Andy, the anthem that marks the summit of side 2 of One Size Fits All, is in many ways the culmination of what you might call Frank Zappa's FM rock phase (although I remember his records getting surprisingly little airplay even on the most "progressive" radio stations). FZ always surrounded himself with great talent, but the band on this album was nothing short of awesome. By the time you get to Andy, you have already heard, among other highlights, an incredible workout by drummer Chester Thompson and (mallets) percussionist Ruth Underwood on Inca Roads, and a great vocal performance by Johnny Guitar Watson on San 'Berdino (backed by FZ and George Duke playing rhythm), but you will still won't be ready for this epic. One solo by FZ, with Chester Thompson providing superb counterpoint, leads to another, longer solo on the out-chorus, with the rhythm section pushing him all the way to the end. It's a tremendous performance, one that no doubt took a lot of time and effort to put together. It's one of FZ's finest moments, and one of his best solos.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorA lawyer who likes to write music commentary. Archives
January 2020
Categories |