The covers DO differ, however. The photo gracing the cover of VIVA! features Frank wearing a fedora, angled in such a way that he appears a mock gangster. A single bright light illuminates his face, making his skin seem all too pale while casting a dark shadow over the rest of his face. His hair is tied back and is very long. Splotches of red, yellow and blue paint decorate the photo; adding life and color to what would normally have been a placid contrast. This artificial and haphazard addition of color portends VIVA!'s contents. The cover of REAL seems more genuine--warmer. Frank's hair is cut short and he is wearing a business suit and tie. The lighting is more varied and gives his skin a healthy red glow, echoed in the deep burgandy of his tie. VIVA! is of a larger format, measuring eight-and-a-half by ten-and-a-half inches, compared to REAL, which measures six by nine inches. REAL, although smaller, is three times thicker than VIVA!, but utilizes a much larger type. Overall, the two would seem to purport the same amount of text.
VIVA! was published in 1986 and REAL in 1989, so it would appear that both books could draw upon the same source material. At this point both books would seem very similar. However, as we delve further into the actual contents, it becomes apparent that both books approach the subject matter from different angles, succeeding in balancing each other out.
Although VIVA! and REAL rely on previously published material, REAL makes an effort to present the material in a more personal and illustrative manner. Unfortunately, neither book contains a biography, comprehensive or otherwise, so one can only assume that similar material was culled from similar sources. The most obvious instance where identical source materal was utilized for both books is in their presentation of a story pertaining to Frank's main musical influence: the modern composer Edgard Varese. Frank originally wrote the story --discussing his infatuation with the composer-- for a magazine in 1971. The piece is presented verbatim in VIVA! (105). The same essay had been rewritten for its inclusion in REAL (31). There are many subtle differences in the way the same story is presented. Here is one section of the original story as it appears in VIVA! (106):
On my fifteenth birthday my mother said she'd give me $5. I told her I would rather make a long-distance phone call. I figured Mr. Varese lived in New York because the record was made in New York (and because he was so weird, he would live in Greenwich Village). I got New York Information, and sure enough, he was in the phone book.Now, here is the same section as presented in REAL (33):
On my fifteenth birthday, my mother said she would spend five dollars on me (a lot of money for us then), and asked me what I wanted. I said, "Well, instead of buying me something, why don't you just let me make a long-distance phone call?" (Nobody in our house had ever made a long-distance phone call.) I decided that I would call Edgard Varese. I deduced that a person who looked like a mad scientist could only live in a place called Greenwich Village. So I called New York information and asked if they had a listing for Edgard Varese. Sure enough, they did. They even gave me his street address.The section from REAL is more illustrative while the section from VIVA! is more matter-of-fact. This is typical of REAL. Frank seems to have made a concious effort to include tidbits of his life which he never before shared. It was as if he had a copy of VIVA! in his hand and thought, "Oh, I can add this little story here." This fact becomes apparent when you compare the first sections of both books: Frank's childhood. The overall story is the same, with highlights of Frank's upbringing presented in chronological order, but REAL differs in that Frank will stop at a certain point and share a funny little story, like this one (26):
You used to be able to buy single-shot caps at the hobby store. These were better than the ones on the little rolls because they had more powder in them and made a bigger bang. I spent hours with my X-acto knife, cutting away the extra paper, saving the trimmed charges in a jar. Along with this, I had another jar full of the semilethal Ping-Pong dust. One afternoon I was sitting in our garage --an old rickety one with a dirt floor... It was after the Fourth of July and the gutters in our neighborhood were littered with used fireworks tubes. I had collected a few, and was in the process of reloading one of them with my own secret formula. I had it propped between my legs, filling it with a layer of this and a layer of that, packing each layer down with the butt end of a drumstick. When I got to the layer of single-shot caps, I must have pressed too hard and the charge ignited. It blew a large crater in the dirt floor, blew the doors open, and blew me back a few feet, balls first. Why, I could have almost escaped from jail with that one.This sort of personal touch permeates REAL, and gives us more insight into the mind of Frank.
Although both books contain many photographs, REAL makes use of many illustrative drawings. Most chapters in REAL begin with a funny illustration depicting a charicature of Frank embroiled in a situation with plenty of symbolism surrounding him. As you delve into the chapter, the symbolism in the illustration begins to take on more meaning. For example, chapter three (REAL 38), "An Alternative to College," begins with an illustration depicting the charicature of Frank shackled to a set of encyclopedias, lying beside two large bags: one labeled "beans," the other "rice." There is a large pulpit, standing behind the bags, sporting an angry looking, short-haired judge--waving his gavel with one hand and holding a reel of audio tape in the other. Upon completion of the chapeter, you learn that the shackles and encyclopedias represent the worst job Frank ever had--selling Collier's Encyclopedias door-to-door. The judge with the audio tape represents the time when Frank spent six months in jail for "conspiracy to commit pornograpy" (57). The bags of rice and beans represent the meager foodstuffs Frank was forced to live off after he had served his sentence.
Each chapter in VIVA! begins with a picture of Frank on the left-hand page and a full page chapter title on the right. The chapter titles are comprised of letters cut out from various magazines and are illustrated with various pieces of post-industrial mechanical parts. This format is an attempt by VIVA! to recreate the record sleeve design popular with most of Frank's works. VIVA!'s chapter title page format presents each chapter in a way which is both comfortable and recognizable with Frank Zappa fans.
REAL's format allows the reader to visually analyze the material being presented in the chapter in a unique and original way. VIVA! contains many photos, both black & white and color. The wide variety of photos visually enhance the stories about Frank, his family, and his musicians. The black & white photos in REAL serve the same purpose, but all of these photos are from Frank's personal collection. Many of the photos have never before been published, and only on two occasions do photos from both books match: Frank's baby photo (REAL 12 & VIVA! 8) and his high school graduation photo (REAL 88 & VIVA! 9). The inclusion of personal photoes by Frank in REAL is another instance where he adds his personal touch.
REAL is divided into nineteen chapters, each of which is focused, while the seven chapters of VIVA! are more general--encompassing a wide range of material. There is a chapter in VIVA! called "The Zappa Menagerie" (43) which discusses all the different musicians Frank has worked with, his work as a producer, his own record label, his relation to the technical people involved in recording, and various projects, such as his work with the London Symphony Orchestra. By contrast, REAL has a chapter titled "How Weird Am I Anyway?" (13) which discusses Frank's early childhood years. Another chapter from VIVA! called "No Commercial Potential" (61) critically evaluates forty-one of Frank's works in chronilogical order. Discussion on each record include the musicians used, where and when the record was recorded, what instruments were used, and what recording equipment was used. Then we have a chapter in REAL called "Porn Wars" (261) which deals specifically with Frank's fight against the PMRC (Parent's Music Resource Center). As you can see, the chapters in VIVA! cover a wide range of material, sometimes making it difficult to pinpoint specific information, while the chapters in REAL concentrate on individual topics, making it easy to find certain details.
VIVA! does a very good job of answering the how, what, where and when of Frank's life, while REAL answers the most important question: WHY. This fact may already be apparent, but let us examine another example. VIVA! mentions Frank's relationship with Captain Beefheart as being "a mixture of love and hate" (27), but there is no support for this statement. The reader can only assume that this statement is true. In REAL, Frank goes into much more detail concerning the nature of their relationship (51):
Life on the road with Captain Beefheart was definitely not easy. He carried the bulk of his worldly possesions around in a shopping bag. It held his art and poetry books and a soprano sax. He used to forget it in different places--just walk away and leave it, driving the road manager crazy. Onstage, no matter how loud the monitor system was, he complained that he couldn't hear his voice. The high point of our relationship (according to Rolling Stone--aren't they some kind of authority on these matters?) was making the Trout Mask Replica album together in 1969. Don (Captain Beefheart) is not technically oriented, so, first I had to help him figure out what he wanted to do, and then, from a practical standpoint, how to execute his demands. ...We taped a few selections... and I thought they sounded terrific, but Don got paranoid, accused me of trying to do the album on the cheap, and demanded to go into a real recording studio.Again, Frank describes facts of his life in detail, where in VIVA!, certain details are a mixture of conjecture and hearsay. VIVA! and REAL are two excellent references for anyone who wants to know about Frank Zappa. VIVA! presents many different aspects of Franks life and work in a concise, straightforward format. In REAL, Frank elaborates on these aspects of his life and gives them the credibility which only Frank himself can. Together, these two works represent a near complete view of the life, work and philosophy of Frank Zappa.
Cai Campbell
vex@greatgig.com