Over the past few months, we’ve done several episodes that return again and again to the word genius. What is a genius? Is it something objective we can all agree on? Is it a lofty way to say favorite? Is it a way of saying a person was a mess but they were talented? Moon Zappa has strong feelings about the concept as the daughter of a man who got a lot of leeway by being known as a genius. Frank Zappa became known for guitar solos, unconventional compositions that never quite fit into the genres of his time, and lyrics that range from poetic to profane to goofy. Blending rock, jazz, classical, and even avant-garde influences, it’s hard to classify him as anything other than himself. But who was the man behind the body of work?
In her new memoir, Earth to Moon, she tries to grapple with her father’s legacy as a countercultural icon of the music industry and also a complicated human being, trying to find an answer to the question of whether genius is worth its collateral damage. Along the way, she explains, she even found herself. On today’s episode, she tells her story—her way. You can buy her memoir wherever you get books.
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24. Moon Zappa Tells Her Story Her Way