Cheepnis
Encyclopedia
Cheepnis is a song by Frank Zappa
written for his never-produced musical Hunchentoot, a tribute to B-movies. The song first appeared on his 1974 album Roxy & Elsewhere
, from a live recording. Another live version of the song was released on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2. The beginning of the Roxy & Elsewhere version of the track has a 2 minute monologue about It Conquered The World
and monster movies in general, including Zappa's comment that "cheapness has nothing to do with the budget of the film, although it helps." The song talks about the general principle of cheesy special effects in early monster movies, including a monster, named "Frunobulax", that looks like a "great big poodle
dog." The poodle is a recurring theme in other Zappa songs and is an illustration of what he referred to as the "conceptual continuity" of his body of work.
The song is mentioned in the Book of the SubGenius
.
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
written for his never-produced musical Hunchentoot, a tribute to B-movies. The song first appeared on his 1974 album Roxy & Elsewhere
Roxy & Elsewhere
Roxy & Elsewhere is a live album by Frank Zappa & The Mothers which was released in 1974. Most of the songs were recorded at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California on December 8, 9 and 10, 1973...
, from a live recording. Another live version of the song was released on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2. The beginning of the Roxy & Elsewhere version of the track has a 2 minute monologue about It Conquered The World
It Conquered the World
It Conquered the World is a 1956 American science fiction film about an alien from Venus trying to take over the world with the help of a disillusioned human scientist. It was directed by Roger Corman, written by Lou Rusoff , and starred Peter Graves, Lee Van Cleef, Beverly Garland, and Sally...
and monster movies in general, including Zappa's comment that "cheapness has nothing to do with the budget of the film, although it helps." The song talks about the general principle of cheesy special effects in early monster movies, including a monster, named "Frunobulax", that looks like a "great big poodle
Poodle
The Poodle is a breed of dog. The poodle breed is found officially in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, with many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is highly intelligent and skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding...
dog." The poodle is a recurring theme in other Zappa songs and is an illustration of what he referred to as the "conceptual continuity" of his body of work.
The song is mentioned in the Book of the SubGenius
Book of the SubGenius
The Book of the SubGenius: Being the Divine Wisdom, Guidance, and Prophecy of J.R. "Bob" Dobbs, High Epopt of the Church of the SubGenius, Here Inscribed for the Salvation of Future Generations and in the Hope that Slack May Someday Reign on this Earth is seen as the "bible" of the Church of the...
.