Frank Zappa - Studio Tan
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CD Details
Artist: Frank ZappaEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 1995-05-02
Music Label: Zappa Records
Product features:
- Frank Zappa
- Ryko Records
- The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary
- Revised Music For Guitar And Low-Budget Orchestra
- Lemme Take You To The Beach
- RDNZL
Music reviews of Studio Tan
Music Review: Some Fine Moments, As Always
Rating: 5 Stars
Yet another of Warner Brothers' "spoilers," "Studio Tan" was originally released in the late 1970's without Frank Zappa's consent, and this is one of Warners' numerous crudely packaged "mini LPs" which threw Zappa's plans for "Lather" out the window. It was a very lenghty, and very expensive, extremely unfortunate experience for all involved.
This offering opens with "Lather's" closer, "The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary," a twenty-plus minute story set to music, much in the style of The Mothers' "Billy The Mountain," but with the use of lots and lots of studio gimmickry; where "Billy" was recorded live on stage, this is a recording of studio wizardry circa 1972. It shares some conceptual material with its predecessor, but is a different piece altogether. Like a lot of Frank Zappa's work, the lyrics, dialogue, and narration are quite silly, especially here, where the protagonist's voice was recorded with a variable-speed oscillator, sounding like Zappa was recorded in a room full of helium, but true to form, this belies some incredible musicianship going on underneath. It becomes more impressive with repeated listenings, guaranteed.
"Revised Music For Guitar And Low-Budget Orchestra" is, on the surface, a rambling, tuneless set of rhythms and partial melodies, but a little concentrated listening, again, shows, this an intricately crafted composition. Bruce Fowler's trombone is playing with FZ's guitar melodies throughout, and the whole ensemble is playing coordinated multiple rhythms and countermelodies all the while.
"Lemme Take You To The Beach" features a double-tracked vocal by sound engineer Davey Moire, a self-parody, in a way. Every time Moire sang on a Zappa record, he used that high, nasal falsetto, but nonetheless, it is somewhat endearing, and right for the piece. Still, despite being lightweight and silly, it is a serious, furiously played number.
RDNZL was the result of extended jams in the studio, the ideas being arranged into what Zappa called "sound sculptures," and a mainstay of live shows until he retired from the road in 1988. Like so many pieces from the Zappa catalogue, it is a jazz number which rock audiences fully appreciate.
It seems that Zappa's appeal was much wider when he didn't have an axe to grind; material which isn't "in your face," with a Pop/Rock edge to it, because in cases like this, such as "Studio Tan" and other similar offerings, negative discussions and reviews are rare. He and the band had lots of fun with it, and it shows in the finished product.
Description of Studio Tan
This can be considered out of print, and hard to find now.Alternative Rock CDs
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