Frank Zappa - Them or Us
#272
October 18 1984
Frank Zappa
Them or Us
3.25 out of 5
Highlights:
In France
Stevie's Spanking
Be in My Video
"Hey!" I thought, as the record started, "I really like this. It's accessible and fun."
And then I read up and learned....
It's a cover.
So, Frank starts this album's first side with a cover of a Channels song, "The Closer You Are" and then he moves on to his expected weirdoness.
Maybe that's not totally fair. Cuz, "Sharleena" is a Zappa take on 50s doo-wop and it concludes a pretty strong 1st side.
Side Two starts off with a psychedelic odyssey but the second half sees the Steve Martin sound back on a crapfest called "Truck Driver Divorce" which is a shame cuz I was really into the instrumental "Sinister Footwear" and the vocal part ruins the rest of the track for me, which might've scored higher without it since it's also about 7 minutes of instrumentation.
Side Three
I so want to love "Stevie's Spanking" but whenever it Zappa's out the vocals I struggle. But it's fine for what it is. And the rest of the side is a hodgepodge of what you expect from Zappa.
Side Four
Like a bookend, we find ourselves back in traditional songland with "Be in My Video" and the space rock of "Them or Us". And ends, of course, with one of the better tracks, another cover, this time of "Whipping Post".
I have to just give it up to Frank. I'm never gonna be an acolyte. I like his novelty songs but, beyond that, I just can't.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/them-or-us/1041165330
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