STRICTLY COMMERCIAL

This Franz Zappa compilation is not a "best of" collection. I suppose you could call it a "greatest hits" collection, as it does contain pretty much all of the songs that received moderate amounts of radio airplay. But those, like Peaches En Regalia, Don't Eat The Yellow Snow, Dirty Love and Valley Girl wouldn't comprise a full length CD. Radio programmers in Zappa's day just didn't have the guts to play much music of his caliber. Just imagine if Zappa were just flourishing now, with DJs and programmers having devolved down to spineless jellyfish, the difficulty in getting this music publicized. But I digress. How this album could best be descibed is a collection of Frank's more commercial, or accessable tunes.

There are hints of Zappa's amazing compositional skills. Zappa could not help but embellish most of his music with outrageous licks. But for the most part the songs stay relatively simplistic, the kind the mundane radio listener might be able to listen to without growing horns and going on a murderous rampage.

Be warned: Don't Eat The Yellow Snow and Montana are both castrated single edit versions. Otherwise, this set of radio friendly songs is good for initiating friends and family into the world of Zappa. Just be ready for thr time when Junior's grade school teacher asks you why he's singing songs about a poodle.