History NightmareFuel / FrankZappa

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200motels_655.jpg]]

Most of Zappa's music can sound frightening to non-fans.

* The tragic fate of Joe is one hell of an AdultFear; after getting arrested for breaking his sex robot, Joe goes to prison and gets [[PrisonRape raped repeatedly]] by Bald-Headed John and the other inmates. Once he is released, Joe learns that music has become illegal, destroying his livelihood and life's passion. He goes insane from this, suffering vivid hallucinations before ultimately surrendering to the reality of the situation and resigning himself to a life of monotonous factory work.

* The tragic fate of Joe.

'''Music/The Man From Utopia'''

* The tragic fate of Joe on the album ''Music/JoesGarage''.

* "Who Are The Brain Police?", in which it seems that the record itself questions the existence of your thoughts and the validity of relationship with art (with a midsong break of pure terror, including someone chanting '''I'm going to die...'''), and "It Can't Happen Here", a demented barbershop quartet in which 4 of the strangest men you will ever meet assure you that ''"it"'', whatever it is, can't happen here....right?

* The opening screams of "The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet" and most of the first few minutes.

* "The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny". The piece is a sonic interpretation of Creator/FranzKafka's ''In The Penal Colony'', filled with car horns, strange hums and the evil laughter of the insane, decaying individuals running the place.

'''Thing-Fish'''

'''The Perfect Stranger'''
* "Jonestown", the final track of "The Perfect Stranger", a haunting composition inspired by Jim Jones' mass suicide killings in 1978.

* "Dental Hygiene Dilemma", especially with Cal Schenkel's DerangedAnimation in the film ''Film/TwoHundredMotels''.

[[quoteright:224:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/weaselszappa_8126.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:224:Album cover of "Weasels Ripped My Flesh"]]

* The album cover of "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" features a man shaving himself into a bloody mess with a gnawing weasel.
* It's also listed on the [[Funny/FrankZappa Funny]] page and does have good BlackComedy value, but one has to recognize "The Torture Never Stops" can also make great NightmareFuel. The entire arrangement is performed at an oppressively slow tempo and stretched to nine minutes, with the music being largely minimalist riffs and drumming topped off with reverbed slide guitars, ScareChord-like trills, and female screams of pain (or the opposite). Zappa's lyrics describing the sadistic TortureCellar are gruesome but funny in a RefugeInAudacity way, but his vocals are close-miked to the point that you can hear the breathing and salivating, and he delivers them in the album's typical low near-growl, making him sound like "an insanely calm mad scientist" (to quote Allmusic).
* Other examples come from ''Music/FreakOut!'', his first album: namely "Who Are The Brain Police?", in which it seems that the record itself questions the existence of your thoughts and the validity of relationship with art (with a midsong break of pure terror, including someone chanting '''I'm going to die...'''), and "It Can't Happen Here", a demented barbershop quartet in which 4 of the strangest men you will ever meet assure you that ''"it"'', whatever it is, can't happen here....right?

* "The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny", which closes ''[[Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney We're Only In It For The Money]]''. The piece is a sonic interpretation of Creator/FranzKafka's ''In The Penal Colony'', filled with car horns, strange hums and the evil laughter of the insane, decaying individuals running the place.
* "Jonestown", the final track of "The Perfect Stranger", a haunting composition inspired by Jim Jones' mass suicide killings in 1978.
* "Naval Aviation In Art", also from ''The Perfect Stranger''
* "Dental Hygiene Dilemma", especially with Cal Schenkel's DerangedAnimation in the film ''Film/TwoHundredMotels''.

* The NightmareFace of Zappa seen on the TV set on the album cover of ''Music/OverNiteSensation''.

* "Dental Hygiene Dilemma", especially with Cal Schenkel's DerangedAnimationCartoon in the film ''Film/TwoHundredMotels''.

** Actually, just watch the video called ''The Amazing Mr. Bickford'' released by Zappa's Honker Home Videos. A LOT of it is scary as all hell.

* "Naval Aviation In Art"
* "Dental Hygiene Dilemma", especially with Cal Schenkel's cartoon in the film ''Film/TwoHundredMotels''.

* The tragic fate of Joe on the album ''Joe's Garage''.

* Some of Creator/BruceBickford 's DerangedAnimation in Zappa's film ''Baby Snakes'' (1979) also fits this trope.
** Actually, just watch the video called The Amazing Mr. Bickford released by Zappa's Honker Home Videos. A LOT of it is scary as all hell.

* Other examples come from ''Freak Out!'', his first album: namely "Who Are The Brain Police?", in which it seems that the record itself questions the existence of your thoughts and the validity of relationship with art (with a midsong break of pure terror, including someone chanting '''I'm going to die...'''), and "It Can't Happen Here", a demented barbershop quartet in which 4 of the strangest men you will ever meet assure you that ''"it"'', whatever it is, can't happen here....right?

* The Crab Grass Baby from ''Thing Fish''. Not only is it a borderline {{Eldritch Abomination}}, concieved through intercourse between a little boy and a rubber sex doll, but the song it is introduced in is played in a shuffling, droning rhythm with ditto chanting, and the baby itself psychobabbling in a computerised voice that is the absolute epitome of {{Hell Is That Noise}}.

* Some of Creator/BruceBickford 's DerangedAnimation in Zappa's film ''Baby Snakes'' (1979) also fits this trope.

** {{YMMV}} however. Some people find the "Rzzzzz!" [[Funny/FrankZappa hilarious]].

** {{YMMV}} however. Some people find the "Rzzzzz!" [[CrowningMomentOfFunny/FrankZappa hilarious]].

* Some of BruceBickford 's DerangedAnimation in Zappa's film ''Baby Snakes'' (1979) also fits this trope.

* It's also listed on the CrowningMomentOfFunny page and does have good BlackComedy value, but one has to recognize ''"The Torture Never Stops"'' can also make great NightmareFuel. The entire arrangement is performed at an oppressively slow tempo and stretched to nine minutes, with the music being largely minimalist riffs and drumming topped off with reverbed slide guitars, ScareChord-like trills, and female screams of pain (or the opposite). Zappa's lyrics describing the sadistic TortureCellar are gruesome but funny in a RefugeInAudacity way, but his vocals are close-miked to the point that you can hear the breathing and salivating, and he delivers them in the album's typical low near-growl, making him sound like ''"an insanely calm mad scientist"'' (to quote Allmusic).
* Other examples come from ''FreakOut!'', his first album: namely ''"Who Are The Brain Police?"'', in which it seems that the record itself questions the existence of your thoughts and the validity of relationship with art (with a midsong break of pure terror, including someone chanting '''I'm going to die...'''), and ''"It Can't Happen Here"'', a demented barbershop quartet in which 4 of the strangest men you will ever meet assure you that ''"it"'', whatever it is, can't happen here....right?

* ''"The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny"'', which closes ''WereOnlyInItForTheMoney''. The piece is a sonic interpretation of Creator/FranzKafka's ''In The Penal Colony'', filled with car horns, strange hums and the evil laughter of the insane, decaying individuals running the place.
* ''"Jonestown"'', the final track of ''"The Perfect Stranger"'', a haunting composition inspired by Jim Jones' mass suicide killings in 1978.
* ''"Naval Aviation In Art"''
* ''"Dental Hygiene Dilemma"'', especially with Cal Schenkel's cartoon in the film 200Motels.
* The opening screams of ''"The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet"'' and most of the first few minutes.
* The tragic fate of Joe on the album ''"Joe's Garage"''.
* The Crab Grass Baby from ''"Thing Fish"''. Not only is it a borderline {{Eldritch Abomination}}, concieved through intercourse between a little boy and a rubber sex doll, but the song it is introduced in is played in a shuffling, droning rythm with ditto chanting, and the baby itself psychobabbling in a computerised voice that is the absolute epitome of {{Hell Is That Noise}}.
* Some of BruceBickford 's DerangedAnimation in Zappa's film ''"Baby Snakes" (1979)'' also fits this trope.

** By ''"midsong break of pure terror"'' we aren't kidding around here. Think of an Internet screamer followed by atonal noise. Then, ''run for your [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] life''.

* It's also listed on the CrowningMomentOfFunny page and does have good BlackComedy value, but one has to recognize "The Torture Never Stops" can also make great NightmareFuel. The entire arrangement is performed at an oppressively slow tempo and stretched to nine minutes, with the music being largely minimalist riffs and drumming topped off with reverbed slide guitars, ScareChord-like trills, and female screams of pain (or the opposite). Zappa's lyrics describing the sadistic TortureCellar are gruesome but funny in a RefugeInAudacity way, but his vocals are close-miked to the point that you can hear the breathing and salivating, and he delivers them in the album's typical low near-growl, making him sound like "an insanely calm mad scientist" (to quote Allmusic).
* Other examples come from ''FreakOut!'', his first album: namely "Who Are The Brain Police?", in which it seems that the record itself questions the existence of your thoughts and the validity of relationship with art (with a midsong break of pure terror, including someone chanting 'I'm going to die...'), and "It Can't Happen Here", a demented barbershop quartet in which 4 of the strangest men you will ever meet assure you that "it", whatever it is, can't happen here....right?
** By "midsong break of pure terror" we aren't kidding around here. Think of an Internet screamer followed by atonal noise. Then, ''run for your [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] life''.
* "The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny", which closes ''WereOnlyInItForTheMoney''. The piece is a sonic interpretation of Creator/FranzKafka's ''In The Penal Colony'', filled with car horns, strange hums and the evil laughter of the insane, decaying individuals running the place.
* "Jonestown", the final track of "The Perfect Stranger", a haunting composition inspired by Jim Jones' mass suicide killings in 1978.
* "Naval Aviation In Art"
* "Dental Hygiene Dilemma", especially with Cal Schenkel's cartoon in the film 200Motels.
* The opening screams of "The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet" and most of the first few minutes.
* The tragic fate of Joe on the album "Joe's Garage".
* The Crab Grass Baby from "Thing Fish". Not only is it a borderline {{Eldritch Abomination}}, concieved through intercourse between a little boy and a rubber sex doll, but the song it is introduced in is played in a shuffling, droning rythm with ditto chanting, and the baby itself psychobabbling in a computerised voice that is the absolute epitome of {{Hell Is That Noise}}

* The tragic fate of Joe on the album "Joe's Garage".

* Most of Zappa's music can sound frightening to non-fans.

* "The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny", which closes ''We're Only In It For The Money''. The piece is a sonic interpretation of Creator/FranzKafka's ''In The Penal Colony'', filled with car horns, strange hums and the evil laughter of the insane, decaying individuals running the place.

* "Dental Hygiene Dilemma", especially with Cal Schenkel's cartoon in "200 Motels".
* The opening screams of "The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet"

* "Jonestown", the final track of "The Perfect Stranger", a haunting composition inspired by Jim Jones' mass suicide killings in 1978.

* "The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny", which closes ''We're Only In It For The Money''. The piece is a sonic interpretation of FranzKafka's ''In The Penal Colony'', filled with car horns, strange hums and the evil laughter of the insane, decaying individuals running the place.