Inspiring essays by the diverse talents of Nicolas Slonimsky, Vaclav Havel, and Bob Guccione, Jr., Frank Zappa looms large among the most compelling modern musicians. Through the writings of contemporaries like Bill Milkowski, Ben Watson, and Elaine Warren and through Zappa's own words—his complete testimony in front of the Parents Music Regulatory Committee, for example—this entry in the Schirmer Books Companion Series strives to assess the music and life of a man who numbered Lenny Bruce, Tiny Tim, Muddy Waters, James Joyce, and Igor Stravinsky among his many influences. — Fourth in the Schirmer Companion Series—Includes chronology, discography, filmography, and bibliography