Civilization Phaze III

What does it mean to be inside the piano? Bob Dobbs and guests bounce off Zappa’s CPIII as they weave through themes of sensory experience, materialism and the individual pursuit of purpose, punctuated by references to cultural figures and metaphors.…

Zappa’s types of ‘cheese’ In this final installment, Bob Dobbs and guests explore CPIII using themes from the ‘Lumpy Gravy’ era and Zappa’s editorial “Say Cheese.” It reflects on how Zappa’s work symbolizes American culture and societal values, examining his…

CPIII and the Project/Object Bob and guests use Civilization Phaze III to explore Frank Zappa’s Project/Object concept and how it relates to culture, technology and society at large. Bob Dobbs is a McLuhan Scholar and Zappa researcher. 00:00:00 – Commercializing…

CPIII’s commentary on the American cultural industry Bob’s discussion uses CPIII to probe America’s cultural exports, the music industry, and Zappa’s art in relation to Marshall McLuhan. They look into Zappa’s conceptual continuity. The discussion concludes with Zappa’s insights on…

Zappa’s menippean satire. Bob Dobbs and guests explore Frank Zappa’s impact as a menippean satirist, his unique approach to art production, and his role during the transition from analog to digital media. They contrast Zappa’s style with contemporaries like Bob…

Xenochrony: Zappa’s psychic aspect Bob’s panel explores Frank Zappa’s psychic ability to predict media trends, a phenomenon he termed “xenochrony”, and his spontaneous creativity like the naming of ‘Yellow Shark’. The narrative weaves through personal stories, historical connections, and encounters…

Frank Zappa’s Conceptual Continuity and the Apostrophe. Bob and guests probe topics from Zappa’s critique of society and economy to his views on love and music as universal experiences. Influences from the 1950s, artistic archetypes, and the art of interviewing…

Dio Fa: is football religion? Bob and guests delve into Frank Zappa’s innovative vision for multimedia events, such as his ambitious plans for a football opera at the 1990 World Cup (Dio Fa). Themes of media evolution, societal satire, and…

Harmonizing Spheres: CPIII’s musical geometry Bob and guests reflect on Zappa’s unique blending of humor, time concepts, and spatial geometry. It examines his integration of genres, innovative use of technology, and editing skills. Influences from figures like Marshall McLuhan are…

What lead to CPIII? What was Zappa’s overall Project/Object? Bob Dobbs and guests explore Zappa’s musical influences including Varese, the film The World’s Greatest Sinner, and Zappa’s technique of incorporating pop culture into his music. The conversation also touched on…