Bradley Morgan: Frank Zappa's America, Gebunden

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"From his early albums with the Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa established a reputation as a musical genius who pushed the limits of culture throughout the 1960s and 1970s, experimenting with a blend of genres in innovative and unheard of ways. Not only did his exploratory styles challenge the expectations of what popular music could sound like, his prolific creative endeavors would also influence how we think about the freedom of artistic expression. In Frank Zappa's America, Bradley Morgan advocates for the artist as an often-misunderstood figure who used music to critique forces preserving white patriarchy. A controversial and provocative satirist, often criticized for the shocking subject matter of his songs, Zappa provided social and cultural commentary throughout his career that spoke truth to power about the nefarious institutions present in the lives of everyday Americans. By the end of the 1970s, Zappa's music frequently addressed the rise of extremist religious influence in American politics, specifically white Christian nationalism. Despite commercial and critical pressure, Zappa refused to waver in his advocacy for free speech during the era of MTV and Reagan, including his pointed testimony before the U. S. Senate during the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) hearings. Throughout the 1980s, and until his death in 1993, Zappa crafted his musical art to advocate for political engagement, the security of individual freedoms, and the advancement of education. Music became his platform to convey progressive political views promoting the rights of marginalized communities most at risk in a society governed by the principles of what he viewed as Christian extremism. A musical and cultural iconoclast, Zappa emerged as a champion of preserving civil liberties for all Americans and as a strong critic of religious and political groups pushing a predominantly white, Christian vision of the United States. Frank Zappa's America traces the means by which he used music, satire, and personal expression to create passionate, at times troubling, art that challenges conservativism in its many forms and demonstrates the need to preserve democracy and the voices that uphold it"--