This is one of many FZ compilations I have in my collection. I know that multiple comps are a messy way to get into an artist's work, with all the inevitable overlapping tracks and stylistic changes between different eras and evolutional stages in their life. Usually what I do is first get a good best-of comp (minimum 15 tracks). Then I go for the classic individual releases: the ones that combine great reviews and biggest sales. If I really like an artist, I work slowly through their complete discography. But that's not the way to go with Zappa: Allmusic lists 35 four or five-star albums, and some of his best-known songs aren't even included. At my pace, and with Zappa's extreme productivity, there's no way I'm getting all his "essential" albums in this lifetime. So I pick up comps ("Oh look: Here are a couple of great songs that I don't have, plus a few plain good ones, There are also 4-5 that I do already have, and 4 or 5 that I haven't heard yet. It's not too expensive, let's get it!").
Of all the Zappa compilations in my collection, this is probably the most idiosyncratic (which is, in any way, a word that perfectly fits this artist). Rykodisc, the label that has (or had?) the rights of the FZ catalogue, is renowned for the meticulous work they do on reissues and anthologies. Their first attempt to anthologize this material was in the old and tried "greatest hits" manner. That compilation, called Strictly Commercial, is of course brilliant and will be presented here later. But it's hardly representative, since FZ was anything but commercial. So they opted to ask musicians to compile their own favorites. The series (called Zappa Picks) didn't get further than 2 volumes, this one which is compiled by Primus's Larry LaLonde and another compiled by Jon Fishman Of Phish. These are a completely different beast to Strictly Commercial. FZ is famously a musician's musician, which accounts for the inclusion of many complex, experimental, almost impossible to play, instrumentals. On the plus side, LaLonde mixes it up a bit by including different styles and by mixing songs into a continuous medley that displays all the schizophrenic qualities of FZ's individual albums. Next to the instrumentals ("Five-Five-Five", "Alien Orifice", "Echidna's Arf", "Black Page No.2", the rocking "On The Bus", Hot Rats' jazzy "Little Umbrellas", and the synth-heavy "G-Spot Tornado" from the appropriately named Jazz From Hell), there are a few conventional rockers with smoking hot guitars and funky overtones ("Camarillo Brillo", "Fine Girl", "Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station", "Doreen") and others combining rock, disco, avant-garde and general silliness ("St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast", "Wild Love", the comical/sleazy "Fembot in a Wet T-Shirt"). "Dog Breath" is a sample of the early psychedelic days containing comedy, pop, doo-wop, jazz, opera and the kitchen sink. "Sofa No. 2" is a pretty tune whose charm Zappa tries to mask with a splash of weird German pseudo-operatic vocals, "Evelyn, A Modified Dog" is a short poem reading over some nice piano backing, and "Village of the Sun" (about his hometown) the closer he gets to a heartfelt nostalgic ballad. According to the liner notes "Dumb All Over" was LaLonde's initiation to FZ, and what a powerful introduction it is: the hollow funky beat, scorching guitar, distorted vocal, and one of Zappa's best lyrics, a scathing rejection of organized religion and of fanatics on all sides. This is not my favorite version of the song though: I prefer the live one because the lyrics are more intelligible. Finally, you may want to ask whether this works well as an introduction to Frank Zappa. The answer is Yes, if you want to acquaint yourself with all the facets of his work and experience his glorious madness head-on; some of his discography's highlights are present, and LaLond made sure there's a lot of variation and a nice flow to the compilation. On the other hand, to the untrained ear (including mine) a couple of selections may seem overloaded to the point of cacophony. So if you're a song-oriented person who likes simpler, conventionally structured, tunes this is not where you want to start. Go straight for Strictly Commercial. You won't be disappointed.
***** for Dumb All Over, Little Umbrellas, Sofa No. 2
**** for Five-Five-Five, Camarillo Brillo, Fine Girl, St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast, Fembot in a Wet T-Shirt, On the Bus
*** for Alien Orifice, Evelyn, A Modified Dog, Wild Love, Dog Breath, Echidna's Arf (Of You), Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station, Black Page No.2, Doreen
** for G-Spot Tornado, Village of the Sun
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