SHEIK YERBOUTI

Of all the Zappa albums I have at the writing of this review (a whopping 17!), Sheik Yerbouti probably my favorite. Perhaps that's because it was my introduction to the man and the music, and I'm sure that's a piece of the puzzle, but no doubt the gratuitous amount of excellent music on the album contributes to the sentiment as well. Is all of it gold? No, but what Zappa album--let alone any album by any other artist--with as many songs as Sheik Yerbouti is completely flawless? But what we have here is a seminal display of Zappa's versatility. Just about every type of music Zappa lent his talents to is covered here, and with by and large superior results. His unique, comedic spin on rock 'n' roll ("Flakes," "Broken Hearts are for Assholes"), doo-wop ("I Have Been in You"), jazzy guitar instrumentals ("Rat Tomago," "The Sheik Yerbouti Tango"), possibly shocking social commentaries and pop culture parodies ("Bobby Brown Goes Down," "Jewish Princess"), and even an adventurous but cohesive jam ("Yo' Mama"), basically everything Zappa's done during his career short of classical compositions is represented here, and all in top form.

Sheik Yerbouti is a very agreeable album, and would do fine as an introduction Zappa. Some parts of the album may seem unnecessary to begin with, but I couldn't imagine Sheik Yerbouti in any other form. It's not quite perfect per se, but it is one of the few Zappa album I own out of which I get full enjoyment. That coupled with the sentimental value I hold for the album, Sheik Yerbouti gets full marks.