Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Zappa, Frank
Label: Rykodisc Records
Released: 1984
Runtime: 70:45
Rating: 4/5
Only an artist and musical genius of Frank’s caliber could show up with a title like “Them or Us” and a killer cover showing a cute puppy in sunglasses and a baroque outfit, wedged between a bottle of tomato ketchup and a bottle of baby milk. He used those two drinks as metaphors for the all-round polarization of American society in the mid-eighties, when Reagan’s America, while choking the personal freedoms of those who thought differently and trampling all over the rights of the working class, kicked off an intense infusion of neoliberalism, which sadly still rules most of the world today.
That worn-out crusader ideology gave Frank a bottomless well of inspiration for his satirical takedowns of lowlifes, vanity, hypocrisy, arrogance and greed, embodied by the neoconservative rabid dogs of war and hawks who tried every which way to block his music from being played, and with it to stop American youth from realizing that maybe not everything the media, preachers and the Bible say is true.
Even so, “Them Or Us”, one of Frank’s last socially satirical efforts with a rock backing band, is a relatively ‘conciliatory’ album compared to the double conceptual grotesquerie “Thing-Fish” (1984). Instead of constantly mocking institutions and the American way of life, it mostly offers a nice cross-section of where his rock side stood musically in the mid-eighties, a side that was getting less and less interesting to him year by year, since by then he was increasingly hooked on the Synclavier, his new instrumental love, and on writing chamber music for orchestra.
It’s also one of his last rock-oriented albums featuring some of Frank’s favorite partners in crime from the bands he led in the eighties, like guitar hero Steve Vai, guitarist/singer Ike Willis, drummer Chad Wackerman, keyboardist Tommy Mars and bassist Scott Thunes, as well as some old The Mothers buddies like saxophonist/singer Napoleon Murphy Brock, keyboardist George Duke and bassist/singer Roy Estrada, a member of the original The Mothers of Invention.
What’s interesting, and totally unusual for Frank, is that the album opens and closes with a cover of another artist’s song. For all sorts of reasons he usually avoided that practice like the plague, especially on studio releases. Of course, he spiced up both covers in his own wisecracking, goofball way. The opening “The Closer You Are”, a cover of the ballad by Earl Lewis and Morgan Robinson, originally performed by The Channels, is a trip back to the late fifties, when Frank, still just a kid called Frankie, played local joints with various doo-wop bands, banging out easygoing dance tunes with syrupy love lyrics. Interestingly, this time there’s not a speck of satire or self-irony in the lyrics, unlike Frank’s earlier parodies of saccharine doo-wop banality. The only hint of sarcasm can be found in Frank’s deliberately snide singing and the vocal harmonies.
The funky “In France” features a guest vocal turn from famed blues/funk guitarist and singer Johnny “Guitar” Watson. He delivers a great reading of the lyrics, which are bursting with trademark Zappa toilet humor, and which come drenched in a mischievous harmonica solo. According to Frank, Watson’s 1956 track “Three Hours Past Midnight” was what inspired him to become a guitarist. Watson had already worked with Frank on the masterpiece “One Size Fits All” (1975) and on the albums “Thing-Fish” (1984) and “Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention” (1985), which is further proof of how highly the legendary composer rated this guitar great. “Ya Hozna” is packed with thunderous voices and dissonant singing recorded backwards. It’s really a grotesque collage of vocalizations from earlier tracks like “Sofa No. 2”, “Lonely Little Girl” and an unreleased version of “Drafted Again”, with lead vocals by Frank’s older daughter Moon Unit, who became famous for the unforgettable burlesque “Valley Girl”.
“Sharleena” is an interesting reworking of Frank’s own 1970 classic, first heard on the iconic album “Chunga’s Revenge”. This beloved love ballad, one of Frank’s most approachable creations, enriched with charmingly witty vocal harmonies, features a vivid guitar solo from the fingers of his older son Dweezil (his very first officially released guitar solo), while Steve Vai just holds down the rhythm and every so often tosses in some of his cocky but still entertaining improvised flourishes. The fusion instrumental “Sinister Footwear II” is a rock version of the second ballet theme, soaked in a mysterious atmosphere and loaded with plenty of combative guitar solos. The sprawling mix of scattered improvisations and dramatic orchestral motifs sounds like the soundtrack to some horror flick.
“Truck Driver Divorce” is a social burlesque seasoned with a hefty gallon of toilet humor, which really comes alive through Frank’s mugging vocal delivery. Once again there’s a razor-sharp guitar solo from the maestro’s fingers, which in places sounds like the whimpering of a heartbroken puppy. “Stevie’s Spanking”, as its title suggests, is a solo guitar orgasm from the ‘little Italian virtuoso’, a piece he often played live under that title, frequently during guitar duels with Frank. The lyrics, sung by multi-instrumentalist Bobby Martin, are a chapter of their own, telling of Vai’s bizarre, sadomasochistic sexual adventure. As for how much truth there is to that story, anyone who’s curious can go find out for themselves. “Baby, Take Your Teeth Out” is a rowdy burlesque with playful vocals from Ike Willis and the female backing singers, and it also features a great keyboard solo from Tommy Mars.
The highly experimental instrumental “Marque-son’s Chicken” is a real fusion bomb with a wild Frank guitar solo that just won’t leave your head long after you’ve listened. “Planet of My Dreams” is a short burlesque about the increasingly corrupt way of life on planet Earth, with Bob Harris singing in a voice that sounds like it’s coming from the bathroom. “Be In My Video” is probably the funniest thing on the whole album, thanks already to Frank’s opening “ram-bam-bam-bimbo” vocal bit. Meanwhile Bobby Martin handles the cheeky falsetto vocal inserts and playful saxophone flourishes. The lyrics make fun of eighties pop culture and, indirectly, poke fun at the fake morals of politicians and clergymen who publicly cover their eyes in front of TV ‘starlets’ while secretly pining for them.
The title track is an instrumental built from Frank’s solo and the sounds of Thunes’s mini-moog, backed by Wackerman’s drum improvisation. “Frogs With Dirty Little Hipps” features a vocal contribution from Ahmet Zappa, the younger son, which means practically every member of the Zappa family is on the album, except the younger daughter Diva and wife Gail. The whole thing sounds like a children’s song with dissonant frog croaking and mugging vocal harmonies over a fat bass line from the legendary Arthur Barrow. The closing “Whippin’ Post”, by far the most rockin’ and therefore heaviest track on the album, is a cover of The Allman Brothers classic with a great vocal performance from Bobby Martin. Of course there’s no shortage of fusion touches this time either, led by a bristling guitar solo. It’s one of the few covers Frank played at the audience’s request when he was in an especially good mood.
“Them Or Us” is a great cross-section of Frank’s creative output from the period before his interest in electric guitar duels slowly began to fade and he started favoring jazz fusion, classical and even computer music. Even though it’s not one of his classic albums and is often overlooked even by devoted fans, it’s still another superb record that deserves the full attention of lovers of highly experimental music and good humor. With all of Frank’s genius as a composer, arranger and guitarist, it happens all too often that many forget that first and foremost he was an inimitable entertainer with a unique and varied brand of humor, who cared most that his audience have a good time and maybe even come away with some new musical or philosophical insight.
Lineup
Frank Zappa – guitar, keyboards, vocals, arranger, producer, lead performer, assistant
Tommy Mars – keyboards, backing vocals
Patrick O’Hearn – bass guitar, wind
Scott Thunes – vocals, Minimoog, synthesizer, bass guitar
Johnny “Guitar” Watson – vocals, guitar
Ray White – guitar, vocals, backing vocals
Moon Unit Zappa – vocals
Ed Mann – percussion
Chad Wackerman – drums, backing vocals
Ike Willis – vocals, backing vocals
Arthur Barrow – bass guitar
Napoleon Murphy Brock – saxophone, vocals
Brad Cole – piano
Roy Estrada – vocals, backing vocals, bass guitar
Bob Harris – keyboards, vocals, backing vocals
Thana Harris – vocals
Steve Vai – guitar
Dweezil Zappa – guitar
George Duke – keyboards, vocals, piano
Bobby Martin – keyboards, vocals, backing vocals, harmonica
Production
Frank Zappa
Track list
1. The Closer You Are
2. In France
3. Ya Hozna
4. Sharleena
5. Sinister Footwear II
6. Truck Driver Divorce
7. Stevie’s Spanking
8. “Baby, Take Your Teeth Out”
9. Marque-Son’s Chicken
10. Planet Of My Dreams
11. Be In My Video
12. Them Or Us
13. Frogs With Dirty Little Lips
14. Whippin’ Post
