Frank Zappa always proved to be a prolific artist – how else
does one explain releasing over 50 albums prior to his death in
1993? But the two-month period from October to November 1984
further illustrated that amazing output level that Zappa was able
to maintain, as three separate discs – one of them a two-CD set –
were released.
Them Or Us, the first of the batch, proved to be the final
studio rock-based album that Zappa released, but at least he closed
this portion of his career on a very high note, as this disc is one
of the strongest releases Zappa had recorded for a while. From the
opening doo-wop number “The Closer You Get” to the closing salvo of
“Whipping Post,” Zappa seems to let everything go in a 14-track
frenzy.
It is interesting to note that Zappa seems to take a back seat
in terms of leading the group on this disc. Although it was not
uncommon for Zappa to let other members of the band sing lead
vocals on tracks, it almost feels like Zappa allows himself to just
be a member of the band on this disc. Maybe that’s why things work
so well; it’s almost akin to the early days of the Mothers Of
Invention.
There’s still plenty of low-brow humor scattered throughout
these tracks; numbers like “Stevie’s Spanking” (an ode to “stunt
guitarist” Steve Vai), “In France” (lead by an idol of Zappa’s,
Johnny “Guitar” Watson) and “Baby, Take Your Teeth Out” all help to
maintain a status-quo of potentially offending material that Zappa
had become famous for. Yet this time around, they almost seem tame
– was it that we all were getting used to this level of humor from
Zappa? (If so, we were in for one hell of a shock just one disc
later.)
The focus on the music is also noticed, and it is a welcome
attention shift. Tracks like “Ya Hozna” are truly bizarre, but they
prove to be somewhat charming in the guitar work, making them more
memorable than one would have expected. “Sinister Footwear II”
does, admittedly, seem to stretch a little too long – but to play
devil’s advocate, I’d have loved to have heard Zappa and crew
continue to go wild on the guitar solos on both “Stevie’s Spanking”
and “Whipping Post”.
Granted,
Them Or Us is a disc that didn’t spawn many songs that
became legendary in the Zappa catalog. Yet the whole disc, from
beginning to end, is more approachable and listener-friendly than
anything Zappa had done in a few years, quite possibly going back
to
Sheik Yerbouti in my book. Tracks like “Marque-Son’s
Chicken,” “Them Or Us,” the anti-MTV “Be In My Video” and even the
bizarre little number “Frogs With Dirty Little Lips” provide the
listener with an enjoyable experience – and one that, sadly, ends
too soon.
Them Or Us is one of the many Zappa discs that seem to be
lost in the avalanche of releases that came from his fertile mind
and recording studio, but is an album that is well worth
re-discovering… even if you’re listening to it for the very first
time.
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.
