THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION: OVER-NITE SENSATION

Released in 1973, Over-Nite Sensation shows American music icon Frank Zappa in rare form. The performances are tight, the musicianship is ever-present, and the humor is over-the-top. With an assembly of studio musicians that includes George Duke, Jean Luc Ponty, Tina Turner, and the Ikettes, Over-Nite Sensation is not only well-performed, it is also accessible thanks to a more commercial approach to the writing. The progressive jazz/rock fusion is tempered by funkier arrangements.

This accessibility led to the album going gold, Zappa's second to achieve that honor, and it spawned a couple of unlikely radio hits with the anti-TV anthem "I'm the Slime" and the absurdist humor of "Montana", complete with Tina Turner and the Ikettes singing about "...raising my lonely dental floss..." Other highlights include the weirdly filthy "Camarillo Brillo", the deliciously filthy "Dirty Love", and the utterly filthy "Dinah-Moe Humm". Zappa's mind was clearly in the gutter when writing this album, never to return. This brings the album down a notch in terms of sheer artistry.

For Zappa newbies, however, Over-Nite Sensation is a great place to start. With just a small dose of the weirdness and musicianship that made Zappa a legend, and despite the gutter humor, there is also enough ear candy to keep them listening. Although not up to par with Zappa's best work and not what I would call essential, it is still recommended. I gladly give it a rating of 3 stars.