Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar

When it came time to buy yet another Frank Zappa album I took the time to choose wisely based on different factors, tastes, and research. Andria really enjoys the musical genius of Zappa, but finds the lyrical content often silly, or crude. A common complaint. Based on my experience so far, I like mid to late seventies Frank for the sound quality and production value. I have no experience with any records after the 1970's until I picked up this album.

Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar, as it's on the cover, is one of the most amazing instrumental albums I have discovered to date. I do love a great guitar album, Steve Vai and John 5 both have amazed and astounded me over the years. Well, Vai has for years anyway. Zappa I always respected as a guitarist, and understood how good he was, but it wasn't until I picked up this album that I realy got it.

However, what's even better is the fact that this album is not about Frank Zappa's guitar alone. The drumming on this album is fantastic and crazy, and wild. The bass is also impressive at various points too. Then there are all the other guitars and keyboards, and some extra percussion. But that doesn't mean every track sounds loaded with instruments, or is a rich orchestra of Rock musicians. It just tends to sound that way.

The album opens with (and since Zappa felt the need to write it out in a certain fashion, I'll replicate it) five-five-FIVE. This is a crazy, wild, cat n' mouse roller coaster that just fires up the album from the get go. Vinnie Colaiuta's drumming is very controlled mayhem, like a cross between Keith Moon and Gene Krupa. It's 2:31 of adrenaline inspired by fast wicked paced Jazz.

Hog Heaven features Steve Vai as the rhythm guitarist. You know you have something special when you get to list Vai as a rhythm guitar. What I find intetresting though, is how you really can't tell where the first track stops and the second one starts, and if it weren't for a brief little vocal snippet you might not notice where the third track starts. Which is a bit of a shame as a person trying to learn the song names, but for pure listening pleasure it works well.

Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar is more controlled sounding than the first two. The wild, and crazy, and even a little loose Jazz sound is still there, but the over all sound structure is more contained and less erratic. Which I think is perfect, because it allows you to focus on where the music is taking you without getting distracted by the extra chaos.

The last track on the first side is While You Were Out. This is the most unique song on the album so far in the sense that it's much more laid back and has a much slower groove. I think part of the reasons this track sounds so different and cool is mainly due to Frank's guitar choice during this recording, which was a accoustic Black Widow with EMG pick-ups direct into the recording console. Then the only other instruments playing with around and through the guitar is Warren Cuccurullo's rhythm guitar and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums yet again.

The second side of the album starts off with Treacherous Cretins, which sounds like a magical version of what the song title suggests. This is one of the most stand out tracks to me on the album, but only in the sense that I always get it stuck in my head. This is a song that Zappa orchestrated for Rock.

My first experience with Heavy Duty Judy was one the live album The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life. I really dug the track and it was a major inspiration in my picking up this album. This version is even more complex sounding, fuller, and really pumps out a great backing track that everyone takes time working around and letting a little loose on. Arthur Barrow's bass work on this track is one of the parts that really stand out to me. I mean sure we all know the guitar work on this track is going to be top notch, remember this song inspired buying this album, but the back of this track is totally bitchin'.

The album ends with Soup 'n Old Clothes. This is a darkly, sexy, fluidic, Jazz track with all the makings of great sex music. There are very few songs in the world I will say that a person needs to fuck to in their lives, but this is one of them. And if you can't get it on to this song you should go seek some sexual education stat. I mean this song is just so smoothe and velvety and well paced that it is all passion and groove and 7:40 of pure enlightenment.

I still can not get over how good this album is. Really my only complaint is that the album isn't much over thirty minutes. I mean by the time you really get going on the album it's over, and that is sad. Especially when this album was first released. In the more modern case, it's okay, because you get to go right into the next album.

9/10 - content

8/10 - production

10/10 - personal bias