FRANK ZAPPA MEETS THE MOTHERS OF PREVENTION

Maybe it's the unimaginative cover that has always put me off of this release, but I never think of this as one of Frank Zappa's better albums. But then when I listen to it, it changes my mind. By the way, I have the original Ryko CD (and somewhere, a pre-release cassette), which doesn't include H.R. 2911, so my review will not include that track.

The album's main taget is the outrage Zappa felt (and rightly so) over the U.S. Senate making rock lyrics into one of those phony issues that was a "threat to America". That our government wasted so much time and money on this bulls#$% issue was a national embarrassment. Aside from the great warning label Zappa concocted, the album's focal point is the twelve minute collage, Porn Wars, which features Senatorial bozos, both Democrat and Republican, making complete fools of themselves, over some fine Synclavier tracks. While the piece may not stand up to frequent listens, it is still a wonder to listen to.

There are three pieces Zappa programmed on his Synclavier. I love Zappa's compositions, and I know he sometimes composed things that were just not possible for a human band to play, but as good as these are, they leave me a bit cold.

There are three vocal songs. I Don't Even Care, featuring Johnny "Guitar" Watson, is a bit too repetitious to be interesting, and is the weakest track in the album. We're Turning Again and Yo Cats, are both funny satirical songs, the first taking aim at the supposedly hip drug users, the second at studio musicians.

The two other instrumentals are both great tunes that Zappa's band frequently played on tour. Alien Orifice and What's New In Baltimore are the type of songs that made Frank's concerts so special.

It's a mixed bag, but a high quality mixed bag.