Frank Zappa One Size Fits All CD

Personnel: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar); Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, flute, tenor saxophone); George Duke (vocals, keyboards, synthesizer); Johnny "Guitar" Watson (vocals); Bloodshot Rollin' Red (harmonica); Ruth Underwood (marimba, vibraphone, percussion); Tom Fowler, James Youman (bass); Chester Thompson (drums).
Recorded between December 1974 and April 1975.
Digitally remastered by Bob Stone.
Released soon after the live Roxy & Elsewhere, One Size Fits All contained more of the material premiered during the 1973-1974 tour, but this time largely re-recorded in the studio. The band remains the same: George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Chester Thompson, Tom Fowler, and Ruth Underwood. Johnny "Guitar" Watson overdubbed some vocals and Captain Beefheart (credited as Bloodshot Rollin' Red) played some harmonica ("when present," state the liner notes). The previous album focused on complex music suites. This one is more song-oriented, alternating goofy rock songs with more challenging numbers in an attempt to find a juste milieu between Over-Nite Sensation and Roxy & Elsewhere. "Inca Roads," "Florentine Pogen," "Andy," and "Sofa" all became classic tracks and live favorites. These are as close to progressive rock (a demented, clownish kind) Zappa ever got. The obscurity of their subjects, especially the flying saucer topic of "Inca Roads," seem to spoof prog rock clichés. The high-flying compositions are offset by "Can't Afford No Shoes," "Po-Jama People," and "San Ber'dino," more down-to-earth songs. Together with Zoot Allures, One Size Fits All can be considered as one of the easiest points of entry into Zappa's discography. The album artwork features a big maroon sofa, a conceptual continuity clue arching back to a then-undocumented live suite (from which "Sofa" was salvaged) and a sky map with dozens of bogus stars and constellations labeled with inside jokes in place of names. An essential third-period Zappa album. ~ François Couture
Unusual for a Zappa album to open with the star turn; he usually waits until midway. "Inca Road" is a superb piece that reaffirms, should it be necessary, that Zappa was an astonishingly great lead guitarist. The quality of the guitar solo is matched throughout by some skillful keyboards from George Duke. Having said that, the solo on "Po-Jama People" is also pretty nifty. This was a high-charting album for Zappa (in the USA), and for once justice was done, as other similarly great Zappa albums failed completely. This is one of 71 necessary FZ albums to own!Q (8/95, pp.150-151) - 3 Stars - Good - "...Zappa's meditation on the universe..."