Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention Burnt Weeny Sandwich CD

The Mothers Of Invention includes: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, organ); Sugar Cane Harris (violin); Ian Underwood, Don Preston (piano).

BURNT WEENY SANDWICH would be Frank Zappa's last album released in the Sixties (December of 1969, to be exact). Having just split up the original Mothers of Invention line-up, Zappa decided to sift through tapes of unused tracks by the band, which ultimately comprised BURNT WEENY SANDWICH (another compilation of outtakes, WEASELS RIPPED MY FLESH, would be issued one year later). The majority of the album is instrumental, and contains both live and studio material. Although the songs didn't surface the first time around, these aren't throwaways--many worthwhile Zappa cuts reside here.

The only compositions to contain vocals are the album's opener, "WPLJ," and closer, "Valarie." Both are essentially obscure doo-wop covers (Zappa covered doo-wop songs throughout his career), and are expertly performed. Symphonic music is touched upon with two brief tracks, "Igor's Boogie (Phase One)" and "Igor's Boogie (Phase Two)," as well as the lengthier "Holiday in Berlin, Full Blown." "Theme From Burnt Weeny Sandwich" is guitar-driven rock, "Aybe Sea" is beautiful chamber music, and "The Little House I Used To Live In" is a nearly twenty-minute track, beginning as a solo piano piece before turning into a typically twisted Zappa rocker.

Full performer name: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention.Q (8/95, pp.150-151) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "Between two slices of naive doo-wop exultation, the weeny in question was the usual blend of crazed elegance and limpet-like discipline, with no filler..."