Search - Nigey Lennon :: Reinventing the Wheel

Nigey Lennon's True Story

05/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first became aware of Nigey Lennon in the mid-90s when she was being discussed regularly on the alt.fan.frank-zappa Usenet group. She was a controversial subject to say the least. She had written a book claiming to have performed with Zappa and a lot of Zappa fans were skeptical of her claims. I never read the book, so I can't comment on it, but I recently received Lennon's "Reinventing the Wheel" CD from a friend who is also a Zappa fan. The CD features Frank Zappa's sister Candy Zappa on vocals, and some guitar by Mike Keneally who was on Zappa's last world tour in 1988. The music, most of which was written by Lennon herself, is very original stuff. She isn't a singer songwriter, but a composer/musician/producer. The CD is high tech and well produced, but there is a positive feeling to the sound. She has clearly been influenced by Zappa but her lyrics are subtle and sly rather than obvious. Her sense of harmony reminds me of Steely Dan in some places, and she actually covers a pre-Steely Dan tune by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, "Brain Tap Shuffle." Her guitar playing is very slick and professional. She clearly knows her way around the studio, for the CD's production values are excellent (she co-produced with John Tabacco). There is a lot of music on the CD, in many different styles, but it's quite cohesive and almost all of it is good. Judging by the CD I'd say that Lennon's Zappa stories are probably true."

Excellent!!

09/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is on my frequent listening list. I have been a Zappa fan for a long time. While this has some obvious Zappa elements and quotes, it is not someone trying to be Zappa. It is Nigey Lennon. I like the melodies and performances. This is not for the pop consumer. There is a great deal of fun music. I will let the musicians argue by themselves about whether this is good music or not. I like it because it has interesting music and nice tones. This is an album in which you can sink your teeth. There are two songs I don't like. One is the one about the guitar and the other is the one about jihad. Please remember this album was on the shelves before September 2001. This album has some silly stuff along with the more serious tunes. This is definitely worth owning."