Customer Reviews

Cheap Thrills

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a real slop it together compilation of some of frank's work, it's a fairly weak selection. You're curious about zappa and you want to get started. You buy this album. You think- not bad, but not that great. It's worth the money but 'for a few dollars more' you can buy one of frank's many classic albums. Let's have a look at what's on offer here.

There are some portions of dialogue from 'playground psychotics'. This material is amusing, i am talking about the mudshark interview. But for newcomers, it will hardly entice you to further investigation of that album (pp ranks low down in the zappa album rankings anyway).

Most of the songs are live, which is not a problem because frank's live stuff is great. But we are given a live version of bobby brown (from ycdtosa vol3) in which ike willis, ray white and frank zappa giggle for most of the song. It's funny, but a first time listener is denied hearing the full splendour of bobby brown with complete obscene lyrics. On vol3 after bobby brown they jump straight into 'keep it greasy', they giggle some more but it's a great rendition-this would have worked well on the cheap thrills album i think. Moving on to other songs, joe's garage (also from vol3) is featured , a good but not spectacular song. My guitar wants to kill your mama is good but the version on 'weasels ripped my flesh' is the one to hear. 'catholic girls',the 2nd song from the joes garage album, is well played by 1988 band. (get that album,'joe's garage'). We have a great 1988 tour rendition of 'hot plate heaven in the green hotel' with a good zappa guitar solo. And a great 1982 zomby woof with another good solo.

This album could have done with more zappa guitar playing. ...Captain beefheart features in 'the torture never stops', a 1975 concert from the bongo fury tour. This is a great song and beefheart sings a bit like howlin wolf.

'You are what you is' is the 'thingfish' version. It's an ok song. 'Thingfish' is the least loved zappa album. (Just read the reviews.)

There's a good instrumental 'we are not alone' from the man from utopia album. I recommend this album if you want a good laugh, even if it isn't one of frank's best. Cheap thrills could have used more zappa instrumentals for sure.

The song 'cheap thrills' from 1968's ruben and the jets is a good opener, a good little song, and deserves inclusion. Actually, they could have put more of frank's classic 60s music on this disc. You'll just have to check out these 1960s mothers albums yourself. They're all great.

My verdict on the album is that it's a bit of a hodgepodge of odds and ends and some strong material, but you really want to check out the source albums. you won't regret it! ...

Any compilation in a storm, if it's put together w/ love and this one is. But if you're new to FZ's music this'll get ya goin' right nicely but then get your ears into the albums he himself made. AND check out the tribute albums by Jean-Luc Ponty, The Persuasions, Ensemble Modern...The FZ catalog is a rich American treasure.

This is a great value here, espescially if you're new to Frank. There are thirteen GREAT songs here that are fun from start to finish and there is no so such thing as "too much FZ" in your cd collection. Reccommended to everyone.

sampling of Zappa at all stages. An inexpensive way to begin your Zappa journey, which weve all been waiting for, because before the cd became the popular medium, you'd be forking over big, big bucks if you wanted to hear him. This is the easy one to get into of the two "cheap thrills" titles, but by no means should you be intimidated, go in up to your knees this time and get "Son Of Cheep Thrills" next.

If you're looking for a good start into the world of Frank Zappa's music, this is a good place to start. This album has more classic songs than Zappa's Strictly Commercial, and is considerably cheaper. There are original recordings, live versions, and clips from movies he's produced. The CD also includes a mulitmedia catalog of all Frank's albums with bio information on him and his band. There's also a pretty nifty gallery of covers from his albums. I recommend this, not only for those interested in broadening their horizons with Frank's music, but with expanding their already copious Zappa collections. This album is very well rounded and informative to the listener. I recommend this CD to anyone interested.

I came to Zappa as a child when he was in his prime, and came back as an adult just as impressed with his clever ideas, musicianship and ideas. I love his sense of humor and irreverence. I have only owned two Zappa albums but will probably purchase more since listening to this one.

To echo other reviews, this is a great cd for either the Zappa "beginner" or longtime Zappa freaks with extensive collections. It would be a bargain at twice the price.

Don't be fooled by the low price of this album. Frank and his huge entourage are at their best on this mixture of live and studio recordings. As usual, the live work is impeccable, with the chemistry between the musicians obvious. Listen for yourself on the back-and-forth humor between Ike Willis and FZ on "Bobby Brown..." It's hilarious and very genuine.

"Cheap Thrills" displays the musical genius as well as hysterical lyrics and the usual social-ridiculing that you should expect from FZ. It's certainly worth the six bucks.

Matt

Frank Zappa's music covered a lot of topics and explored many themes musically. Over the years Zappa released countless albums, at one point even rereleasing identical copies of bootlegs in his "beat the boots" effort. His catalog of music is endless, so knowing where to start is difficult when approaching his music. Cheap Thrills was an attempt to induct the uninitiated. It is an one approached to his music, but most Zappa fans would call it incomplete and even misleading. Is it a good compilation? Yes, by all means, the live version of Joes Garage is especially good. But the problem is it does not paint a correct picture of Zappa overall, but I do not think a compilation can be made which accomplishes such. If you want to introduce yourself to Zappa I think you should start with one of the normal releases, not here. Pick up Joe's Garage or Hot Rats perhaps. This compilation is a curiosity, but will not expose you to the Zappa that fans know and love. But to those who already have an appreciation for Zappa there is merit in the collection, but not necessarily anything new you cannot find somewhere else in your collection.

....subtitled "Who Needs Respect When Review Readers Can Click the 'Yes' or the 'No' Helpful Button"

....subsubitled "Even If Mad Genius Comes Once In A Lifetime...We Sure Need a Little Bit Of It Now!"

You can bully me for not trying to be a mainstream kinda Amazon review writer, you can cast stones at me for not at least trying to find products that bear any resemblence to being politically correct and currently civilized and you can delete my name from your lists of favorite reviewers...this is a very, very good CD. It's for all the dudes who go..."Life sucks! But I can still laugh at a pie in the face". This is like a pie in many faces.

The listener may be inclined to ignore that this is 'real' music. Don't do so. The only sequencing tricks is between the tracks. A cast of thousands including Captain Beefheart, Eric Carman, and George Duke supply the rock/blues/jazz/kitchensink genre jumping musicmanship. And the lyrics has just about something to insult and provoke evvybody. If you don't find yourself either laughing or cringing at the perverse humor in "Catholic Girls" or "The Mudshark Interview", etc, etc, etc...then, maybe....well, we all know maybe the only humorless folks in existence are upper-upper-upper class housewives who live upstate and Jesse Helms.

This CD however nohow scratches the surface of the voliminous
Zappa and Mothers catalog. You will enjoy this CD and you will be forced to seek out other Zappa productions.

And, I'd like to close out with a FZ quote that I think is kinda appropriate to a lot of people--musicians, review writers, cowboy stars, rebels without a cause and so forth. "In this business ya either play the blues or sing with a high voice."
("Whaddiya Do? You join the Mothers.")

Give me my shades and my mouth harp. Wrote a song about it, wanna hear it, here it goes.