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Album: Does Humor Belong In Music?
This fancy, little instrumental number is laid out fairly straight-forward with a head-guitar solo-head. The solo was actually taken from another show, combined to create a monster version of this great song. But first, let me delve into the title, Zoot Allures. Apparently, it's a pun for the french term, 'Zut alors!' which roughly translates to 'Damn it!'. While the Zoot may be referring to the popular style of swing clothing, I'd like to think he's giving a shout out to the Muppet who plays the saxophone and wears sunglasses, Zoot. Back to the music. The guitar tone in the solo reminds me of a chainsaw doing ballet. It is so delicately played, but get close enough and it'll shred right through your skin. Don't get too caught up in the solo, however, or you'll miss some amazing drumming by Chad Wackerman. Nothing say's 80's drumming like the roto tom!
Album: Just Another Band From L.A.
Hot damn! I love this song and you will too after I'm through with it. Whoa. That was a bold statement. But when you combine vegetables with orgasmic frenzy, I'll be as bold as I damn well please! So, it starts off pretty dramatic with swaying "Ohh la la la la"s and...jesus, how do I try to describe this. Imagine, if you will, an operatic fellow who suffers a severe blow to the head and awakens with a yearning to rock like nobody's ever rocked before. Who's that famous guy who sings Tenor. Fonzarelli? Guadalupe? Fabioducci? Just visualize him up on stage wearing tight leather pants spewing saliva all over the front row. After all that settles down, we have another part that kind of mellows out, but not for long. There's this nice pretty sounding buildup that soon becomes possesed with Zappa's guitar preachings. All of a sudden our cute little cherub of a sidekick becomes a whip wielding succubus ready to seduce you into her lair of naughtyness. Are you fool enough to deny her wishes? "Call and they'll come to you. Covered with dew, vegetables dream, of responding to you."
Album: Absolutely Free
This is the kind of song you would hear at a lounge bar, maybe on the Reno strip. While he sings, his vocals constantly "sway" between the left and right channels. It's got your typical lounge piano sound and bass. The piano is panned hard right and the bass is panned hard left. In the background you constantly hear cash registers ringing and people having an all-around good time. By the end of the song the people sound a little crazy and in pain. Oh, I just heard a saxophone, sounded like a soprano...naturally. After the short song he makes small-talk with the crowd then does some ridiculous sounding scat. "Caravan with a drum solo? Right. Yeah. We'll do that. Wonderful."
Album: Zappa In New York
Described as a "sensitive instrumental ballad for late-nite easy listening". This song was recorded live (as was the whole album) in December, 1976. Appears to be in 6/8 the whole way through. It starts out with this great syncopated horn part. Zappa's guitar sounds so clean with just the slightest bit of...flange maybe? It's subtle enough that only the back of your head notices it. After he kind of noodles around we get this great Moog solo by Eddie Jobson. It's the typical "flying through space" Moog solo but hell, I've yet to tire of those. The whole song sounds so clean for being a live recording. I like it.
Album: Mystery Disc
So, apparently this little "jam jive" (yes, I did just make that word up) was recorded back in '64. It's got Captain Beefheart on vocals. He just reads from a comic book advertisement, usually reciting just two words at a time. Sounds pretty cool for using "found lyrics". The song sounds just like the beginning of "Brown Shoes Don't Make It", they just jam it out for a bit, Frank plays a solo, everybody's happy. Aren't you happy now that you just read this. Let's get in our car's and drive happily down the road, beeping our horns, while listening to this song. I'll see you on the freeway.
Album: Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Damn, how do I describe this one. For the first minute and a half all you hear is this constant sound. It sounds like metal being ground up and torn and thrown around all within a giant wind tunnel being rained down upon by a shower of sparks. You can't really make out the individual instruments, they all mush together to form this collective creature. As it rings out for the finish you can hear a cool Moog patch. Next, Zappa says, "Goodnight boys and girls." There is a pause of about two seconds by the audience until they start applauding. The cheers start growing and you begin to hear people whistle and call out, "More!". "Thank you for coming to our concert".
Album: YCDTOSA Vol. 6
The YCDTOSA series are a collection of live performances wrapped up in six volumes of double albums. This song was performed on Halloween in 1981 in New York. As the name of the song implies, it is "marked by refinement". The song has a feeling of being grandiose and rather pompous, as if it is saying, "Hey everybody! Look how great I am up here on this marble pedestal. Take notice everyone, bask in my aura." It contains a plethora of those 80's sounding keyboards which I'm not too wild about. The song is in 3/4 but doesn't contain much of that waltzy feeling. At nearly seven minutes long, there is no soloing. It is all composed with Zappa-like complexity. Towards the end I notice a few measure long licks which sound familiar but hell if I can remember which songs they're from. There is one little part which is taken from an old Hawaiian Punch commercial, "Really go Hawaiian". All in all it's a fairly impressive song, mainly from the standpoint of composition. It doesn't really get my blood flowing due to it's energy. "Thanks for coming to the show tonight. Hope you enjoyed it. Don't throw stuff on the stage."
