Frank Zappa Broadway The Hard Way CD

Personnel: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar); Mike Keneally (vocals, guitar, synthesizer); Ike Willis (vocals, guitar); Eric Buxton, Sting (vocals); Paul Carman (alto saxophone); Albert Wing (tenor saxophone); Kurt McGettrick (baritone saxophone); Walt Fowler (trumpet); Bruce Fowler (trombone); Scott Thunes (bass); Chad Wackerman (drums); Ed Mann (percussion).
The first live album compiled from various performances on Frank Zappa's 1988 world tour (his final outing), Broadway the Hard Way is composed mostly of new, vocal-oriented material. The tone throughout is highly political, with Zappa taking potshots at such targets as Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Pat Robertson and other televangelists, Jesse Jackson, C. Everett Koop, and so on. Despite Zappa's well-deserved reputation as an acute satirist, his sarcasm is often surprisingly humorless here, leaning toward didacticism; his choice to name names and address his subjects explicitly, rather than through metaphor, also renders the album instantly dated, almost like a late-'80s standup comedy routine. Despite these flaws, many of Zappa's political observations hit the mark, as do some of the jokes, easily making Broadway the Hard Way one of his best and most intellectually stimulating post-'60s political efforts. The CD features a memorable guest appearance from Sting, singing his Jimmy Swaggart-condemned Police tune "Murder by Numbers." ~ Steve Huey
Recorded on his infamous final world tour of 1988, BROADWAY THE HARD WAY is classic late-period Zappa at his satirical best. In fact, this is one of the best Zappa collections of novelty songs in his huge catalog. Of course, underlying all the buffoonery is one of the greatest assemblages of musicians ever to grace the stage. From long-time Zappa sidemen like Ike Willis, Chad Wackerman and Ed Mann to virtuoso guitarist Mike Keneally, keyboardist/vocalist Bobby Martin and a stellar horn section, this is a group far superior to (and larger than) any that FZ ever took under his baton.
From Zappa's booming announcement opening "Elvis Has Just Left The Building," the tone is set for a knee-slapping romp pointing a mocking finger at female corporate executives ("Planet Of The Baritone Women"), the right-wing moral majority ("When The Lie's So Big") and Reagan's Surgeon General ("Promiscuous"). Other standouts include a hilarious poke at Jesse Jackson ("Rhymin' Man") and televangelists ("Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk"). All kidding aside, some truly inspired performances occur in a reading of Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" and Zappa's classic "Outside Now." Sting even makes an appearance on his own composition "Murder by Numbers."Q (8/95, pp.150-151) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "Broadway revue-style comic dissection of the contemporary American cultural and political scene..."