SHEIK YERBOUTI

Hey there people, I'm just another guy who grew up in 1970s Belgium and who's now stuck forever with the picture of innocent 17-year old Flemish girls trying hard to sing along to "Bobby Brown", lyric sheet in hand, because they thought Zappa was incredibly cool. Unfortunately, they didn't have a clue what 75% of the song was about - and neither did I. No wonder "Bobby Brown" became a number one hit in Norway...

These days, I find tracks such as "Flakes" and "City of Tiny Lites" infinitely more compelling. Especially "Flakes", because (a) it's one of Zappa's very best takes on the old "Louie, Louie"; (b) it's one of his most triumphant "rock operas in a nutshell"; (c) it features Adrian Belew's hilarious parody of Mr Bob Dylan...

Another unforgettable piece is "Yo' Mama", not just because it's a cute (and superbly orchestrated) song, but also because it features one of Frank's most memorable guitar solos. Usually, I'm not too crazy about Frank's guitar, but "Yo' Mama" sounds superb.

Whatever you may feel when you come to SHEIK YERBOUTI for the first time, the album certainly won't bore you. It may not be a masterpiece on the level of ONE SIZE FITS ALL or ROXY AND ELSEWHERE, but if has a bit of everything: funny voices, zany pop songs, punk parodies, even a handful of avant-garde moments. A fascinating kaleidoscope of an album.