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Rating:
If the Sixties ended wonderfully for Frank Zappa (I only need to mention two gems, "Hot Rats" and "Burnt Weeny Sandwich"), the same could not be said about the Seventies.
Starting off strongly with masterpieces like "Chung's Revenge" and, especially, the mad "The Grand Wazoo," Uncle Frank decided (voluntarily or involuntarily?) to hit the brakes, and released only a few interesting but, essentially unconvincing albums ("Apostrophe," "One Size Fits All"), with only the live "Frank Zappa in New York" appearing slightly less disappointing. Under such conditions (it must be said, however, that the art of Frank Zappa, albeit slightly restrained, was still quite delightful), no one would have expected a revival so explosive and convincing.
It's the year of grace 1979, and Frank Zappa creates what, at least according to many critics, can be considered the quintessential Zappa masterpiece, "Sheik Yerbouti" (furthermore, in its original version, it is even a double album). Zappa finds himself amidst legal storms that almost mockingly prevent him from accessing his personal archive. Despite this, however, Uncle Frank does not give up and manages, after the release of the double LP, to even position himself on the hit parade in very hot zones (something that hadn't happened to him in quite a while). "Sheik Yerbouti" is based, and lives, thanks to the brilliant and wild imagination of Frank Zappa capable of contaminating, in an exhilarating way, multiple musical genres together, from pop to rock, from psychedelia to sophisticated references to classical music. And all this through a series of pieces that can be dismantled at will, primarily based on celestial musical notes and lyrics that are never banal or redundant.
Also, in this album, the sound editing sends shivers down the spine (Zappa himself called it "xenocrony"), while the completely renewed band features some musical aces that would make any singer-songwriter envious: Adrian Belew, the guitarist, Terry Bozzio, the drummer, Tommy Mars, the keyboardist. A good part of the material is recorded live, during concerts or some test recordings, and the studio-recorded inserts often surpass, by magic and interpretation, the live tracks.
At least worth mentioning are the exhilarating "City of tiny lites," the splendid "Wild Love," the famous "Bobby Brown" (one of the most significant tracks of the period), and "I have been in you," a humorous parody looted from Peter Frampton. Zappa's guitar soars high, but it is the extraordinary blend between band and composer that makes this album unique and unrepeatable.
It would take years to deconstruct and finally reassemble a track like "Bobby Brown," seemingly lighthearted and catchy (even though, in reality, it truly is catchy), yet underneath, incredibly difficult in both melody and rhythm because it is intrinsically complex and musically obsessive. And that Frank Zappa's guitar truly soars high is demonstrated by "Rat Tomago" and the very long "Yo' Mama." It's a golden period for Zappa, who, finally after years, even manages to release a 45, "Dancin' Fool," and rise high in the charts. But the powerful blow Zappa strikes with one of his proverbial gags, "Jewish Princess": he draws the ire of the Jewish community and loudly reaffirms his indestructible political incorrectness.
Not bad for someone who can't even get close to touching his own archive! The first album produced by the "Zappa" production house, (a production house that would only have its lifespan in 1979), it is one of the few Frank Zappa albums loved by critics almost immediately and by the public without waiting for revisionism or reevaluations.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Flakes (06:42)
Flakes! Flakes!
Flakes! Flakes!
They don't do no good
They never be workin'
When they oughta should
They waste your time
They're wastin' mine
California's got the most of them
Boy, they got a host of them
Swear t'God they got the most
At every business on the coast
Swear t'God they got the most
At every business on the coast
They got the Flakes
Flakes! Flakes!
They can't fix yer brakes
You ask 'em, "Where's my motor?"
"Well, it was eaten by snakes..."
You can stab 'n' shoot 'n' spit
But they won't be fixin' it
They're lyin' an' lazy
They can be drivin' you crazy
Swear t'God they got the most
At every business on the coast
Swear t'God they got the most
At every business on the coast
Take it away, Bob...
I asked as nice as I could
If my job would
Somehow be finished by Friday
Well, them whole damn weekend
came 'n' went, Frankie
Wanna buy some mandies, Bob?
'N' they didn't do nothin'
But they charged me double for Sunday
You know, no matter what you do,
They gonna cheat 'n' rob you
Then they'll send you a bill
That'll get your senses reelin'
And if you do not pay
They got computer collectors
That'll get you so crazy
'Til your head'll go through th' ceilin'
Yes it will!
I'm a moron, 'n' this is my wife
She's frosting a cake
With a paper knife
All what we got here's
American made
It's a little bit cheesey,
But it's nicely displayed
Well we don't get excited when it
Crumbles 'n' breaks
We just get on the phone
And call up some Flakes
They rush on over
'N' wreck it some more
'N' we are so dumb
They're linin' up at our door
Well, the toilet went crazy
Yersterday afternoon
The plumber he says
Never flush a tampoon!
This great information
Cost me half a week's pay
And the toilet blew up
Later on the next day-ay-eee-ay
Blew up the next day
WOO-OOO
We are millions 'n' millions,
We're coming to get you
We're protected by unions
So don't let it upset you
Can't escape the conclusion
It's probably God's Will
That civilization
Will grind to a standstill
And we are the people
Who will make it all happen
While yer children is sleepin',
Yer puppy is crappin'
You might call us Flakes
Or something else you might coin us
But we know you're so greedy
That you'll probably join us
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you...
===========
Frank Zappa (lead guitar, vocals)
Adrian Belew (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocals)
Peter Wolf (keyboards)
Patrick O'Hearn (bass, vocals)
Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals)
Ed Mann (percussion, vocals)
Napoleon Murphy Brock (background vocals)
Andre Lewis (background vocals)
Randy Thornton (background vocals)
Davey Moire (background vocals)
05 Jones Crusher (02:50)
My baby's got
Jones crushin' love
Jones crushin' love
Jones crushin' love
Well my baby's got
Jones crushin' love
Jones crushin' love
Jones crushin' love
She don't merely fit like a glove
That little girl's got the jones
That little girl's got the jones
That little girl's got the jones
She's tryin' to
Grind up my jones
Grind up my jones
Grind up my jones
Well, she's tryin' to
Grind up my jones
Grind up my jones
Grind up my jones
She don't never wanna leave it alone
She can push; she can shove
Till it's just a nub
She can push; she can shove
Till it's just a nub
Just a nub
Just a nub
Here she comes
With her red dress on
Steam shoots out
>From the sprinklers on the lawn
The eyes be rollin'
On the concrete fawn
The wind can't blow
'Cause the sky is gone
The wind can't blow
'Cause the sky is gone
The wind can't blow
'Cause the sky is gone
Jones crusher, jones crusher
Deadly jaws, better get the gauze
She's a jones crusher, jones crusher
Deadly jaws, better get the gauze
(etc. ad lib)
========
Frank Zappa (lead guitar, vocals)
Adrian Belew (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocals)
Peter Wolf (keyboards)
Patrick O'Hearn (bass, vocals)
Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals)
Ed Mann (percussion, vocals)
Napoleon Murphy Brock (background vocals)
Andre Lewis (background vocals)
Randy Thornton (background vocals)
Davey Moire (background vocals)
07 Rat Tomago (05:16)
Frank Zappa (lead guitar, vocals)
Adrian Belew (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocals)
Peter Wolf (keyboards)
Patrick O'Hearn (bass, vocals)
Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals)
Ed Mann (percussion, vocals)
Napoleon Murphy Brock (background vocals)
Andre Lewis (background vocals)
Randy Thornton (background vocals)
Davey Moire (background vocals)
(Instrumental)
09 Bobby Brown (02:50)
Hey there, people, I'm Bobby Brown
They say I'm the cutest boy in town
My car is fast, my teeth are shiney
I tell all the girls they can kiss my heinie
Here I am at a famous school
I'm dressin' sharp 'n' I'm
actin' cool
I got a cheerleader here wants to help with my paper
Let her do all the work 'n' maybe later I'll rape her
Oh God I am the American dream
I do not think I'm too extreme
An' I'm a handsome sonofabitch
I'm gonna get a good job 'n' be real rich
(get a good
get a good
get a good
get a good job)
Women's Liberation
Came creepin' across the nation
I tell you people I was not ready
When I fucked this dyke by the name of Freddie
She made a little speech then,
Aw, she tried to make me say "when"
She had my balls in a vice, but she left the dick
I guess it's still hooked on, but now it shoots too quick
Oh God I am the American dream
But now I smell like Vaseline
An' I'm a miserable sonofabitch
Am I a boy or a lady...I don't know which
(I wonder wonder
wonder wonder)
So I went out 'n' bought me a leisure suit
I jingle my change, but I'm still kinda cute
Got a job doin' radio promo
An' none of the jocks can even tell I'm a homo
Eventually me 'n' a friend
Sorta drifted along into S&M
I can take about an hour on the tower of power
'Long as I gets a little golden shower
Oh God I am the American dream
With a spindle up my butt till it makes me scream
An' I'll do anything to get a head
I lay awake nights sayin', "Thank you, Fred!"
Oh God, oh God, I'm so fantastic!
Thanks to Freddie, I'm a sexual spastic
And my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I'm goin down,
And my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I'm goin down,
And my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I'm goin down....
10 Rubber Shirt (02:45)
Yeah, I knew you'd be surprised!
========
Frank Zappa (lead guitar, vocals)
Adrian Belew (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocals)
Peter Wolf (keyboards)
Patrick O'Hearn (bass, vocals)
Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals)
Ed Mann (percussion, vocals)
Napoleon Murphy Brock (background vocals)
Andre Lewis (background vocals)
Randy Thornton (background vocals)
Davey Moire (background vocals)
11 The Sheik Yerbouti Tango (03:56)
Frank Zappa (lead guitar, vocals)
Adrian Belew (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocals)
Peter Wolf (keyboards)
Patrick O'Hearn (bass, vocals)
Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals)
Ed Mann (percussion, vocals)
Napoleon Murphy Brock (background vocals)
Andre Lewis (background vocals)
Randy Thornton (background vocals)
Davey Moire (background vocals)
Why dontcha take it down the seashore, Bernie?
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By Stràfiko Piezzecore
Yes, you moron, shake your booty with your shitty disco music, meanwhile I’ll have a smoke and play a bit.
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