Most people, even his fans, don't understand Zappa. He was a musical genius, humorist, and visionary. Not everything, or even most, of his output appeals to me, but I enjoy some of it immensely. He started Alice Cooper, used Stevie Vai on some of his later records, and countless other people were influenced by him. He basically was "strict" in a period of music that was very loose. He forced his musicains to be better disiplined, and therefore better players. He didn't play favorites - I remember he was on the outs with his friend Beefheart because of a musical problem, and wouldn't even talk to Eric Clapton for a long time - probably because of his (Clapton's) addiction(s).