Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List

Every artist, whether revered or reviled, can rattle off their influences at the drop of a hat. Few, however, take their creative influences to the level demonstrated by the late Frank Zappa, whose debut album boasted a "freak out list" of nearly 200 artists that comprised the experimental rocker's musical roots. Even fewer pay countless direct homages to those that inspire them, as Zappa did with everything from atonal classical to hard-core doo-wop.

Those who aren't seriously into music will find little interesting about "Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List." Just shy of 90 minutes, the documentary mainly consists of Zappa biographers, former members of Zappa's band The Mothers of Invention, and music theory scholars analyzing specific beats, harmonies and note sequences. Because the film is not endorsed by the late Zappa's family or estate, very little of Zappa's actual music can be heard. And of course, the man himself is unavailable for comment.

Still, for pop culture aficionados, rock 'n' roll buffs, or those just getting into the influential tunes of the 1960's, "Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List" is worth a look. Whether your opinion of Zappa's music is sky high or "not much," the man had creativity and innovation in spades. Not to mention a disregard for what would sell. Today's pop music scene might be a whole lot more groundbreaking if artists adopted the attitude quoted by a former Mothers member: "We played our music. What everyone else thought, we just didn't care."