Talking with Frank Zappa - Interview with Trooper Charles Ash of the Pennsylvania State Police

Talking with Frank Zappa
Interview with Trooper Charles Ash of the Pennsylvania State Police
Conducted at the Mayfair Regent Hotel, NYC
Original November 3, 1981 date is questionable. Looks like it may have actually been on November 1, 1981.
See comments please.
This video made available to Schools, and Educators, in the Pennsylvania School System.
Professional transfer of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Umatic Master.
Thank you Chuck. Thank you Frank.

[@davidisgett7801]

It's interesting that the interview(s) by this state trooper are more to the point and musical perspective of the artist than ANY of the music industry experts. He not only asked great questions, he is clearly a real fan and knows the subject.

[@violentmorgan]

A great interview - and a terrific job by Trooper Ash, well-researched, polite, respectful, intelligent... not what I was expecting at all!

[@nitrociruja]

Thank you for this, my life just got about 35 minutes of enjoyment

[@Lagzatzappateers]

You're welcome.

[@Something9008]

Trooper Ash later became part of Zappa's security.

[@Jorge-m9g3s]

Zappa was a Hell of a logic,smart,intelligent,virtuoso,creative man!!!!

[@rhythmfield]

Let’s just say kudos to Trooper Ash for doing such a great interview and straddling the words of law & order + a fairly ‘radical’ and unique artist, and having an open mind to music & viewpoints that aren’t the everyday ‘normal’!

[@Lagzatzappateers]

One of the best FZ interviews ever done.

[@charleswinokoor6023]

I agree with Trooper Ash regarding “Andy.” I think it’s one of Zappa’s best songs. Ash asks Zappa about smoking cigarettes but stops short of asking if he considers it to be harmful to his health. That’s too bad, because I can’t think of a single interview in which that question was put to Zappa. Yes, he used to deflect it by joking that he considered tobacco to be food, but it’s hard to believe he didn’t understand the damage it was doing to his lungs and heart.

[@TylerSmithPunksOnPizza]

Howard Stern addressed his smoking while having cancer when he called in during Moon's interview

[@James-jf1sc]

He has a fantastic memory.

[@KutayCoskun]

What a nice respectful interview. Thanks for sharing.

[@Lagzatzappateers]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching. Check out Chuck's 1988 interview here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYTMeHiglMhql7M

[@fastnbulbouss]

A thousand views !!! That's it ? I've seen a shit load of interviews with Mr Zappa, this is by far the best one. I have that poster....phewww, from the sixties, when it came out. I also have every album that this man has written and released. And I am now close to 70 years old, and even though I never met him, he has been my best friend since I've been an unruly teenager a long long time ago. Seen him live over 20 times, regularly listen to a lot of things he wrote, and altough I can't say this about many people, I miss him a lot. I had room left for another 30 or 40 albums.

[@Lagzatzappateers]

Thank you for your comments. I have added more tags to the listing. I agree there should be more views on this wonderful interview.

[@chriskazaam896]

I'd like it more if the volume was louder. Not a fan of his music, but I like history and hearing what people considered interesting at xyz time.

[@rhythmfield]

You caught FZ live over 20 TIMES?? Holy smokes - you must’ve seen some Great shows. I saw him four or five times and it left a permanent, powerful impression on me to this day. So - did you happen to catch the early Mothers on tour? Where/when we’re your 1st and last shows? I saw him in New York City at the Palladium and once at the Beacon Theater.

[@fastnbulbouss]

@@rhythmfield The first time I saw the Mothers was in 1969, they had been booked to play 5 consecutive days, 2 shows a day, on the grounds of what had been Expo67 in Montreal....saw all the shows, and cancelled my trip to Woodstock because the two events where in the same time frame. Happy I stayed in MTL that week. When Zappa toured Canada, he used to do Quebec city, Montreal and Ottawa....we just followed the shows.

[@randyhiiip]

Happy to be watching this along fellow zappateers, thanks mate

[@Lagzatzappateers]

You're welcome.

[@hiroprotagonist921]

I’m sick rn and this was a gem to watch. Thank you.

[@Lagzatzappateers]

You're welcome. A gem indeed! Get well soon. Check out Chuck's 1988 interview with Frank. You will be glad you did 😄 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYTMeHiglMhql7M

[@TweedSuit]

Common sense used to be contagious. I'm afraid much less so now.

[@grokeffer6226]

Words of wisdom.

[@chrisshugart6189]

Though I've always been a Zappa fan, I must confess that I also served as one of his bad examples. But I wouldn't brag about it.

[@dario6253]

Boy was he right.

[@peterwoodhouse4314]

What fascinates me about FZ is he's the 'wild rocker' in popular myth for those who didn't/couldn't listen to his music or views - which were effectively banned from mainstream radio or channels - but for much of this interview he comes across as deeply 'straight', conservative etc.

[@Lagzatzappateers]

Appreciate the comments!

[@MsFreshadenu]

That's because you're watching it decades later. The left wing is now defined by its opposition to the right wing, no longer by its own principles. Left wing politics used to be free speech, anti-war, etc. At this point in his career he is actively anti-conservative. If you think he looks conservative here, maybe you should rethink your preconceptions about both parties.

[@davidmay8104]

​@@MsFreshadenuGood point.❤

[@philouze1815]

Just finished watching (for the umpteenth time) your 8-DVD collection. It is just fantastic. I know this is a question you get a lot, but I'll ask you anyway: is there a chance of you doing some more DVDs? I'm a Zappateers member, so I'll know where to look if you do!! Cheers from France, and, again, thank you so much for your staggering work.

[@Lagzatzappateers]

Cool. Glad you have watched them for the umpteenth time 🤘 No plans for anymore DVD's. The format is outdated and the quality is better from the raw rips of the tapes in my possesion, so just posting here. Zappateers has started to post some of the raw transfers that I uploaded to them back in 2016. They have rips of my tapes 1 to 51. Appreciate the comments and happy to share my love of FZ with others!

[@jeremychildress3931]

I remember Frank Zappa because of the songs Dynamo humm Don’t eat the yellow snow and Wild Love

[@HughMorristheJoker]

Camarillo Brillo

[@yonicsoothe]

it's Dirty Love, not wild.

[@jrosner6123]

​@@yonicsoothehe had songs named both.

[@rhythmfield]

Very rare - I followed FZ carefully back then & never heard of this - fantastic

[@Lagzatzappateers]

Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it. If you haven't seen Chuck's 1988 interview with Frank, it's another great one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYTMeHiglMhql7M

[@popeyesailor9571]

incomprehensible Duck mouths.

[@Hellnation13]

love this guy

[@toncuz8291]

And then he pulls out the biggest killer drug of all and lights up.

[@garyolshan4177]

He was a philosopher who was way ahead of his time.

[@rjl7655]

You'll never get more honesty, truth, and political-incorrectness; I can't think of a single living person that you'll get this kind of op-ed/info from . . .

[@bogdanardeleanu5755]

love you Frank

[@Guitar6ty]

Drugs and Booze is a form of slavery.

[@pgroove163]

There's a ton of forms of slavery....Including nicotine which claimed Zappa

[@russellhenrybieber6620]

little extreme, I feel free

[@siggylloyd3566]

@@russellhenrybieber6620 it has nothing to do with your "ideas" about how drugs are affecting you, and everything to do with what drugs are actually doing to you biologically, without your consent, incidentally. But hey, your opinions are so self-justifying that you can continue killing yourself in the name of personal freedom; now that's empowerment! Lmfao

[@chriskazaam896]

Yeah, wouldn't work well if you were using and tryin to hunt or farm.

[@WKRPinCINN]

33:15 nice!

[@pgroove163]

His comments about drugs is completely opposite the way of life of the counterculture of the 60/70s.. which is why he was never a member of the counterculture

[@ruthlongridge2137]

Truth to power

[@pgroove163]

many of his band members loved drugs

[@ruthlongridge2137]

@@pgroove163 Freedom of choice is also a thing

[@pgroove163]

@@ruthlongridge2137 very little freedom of choice in 2022..as Frank used to say especially when there's not much to choose from

[@ruthlongridge2137]

@@pgroove163 We are working on it, never fear. Remember that remaining positive is also an act of defiance

[@vampyros1]

Frank had some really stupid ideas. He’s one of the greatest guitarists ever.

[@scootmcgoot570]

Some of them but thats what makes him legendary because he did the heck out of it! Haha

[@philcremer4709]

Well, at 7:42 if you let anybody get broadcast, if you give everybody a media release you get what we have today = an oversaturated music market where none of the cream rises to the top and everything is diluted by wanna-bes.

[@nickstrapko7549]

Cigarettes alter its a stimulant

[@HughMorristheJoker]

Whatever

[@3dmovieplayer]

watch does humor belong in music, it sums up his views about cigarettes

[@matth268]

Vegetable.

[@pgroove163]

Zappa was ok

[@nicholassoland8025]

You love getting high