“As fans of the late hippie-hater will know, ‘Bobby Brown’, taken from the 1979 album Sheik Yerbouti, has a contentious history. One of Zappa’s best-known songs, the track secured considerably more success in Europe than in his native America, given that its overtly sexual content caused such a stir that US radio stations refused to play it.

The track follows the titular Bobby Brown, a misogynistic and wealthy student described as “the cutest boy in town”, whose life represents the American dream. Even in the first verse, we are alerted to the horrific side of this character when he says: “I’ve got a cheerleader here / Wants to help with my paper / Let her do all the work / And maybe later I’ll rape her”. Even for the outwardly misanthropic Zappa, this is dark.

Whilst ‘Bobby Brown’ might be considered by many to be Frank Zappa’s most problematic song, it seems, in his classic approach, that was the point entirely. By his own admission, Zappa was – rightly or wrongly – attempting to write about what he believed occurs in some societies, despite the obscene and vulgar nature of his lyrics.”