That's awesome!

That is so neat. I, too, wish we had these for musicians of the 80s & 90s. Thanks, jan!

Very cool indeed. I love the Zappa one. He had an interesting childhood, playing with mercury that his dad brought home from the chemical factory...I'm not at all surprised to see slightly wacko colours in there. They all likely had some low level brain poisoning!

Back in the 60s and 70s, everyone played with mercury. There were little kids maze puzzle toys with mercury in them. You could get it in science sets. We even had it in our high school chemistry class, for fucks sake. Toxic? Who knew? Apparently not the consumers.

Oh my, I love David Crosby's the best. It's probably the most boring but I love that white couch and those beams, and the wicker trunk used as an end table with National Geographics. I will do this.

I actually like the Elton John wallpaper.

These are very cool. Thanks, essexjan.

Those are great, and the photography is well done. The Zappa one is my favorite.

Yeah, in high school science class me converted mercuric oxide to mercury by heating. One kid came to school with a glass stoppered jar of industrial mercury his dad brought home from work. This would have been in '78 or so. Fun times!

Hell, the last time I played with mercury, out of a broken thermometer, musta been 1980 or so. I wasn't allowed to touch, but every time a thermometer broke, my folks would empty the remaining mercury out on a coaster, pull out the family periodic table, and try to explain why it was a liquid.

Speaking of Zappa, I just watched 200 Motels, which was a hell of a lot better than I expected, funny all the way through, though pretty low-keyed for a flick with such heavy psychedelic imagery and Max Headroom-like tape tricks. The soundtrack is great, definitely my favorite Zappa (actually, it's the first Zappa I've actually enjoyed: the Mothers of Invention are all great players but despite Zappa's stylistic versatility, I usually find his songs repetitive and overlong and his lyrics puerile; he is, however, a terrific influence), and his orchestral score is more than just competent, actually interesting.

Also casting Ringo Starr as Frank Zappa was a great move, just brill, really.

200 Motels works best on acid.

I believe it. The constant barrage of psychedelic imagery is somewhat exhausting when sober, I mean, when just stoned and not tripping.

I agree, LoriFLA! Except for that one floral chair, I'd live in Crosby's dad's house just the way it is.

These are all fantastic.

Hey, the big painting on the wall in Zappa's parents' house is the album cover for Alice Cooper's obscure first album, Pretties for You. Not surprising, since they were on Zappa's label at the time.

Ah, on further searching:
The 'Pretties For You' gatefold album cover, by an artist named Ed Beardsley, was not commissioned specifically for the record but happened to be a piece of artwork admired by Zappa and hanging on his wall at home. The original intention had been to use Salvador Dali's 'Geopoliticus' Child' but the rights could not be secured. In any event the Beardsley painting stoked controversy due to the fact it includes a woman showing her panties. Cautious record company types duly placed stickers over the offending undergarments!

the family periodic table

The more I read about your family the more I'm convinced you may have had one of the coolest childhoods ever

Thanks, kellydamnit. I just told my mom someone on the internet said that about me and she gave me a big teary hug, but mostly just because she couldn't hug you, I think. That's one of the best things anyone's ever said about me, because it's really about my parents, who deserve all the pride I take in them.

Honestly, I thought my childhood was quite normal for the offspring of a librarian and a secret agent.

Librarians can be secret agents!? Ok, NOW I have incentive to go to Library school.

A bureaucrat at a secret agency married a nonpareil cataloguer, got into BDSM play, and out popped my brother and me. Strange things started to happen....

I wish I had gone to library school. I love book.

i am reminded of when you took us to see Rod Stewart's place and I shook my bootie and asked if he thought I was sexy.

This is great, thanks, essexjan!