The following is a selection of reviews that I wrote for my RYM account that I've decided to cross-post here. Links to purchase these albums will be provided at the end. If you'd like to follow my RYM account, head here: https://rateyourmusic.com/~Broken_Mind
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In my opinion, this is Frank's final classic Rock Studio record (Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar was also excellent, but that was recorded live, and Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch was half studio/half live, so they don't quite count). He'd have some decent music out after this point, but most of those records never really reached the same heights, and had a growing amount of less-than-stellar content. You Are What You Is is the last one to be great from beginning to end, with seldom any filler. The songs were the classic biting commentary that people had come to expect from Zappa, with everyone from Teenagers to Religion to the Government getting covered in a song, not to mention that some of these tracks are some of the catchiest and well written of his career.
Although the production is perhaps a little more slick and dense than his 70s material had made people expect, it still sounds good (especially the 2012 CD remaster) and was recorded and mixed with analogue equipment, so manages to escape the perhaps less natural sounding material that came later on as he shed his rock roots to begin exploring sounds with his Synclavier. If you like his 60s-70s era music, than you'll find plenty to like here as well.
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Frank spent his entire career dabbling on and off into classical music, and The Yellow Shark is easily his best effort at getting this across. The acoustics and sound are incredibly rich and full of life, compared to the perhaps more synthetic sounds of his earlier classical records, and the Ensemble Modern do an excellent job interpreting some of Frank's compositions for such a format. One particular highlight is "G-Spot Tornado", a dense and complicated piece that Zappa himself thought impossible to play with actual musicians, but the Ensemble pull it off impeccably. Fans of Frank's rock music likely won't find much here to enjoy, but those with an ear for the classical will more than likely get plenty of enjoyment out of it. This being the final record Zappa released when he was still alive gives it a kind of bittersweet feeling, but finally being able to achieve something he'd been rooting for his entire professional life makes this record something of a triumph.
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Unlike Ween's other live albums, which showcase a specific live show, Paintin' the Town Brown: Ween Live '90-'98 is a compilation of several different live dates, from the band's DAT days, to their full band tour in support of The Mollusk. As well as showing off the band's virtuosity, with songs from all of their albums up to that point (bar The Mollusk), it also acts as a way of getting some of their more obscure songs to people, as several non-album tracks and b-sides appear here. Disc One acts as the general compilation, with Disc Two showcasing the band's skills at jamming, with a pair of nearly half-hour songs dominating it. Depending on your enjoyment of long songs and jams in general, Disc Two will generally be hit and miss. Regardless, this is a good summary of Live Ween, but those looking for a more condensed example may do better with Live at Stubb's, 7/2000.
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Loud, abrasive, and yet intensely beautiful. Many people have compared this to bands like Car Seat Headrest, and while some of the themes and recording styles may be similar, this manages to exist in its own world. It's the sound of someone making music in their bedroom with whatever equipment they have at their disposal, more caring about making something that they can be proud of than something super polished and clean. I hope that some day we can look forward to a physical edition.
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For Fox Sake is easily one of the better hidden gems in the late psychedelic era. Apparently culled from a demo session that the band submitted with the intent of rerecording, the sound quality is fairly rough, but not unlistenable. As well as this, the demo performances allow for a sort of authenticity and spontaneity that may not have been present had it been redone with slicker production. In particular, tracks like "Lovely Day" and "Mr Blank" are quite well done, with a Hammond Organ giving the album a bit more of an abrasive edge. The closer "Madame Magical" is a good example of a long psych song done well, with different sections and some (maybe subdued) jamming in the middle. Despite the good tunes, the album's double entente title is probably a big reason it didn't sell. Original pressings are extremely rare and expensive, but definitely worth tracking down a reissue on CD/LP
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"One of the most underrated indie rock albums of the 2000s."
I say that title with no hyperbole in the slightest. Obviously, this release isn't perfect, but the fact that it's as obscure as it is feels like a crime.
The Crescent, mentored by the lead singer of The La's, managed to release a single self-titled album in 2002, alongside a small smattering of singles before breaking up the following year. And those teachings definitely carry over, as the sound of this LP reminds a lot of the sound of The La's, and by extension the early Cast records. The guitars are jangly, and have an edge to them that make great listening, especially on the single cut "Spinnin' Wheels", which I consider the best song here.
However, as previously mentioned, there are a couple drawbacks. The main one is that "On The Run", as catchy as it is, clearly steals part of its melody from "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones. The fact that they were able to avoid any legal action is kind of impressive, especially considering the debacle involving The Verve, who were also on the same exact label.
There's also a slight issue with the songs getting a little samey in the second half of the record, but since there's only 10 songs here clocking in at just over 40 minutes, this isn't as much of an issue. Not to mention that none of the songs can really be called clunkers, so there's no need to skip any of them. In short, if you like The La's, then in all likelihood you'll love this hidden gem.
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Places to buy these records:
Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is: https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Are-What-Frank-Zappa/dp/B008PPUMYQ
Frank Zappa & The Ensemble Modern - The Yellow Shark: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yellow-Shark-Frank-Zappa/dp/B008SBKYXQ
Ween - Paintin' The Town Brown: Ween Live '90-'98: https://www.discogs.com/Ween-Paintin-The-Town-Brown-Ween-Live-90-98/master/32657
Weatherday - Come In: https://weatherornot.bandcamp.com/album/come-in
The Fox - For Fox Sake: https://www.discogs.com/The-Fox-For-Fox-Sake-Vol-I/master/268949
The Crescent - The Crescent: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crescent/dp/B00006IQOM
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