It features synthesized arrangements of chamber music by the Italian composer Francesco Zappa, who composed between 1763 and 1788.

David Ocker played a piece of Francesco Zappa's music for Frank Zappa because it was popular with some college music students.

[3] Frank found an entry for Francesco in the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and then researched his sheet music in the library at UC Berkeley.

According to The Real Frank Zappa Book, the two musicians are not related.

Francesco Zappa was the first full album on which Frank used the Synclavier,[4] but Synclavier pieces appeared on The Perfect Stranger earlier that year, as well as Thing-Fish, also released in 1984 but recorded earlier.