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Rating: Today I present a live CD by Frank Zappa, which compared to earlier ones (at least by publication) is less known. It is called "Does Humor Belong in Music?": this title, which literally means "Does humor belong in music?", could be the summary of practically all the work that Zappa did in his (too short) life.
Every one of his CDs, whether instrumental or spoken, is imbued with that malicious and mocking humor that characterized the artist. Moreover, thanks to him, it is possible to answer the question posed by the title. Humor definitely belongs in music, and it is only thanks to Uncle Frank.
Let's proceed to the description of the album. It was recorded live in 1986 at the Pier in Manhattan and features a tracklist of 10 tracks: the first is the acclaimed "Zoot Allures", taken from the album of the same name, with a duration of 5:27. It proceeds with Tinsel Town Rebellion, which denotes the funny part of the album (and in this Frank is quite strong). It continues with Trouble Every Day (I don't remember exactly from which album, I recall MORE trouble every day) and Penguin in Bondage, a great track already presented in "Roxy & Elsewhere" (very funny). Hot Plate Heaven at the Green Hotel is the fifth track, while the sixth is What's New in Baltimore, another excellent piece.
The last part is the most lively and exciting. Two short tracks like Cock-suckers' Ball and a speeded-up version of WPLJ, which I personally enjoyed a lot ('Burnt Weeny Sandwich' is one of my favorites by Zappa). The penultimate track is the longest (15 min. and something), and it's Let's Move to Cleveland, with a crazy solo by the artist. Excellent finale with Whippin' Post, another 8 and a half minutes.
My invitation is, therefore, to rediscover this overlooked live (with the same title we find a DVD, but with different tracks from these), which proves to be really very enjoyable and, as always, super original. Although it does not reach the level of the historic "Zappa in New York", it certainly has nothing to envy compared to "Fillmore East", "Roxy & Elsewhere" and "Bongo Fury" (obviously all great albums, which I wholeheartedly recommend listening to).
Rating 8 and a half/9
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Zoot Allures (05:27)
Terry Bozzio (drums, background vocals)
Davey Moire (vocals)
Andre Lewis (organ, vocals)
Roy Estrada (bass, vocals)
Dave Parlato (bass)
Napoleon Murphy Brock (saxophone, vocals)
Ruth Underwood (synthesizer, marimba)
Donnie Vliet (harmonica)
Louanne Neil (harp)
Ruben Ladron De Guevara (background vocals)
Sharkie Barker (background vocals)
(Instrumental)
04 Penguin in Bondage (06:50)
Frank Zappa (lead guitar, vocals)
George Duke (keyboards, synthesizer, vocals)
Tom Fowler (bass)
Ruth Underwood (percussion)
Jeff Simmons (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Don Preston (synthesizer)
Bruce Fowler (trombone)
Walt Fowler (trumpet)
Napoleon Murphy Brock (tenor saxophone, flute, lead vocals)
Ralph Humphrey (drums)
Chester Thompson (drums)
Debbie (background vocals)
Lynn (background vocals)
Robert Camarena (background vocals)
Thank you.
Brian, I could use a little bit more monitor.
Hello hello, can't you turn up any more than that?
Hello hello, hey!
Alright!
Pardon me folks.
The name of this song is Penguin in Bondage,
An' it's a song that ah, deals with the possible variations on
a basic theme which is...well,
You understand what a basic theme is.
And then the variations include ah, manoeuvres that might be
executed with the aid of ah, extra-terrestrial gratification
and devices which might or might not be supplied in a local
department store or perhaps a drugstore but at very least in
one of those fancy new shops that they advertise in the
back-pages of the free press.
This song suggests to the suggestible listener that the
ordinary procedure ah,
That I am circumlocuting at this present time in order to get
this text on television,
Is that ah, if you wanna do something other than what you
thought you were gonna do when you first took your clothes off
and you just happened to have some DEVICES around...
Then it's, it's not only okay to get into the
PARAPHERNALIA of it all but...Hey!
What did he say? Ready?
She's just like a penguin in Bondage, boy
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh...
Rennenhenninnahenninnenninahennn
Way over on the wet side
Of the bed (Knirps for moisture)
Just like the mighty Penguin
Flappin' her eight ounce wings
Lord, you know it's all over
If she comes atcha on the strut & wrap `em
all around yer head
Flappin her eight ounce wings, flappinumm
She's just like a Penguin in Bondage, boy
Shake up the pale-dry
Ginger ale
Tremblin' like a Penguin
When the battery fail
Lord, you must be havin' her jumpin' through
a hoopa real fire
With some Kleenex wrapped around a
coat-hang wire
She's just like a Penguin in Bondage, boy
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh...
Rennenhenninnahenninneninahenn
Howlin' over to some
Antarcticulated moon
In the frostbite nite
With her flaps gone white
Shriekin' as she spot the hoop across the room
Lord, you know it must be a Penguin bound down
When you hear that terrible screamin' and
there ain't no other
Birds around
She's just like a Penguin in Bondage, boy
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh...
She's just like a Penguin in Bondage, boy
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh...
Rennenhenninnahenninneninahennn
Aw, you must be careful
Not to leave her straps
TOO LOOSE
`Cause she just might box yer dog
She just might box yer doggie
An' leave you a dried-up dog biscuit...
08 WPLJ (01:30)
Frank zappa (vocals, guitar)
Lowell george (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Roy estrada (bass, vocals)
Bunk gardner (woodwinds)
Ian underwood (keyboards, woodwinds)
Don preston (keyboards)
Motorhead sherwood (woodwinds, vocals)
Jimmy carl black (drums, percussion)
Arthur tripp (drums, percussion)
I say wplj, it really tastes good to me
Wplj won't you take a drink with me
Well, it's a good good wine
It really makes me feel so fine, so fine, so fine, so fine
I went to the store when they open up the door
I said: "please please please gimme some more"
White port & lemon juice, white port & lemon juice,
White port & lemon juice, ooh what a good to you!
You take the bottle, you take the can, shake it up fine
You get a good good wine.
White port & lemon juice, white port & lemon juice,
White port & lemon juice, ooh what a good to you!
The w is the white, the p is the port
The l is the lemon, the j is the juice
White port & lemon juice, white port & lemon juice,
White port & lemon juice, ooh what a good to you!
Well I feel so good, I feel so fine
I got plenty of lovin', I got plenty of wine
White port & lemon juice, white port & lemon juice,
I said white port & lemon juice, ooh what a good to you!
10 Whippin' Post (08:27)
Bobby Martin (lead vocals, keyboards)
Frank Zappa (guitar)
Steve Vai (rhythm guitar)
Ray White (rhythm guitar)
Tommy Mars (keyboards)
Ed Mann (percussion)
Arthur Barrow (bass)
Chad Wackerman (drums)
I been run down
Lord, I been lied to
And I don't know why
I let that mean woman make out a fool
She took all my money
Wrecked my new car
Now she's with one of my good-time buddies,
Drinkin' in some cross-town bar
Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel
Like I been
Tied to the whippin' post
Tied to the whippin' post
Good Lord, I feel like I'm dyin'
My friends tell me
That I been such a fool
But I got to stand there an' take it
All for loving you
Drown myself in sorrow
As I look at what you done
Nothin' seems to change;
That bad times stay the same,
And I can't run
Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel
Like I been
Tied to the whippin' post
Tied to the whippin' post
Good Lord, I feel like I'm dyin'
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