Search - Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention :: Burnt Weeny Sandwich

This IS a Tasty Little Sucker

Talking Wall | Queen Creek, AZ | 07/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, a bit of trivia. Cal Schenkl once told me that the fabulous Burnt Weeie Sandwich album cover was actually originally commissioned for an Eric Dolphy release. Now that IS interesting considering that Dolphy was one of Zappa's early influences. Ok. On with the review.



Burnt Weenie Sandwich along with Weasels Ripped My Flesh were put together by Zappa shortly after he called the band out to his house in Laurel Canyon to announce he was disbanding The Mothers. Both releases are definitely worth owning. Both would have been "assembled" during the period Zappa was working on Hot Rats. Both releases are made up of live and studio tracks recorded between 1967 and 1969. Weenie is more focused on some of Zappa's formal ensemble writing while Weasels has more of a jazz feel and more live tracks as well. I would say that Burnt Weenie Sandwich is probably the stronger of the two releases but they are both excellent.



As I wrote above, Burnt Weenie Sandwich seems to focus more on Zappa's "classical" and ensemble writing, in fact, some of this music found its way into 200 Motels a couple of years later; played by a full orchestra. The knowledgeable listener will recognize little pieces like the overture ( Semi Fraudulent/Direct From Hollywood Overture aka "When I Go Out On the Road to go Touring") There's a wide variety of musical styles here including a nostalgic rocker "WPLJ" and a doo-wop (perhaps a Ruben and the Jets out-take) called "Valerie". One of the "classic" pieces recalls Spike Jones in that it includes bicycle horns (the little squeeze bulb horn). There's even a "baroque" duet (Aybe Sea) with Underwood on piano and Zappa on acoustic guitar.



Now, the center piece is of Weenie is by far "The Little House I Used to Live In", a suite of pieces recorded both live and in the studio that are welded together into a single 15 + minute piece. Little House starts off with a piano introduction played by Ian Underwood, a sort of atonal "recital" type piece. This segues into a kind of prog rock thing that reminds me of European folk dance music. I swear, it sounds like 10,000 instruments playing in places here. There isn't a mellotron credited in the notes but it sure sounds like there is one present. This may just be the magic of the Wurlitzer organ that, at the time, was probably the most advanced piece of electronic equipment widely available for purchase (see Alice Coltrane to learn more about the Wurlitzer). Any way, this wild folk piece has its own little interlude that all Zappa fans will recognize as "The Mudshark" theme, then it's back into that sort of East European folk-dance thing - I almost expect guys with big wool hats, boots, and handle-bar mustaches to come leaping into the room dancing about whenever this plays. Ok, are you paying attention? Because This piece then develops into a scorching blues violin intro by Don Sugarcane Harris for a jazz-rocker with a REALLY jazzy piano solo by Ian Underwood (playing as I type these words in fact). Then that violin just keeps coming back again and again, building in blistering intensity each time he comes back in to do his "Sugarcane" thing. This is then followed by a wonderful ensemble interlude that has Zappa playing a wah-wah guitar over Don Preston playing harpsichord,Ian Underwood playing bassoon and Art Tripp on vibes. It's a beautiful, dreamy little piece of music that some how works right along with the jazz blues piece before it.



Little House is truly an amazing accomplishment, but then Zappa was THE master at making disparate things work wonderfully together. The whole thing is topped off with a wild Wurlitzer organ solo (played by Zappa himself) from a live performance, presumably in England as at the conclusion a disturbance breaks out and you can hear a "bobby" instructing an individual to return to his seat.



I consider both Burnt Weenie Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh important Mothers' releases and may reflect the very best performances by members of the first unit. If you are interested in Zappa's music then you MUST own them both. You WILL buy them now. Click!"