Zappa the Bitter/Sweet.

Zappa is honestly one of the most complicated artist that I've been asked to study. It seems that everything revolving around him is in a constant, never ending duality. Not that he contradicts himself per se, but he seems to be very keen on certain principals that he does not even follow himself.

I realize that by now this blog is nearly all about these constant contradictions surrounding his life, but it is what I find the most interesting about the man himself. How can a figure be so mysterious and yet express his opinions in dozens of forms (interviews, music, film, etc.)? How come nobody agrees on who truly was Zappa?
Here's a couple of examples of how this duality plays out concretely:
- Frank not liking his fans but wanting to create the best show and best material for their money value.
- Frank choosing to make commercial albums to self-finance his 'serious' orchestral music.
- Frank appropriating ideas from his band members but composing his material exclusively to fit their capacities (and push them to the limit).
- Frank not spending time with his family but stating that he is a family man.
...
The mystery of the man will probably forever stay hidden though, as nobody seems to be able to truly size who was that man, who was the composer, who was Zappa. Like any individual, he has his qualities and flaws, his personality traits and his preferences...  But his mythical status affect our judgment and memories. I don't know how much of every testimony I should believe. Everybody Zappa met could have a reason to detest the man as much as loving him. Nobody seems to be interested in presenting his true portrait. Or rather, nobody knew enough of Zappa to present his true self.