THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION: OVER-NITE SENSATION

Are you ready to whip up some dragon lotion? Are you feeling just about as evil as a boogey-man can be?

If the answer to either is "yes", then you're ready to enjoy this immediately enjoyable and accessible Frank Zappa release. Over-Nite Sensation is deservedly one of Frank's most radio-friendly works, and one of his few albums you could play in the background at a party and not have people leave the room. These songs are light-hearted, fun, and have a great blend of fusion grooves and hard rockin' jams. What they are not, is impeccably composed or varied as most other Zappa music. Over-Nite Sensation will make you smile throughout, but you may not reach for it when the mood for Zappa strikes you.

That being said, anytime one of its songs comes on, you won't regret it. "Camarillo Brillo" bounces along playfully as tongue-in-cheek opener, while "I'm the Slime" drips with thick, greasy blues and monster guitar licks. Great stuff. Meanwhile, "Fifty-Fifty" and "Montana" sort of just become noise (for the former), or shoulder shrugging (for the latter). One thing that must be acknowledged though, is Over-Nite's Sensation outstanding guitar work. Frank is on his "A" game here, cranking out soloing that is frenetic, complex, and captivating. This is proverbial "mic drop" for guitar posers.

Great stuff overall, and perfect for some skewed, toe-tapping, sarcastic jamming. A worthy purchase for Zappa newcomers and fans alike, but there are even better gems of his out there to enjoy.

Songwriting: 2 - Instrumental Performances: 4 - Lyrics/Vocals: 2 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 4