Zoot Allures in Bloomington, MN

Zoot Allures
, released in October 1976, is mostly a studio album (there are some basic live tracks, as in the title track and
"Black Napkins"
) featuring a revolving cast of musicians who, oddly, do not correspond to the ones pictured on the album cover (for instance,
Patrick O'Hearn
and
Eddie Jobson
did not contribute). Compared to previous releases like
One Size Fits All
,
Roxy & Elsewhere
, or even
Over-Nite Sensation
, and to upcoming ones such as
Zappa in New York
Studio Tan
, or
Sheik Yerbouti
sounds very stripped down to bare essentials.
Zappa
focused on limited instrumentation, lots of bass, and whispered vocals to create a masterpiece of dark, slow, sleazy
rock
. Except for the opening and closing numbers (
"Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station"
"Disco Boy"
), all the material is slow to medium tempo with
delivering the closest he'll ever get to a crooner vocal performance.
"The Torture Never Stops"
is the highlight, ten minutes of suggestive lyrics, crawling riffs, searing solos, and female screams of pain. That song and
became classic tracks;
"Zoot Allures"
rate among the man's best guitar solos. Historical note: The album was first devised as a two-LP set and would have included
"Sleep Dirt,"
"Filthy Habits,"
"The Ocean Is the Ultimate Solution,"
which all also fit the mood. Although humor has not been completely evacuated,
comes through as a much more serious
record. Yet, it is more than a transitional album; it represents one of
's strongest accomplishments. ~ Francois Couture