Published on Sep 6, 2005
In a sense, calling
Chunga’s Revenge a Frank Zappa solo album is a bit of a
misnomer. In reality, this was the birth cry of the third iteration
of the Mothers Of Invention, welcoming Howard Kaylan and Mark
Volman into the fold. Yet this is indeed classified as a Zappa solo
disc, and while it shows a bit more focus than the previous release
Weasels Ripped My Flesh (which was a Mothers Of Invention
release), it does feel like a bit of a transitory disc, made to
order while Zappa plotted his next career move.
It’s not that the content is bad, or even forgettable. In fact,
many of the compositions contained on this disc rank among Zappa’s
best for this stage of his career. Tracks like “Transylvanian
Boogie,” “Twenty Small Cigars” and – to a point – “The Nancy &
Mary Music” all demonstrate both the growth as a songwriter that
Zappa had experienced and more confidence as a frontman. Even the
edge in the sound of his guitar solos was beginning to come to the
forefront.
Yet one can’t help but notice an occasional lack of passion on
Chunga’s Revenge – almost as if this disc was testing the
waters with the band before they threw things into overdrive. “Road
Ladies” is a decent enough blues number, lacking the raunchiness
that would mark the “Flo & Eddie” era of the Mothers, while
“Would You Go All The Way?” hints at that sort of mischief without
getting offensive. Even the doo-wop throwback, “Sharleena,” just
doesn’t have the same kind of magic that tracks from even earlier
in the year, such as “Valarie,” had.
What is interesting is how the rhythmic structure of Zappa’s
music is brought to the forefront. “The Clap” is comprised solely
of percussion instruments, and works well, though it sometimes
feels like it’s too brief. (Then again, maybe Zappa knew not to
overdo it on a good thing.) Likewise, George Duke turns in an
amazing performance during “The Nancy & Mary Music” by
performing a drum solo – in scat-style vocals! The fact that
neither Duke nor the rest of the band miss a single beat shows the
amazing dexterity that Zappa demanded from his musicians, as well
as himself.
The key phrase to describe
Chunga’s Revenge is this: it’s enjoyable, but it often feels
like a throw-away record. When I do dig this one out of the Pierce
Memorial Archives for an afternoon’s listen, it almost has the
musical effect of Chinese food – that is, after the hour, I don’t
quite feel satisfied. It’s kind of a shame, really, as this disc
marked an improvement over
Weasels Ripped My Flesh in that most of the musical
weirdness was gone. Who knew that it would be replaced by something
else entirely – but we’ll get to that next time.
2005 Christopher Thelen and “The Daily Vault.” All rights
reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without
written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of the
Zappa Family Trust / record label, and is used for informational
purposes only.