STUDIO TAN

2 of the 4 songs on this album are instrumental, and the rest are easily some of the most bizarre songs conceptually (especially the Adventures of Greggery Peccary). Frank Zappa had a bunch of material to release because his label would not allow him to release his Lather set in the mid-1970's. So what did he do? He put the material on a series of albums. This is the first in that series. Muscially, this album is right on the money with jazzy interludes, frenetic guitar solos, playful percussion, and some twisted vocal performances.

The Adventures of Greggery Peccary is easily one of the strangest 20 minute epics ever composed. Rather than sung, it is unfolded like a story to the listener. With subtle instrumentation and playful interludes, and allusions to past Zappa songs, this is a captivating and awe-inspiring piece of work. This song is a masterpiece, and it really sets the mood for the album. Revised Music for Guitar and Low-Budget... is a jazzy instrumental that has musical nods to the Grand Wazoo/Waka-Jawaka albums in my opinion. It features a superb solo from Zappa and some great drum work from Chester Thompson. Lemme Take You to the Beach is a bizarre song with some very "demanding" vocals and some very 1960's pop lyrics, but it is nonetheless amazing what Zappa does with the music on this track. RNDZL is an instrumental that closes this captivating album, it has some cohesive bass/drum interplay and some great keyboard work form Eddie Jobson and George Duke.

Overall, this album is a creative and conceptual masterpiece. My only complaint is that Revised Music for Guitar and Low-Budget... gets a tad tedious and uninspired in the middle sections, the same with RDNZL. Despite that, I think that a fan of progressive music will find much to love about this album. 4.5/5.

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