Cheepnis

Last updated
"Cheepnis"
Song by Frank Zappa and The Mothers
from the album Roxy & Elsewhere
Released1974
Genre Progressive rock, experimental
Length6:33
Songwriter(s) Frank Zappa

Cheepnis is a song by Frank Zappa and The Mothers, which is a tribute to B-movies.

Contents

Song description

The song sings about the special effects in early horror movies, including a monster, named "Frunobulax", a very large poodle dog. The poodle is a recurring theme in other Zappa songs and is an illustration of what he referred to as the "conceptual continuity" of his body of work.[ citation needed ]

In The Real Frank Zappa Book , Zappa reveals that Frunobulax was inspired by his pet sheepdog Fruney. [1]

It was also a part of the unreleased "Hunchentoot" play written around 1972. The play also included tracks released on 1972's album The Grand Wazoo , 1979's Sleep Dirt , and various others.

Appearances

The song first appeared on his 1974 album Roxy & Elsewhere , from a live recording. Another live version of the song was released on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2 .

The beginning of the Roxy & Elsewhere version of the track has a 2-minute monologue about It Conquered The World and horror movies in general, including Zappa's comment that "cheapness, in the case of a monster movie, has nothing to do with the budget of the film, although it helps".{ Roxy & Elsewhere 1974}

The song is mentioned in the Book of the SubGenius .

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References

  1. "Marriage (As A Dada Concept)". The Real Frank Zappa Book. p. 247.