A Token of My Extreme
Encyclopedia
"A Token of My Extreme", by Frank Zappa
, is a song on the 1979 concept album
Joe's Garage
[Part II]. The main character from this triple-album rock-opera has his mind messed-up by Lucille then "finally does something smart" and "pays a lot of money to L. Ron Hoover and the First Church of Appliantology."
and its founder L. Ron Hubbard
. Joe, doubting his sanity, asks 'mystical advisor' L. Ron Hoover what his problem is and is told that he is "a latent appliance-fetishist." Joe asks if it is time "to come out of the closet
," and is told that he should "go into the closet". There, he can have "a lot of fun" achieving sexual gratification using machines. Joe is informed that the best appliances speak foreign languages, which leads to the next song, "Stick it out". This song derives from another piece called "Tush Tush Tush" from 1973.
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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...
, is a song on the 1979 concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
Joe's Garage
Joe's Garage
Joe's Garage is a 1979 rock opera by Frank Zappa. Zappa stated that along with Lumpy Gravy, this album was one of his finest achievements. It was originally released as two separate albums, the first comprising Act I, and the second part as a double-album which made up Acts II & III. All three...
[Part II]. The main character from this triple-album rock-opera has his mind messed-up by Lucille then "finally does something smart" and "pays a lot of money to L. Ron Hoover and the First Church of Appliantology."
Plot
Appliantology is shown as an insincere religion, which cooperates with a "malevolent totalitarian regime." This is an apparent reference to ScientologyScientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
and its founder L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
. Joe, doubting his sanity, asks 'mystical advisor' L. Ron Hoover what his problem is and is told that he is "a latent appliance-fetishist." Joe asks if it is time "to come out of the closet
The Closet
The Closet may refer to:* The Closet , Chinese film* The Closet , French film* The closet, referring to undisclosed homosexuality- See also :* Closet* Closet * In the closet...
," and is told that he should "go into the closet". There, he can have "a lot of fun" achieving sexual gratification using machines. Joe is informed that the best appliances speak foreign languages, which leads to the next song, "Stick it out". This song derives from another piece called "Tush Tush Tush" from 1973.
Analyzed in secondary sources
This song was analyzed in Zappa, and also in Academy Zappa. Carr and Hand mention that the song is "A satire of L. Ron Hubbard (1911–86) and the Church of Scientology.", in their study of Zappa in the journal Studies in Musical Theatre. They described the work as "an ironic precursor" to Carlton's Return to the Forbidden PlanetReturn to the Forbidden Planet
Return to the Forbidden Planet is a Jukebox musical by playwright Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare's The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet ....
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