When ill, dying of cancer, Frank Zappa wanted to speak to Ian Anderson by phone. They were not even friends, so why did Frank wanna talk to Ian?
In a interview with Montreal Mirror Ian said this:
M: Did it hurt your feelings in the late ’70s when all the punk bands were citing Jethro Tull as the antithesis of rock ’n’ roll? Like, hey, why me?
IA: It didn’t upset me particularly when Johnny Rotten lumped Jethro Tull together with a bunch of other things that he despised at the time. In recent years I’ve heard he says “Aqualung” is one of his all time favorite records, so who knows? It upset me more in the early ’70s when Frank Zappa said he didn’t like us. I was quite a fan of Zappa’s music, I admired and revered him as a contemporary, and yeah, having him turn around and suddenly slap us down obviously hurt a little bit.
It made it that much more difficult a few years ago when I got a message from his son saying that Frank, who was terminally ill at the time, would really like me to call him and left me his home phone number. I sat and looked at this number, I even dialed it a few times and hung up, because I just didn’t know what you would say to a dying man, especially one who was on record as not liking my work. But I wanted to speak to him, I just found it really difficult. Then I heard on the news one day that he’d died. I felt a profound sense of loss and deep regret that I had never made that call. I would have liked to have spoken to him, just for a minute.
Another source below, and..another opinion from Frank:
Frank Zappa interviewed by Dick Lawson at The Royal Albert Hall, July, 1969
What do you think of the group scene over here. Have you seen any?
F: Only what I saw down at the Speakeasy a couple of times and I wasn't, you know, exceedingly enthralled by what I saw.
What about the groups that we're currently sending over ... like Jethro Tull and the Nice?
F: I like Jethro Tull and the organist in the Nice very much. I think he plays very well. I also like the Rolling Stones.
Is it strange or did Zappa actually respect Ian's musical ability that much that he wanted to speak to him.
Ian said this in an interview for Examiner in 2010:
“wished I would have played with Zappa. Never had a chance to meet him and then he was gone.”
Any thoughts?
Sources: www.afka.net/Articles/1969-07_ZigZag.htm
www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/081502/music1.html
www.examiner.com/live-music-in-chicago/ian-anderson-a-humble-musical-deity
In a interview with Montreal Mirror Ian said this:
M: Did it hurt your feelings in the late ’70s when all the punk bands were citing Jethro Tull as the antithesis of rock ’n’ roll? Like, hey, why me?
IA: It didn’t upset me particularly when Johnny Rotten lumped Jethro Tull together with a bunch of other things that he despised at the time. In recent years I’ve heard he says “Aqualung” is one of his all time favorite records, so who knows? It upset me more in the early ’70s when Frank Zappa said he didn’t like us. I was quite a fan of Zappa’s music, I admired and revered him as a contemporary, and yeah, having him turn around and suddenly slap us down obviously hurt a little bit.
It made it that much more difficult a few years ago when I got a message from his son saying that Frank, who was terminally ill at the time, would really like me to call him and left me his home phone number. I sat and looked at this number, I even dialed it a few times and hung up, because I just didn’t know what you would say to a dying man, especially one who was on record as not liking my work. But I wanted to speak to him, I just found it really difficult. Then I heard on the news one day that he’d died. I felt a profound sense of loss and deep regret that I had never made that call. I would have liked to have spoken to him, just for a minute.
Another source below, and..another opinion from Frank:
Frank Zappa interviewed by Dick Lawson at The Royal Albert Hall, July, 1969
What do you think of the group scene over here. Have you seen any?
F: Only what I saw down at the Speakeasy a couple of times and I wasn't, you know, exceedingly enthralled by what I saw.
What about the groups that we're currently sending over ... like Jethro Tull and the Nice?
F: I like Jethro Tull and the organist in the Nice very much. I think he plays very well. I also like the Rolling Stones.
Is it strange or did Zappa actually respect Ian's musical ability that much that he wanted to speak to him.
Ian said this in an interview for Examiner in 2010:
“wished I would have played with Zappa. Never had a chance to meet him and then he was gone.”
Any thoughts?
Sources: www.afka.net/Articles/1969-07_ZigZag.htm
www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/081502/music1.html
www.examiner.com/live-music-in-chicago/ian-anderson-a-humble-musical-deity
