ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on one approach that Frank Zappa used to present his synthesis, namely the story-song. Narrative themes in the works of European composers like Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok and Prokofiev offered an important contribution but, crucially, the indelible impressions made by the American genres of popular music, comedy, radio, cinema and literature were paramount. The chapter attempts to make parallels between themes in his work and those in the wider area of American culture. Zappa played the part of the Devil in a performance of the work at the Hollywood Bowl in 1972, and his song Titties and Beer, featuring a confrontation between a biker and the Devil, was directly inspired by it. There was Conceptual Continuity, not only within Zappa's body of work, but also between his work and that of others. Another popular record in this genre was Tubby the Tuba, released in 1945 and narrated by Danny Kaye.
