next, due in September, and Dweezil is touring playing that album). It’s called making hay while the sun shines. By the time they get to the 80s I’ll be in my 80s, and I’m the exact demographic they’re pitching to. Anyway most of Zappa’s 80s albums are pretty crap, except the live stuff
His late ’70s and early ’80s released recordings are my least favourite. Too slick, somehow.
They have their moments, but not enough of them for my liking. The ’88 touring band, while it lasted, was a step back up.
I had no idea how toxic Zappa was, until reading all of this. I didn’t know anything about his wife either. Seems like his family inherited some bad DNA and are having a hard time recovering. I might read the book, as some of the excerpts I’ve seen are quite funny, but I mean… it’s not as if we don’t all have our own problems to deal with.
Nick Cave has something interesting to say about his talent, viz a viz his losing two sons to rock n roll deaths soft-modelled by his earlier ways which Frank Zappa never got around to articulating. Perhaps he would have, as some say he became kinder as he realised he was dying.
“For most of my life I was just sort of in awe of my own genius, and I had an office and I would sit there and write every day and whatever else happened in my life was peripheral, even annoyances, because I was involved in this great work … And this just collapsed completely and I saw the folly of that, the kind of disgraceful self-indulgence of the whole thing. ”
“That the idea that art trounces everything just doesn’t apply to me any more”.
“I’m a father and I’m a husband and a person of the world, these things are much more important to me than the concept of being an artist,”
Yes. I don’t think Zappa ever got beyond the hyper-creative-obsessive stage. Everything else was secondary to his studio work and touring. I don’t think he was deliberately cruel to his kids, just neglectful. Always too busy to give his attention. And he was an unreconstructed sexist.
I wonder why she didn’t choose “Moon to Earth” as the title?
I was in Llandudno yesterday and there were several new copies of “Zappa Munich 80” on a stall on the pier. Also, Moon is the guest on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast and apparently had a relationship with Maron in the past. An interesting listen.
Some good might come out of this.
Have you seen the rubbish on offer re: Uncut/Record Collector Specials recently? Yikes!
The sole Zappa Special came out in 2010 and, given the remarkable expansion of his back catalogue sine then, one has to be due soon. Tell Uncut/RC, I’ll buy two.
It couldn’t sell any less than some of the ones I’ve seen stay resolutely on our local W.H. Smith shelf for months on end.
You’re probably thinking of the quite good MOJO Special on Zappa.
Uncut or Record Collector have never done anything Zappa-related in their series of special editions (they’re probably too busy promoting Queen, Kate Bush, or U2…)
I discovered my copy of the Zappa one recently.