Album Description
Japanese exclusive reissue of 1976 album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve…. More >>

Zoot Allures

5 Responses to “Zoot Allures”

1. A Concerned Citizen says:

   July 14, 2010 at 9:46 pm

   Zappa’s catalog is perhaps the greatest of musical endeavors in the history of mankind, and is ‘frankly’ superior to all other musical forms, be they by specific human design or deed of God. With “Zoot Allures,” Zappa has managed to capture the essence of our unqualified social cozenage and transform it into a corporeal musical theorem, while unmistakably showing his distinct intolerance for society as depicted in shampoo and/or beer commercials.

   Briefly, “Zoot Allures,” (or indeed, the “Zappa” style of composite musical melodrama as a whole), intermingles a certain anthropological, or indeed societal, pathos with a uniquely parallel unisonant structural design, based on his clearly emblematic and euphonious concepts. Like a piquant peanut butter and jelly sandwich –with extra jelly– for the ear, the listener’s (that’s YOU) personal audile delectation effect, (due entirely to Zappa’s complex incorporation of whimsical lyrical elements), is further compounded when taking into account the sophisticated musicology itself. Without going into all of the philosophical or technical minutiae, the product, (disc: Zoot Allures), with its facetious consonant style, actually adds performance superfluity to what would customarily have been considered an auditory raillery limit. With respect to these specific music/humor objectives, Zappa has once again performed absolutely admirably. Bravo Frank!
   Rating: 5 / 5
2. Glen K. Peterson says:

   July 14, 2010 at 9:51 pm

   Zappa’s cerebral compositions, brilliant band leadership, and soulful blues playing make him one of my favorite artists, but I would only recommend this album if you want to own the complete Zappa collection, or need to hear every one of his guitar solos.

   The highlight of this album for me is the title track, but after hearing the live versions on Does Humor Belong in Music? and on The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life, the original version here was not as exciting as I had hoped. Black Napkins and Friendly Little Finger are great for the Zappa guitar solo enthusiast, but I am luke-warm on them as well. I removed the other songs on this album from my playlist because I found them lascivious, degrading to women, or just plain stupid. Sorry Frank.

   I would highly recommend *most* of the other Zappa albums from 1969-1979 instead: Hot Rats, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, The Grand Wazoo, Waka/Jawaka, Frank Zappa: Apostrophe / Over-Nite Sensation, Roxy & Elsewhere, One Size Fits All, Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, or Läther.
   Rating: 2 / 5
3. Dean A. Lisi says:

   July 14, 2010 at 10:08 pm

   There has never been a BAD Zappa album …. BUT ZOOT ALLURES is by far one of my favorites. BLACK NAPKINS!!!! ZootAllures!! ..
   THIS is Frankie’s ROCK album .. Terry Bozzio on drums …
   (Terry ’s now with JEFF BECK) Buy this album .NOW…
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. R. Bruynesteyn says:

   July 15, 2010 at 12:20 am

   I find this particular album difficult to listen to because of its bad sound quality. Guitar plaing is very good and it is actually one of his most HM albums. The best tracks exist in better versions elsewhere. For completists only.
   Rating: 3 / 5
5. Anonymous says:

   July 15, 2010 at 3:01 am

   I’ve been a Zappa fan since “Freak Out” in 1966, and have seen him in concert many times, but this was the last FZ LP I ever bought. He lost me on this one. I give it 3 stars… one for each of the good tracks: “Wind Up Working In A Gas Station”, “Black Napkins”, and “Disco Boy”. The rest is pure pap (a real shame). This is definitely a turning-point LP for FZ… everything he released after this album was nowhere near as good as the previous ones. If you liked later LPs such as “Sheik Yerbouti” etc, you’ll probably like this one. If you’re an original FZ/Mothers fan, I’m sorry to say you should expect disappointment.
   Rating: 3 / 5