Frank Zappa Zoot Allures CD

Personnel: Frank Zappa (guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, vocals); Davey Moire (vocals); Napoleon Murphy Brown (vocals, saxophone); Lu Ann Neil (harp); Don "Captain Beefheart" Van Vliet (harmonica); Andre Lewis (organ, vocals); Roy Estrada (bass, vocals); Dave Parlato (bass); Ruth Underwood (marimba, synthesizers); Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals); Sharkie Barker, Ruben Ladron de Guevera (background vocals).
Digitally remastered by Bob Stone (1989).
Composer: Frank Zappa.
Personnel: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer); Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, saxophone); Andre Lewis (vocals, organ, background vocals); Davey Moire, Roy Estrada (vocals, background vocals); Sparky Parker (vocals); Lu Ann Neil (harp); Donnie Vliet, Captain Beefheart (harmonica); Ruth Underwood (synthesizer, marimba); Terry Bozzio (drums, background vocals); Sharkie Barker, Ruben Guevara (background vocals).
Audio Remixer: Frank Zappa.
Recording information: Record Plant, L.A.
Director: Frank Zappa.
Photographer: Gary Heery.
Zoot Allures, released in October 1976, is mostly a studio album (there are some basic live tracks, as in the title track and "Black Napkins") featuring a revolving cast of musicians who, oddly, do not correspond to the ones pictured on the album cover (for instance, Patrick O'Hearn and Eddie Jobson did not contribute). Compared to previous releases like One Size Fits All, Roxy & Elsewhere, or even Over-Nite Sensation, and to upcoming ones such as Zappa in New York, Studio Tan, or Sheik Yerbouti, Zoot Allures sounds very stripped down to bare essentials. Zappa focused on limited instrumentation, lots of bass, and whispered vocals to create a masterpiece of dark, slow, sleazy rock. Except for the opening and closing numbers ("Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station" and "Disco Boy"), all the material is slow to medium tempo with Zappa delivering the closest he'll ever get to a crooner vocal performance. "The Torture Never Stops" is the highlight, ten minutes of suggestive lyrics, crawling riffs, searing solos, and female screams of pain. That song and "Disco Boy" became classic tracks; "Black Napkins" and "Zoot Allures" rate among the man's best guitar solos. Historical note: The album was first devised as a two-LP set and would have included "Sleep Dirt," "Filthy Habits," and "The Ocean Is the Ultimate Solution," which all also fit the mood. Although humor has not been completely evacuated, Zoot Allures comes through as a much more serious rock record. Yet, it is more than a transitional album; it represents one of Zappa's strongest accomplishments. ~ François Couture
Among Zappa's grittier works, ZOOT ALLURES is a strong piece of mid-'70s work that focuses more on the interaction of Zappa and a small group that includes Terry Bozzio, Ruth Underwood and Roy Estrada, temporarily abandoning the jazzy, large-scale efforts of previous albums like ONE SIZE FITS ALL. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but all the disparate ingredients for a satisfying whole. There are simple, catchy rock tunes like "Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station," "Ms. Pinky," a synth-led ode to a sexual toy, and "Disco Boy," which foreshadowed Zappa's hit "Dancing Fool." The lovely instrumental "Black Napkins" is among the prettiest compositions in Zappa's canon, highlighting his guitar work in an uncharacteristically restrained mode. The arguable centerpiece of the album is the epic-length "The Torture Never Stops." Sung by Zappa in his deepest, dirtiest, most ominous voice, the song recounts the tale of an evil monarch who does unspeakable things in the depths of his castle. Full of Zappa's bluesy guitar interjections, its one of the most deliciously unsavory things FZ ever committed to tape.Q (8/95, pp.150-151) - 3 stars - Good - "...dark, tortuous riffs and solos set to hyperkinetic flurries of Terry Bozzio's drums..."
Goldmine - Highly Recommended