Published on Jul 11, 2003
At times, Frank Zappa had the ability to be insightful, crude,
beautiful, or even just plain-funny. Rarely does he hit all of the
bases on a single album, however — and on this one, he comes
really close. He zings at politics, and people, and American
stereotypes and prejudices, all while managing a well-produced,
clear and lush sound with the huge band he had assembled.
The material for this disc is culled from the ill-fated 1988
tour of Frank Zappa’s band (don’t tell any other reviewers I just
used the words “ill-fated” to describe the ’88 band, or I’ll get a
call from the cliche police.) This tour featured Ike Willis as the
main vocalist, with lots and lots of horns providing backup. Most
of the songs are new, but a couple are old familiars.
Zappa hits the mark on pieces like “Elvis Has Just Left The
Building” and “Hot Plate Heaven” (despite a fairly boring guitar
solo) and the album culminates with the beautifully bouncy
Fundamenta-flambe “Jesus Thinks You’re a Jerk,” but weak numbers
like “Planet of the Baritone Women” and “Jezebel Boy” drag it down.
Zappa’s guitar playing isn’t quite on, either, with “Any Kind of
Pain” featuring one of the best solos Frank has ever produced, but
with “Outside Now” and “Hot Plate Heaven” being quite possibly some
of the worst. The solo in “Murder by Numbers” is interesting, and
provides a nice little counterpoint to Sting’s Shatner-esque
vamping of “Murder by Numbers” over the band, but still isn’t quite
up to other solos Zappa has produced.
The rest of the album is mostly better-than-average filler, with
lots and lots of references to 80’s politics. The songs are fun to
sing along to, and usually have a very well-defined melody — but
they don’t quite make it. The sound is lush and rich, but at the
same time feels a bit like it’s bursting at the seams, coming apart
and trying-too-hard. If you like the sound of the ’88 band, and are
into 80’s politics (with an excursion into the early 70’s with
“Dickie’s Such an Asshole”) then you might want to check out this
album — it’s in the Cheap Thrills line, so it’s bargain-priced.
But if you’re interested in hearing what the ’88 band can do, check
out “Make a Jazz Noise” and if you want to hear old favorites in
this style, check out “Best Band.” The humor here is pretty
overpowering, and a bit dated, but it does have some gems. However,
that doesn’t quite salvage it.