Steve Hackett Shares Opinion on Frank Zappa: 'He Would Put His Musicians Through Hell'

"...he would suddenly change the key of the tune on the night and expect his musicians to be able to play it"

The_Phoenician
Posted 3 days ago

Steve Hackett opined on the persona and legacy of Frank Zappa, recalling some tales about the exceedingly high standards Zappa held his musicians at.

A mad genius, a well of musical knowledge, a riddle wrapped up in an enigma - all of these descriptions have a good chance of cropping up in conversations about Frank Zappa. However, Steve Hackett thinks his overseas prog contemporary should be best thought of as an "all-round impresario", someone whose music, presentation, and philosophy should be considered together as one holistic piece of art.

Speaking to Classic Album Review in a recent interview, the former Genesis guitarist and prolific solo artist also noted how Zappa had quite a reputation for demanding *a lot* from the musicians he worked with (transcribed by UG):

"When I think of Zappa, these days when he's mentioned, it's in the sort of seminal sense of the great teacher, that he's doing this and what have you. But you know, I have a few anecdotes from friends who are talking about the fact that he would suddenly change the key of the tune on the night and expect his musicians to be able to play it, which would have created havoc. And I think that he obviously wanted these musicians to be working to a very high standard.

"But I tend to think of him as an impresario, an all-round entertainer in the best sense of the word; you had humor, you had music, you had this, you had the show, you had an extraordinary thing that he was doing live on MTV, this long-form piece, nevermind Genesis and 'Supper's Ready'... And it seemed to take in just about everything. And there's streamers going off, and it's this party atmosphere, but it's right on the money. And it's really, really great."

Recalling what Chester Thompson, former Genesis touring drummer, Mothers of Invention member, and Hackett's occasional collaborator, would tell him about working with Zappa, the guitarist went on:
"I know that Chester [Thompson] used to say, he said, 'Yeah, Frank kills himself trying to play his own guitar parts.' And other times he would say, 'Yeah, Frank would carry around a coffee urn, and he'd be drinking coffee literally all day, and cigarettes' - not the greatest diet in the world. But that's what needed to fuel him up. And do that.

"And I gather all those musicians who join that band, they'd say, 'Oh, what else would you like me to concentrate on?' And he'd say, 'All of it.' So he would put his musicians through hell. So if ever I think I'm a slave driver, expecting my lot to come up with three or four albums..."

Steve Hackett's "Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More" live album is out now via InsideOut. Hackett is embarked on the "Foxtrot At Fifty UK tour". Check out upcoming tour dates here.