STUDIO TAN

This is probably the weirdest album Frank ZAPPA ever made and that's saying a lot. Launched in 1978 but, as far as I know, recorded between 1972 and 1974, "Studio tan" includes 4 tracks, starting with ZAPPA's longest (but not greatest) composition "The adventures of Greggery Peccary" which more than a song, is a musicalized weird story with very changing instrumentation.

About the three songs on the B-side: "Lemme take you to the beach" is a very funny piece with stingy keyboards, funny but not Progressive or even interesting at all, it is nothing more than a filler song. "Revised music for guitar and low budget orchestra" is actually an excellent piece: starts with a calm jazzy piano, excellent acoustic guitar arrangements, and extremely subtle percussions; after that, we can hear the "low budget" orchestra: violins and wind instruments bringing back ZAPPA's obsession with EDGAR VARÈSE's compositions. "RDNZL" is the most famous piece on the record: ZAPPA used to play it alive often, the song reaches the climax of the album with an amazing guitar solo accompanied by George DUKE's fantastic piano and the majestic drumming of Chester THOMPSON.

Definitely a very unique album, extremely weird (even for ZAPPA) but not at all indispensable, that's for sure.

SONG RATING: The adventures of Greggery Peccary, 3 Lemme take you to the beach, 3 Revised music for guitar and low budget orchestra, 4 RDNZL, 4

AVERAGE: 3.5

PERCENTAGE: 70

ALBUM RATING: 3 stars

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