Frank Zappa & The Mothers: Over-Nite Sensation

admin on Jul 24th 2004

Frank Zappa and The Mother’s “Over-Nite Sensation” serves as an excellent introduction to Zappa’s vast back catalogue. In some ways, his trademark (and often over-the-top) humour and satire seems more restrained on this album than others, in favour of simply getting down to the nitty-gritty of turning out some exceptional funky-rock compositions.

The album rumbles to a start with the exhilarating, rolling drums of Ralph Humphrey, ingrained deep all over the album, but particularly here, on the easy-going “Camarillo Brillo,” where the lead guitar skims out effortlessly after every line. Though containing plenty of humorous imagery, Zappa stays surprisingly focused to maintain the dynamic of this self-contained little ditty, ambling through nonchalantly and filling it out with an arrangement of descending horns.

With “I’m the slime,” a crackling guitar jangle settles down for some Funkadelic-esque 70s funk (coincidentally, George Clinton has been known to cover this song live). In a pattern present throughout the album, the track is filled with riffs and computer-like tones that escalate, oscillate, and fall while being added to and fleshed out each time. Zappa’s voice (post-throat accident) lowers into a Vincent Price-like whisper while the music fades into the background as a porn-like soundtrack until it becomes whipped into shape by that infectious hook. Classic.

The funk continues with the brilliantly snappy “Dirty Love,” complete with a fantastic solo so scratchy, it’s the equivalent of a headless chicken dancing wildly before its death. Zappa voice’s drops down a further octave or two as if to become the voice of Satan himself, barging in to the verse with: “I only got one destination, and that’s your dirty love…”

The slightly-grating “Fifty-Fifty,” a mess of sleazy brown funk, becomes intoxicated by the screech of Ricky Lancelotti – if this one feels like too much for you, just remember that underlying even this cabaret of the burlesque outing, the musicianship on this album never lets you down, i.e. the amazing violin solo (of all things) that pops into the picture here courtesy of Jean-Luc Ponty.

Yet again, a tumbling cacophony of sounds straightens up and falls into place with the crunching “Zombie Woof,” falling towards you with a deep voiced Zappa at the helm once more. The riffs here feel like strands from classical pieces, reflecting the composer in Zappa. On first listen, it might seem a little overwhelming, but once you know where you are in Zappa’s mad-hatter carnival, this track will learn to take you over.

The smutty, light-hearted anecdote of “Dinah-Moe Humm,” a veritable live-action scene with characters, is sung like a farce of a musical staged in a tacky, run-down 70s motel room… by a chorus of afro-headed back-up singers… in hot pants… under a row of neon “XXX” lights – enough said. With a slower, sleeker sound that does something to foresee the likes of Money Mark years later, “Montana,” sees Zappa croon of his plans to become a tycoon by raising lonely dental floss in Montana. The ridiculous is set aside for another rip-roaring solo and a funky-as-hell bass cleft, before an artificial falsetto that spills over the song uncontrollably, and a well-executed hook sung by (an uncredited) Tina Turner and The Ikettes appearance closes out the album. By far the most accessible of the dozens of Zappa’s albums available, “Over-Nite Sensation” is rocking, funky, and fun.