 "Zappa Thrills Listeners!" | 2008-09-20 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1K9GK0M1AA3IY |
| This album is hilarious at times with songs like WPLJ, and the instrumental arrangements are testaments to Zappa's skilled, unrestrained manner of musical expression. |
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| "This IS a Tasty Little Sucker" | 2008-07-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1IAQIZSXONWVU |
First, a bit of trivia. Cal Schenkl once told me that the fabulous Burnt Weeie Sandwich album cover was actually originally commissioned for an Eric Dolphy release. Now that IS interesting considering that Dolphy was one of Zappa's early influences. Ok. On with the review.
Burnt Weenie Sandwich along with Weasels Ripped My Flesh were put together by Zappa shortly after he called the band out to his house in Laurel Canyon to announce he was disbanding The Mothers. Both releases are definitely worth owning. Both would have been "assembled" during the period Zappa was working on Hot Rats. Both releases are made up of live and studio tracks recorded between 1967 and 1969. Weenie is more focused on some of Zappa's formal ensemble writing while Weasels has more of a jazz feel and more live tracks as well. I would say that Burnt Weenie Sandwich is probably the stronger of the two releases but they are both excellent.
As I wrote above, Burnt Weenie Sandwich seems to focus more on Zappa's "classical" and ensemble writing, in fact, some of this music found its way into 200 Motels a couple of years later; played by a full orchestra. The knowledgeable listener will recognize little pieces like the overture ( Semi Fraudulent/Direct From Hollywood Overture aka "When I Go Out On the Road to go Touring") There's a wide variety of musical styles here including a nostalgic rocker "WPLJ" and a doo-wop (perhaps a Ruben and the Jets out-take) called "Valerie". One of the "classic" pieces recalls Spike Jones in that it includes bicycle horns (the little squeeze bulb horn). There's even a "baroque" duet (Aybe Sea) with Underwood on piano and Zappa on acoustic guitar.
Now, the center piece is of Weenie is by far "The Little House I Used to Live In", a suite of pieces recorded both live and in the studio that are welded together into a single 15 + minute piece. Little House starts off with a piano introduction played by Ian Underwood, a sort of atonal "recital" type piece. This segues into a kind of prog rock thing that reminds me of European folk dance music. I swear, it sounds like 10,000 instruments playing in places here. There isn't a mellotron credited in the notes but it sure sounds like there is one present. This may just be the magic of the Wurlitzer organ that, at the time, was probably the most advanced piece of electronic equipment widely available for purchase (see Alice Coltrane to learn more about the Wurlitzer). Any way, this wild folk piece has its own little interlude that all Zappa fans will recognize as "The Mudshark" theme, then it's back into that sort of East European folk-dance thing - I almost expect guys with big wool hats, boots, and handle-bar mustaches to come leaping into the room dancing about whenever this plays. Ok, are you paying attention? Because This piece then develops into a scorching blues violin intro by Don Sugarcane Harris for a jazz-rocker with a REALLY jazzy piano solo by Ian Underwood (playing as I type these words in fact). Then that violin just keeps coming back again and again, building in blistering intensity each time he comes back in to do his "Sugarcane" thing. This is then followed by a wonderful ensemble interlude that has Zappa playing a wah-wah guitar over Don Preston playing harpsichord,Ian Underwood playing bassoon and Art Tripp on vibes. It's a beautiful, dreamy little piece of music that some how works right along with the jazz blues piece before it.
Little House is truly an amazing accomplishment, but then Zappa was THE master at making disparate things work wonderfully together. The whole thing is topped off with a wild Wurlitzer organ solo (played by Zappa himself) from a live performance, presumably in England as at the conclusion a disturbance breaks out and you can hear a "bobby" instructing an individual to return to his seat.
I consider both Burnt Weenie Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh important Mothers' releases and may reflect the very best performances by members of the first unit. If you are interested in Zappa's music then you MUST own them both. You WILL buy them now. Click! |
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| "Was this one nominated for a Grammy?" | 2008-04-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A39GW5CBWTIWAZ |
Despite the bizarre album title, this is the main course (yeah, I said it) from that master. Beginning and ending with doo-wop, the main content is classically-based progressive rock, with heavy reliance on a great pianist, Ian Underwood. "Aybe Sea" and "Little House I Used To Live In" are really masterpieces, in that vein. I would think that Aaron Copeland himself would approve of these "soundscapes".
The "Holiday In Berlin" pieces are expertly arranged and manage to make off-key passages sound melodic, with beautifully integrated horns.
As Zappa & co. ventured into the '70s, the concept albums (I purchased) were also interesting, though heavily misanthropic lyrically and instrumentally. BWS conveys the musical/socially conscious mind of FZ with alot more open space for psychic exhaling, if you will. And the "FZ approved master, 1993" features crystalline sound and a perfect mix to make the headphone experience that much more rewarding.
CD also features Black, Harris, and Preston. |
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 "Classic Zappa" | 2007-12-23 |
| - Reviewed By stevenegri |
| Classic Frank Zappa. Especially WPLJ, a good remake of a 50's era song. Zappa is as usual innovative. A good Zappa classic for your collection. |
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| "A Perect Mixture of Instrumentals & Doo Wop" | 2007-12-18 |
| - Reviewed By wcaputo80 |
"Burnt Weeny Sandwich" is one of the early masterpieces by Zappa's first lineup of the mothers of invention. how good is this album? well, it's easily one of the most pleasant 41 minutes of music ever recorded. it is actually a better album than the follow-up "weasels ripped my flesh" which, sadly, gets more attention than this album in many rock magazines & music articles because of it's awesome and hilarious album cover. don't get me wrong, "weasels" is a damn good album but i won't get into explaining why in this review (see the separate "weasels" review for that stuff) but here's what to expect when you listen to this opus of musical brilliance:
the opening track "WPLJ" is actually a cover of an obscure doo wop song about a unique beverage that is allegedly very refreshing. the ingredients needed to make this tasty concoction are White Port (wine)and Lemon Juice..WPLJ!! although i never heard the original version, i will assume that zappa's version is more enjoyable to listen to. zappa sings lead vocal on it, an activity he'd temporarily abandon for the most part when Flo & Eddie were to arrive 2 albums later. such a catchy toe-tapper and a great way to open up an album.
for the next 35 minutes or so, there is nothing but instrumental music for your listening pleasure. this is not experimental musique concrete bu carefully written, organized and performed pieces of various styles.
"igor's boogie phases one and two" is Zappa's tribute to one of his musical idols, Igor Stravinsky.
"Holiday in Berlin and its overture" is one of Zappa's signature instrumental songs. It's name perfectly suits the music that belongs to it and you will notice this when you listen to the short overture. It has a feeling of ethnic pride to it and you can just imagine hitler and his nazis proudly marching to it at one of their nurenburg rallies. Zappa probably imagined it that way too and titled it holiday in BERLIN.
holiday in berlin actually has some words to it that were sung later on by Flo & Eddie during their period in Zappa's band (1970-71) but you won't hear the lyrical version on any main zappa albums. you'll have to go to the official bootleg set "beat the boots" to hear it. it's okay but not as powerful as the instrumental version heard here.
"Aybe Sea" (pronounced A-B-C) is a marvelous re-creation of a sea-shanty (old songs that were sung while on-board ships) that starts out quite happily and then concludes with a chilling piano solo that will put goose bumps on the arms of anyone who listens to it.
the album's "theme" has a fast and memorable guitar solo & riff in it that demands to be put on repeat for atleast an hour.
"the little house i used to live in" starts out slow but then soon picks up with awesome guitar playing and a long electric violin solo that is reminiscent of the one heard on "Hot Rats."
alas, "valerie", another doo wop cover song, closes the album. it's more similar to the awesome doo wop tunes heard on "cruising with ruben & the jets" than the doo-wop opener "wplj." Zappa also sings lead vocal on this doo wop tune as well.
all in all, it is hard for any true Zappa fans to criticize this album.
"The little house I used to live in
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| "35 years on, I can't get tired of it" | 2007-11-16 |
| - Reviewed By k-k-k-kenny |
FZ was, by all accounts, a terrible man to work for. But somehow, between about 1967 and 1969 he managed to hold together a bunch of good-enough players to make a series of albums that defy time. They concide with FZ's own growing mastery of multi-track recording, but come before he fell in love with the idea of getting super virtuoso players who, although they could play more notes than this crew, lacked character.
Don't mistake me: the band on this album could sure play. Ray Collins' cheesy vocals, Jimmy Carl Black and Artie Tripp on drums, Roy Estrada on bass, the Gardiner brothers on wind, the delicate Ian Underwood on keyboards and sax, Don Preston, Jim Sherwood - but if you don't want to get into the Zappatist subculture you don't have to.
You will be beguiled by the opener - WPLJ - a bit of doo-wop fluff that nowadays hangs in some strange space and time continuum of an imagined 1960s hispanic district, but that's only to lull you into acceptance of what follows. Disjointed marches of clarinet and cymbals, munchkin trotting harpsichord, guitar boogie with the wah-wah pedal, farting sax and bicycle horns - they create a landscape of sound that has moments of familiarity before darting off in some new direction.
As another reviewer has said, the BIG piece is Little House I Used to Live In, which, in the world of vinyl, opened side 2. I can't say it any better than he has. And we close with Ray Collins smooching it up on Valerie.
Sure, it ain't rock and roll as we know it, captain, although there's enough there to show that this crew know what that's all about.
But if you want to get past FZ the clever guitarist or lyricist, and hear FZ the composer, you can't do better than this. It's a rewarding experience - deadly serious, but a helluva lot of fun. I've been listening to it since 1972, and I haven't got all the juice out of it yet. |
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| "Fun for all" | 2007-09-24 |
| - Reviewed By cgreene2003 |
| The whole album is a lot of fun, reminiscent of carousing a Midway or carnival at a state fair. "The Little House I Used to Live In" shows Frank Zappa's fertile imagination and unexpected changes in the wonderfully talented ensemble's instrumental virtuosity. I obtained "Burnt Weeny..." and "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" as an import double album in 1980; they seem inseparable. Nice artwork! Digital remastering hasn't done it any harm, that's for sure. |
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| "Yes, folks, it's yet another great Frank Zappa album...are you gettting tired of the excellence?" | 2007-02-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2UYAFQ40U2PHS |
This is a sister album to Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Zappa had disbanded the Mothers by this time, and this album is left over material from the Mothers. Despite that, it has an incredibly coherent feel (much like Weasels), and the material here is superb. I love the song WPLJ, showcasing Zappa's love of doo-wop ballads. A lot of the songs here are really intricate, and would probably be fantastic in an orchestral setting (like Overture to a Holiday in Berlin and Igor's Boogie, probably named after Igor Stravinsky, a good buddy of Frank's who was his roadie in the 1960's, and one of Russia's foremost composers). I love the way Zappa handles a heckler in The Little House I Used to Live In (and the song is good too). The title is one of Zappa's most memorable as well. Another superb album in the cannons of Zappa.
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| "Fabulous..." | 2006-09-21 |
| - Reviewed By marcs42000 |
| The only Frank Zappa Recording I like better than this is Hot Rats...but this a very close second. Fabulous from start to finish... |
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| "A favorite meal" | 2006-07-26 |
| - Reviewed By kingsponseller |
I've been a Zappa fan for a very long time. I've owned Burnt Weeny Sandwich (on LP) for a long time. The odd thing is that I didn't figure out until just recently that Burnt Weeny Sandwich is one of my favorite Zappa albums. I think that part of the problem is that I didn't really understand the album when I was a kid--although I certainly didn't dislike it. It was one of the last ones I picked up on CD, so that after not really hearing it for years, I mostly heard a song at a time in isolation with the disc in my CD changers on random shuffle.
But as someone else mentioned, this is really a concept album of sorts, and needs to be listened to in its entirety to "get it". It's an odd concept, because it's not linked by lyrics or music so much as it is by a structural meta-concept--that of a sandwich. The first and last tracks, two pseudo-doo-wop songs, serve as the bread. All the songs up to "Little House I Used to Live In" are the toppings, condiments, and so on, and "Little House I Used to Live In" is the meat . . . well, er, the big burnt weeny. What's remarkable is that the basic tracks consisted of Mothers of Invention "outtakes", but Zappa, being a skilled Dadaist/collagist, could turn "outtakes" into beautiful, cohesive, seemingly composed from scratch works faster than you can say "Max Ernst". At any rate, let's look at the tracks.
Track 1: "WPLJ" 5/5
This has been performed live on a number of occasions--it appears on the Does Humor Belong in Music? disc, for example--but without a doubt, this is my favorite version of the song. Zappa achieves an appropriate 1950s-sounding production, including the female backup singers, and the music has a great, grooving looseness, including the horns. Roy Estrada's falsetto makes it even better, as does the Cheech-Marin sounding chicano dialogue over the end.
Track 2: "Igor's Boogie, Phase One" 5/5
No one, not even Zappa, loves/loved Stravinsky more than I do, plus I love Zappa just as much, so this "L'Histoire du Soldat" tribute/spoof works brilliantly for me.
Track 3: "Overture to a Holiday in Berlin" 5/5
. . . and it leads beautifully to this severely bent-intonation wonder. God I love that brief sax solo. And the outtro melody is gorgeous and orchestrated gorgeously.
Track 4: "Theme from Burnt Weeny Sandwich" 5/5
It begins as a guitar solo track, but with an extension of the orchestration from the previous track creating multiple layers underneath. It segues to some tape-speed manipulation percussion, ala that heard accompanying the Bruce Bickford animation in Baby Snakes. There it piqued your interest, but here it grows perfectly, organically out of the composition until it consumes everything in its path. Something like a melodic Tony Williams-on-a-ton-of-acid-and-speed drum solo.
Track 5: "Igor's Boogie, Phase Two" 5/5
The bookend (within a larger bookended work) that matches Track 2. Shorter, but just as good, and not just because of the added honking, although that rocks.
Track 6: "Holiday in Berlin, Full Blown" 5/5
Later used again on 200 Motels. Here it's a bit like "Peaches en Regalia's" mellow cousin. Gorgeous melodies, wondrous orchestration, and an amazing soprano sax solo leading to more tape-speed manipulation percussion. It ties a lot of the elements of tracks 2 through 5 together very nicely, then moves to one of Zappa's more lyrical extended solos.
Track 7: "Aybe Sea" 5/5
Speaking of lyrical guitar work, this is a mostly delicate, almost kinda traditional classical piece for guitars, keyboards and a bit of percussion. Of course, there's lots of twentieth century stuff in there, too, and in a surprising change for this album, the piano solo that closes it gets pretty quiet, sparse, and not so surprisingly, increasingly "outside", as it segues to--
Track 8: "Little House I Used to Live in" 5/5
In a very smooth transition, the continuing solo piano is suddenly more jazzy--kind of a cross between Gershwin and Copland's (underrated) piano pieces. It's contemplative and moving. Then the whole band joins in a Zappa-ish fusion groove. After the drum break, there's a great 11/8 groove that turns into some wicked carousel orchestration. Then more complex, fusiony, uptempo 3/4 stuff becomes some extremely skilled interplay between Zappa and his drummer (probably Art Tripp) before the extended, burning and soulful Don "Sugarcane" Harris violin solo, interpolated by a typically odd Don Preston piano solo. There is a couple of short, interesting "stomping" vamps to listen for here--one halfway between 3/4 and 5/8, one halfway between 4/4 and 7/8. I love those kinds of "in-between" grooves. It's difficult to say how intentional they were here, but they work. The end of this track becomes composed 20th Century classical again. The transition between a melancholic hurdy-gurdy block chord structure and a spastic carnival-gone-haywire groove is primo. Although the ending pretty much remains in 4/4, there is a lot of creative rhythmic and playing-with-tempo stuff between the keyboards and drums. After the track is over, we get the Zappa's infamous quote, "Everybody in this room is wearing a uniform, and don't kid yourself".
Track 9: "Valarie" 5/5
This is the bottom piece of bread, the second pseudo doo-wop song. It has an appropriate and enjoyable lazy, sloppy--maybe even "skanky"--groove, enhanced by the guitar fluttering through Leslie speakers. Especially with the vocals, it sometimes sounds like we're trudging through molasses. In other words, holy cow we're pleasantly stuffed after eating all of that Burnt Weeny Sandwich! |
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