Studio Tan is best known as the first of three studio
releases that characterized Warner Brothers’s fantastic fuck-up by
not releasing
Lather (the legendary 4-LP set) as Frank Zappa intended it
to be heard. Instead,
Studio Tan – along with two of Zappa’s next three officially
ordered releases – was chopped up and served in a manner that the
record company preferred, but broke up Zappa’s original artistic
vision.
It’s been many years since I listened to
Lather, and even longer since I listened to
Studio Tan (prior to writing this review), so forgive me if
I don’t directly compare the two. But taken on its own merits,
Studio Tan is a very difficult album to listen to, and even
harder to get involved in. Coming off such great releases as
Zoot Allures and
Zappa In New York, this one turns out to be a severe
letdown.
Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a shock if it hadn’t been for
the 20-minute opening track, “The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary,”
a track which many critics have compared to “Billy The Mountain”
(who, ironically, makes an appearance in this song). I’d agree in
one regard: you either love it, or you hate it. Three guesses which
side of the fence your humble reviewer falls on…
“Greggery Peccary” is a mind-numbing collage of confused,
disoriented ramblings that try to tell a story with no discernable
plot and no resolution. A combination of spoken-word and vocalized
material, Zappa is at his most eclectic on this one – and, for
once, this is not a good thing. Zappa had proven time and time
again that he could master the art of the eclectic in a compact
package, as well as tell a story. Maybe, had he tightened this one
up, “Greggery Peccary” could have been something. As it sits, this
one is the musical equivalent of a train wreck.
Maybe it’s the inanity of “Greggery Peccary” that makes a song
like “Lemme Take You To The Beach” listenable in comparison. A
definite throw-away track, you almost feel embarrassed by the fact
that you get hooked into this one, to the point of even humming the
chorus long after the CD stops spinning. I don’t
want to like this one… but I still do.
The remaining two numbers on
Studio Tan, “Revised Music For Guitar And Low-Budget
Orchestra” and “RDNZL,” are definite steps in the right direction.
Despite a little musical weirdness interspersed within, “Revised
Music” does begin to reel the listener in more and more, until it
culminates with the genius that is “RDNZL,” a track which proves
once again the genius that Zappa was. “RDNZL” is a remarkable
instrumental piece that challenges both the musicians and the
listener, albeit in good ways, making the song’s eight minutes fly
by. “RDNZL” could well be one of Zappa’s greatest instrumental
pieces in his career.
Despite the positive way this disc ends, it’s hard to recommend
Studio Tan for anyone except the most loyal Zappa fans out
there. Maybe, if one enjoys the kind of music that Zappa and crew
were putting out with tracks like “Billy The Mountain,” then the
kind of absurdity that is “The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary” will
be right up your alley. Otherwise, this one is for the diehards
only.
2005 Christopher Thelen and “The Daily Vault.” All rights
reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without
written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of the
Zappa Family Trust / record label, and is used for informational
purposes only.
