Frank Zappa for President

Now I have been contemplating to do this since the day it was released, I kinda wanna do The Crux of the Biscuit too, but I figured what's the real point. But I also could do a quick and easy Zappa review for both of these, since I know exactly how I felt the first time I listened to them. So in the spirit of the election year we get this, a collection of tracks with somewhat political themes and what not. So, yeah.... Let's dig in. Also to do a decent review I spent probably more time than I need to listening to the other versions of the songs.

1. Overture to "Uncle Sam": Dated 1993, this is a Synclavier piece by Zappa. Okay so that means it'd fond it self around the time of Dance Me This or Civilization Phase III. Now I've yet to listen to either of those, completely, for the fact I'm not that big on the synclavier pieces. Some I like, like on Thing-Fish, but for the most part I'm just either in different or don't care for. When I listened to this, I have to be honest, I just though it was okay. I mean I liked it I guess, but I didn't love it. I was probably more like on a scale of 1 to 10 a 6, just over half but not much over. I think it would be better if he added something into it. Like maybe a guitar or some vocals or something else rather than just the synclavier and it's samples. All thought I guess I do still enjoy this, it's just I'd rather it be with real instruments. The biggest complaint is that it's 15 minutes long and kinda gets old a bit.
2. Brown Shoes Don't Make It (Remix): In 1970 Frank remixed a number of tracks from the Freak Out! album, some of which later appeared on MOFO. This is a similar affair, but differs in that Dick Kunc remixed it in 1969. Now this is still the album track from November 18th, 1966 but remixed. Now to do an accurate review I needed to revisit the original mix, and the Ryko mix to be able to compare and contrast. The biggest comparison I heard was that it was cleared up. On the original it sounds much more mixed together, for lack of better word. Like if your not paying attention I could see you losing track of what's what. But for the most part you can pick out the different instruments. Now on the Ryko version they added digital reverb and I think it kinda fucks with.... Just look it up its not hard to find hate for the Ryko mixes on a Zappa fansite. But you can also hear the drums much more pronounced at certain parts and there is other louder things mixed louder in certain parts. Now this does make it a bit harder to focus on the overall but whatever. The reverb can also distract you at certain parts, but whatever. Now this version it sounds pretty good. I mean I don't know if it's all that necessary since there's... I don't know. I do like it, but I don't really see the need to include this other than the story of the song. I mean what if they included at version from 1969 or 1968 live, that would be a year that hasn't been released yet. I know I didn't really describe the song, but I don't  want to go to into the song because of next year. 2017 is the 50th anniversary of Absolutely Free review, and because of that I plan to have the review out on June 26th. I also wanna point out I really love the freak out at the end and how it sounds in this remix, you can hear everything.
3. Amnerika (Vocal Version): Now this track, thanks to globalia, pointed out that it's the backing track to That Evil Prince on Thing-Fish or it's the music. I haven't heard that album in a long time, I'm feeling like it could be the same thing, or not, I don't know. I do know that Napoleon sings on this, and it was recorded somewhere from 1982 to 1984 (same time as Thing-Fish). The vocal version reminds me of an extension of The 'Torchum' Never Stops, the section with The Evil Prince. I guess it's nice, I could see some people hating this, but I happen to love Thing-Fish so it's a nice addition I guess.
4. "If I Was President...": The music is dated as 1985 and the spoken word, probably from an interview, is from 1990. I've actually heard the interview that this was taken from, I don't remember what channel or radio or whatever it's from but you can find it on YouTube. As much as I don't LOVE this, I feel like this is what the album probably should have been a mix of him talking on his views over his compositions. I mean he's an intelligent man and his view take the for front over the composition in this situation. You could go, that's against what his intentions for piece so and so was, but I think the synclavier pieces work best when there's something else going on to. Maybe they didn't do it because of the Eat the Question movie thing, but you know but what the fuck. The funny thing about it though is I've seen most of these interviews in the trailer for the movie.
5. When the Lie's So Big: This was taken from the March 25th, 1988 show at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. This track though, finds it's original album as Broadway The Hard Way. So I should touch on this, this is a song making fun of Pat Robertson, who was a televangelist who was very far right and he would later make an even bigger ass of himself. Look up his views on the ERA that he said when he ran for office in '92. Now I am not sure on the music front, if this was or wasn't more his vision of what it was to be. I mean it's welcome because it doesn't just sound like the exact same performance as the album version, which is kinda played straight. This has more changes and things that make it feel like it was the dick around that happened on songs from the band. I mean the message isn't really a dick around message, but it is a bit more fun to listen to than the original released version. This version is better at keeping my attention than the other version.
6. Medieval Ensemble: Another synclavier piece from 1985 and unlike the last sole instrumental piece on this, sits are over 6 minutes. I do find this piece a bit more interesting than the last, it's a bit more chaotic I'd say up front. I also like the way the melody is moving. Yes this eventually starts to get old, but I isn't as bad as say the opening.
7. America the Beautiful: Taken from the same show as Lie's So Big, this is a cover of the famous song, and it was previously featured on the AAA·FNR·AAA Birthday Bundle from 2008. Now that pisses me off a bit is they are the same fucking length, they don't really even differ at all. I dig the track, but like what the fuck guys, there's no other performance of the song. Okay now that that's over I can say, what I like. The '88 band, while his "best" I don't love everything they did. There's a lot of great shit, but not everything is as good as everything else. These the great performances, then there are the songs that have a certain charm to them. This song has that charm, for me at least and I also do like Bobby's vocals a lot. It's a nice way to end this and probably the best choice, though I'd prefer a different date or live recording. The solo also works in this song so that's a plus. 

Overall I have to give this album a 7/10. I mean it isn't terrible, no. Is there any cohesiveness, kinda. I mean I get the Presidential Year (kinda like how they released Understanding America in 2012) theme to it and the political message, though instrumental might not be the best for this type of album. Basically what it is... It's just a collection of tracks and I mean I guess you could go why? But I do enjoy it and I don't mind this album. That could be the fan boy speaking, probably, but I don't hate this album. It's not as bad as Road Tapes 3. If your a fan I'd check this out, if your not I don't know if this is the best first album for you. I mean it is easy to take, for the most part, but if you don't like it don't let it turn you off. So yeah, hopefully that makes sense. I'll probably end up doing Crux in 7 or so reviews.

Joe's Camouflage - Frank Zappa

This is the fifth album in the Joe's Corsaga that started with Joe's Corsage (covering pre-Freak Out! recordings from The Mothers circa 1965-1966) in 2004 and seemed to conclude with 2008's Joe's Menage (cassette tape produced by Zappa, recorded from 1975 Virginia). This covers the band that rehearsed in the Summer of 1975 but never toured. This band is consisting of the following Napoleon Murphy Brock, Robert "Frog" Camarena, Denny Walley, Novi Novog, Terry Bozzio and Roy Estrada. I've seen everyone's name on releases before except Novi. This is, I believe, her first Zappa contribution being released. She contributes viola and vocals on this album. I looked her up and she contributed to various other artists album such as Carly Simon and was on some tracks off Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day. Some of the tracks here were present on Joe's Menage and probably because they were rehearsed for the tour that "never happened".

1. Phyniox (Take 1): This opens the album, and it's neat. This is probably the best song here. It's very interesting and reminds me of Cruising For Burgers from the Zappa In New York album.
2. T'Mershi Duween: This track made it's first appearance on 1988's You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2. That recording predates this one by about a year or so. I do like this song, and I think it's got a fun feeling to it, especially after the prior track. I'm digging the viola, and Terry's drums. It has an ump-pah-pah feeling to it. This is pretty cool track.
3. Reeny Ra: This is possibly the best track to follow it up, and it has that old Mothers of Invention feeling to it. My guess is because Roy was there, but this is a fun song. It reminds me of The Blues Brothers.
4. "Who Do You Think You Are": Here they are playing some song I can't think of. You can hear them talking, and laughing. I guess it's good they're having a good time. That's probably the most important part right?
5. "Slack 'Em All Down": This is just them talking. It's really kind of in between talking that would be on Playground Psychotics or something like that.
6. Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?: Later released on ZINY this track is a fun track. I enjoy this track and when I found out this would be on the album I was kind of excited to see what it was. This doesn't have a very good quality sound to it. The vocals are too quiet and it's sounds like the guitar was direct and everything else wasn't. I do kind of like the whole different vibe to it. The song reminds me a little of Society Pages. This isn't that band, with a country twang to it. But you know, if it was better sounding I'd be much appreciative, thought I believe they released the best quality they could. I like that guitar, I think it's a Spanish guitar. This is probably one of the best song on the album. And it's neat to have a woman singing on this track. Just like Bianca on Philly '76.
7. The Illinois Enema Bandit: Another ZINY track, and again spiked my curiosity. This doesn't really sound like the album version until Brock starts singing. The arrangement sounds much more laid back and probably rehearsal sound. Usually Ray sings the song, so it was kind of nice to hear Napi sing it. This isn't as exciting as the LP version, or really any other version I've heard. The first track I heard off this was Any Downers? and that was kind of a let down. I guess this version is OK, it's only 6 minutes verses 11. So I guess I can deal with it for it's length once or twice. Novi sounds like a little mouse who hasn't hit puberty. I do like the whole vocal part, with no instrumentation. It's at the ending of the song. There isn't a solo, but there doesn't really need to be one in rehearsal.
8. Sleep Dirt - In Rehearsal: I couldn't believe this was here, there are only one version of this track, Sleep Dirt. So I was kind of interested in hearing this, since the only other times it's somewhere is on Playground Psychotics and it was quoted in the track "Don't Eat There" from 1971 and it was the album version on The Guitar World According To Frank Zappa from 1987.
9. Black Napkins: Originally from Zoot Allures, an album I did not to long ago. I think that this is kind of the way that it's always done. I do kind of wish there was a viola intro to the song, esp this was the only time a person played viola to my recognition on a Zappa release. I like the synths in there, but you know there isn't really anything here I'ven't heard before. This song kind of seems like a really long 8 minutes.
10. Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance: This track finds itself from WOIIFTM from 1968. The track is older than that, an instrumental recording on 1996's The Lost Episodes is from 1963. This is the version that's essentially on FZ:OZ and Joe's Menage. It's got a reggae feeling to it. I can get down with track, possibly the first track that I truly like. Thought it's nothing special. It's the best track here.
11. Denny & Froggy Relate: This is kind of an interview set up, where they play I'm The Slime in the background. It's actually kind of neat sounding with the violin, but it's only 31 seconds.
12. "Choose Your Foot": This is essentially the same as "Slack 'Em All Down". A dialogue dominant track. A field recording type thing.
13. Any Downers?: This is essentially the same version as the one on the bootleg I heard recorded claims to be from around 1973. This version, well honestly, it's actually a pretty boring 6 minutes. The ad lib in there is kinda funny, and the "Are you holding any Denny" and his response is kinda funny, but beside that its kinda anticlimactic. There's a solo but the song is still a little too long and doesn't reach the same heights as the album version. The lyrics are slightly different too. But you know the song just kind of drags on a little. I do think its a good song, just I don't think the 6 minutes is really justified.
14. Phyniox (Take 2): This is kind of the same thing as the first take, though I enjoy the second a little more. It's better put together in my opinion. 
15. "I Heard A Note!": This isn't anything special, it's just kind of field audio, thought there isn't really much of anything in it, other then a few words. I don't really think that this was necessary to be on the album other than to have some rehearsal dialogue, which there isn't much in this recording.

Overall I have to say that this album gets a 4/10. I kind of was thinking about this and what it should be. This is essentially a better sound quality version of Joe's Domage, but with the Summer 75 band instead of the 72 band. You know, I think it's Ok, but I think that if this band were to tour, It may have been a little different. Not entirely different, some of my favorite tracks might be different, but you know. It's probably better the way it happened, fate worked itself out. Look forward to next month were I do THE Captain's classic and a Zappa classic, both of which were released in March. Another hint, they were ten years apart. I'd give this a listen or two.... that's probably it though. The only thing that saved the score was the fact it was rehearsals and that second and third tracks.