When Freak Out! came out way back when I wasn't old enough to understand the concept. It just made me wonder what had gotten into Suzie Creamcheese.

Then later, not being a lyricist meself, some of the subtle and not so subtle wordplay went way over my head as in "Oh haha Frank's talking about tits and ass again." ...

But as a guitarist and composer ....ahhhhh. (P.S. What's the time signature for this airy little tune? ...and incidentally, the orchestral version conducted by Pierre Boulez ain't half bad either)

Might've been Mike Keneally - or someone like him - who said in a Guitar Player magazine interview a few years back, that Zappa was a master of cutting up a quarter note into odd divisions - like 5, 7, and 11 - instead of the usual eighth and sixteenth notes (and the occasional triplet or sextuplet).

So, the essence of solos like "Soup and Old Clothes," and the Shut Up And Play ... series of title tracks, after long and careful deliberation, to me, seems to be: passion.

...As if he's making love with music.

Gone way too soon. Rest to you, Frank - and thanks for the music.