Let’s play a little ‘Who Am I’ with Frank Zappa & the Mothers.
Here is ‘I’m the Slime’. It is still oozing from the video half a century after its release.
It begins with a riddle, and concludes with Frank unveiling the answer to his question.
You can add Frank Zappa to the long list of acts that my friend Scott turned me on to in the second half of the ‘80s. All these years later I still gravitate to Frank Zappa’s music and philosophy with one thought in mind.
What would Frank have to say about ________?
The amazing thing is quite often Frank Zappa was addressing issues we hadn’t even contemplated, long before they were the topic de jour.
‘I’m the Slime’ is a case in point. While a generation was distracted by formulaic TV sitcoms, soap operas and pre-packaged news programs, the masters at the controls were running roughshod over their existence.
Sadly, this disturbing trend continues.
I am gross and perverted
Frank Zappa
I’m obsessed ‘n deranged
I have existed for years
But very little has changed
I’m the tool of the Government
And industry too
For I am destined to rule
And regulate you”
This never-ending test pattern coloured our conscience, and much to the dismay of the free-thinking and capable among us, it morphed into the living embodiment of evil taking over the White House with his mail order bride and an anchor baby. He had been apprenticing for years and through the art of the dubious deal, this entitled con man flipped a nation on its ear. It was like The Adams Family meets The Omen, offered through a puke orange lens.
Frank Zappa
I may be vile and pernicious
But you can’t look away
I make you think I’m delicious
With the stuff that I say
I’m the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I’m the slime oozin’ out
From your TV set”
Thanks to the media, this monster dominated (dominates) the news cycle to such an extent that he is likely the most recognized scumbag in the world. If ratings are the measure, the mainstream networks will keep jamming this garbage down our throats, even if they destroy the free world in the process.
He is an instrument of destruction. And the people pulling the levers are counting their millions while those too stupid to think for themselves, wander around like zombies in a George Romero flick.
Frank Zappa
You will obey me while I lead you
And eat the garbage that I feed you
Until the day that we don’t need you
Don’t go for help… no one will heed you
Your mind is totally controlled
It has been stuffed into my mold
And you will do as you are told
Until the rights to you are sold”
There is one line in there that really stands out.
Until the day that we don’t need you.”
Frank Zappa
Anyone who follows the story of this immoral cretin, and the people who built him up know that once he is done with the sycophants who serve him, he casts them aside like a bag of garbage. This tendency goes to great extremes. He often denies every knowing the people who were closest to him. In his wake, is a vast trail of destruction.
Fortunately, ever so gradually many of these tools are finding themselves behind bars.
Maybe there is a ‘Stupid Law’?
They fucked around and they found out. Take these miscreants out of society for awhile and the world will become a better place. The wheels of justice are turning ever so slowly, and there will be a payoff for our patience…I hope.
Take it away Frank.
That’s right, folks…Don’t touch that dial
Frank Zappa
Well, I am the slime from your video
Oozin’ along on your livin’ room floor
I am the slime from your video
Can’t stop the slime, people, lookit me go
I am the slime from your video
Oozin’ along on your livin’ room floor
I am the slime from your video
Can’t stop the slime, people, lookit me go”
Yep! When we allow ourselves to be hypnotized to this extent, we tend to get what we deserve. This is not exclusive to any one nation. In Canada, we are on the precipice of elevating another bad actor to similar status.
I am warning you…Pierre is a puppet.
Wake up people. Seriously!?
It is a formula. A recipe.
As long as there are people out there who desire power at all costs, and an unending quantity of lemmings who are willing to be spoon-fed propaganda in super-sized containers, the catastrophic trends will continue.
Those who orchestrate the message, know what they are doing. They understand their audience and they will do anything, and everything they can to produce the slime; or as the walking venereal disease Steve Bannon labels it; shit.
The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.”
Steve ‘The Slime’ Bannon
Quite accurately, Joshua Benton of Nieman Lab has focused his attention on the internet as another instrument in channeling misinformation.
The Internet is an amplifier. It increases both the reach and awareness of society’s ills. As long as the root causes exist — and as long as there are people who seek power, wealth, or fame through exploiting them — things will keep getting louder.”
Joshua Benton
I could go on forever.
The truth is, society would be well served to bring their focus back to their own community and build out from there. We need to focus on trusted and capable local news. There is value in seeing ourselves reflected in these stories. It is here that we truly get to know our neighbours and distill the truth.
The slime can be stopped. It is up to us to turn off the tap.
Moving on from the editorializing, one of the items related to ‘I’m the Slime’ that really captured me was the fact that Tina Turner and the Ikettes sang backup on this recording, and several others on the album ‘Over-Nite Sensation’. In this case, the Ikettes consisted of Turner along with Linda Sims and Debbie Wilson. The B-side of ‘I’m the Slime’ is ‘Montana. Listen for the Ikettes on this track as well.
For their efforts the Ikettes were paid $25 per hour for a total of $187.50 each for what amounted to a day’s work.
According to Frank Zappa, Ike Turner was not impressed with the end result and requested that the Ikettes not be credited for their contribution.
Just another funny anecdote from Frank Zappa’s eclectic world of creativity.
The trio also contributed to Zappa’s ‘Apostrophe’ album in 1974.
Discover it all for yourself, or listen for the first time again.
Celebrate people who matter.
Ted Tocks Covers offers Frank Zappa as today’s subject.
Move to Montana, which is figurative folks. In other words, find your own space and think for yourself.
By myself I wouldn’t
Frank Zappa
Have no boss
But I’d be raisin’ my lonely Dental Floss
Raisin’ my lonely Dental Floss
Raisin’ my lonely Dental Floss
Well I might Ride along the border
With my tweezers gleamin’
In the moon-lighty night
And then I’d Get a cuppa cawfee
N’ give my foot a push…
Just me ‘n the pymgy pony
Over the Dennil Floss Bush
N’ then I might just Jumb back on
An’ ride Like a cowboy
Into the dawn to Montana
Movin’ to Montana soon”
When you break it all down, this makes a whole lot more sense than the shit FOX NEWS and its’ copycat enterprises have been spewing for over three decades, while systematically destroying democracy.
You decide.
If you don’t believe me, listen to Frank.
If you don’t believe Frank…Move along.
I mean mosey all the way to Montana but when you get there, don’t turn right. Dig a hole and go all the way to Hell, because that is where you will find all of the disgraceful charlatans you so blindly obey. Take the Putin loving Cheato, and Steve Bannon too. Pat Robertson may be there to greet you.
While the cultist sheep wallow in their own shit, we can listen to a few cool covers and enjoy our day.
To begin, here is Dweezil Zappa and Zappa Plays Zappa from 2017. This is a blast.
“Take it away Dweezil.”
From the ‘Hysteria News Centre’ here is Brett William Dietz, featuring Jason Lindgren doing a unique take on Frank Zappa. They include some strong messaging.
You should keep voting.”
Brett William Dietz
But before you do, please take some time to educate yourself. This DOES NOT mean traditional media or diving into the shallow end of social media echo chambers. Actually, take some time to read a few books, or listen to some people who offer their expert background in whatever the discipline.
Gather information.
This is where the learning begins, and from this seed of knowledge we can make the world a better place.
Ignore the white noise. Destroy the slime.
It makes me feel good to know that Frank Zappa is resonating with new musicians. Enjoy this cover by Rubber Tea. This is fantastic.
The best way to end today’s post is by offering a live version of ‘I’m the Slime’ from Frank Zappa himself. This is from The Roxy Theater on Sunset Strip, West Hollywood all the way back in December of 1973. It was released in 2021 as part of a video package called ‘Roxy: The Movie’.
The video work is horrendous, but one of the drummers is Chester Thompson who went on to work alongside Phil Collins in Genesis.
Enjoy!
Now get up and change the channel.
Frank is talking to you.
Ted Tocks Covers 
I’m sensing a political drift occurring here. You should create a Substack !!
Marrying the prognostications of the songwriter’s intelligencia to the current chaos of Fascism hits a niche that begs for expansion
Its interesting to me that, without clicking on the music links, I could hear the melodies as I read the lyric text. I devoured Zappa for quite some time when Hot Rats ruled
Thanks again for the memories, your political bent is spot on
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The two recent posts pretty much wrote themselves. The fact they were back to back is coincidental but as you point out politics and current event’s definitely creep into the best songwriters lyrics. Being a lover of the songwriting process, I tend to gravitate to the message, or at least my interpretation.
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Re: Songs writing themselves; when Steve Earle began creating the album “The Revolution Starts Now” he didn’t have enough songs. He would record one during the day and then go home to write another at night. The result was a stream of consciousness that enveloped the entire record with the accounts of the character’s he created and the toll it took on them, at the behest of the Wealthy Elite that started wars they’d never themselves fight in
JB’s “Lives in the Balance” fits like a jigsaw puzzle piece here
Music is a powerful messenger
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Music is Life! 🙂
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