A Token of My Extreme

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"A Token of My Extreme"
Song by Frank Zappa from the album Joe's Garage Acts II & III
Released November 19, 1979
Recorded Village Recorders, LA
Spring 1979
Genre Rock
Length 5:30
Label Zappa Records
Writer Frank Zappa
Composer Frank Zappa
Producer Frank Zappa
Joe's Garage Acts II & III track listing
"A Token of My Extreme"
(1)		 Stick It Out
(2)

"A Token of My Extreme", by Frank Zappa, is a song on the 1979 concept album Joe's Garage [Part II]. The main character from this triple-album rock-opera has his mind messed-up by Lucille then "finally does something smart" and "pays a lot of money to L. Ron Hoover and the First Church of Appliantology."[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Plot

Appliantology is shown as an insincere religion, which cooperates with a "malevolent totalitarian regime."[2] This is an apparent reference to Scientology and its founder L. Ron Hubbard.[1][2] Joe, doubting his sanity, asks 'mystical advisor' L. Ron Hoover what his problem is and is told that he is "a latent appliance-fetishist." Joe asks if it is time "to come out of the closet," and is told that he should "go into the closet". There, he can have "a lot of fun" achieving sexual gratification using machines. Joe is informed that the best appliances speak foreign languages, which leads to the next song, "Stick it out". This song derives from another piece called "Tush Tush Tush" from 1973.[3][4]

[edit] Analyzed in secondary sources

This song was analyzed in Zappa,[4] and also in Academy Zappa.[5] Carr and Hand mention that the song is "A satire of L. Ron Hubbard (1911–86) and the Church of Scientology.", in their study of Zappa in the journal Studies in Musical Theatre.[1] They described the work as "an ironic precursor" to Carlton's Return to the Forbidden Planet.[1]

[edit] See also

Portal icon Scientology portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Carr, Paul; Richard J. Hand (December 2006). "Frank Zappa and musical theatre". Studies in Musical Theatre 1 (1): 41–56. doi:10.1386/smt.1.1.41_1. ISSN 1450-3159. http://www.atypon-link.com/INT/doi/abs/10.1386/smt.1.1.41_1. 
  2. ^ a b c Prince, Michael J. (Spring 2005). "The Science Fiction Protocols of Frank Zappa". Chapter&Verse (PopMatters Media, Inc.). http://www.popmatters.com/chapter/Issue3/zappa.html. 
  3. ^ Staff (January 1, 1989). "Frank Zappa on CD (and LP), Part I-III". Stereophile Magazine: pp. Vol. 12., No. 1.. http://www.stereophile.com/musicrecordings/73/index5.html. 
  4. ^ a b Miles, Barry (2004). Zappa. Grove Press. p. 431. ISBN 0-8021-1783-X. 
  5. ^ Watson, Ben Leslie (2005). Academy Zappa: Proceedings of the First International Conference of Esemplastic Zappology. SAF Publishing Ltd. pp. 171–187. ISBN 0-946719-79-9. 
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention
Studio albums
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2010s
Live albums
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Compilation albums
Digital downloads
Box set compilations
Singles
  • "Who Are The Brain Police?"
  • "How Could I Be Such A Fool"
  • "Why Don't You Do Me Right"
  • "Lonely Little Girl"
  • "Tears Began To Fall"
  • "What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning"
  • "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow"
  • "Sofa"
  • "Disco Boy"
  • "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted"
  • "Bobby Brown"
  • "Dancin' Fool"
  • "Joe's Garage"
  • "Love Of My Life"
  • "Goblin Girl"
  • "Valley Girl"
  • "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou"
  • "Cocaine Decisions"
Filmography
Relatives
Related articles
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Token_of_My_Extreme&oldid=479579322"
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages