The Frank Zappa Review Page

 

You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Volume 6 (1995)

 

This was the six and final release from the series of live Frank Zappa albums. It made commercial sense I guess to take all the excerpts from various concerts and knock out six albums. This is arguably the most “pop” orientated of the live releases. Not one but two sides of typical Zappa pop rock satire. The songs on this album range from 1970 – 1988. I feel that Zappa’s “pop/rock” albums can be either excellent (Have I Offended Someone?) or very mediocre (Sheik Yerbouti). I hope this doesn’t make me a hypocrite but I see this album somewhere in between.

           The album starts with “The Poodle Lecture” and “Dirty Love” which is a classic song and is done well. Then there are some less well known tracks to follow like “Magic Fingers” . Then there is the classic “Father O’Blivion” and “I’m So Cute”. “Miss Pinky”, “Shove It Right In” and “Wind Up Working In A Gas Station” are not some of my favourite Zappa tracks so make the mid part of the album less exciting for me. The album picks up towards of disc one the end as indeed the crowd do with “Dinah Moe Hum” , “ I have Been In You” and the great “Camerillo Brillo” which was performed superbly, it ends with “Muffin Man”. So Plenty of Zappa classic pop songs to get you in the mood here. I find that on Zappa’s album’s particularly the two CD ones there can be a lot of filler material and long guitar solos on the second discs, this is not the case here thankfully!

          The side opens with “Illinois Enema Bandit” and goes along with “Lobster Girl and “Black Knapkins”. “We’re Turning Again” is a very original reworking of the original, then there’s the notorious “Catholic Girls” which needs no introduction. The latter part of disc two is arguably the best part of the whole album. “Tryin’ to Grow A Chin” is superb, the best version I have ever heard, “Take Your Clothes Off When” is typically listenable the album plays out with “Strictly Genteel”. The good thing in a way about this release is that it is generally easy listening Zappa there are no long guitar solo’s or drawn out passages that annoy me a lot! I think there is something to entertain every Zappa fan on this album but wherein perhaps lies the problem. There are so many songs from so many albums that there is little or no continuity to the album and it does look like a patchwork job, which indeed it is. Also for every very good song there are two filler songs so there are parts of the album you never really want to listen to that much. But the good parts are very good and it is interesting to see Zappa’s live interpretation of classic songs that does add some spice to this release. All in all not nearly one of Zappa’s best releases and at $30 or there about not cheap. It deserves a reasonable rating though because there are some very good re -workings on here as well as some bad ones!. Not essential to your collection but it is no dud.

 

Rating – 62%