Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti - 320 CBR

There are so many things to love about Frank Zappa. Musically, he's extremely complex. He makes a lot of material by other bands appear really simple. That's not to say they're bad, but Zappa is a true visionary when it comes to musical complexity. I also love his use of satirical comedy in his lyrics. If I were to try to get deeply into that, it would be too complicated, so, I'll let you figure out what his lyrics mean to you. But as an explanatory to them, they're quite funny. This is one of Zappa's best works, and that's really saying something. Although I've seen the price for this one sometimes high, it's well worth it. "Sheik Yerbouti" has got something for everybody. "Rat Tomango" is a five-minute plus guitar solo with a good drum backbeat. For all guitarists and guitar enthusiasts, this is a must-own! Then, there are sing-a-long tunes that would make great pop singles, such as "I'm So Cute", a great, rapid song sung by Terry Bozzio with some rockin' guitar work, and "Tryin' To Grow A Chin", which opens with some unbelievably fast marimba work, features hilarious lyrics, and even features a rock musical sort of sing-a-long at the end! That certainly makes this album something to listen to. Also, you got "Whatever Happened To All The Fun In the World" and "Wait a Minute", a couple of 30-second clips, (featuring some use of instruments), that seem like the types of things I'd record on my cellphone. A lot of the songs on here also seem to be prime examples of Zappa in the progressive-rock subgenre. A good deal of songs, especially on the first half of the album, all rock pretty hard and assure you're in for a ball! And believe me, I would know. Probably the best way I personally enjoy this album is to sit in my room late at night on Friday and Saturday nights and just let this thing play out. And for being an eager, teenage musician, that's a great way to end a Friday night. The only problem on this album is that some of the drumwork isn't as audible as some other instruments. The only other thing that kinda gets to me is that all the songs flow into each other, which means you need to keep a bird's eye view on the time on your CD player. However, this album is a leviathan of fun and here are some of its best tracks, which also mean some of Zappa's best works: "Broken Hearts Are For ***Holes": Hilarious lyrics that perfectly accompany the hard-rockin' sound of the music. You even get a bit of proto-80's synthesizer on this one! How cool. "I'm So Cute": More great lyrics that fit the fast pace and Bozzio's voice. However, it gets a little repetitive at the end. "Rat Tomango": Like I've already stated, this is an outstanding guitar solo that you just need to listen to. "Bobby Brown Goes Down": A lot of people are probably aware about this song. In its day, and still today, the lyrics are considered very raunchy and explicit, due to Zappa's awareness of the mentality of our culture at the time, but it's still really funny. Ironically, this is set to a tempo of a song you'd slow dance to. "Rubber Shirt": One heck of a bass solo. "The Sheik Yerbouti Tango": Another great guitar solo, even if it's a little shorter than "Rat Tomango". "Baby Snakes": It's less than two minutes, but it's got something for everybody and really shines. "Tryin' To Grow A Chin": Like I said a little before, this would make for a great pop single. The musical-like sing-a-long towards the end is one of the greatest moments on the entire album! "Dancin' fool": Another really fun and rhythmically complex song that adds lighthearted satire to the culture at the time. "Jewish Princess": Again, really explicit lyrics that you can't help but laugh to. Shows you that the second side of this disc is just as good as the first. "City of Tiny Lites": A great reason to listen to this one late at night. Easily a great Zappa-styled arena-rocker. "Yo' Mama": Very long, at twelve and a half minutes. This is probably the only one where I don't particulary care for the lyrics, and the melody makes this one sound sad. However, the middle is good and I love at the end how he says each of his bandmates' names. Overall: If you want to get into Zappa, you NEED to own this! A whole lot of fun to listen to, a whole lot to keep a musician impressed and satisfied, and, of course, your and my soundtrack to a late Friday night. I really hope you enjoy this one, 'cause it's one great work of Zappa's art!

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