WAKA / JAWAKA

With such a large and varied discography there's bound to be albums which contain forgotten gems and under-appreciated experiments. "Waka/ Jawaka", on the other hand, is probably pretty deserving of its second (or third) tier status. "Big Swifty" is a largely forgettable extended jazz piece; the drums are bland to the point of autopilot- I'm used to a lot better from Dunbar. Some of the call-and-response and wah guitar work is interesting, but there are hundreds of better guitar showcases in Zappa's discography. "Your Mouth" brings an instant smile, and "It Just Might Be a One Shot Deal" has a great pedal steel guitar (very unique in the Zappa universe), but both songs are relative under-acheivers, like leftover tracks from the "Chunga's Revenge" sessions. The title track is the best thing on the album, a long fusion-esque piece with some great brass, but it still doesn't justify this as a truly worthwhile album for anyone except the ZAPPA completist. Three stars for the consistent quality, but anyone who isn't already a jazz or ZAPPA fan can probably ignore one or two of those stars.