Editing Frank Zappa (section)

===Beginning of Barking Pumpkin Records label===
{{see also|Tinsel Town Rebellion|Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar|You Are What You Is}}
[[File:Zappa-buffalo-ny.jpg|thumb|Zappa performing at the [[Buffalo Memorial Auditorium|Memorial Auditorium]], [[Buffalo, New York]], 1980. The concert was released in 2007 as ''[[Buffalo (Frank Zappa album)|Buffalo]]''.]]
Zappa cut ties with Phonogram after the distributor refused to release his song "[[I Don't Wanna Get Drafted]]", which was recorded in February 1980.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1_i5f3jhD9UC&pg=PA3054|title=The New York Times Guide to the Arts of the 20th Century|access-date=April 30, 2012|editor=Bruckner, D. J. R.|date=2002|page=3054|publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-57958-290-6}}</ref> The single was released independently by Zappa in the United States and was picked up by CBS Records internationally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Frank-Zappa-I-Dont-Wanna-Get-Drafted/release/807608|title=Frank Zappa – I Don't Wanna Get Drafted! (Vinyl) at|year=1980 |publisher=discogs|access-date=April 30, 2012}}</ref>

After spending much of 1980 on the road, Zappa released ''[[Tinsel Town Rebellion]]'' in 1981. It was the first release on his own [[Barking Pumpkin Records]],<ref name="lowe"/>{{rp|161}} and featured live recordings from 1979 and 1980, as well as a new studio track, "Fine Girl". The album is a mixture of complicated instrumentals and Zappa's use of ''[[sprechstimme]]'' (speaking song or voice)—a compositional technique utilized by such composers as [[Arnold Schoenberg]] and [[Alban Berg]]—showcasing some of the most accomplished bands Zappa ever had (mostly featuring drummer Vinnie Colaiuta).<ref name="lowe"/>{{rp|161}} While some lyrics still raised controversy among critics, some of whom found them sexist,<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|284}} the political and sociological satire in songs like the title track and "The Blue Light" have been described as a "hilarious critique of the willingness of the American people to believe anything".<ref name="lowe"/>{{rp|165}} The album is also notable for the presence of guitarist [[Steve Vai]], who joined Zappa's touring band in late 1980.<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|283}}

In 1981, Zappa also released three instrumental albums, ''[[Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar]]'', ''Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More'', and ''The Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar'', which were initially sold via mail order, but later released through CBS Records (now [[Sony Music Entertainment]]) due to popular demand.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Zappa|first=Frank|title=Absolutely Frank. First Steps in Odd Meters|journal=Guitar Player Magazine|page=116|date=November 1982}}</ref>

The albums focus exclusively on Frank Zappa as a guitar soloist, and the tracks are predominantly live recordings from 1979 to 1980; they highlight Zappa's improvisational skills with "beautiful performances from the backing group as well".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Swenson|first=John|magazine=[[Guitar World]] |date=November 1981|title=Frank Zappa: Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar, Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More, The Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar}}</ref> Another guitar-only album, ''[[Guitar (Frank Zappa album)|Guitar]]'', was released in 1988, and a third, ''[[Trance-Fusion]]'', which Zappa completed shortly before his death, was released in 2006.<ref>{{cite book |title=Guitar Gods: The 25 Players who Made Rock History |edition=illustrated |first1=Bob |last1=Gulla |publisher=ABC-CLIO |date=2009 |isbn=978-0-313-35806-7 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=DL3I9qQWdeAC&pg=PA251 251] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DL3I9qQWdeAC}}</ref>
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{{Listen|type=music|filename=Zappa_SYNPYG.ogg|description=The title track on ''[[Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar]]'' features Zappa's guitar improvisations.|title="Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More" (recorded 1979, released 1981)|pos=left}}

The same year, the double album ''[[You Are What You Is]]'' was released. The album mainly consisted of rock songs with Zappa's sardonic social commentary—satirical lyrics directed at teenagers, the media, and religious and political hypocrisy.<ref>{{cite web|url= {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r53163|pure_url=yes}}|title=You Are What You Is. Review|last=Huey|first=Steve|work=AllMusic|access-date=January 7, 2008}}</ref> "Dumb All Over" is a tirade on religion, as is "Heavenly Bank Account", wherein Zappa rails against [[Televangelism|TV evangelists]] such as [[Jerry Falwell]] and [[Pat Robertson]] for their purported influence on the U.S. administration as well as their use of religion as a means of raising money.<ref name="lowe"/>{{rp|169–175}} Songs like "Society Pages" and "I'm a Beautiful Guy" show Zappa's dismay with the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] era and its "obscene pursuit of wealth and happiness".<ref name="lowe"/>{{rp|169–175}} Zappa made his only music video for a song from this album – "You Are What You Is" – directed by Jerry Watson, produced by Paul Flattery. The video was banned from [[MTV]], though was later featured by [[Mike Judge]] in the ''[[Beavis & Butthead]]'' episode "Canoe".<ref>{{cite web |title="Beavis and Butt-Head" Canoe - Soundtracks |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0857490/soundtrack/ |website=IMDB |access-date=August 11, 2022}}</ref> Also included is the guitar instrumental, "Theme from the 3rd Movement of Sinister Footwear" which he adapted from a ballet, performed with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra in 1984. 

Zappa later expanded on his television appearances in a non-musical role. He was an actor or voice artist in episodes of ''[[Faerie Tale Theatre|Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre]]'',<ref name="ZappaIMDB">{{IMDb name|id=0953261|name=Frank Zappa profile}}. Retrieved July 30, 2008.</ref> ''[[Miami Vice]]''<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|343}} and ''[[The Ren & Stimpy Show]]''.<ref name="ZappaIMDB"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Komorowski |first1=Thad |title=Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story |date=2017 |publisher=BearManor Media |isbn=978-1629331836 |location=Albany, Georgia}}</ref> A voice part in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' never materialized, to creator [[Matt Groening]]'s disappointment (Groening was a neighbor of Zappa and a lifelong fan).<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Homer and Me|last=Eliscu|first=Jenny |magazine=Rolling Stone|date=November 8, 2002}}</ref>