Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Often panned as too commercial, it's really a brilliant coup, February 6, 2001
"Over-nite Sensation" was a blatant tongue-in-cheek title for this recording because Frank Zappa knew that was exactly what this recording would become in his catalogue: an overnight sensation. And that's what it did, became Zappa's best selling and most popular album at the time of its release, gathering him an entire new group of fans to both ridicule and entertain. It was also a logical step in Zappa's evolution as both a musician and composer.Often panned by many Zappaphiles as being too commercial, the album nonetheless contains some of Zappa's most brilliant satire as well as some of his tightest compositions. If you are new to Zappa, or are just moderately familiar with some of his tunes, this is the album to begin with. But don't be fooled by the seemingly simple riffs and hooks employed in these songs. As singer Ricky Lancelotti chants on Fifty-fifty: "I figure the odds be fifty-fifty that I just might have something to say!" Because in this album Zappa takes his most succinct stab at popular culture. His satire on America's pop culture was so cunning that he even managed to gain a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live on NBC and played "The Slime", a scathing commentary on the innane content of today's (and yesterday's) television programming. Talk about irony! But perhaps what makes this recording so exceptional is the tight musicianship of the players, and the exceptional skill displayed by the players. Zappa's guitar solos on Zomby Woof and Montana still give me shivers up and down my spine, and despite being 42, I still have to crank the volume when these tunes come on. Out of Zappa's entire catalogue, this was his most brilliant and most complete package. He had many other fine recordings, but none quite repeat the brilliance this release had. If I could give it six stars I would, just to set it apart from the others that I rate with five stars.
|
|
|
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The over-nite sensation - accessible..., March 11, 2003
...but that still doesn't say too much, as this still contains traces of Frank Zappa's absurd humor laced with complex, virtuosic and tasteful musicianship, but more succint and balanced. You can find a nice serving of jazz, country, classical and rock on some of these tracks."Camarillo Brillo" starts the disc off in a tasteful country-rock fashion. Frank's guitar playing in particular is tasty. Also, in my humble opinion, he does a good job on his vocals. To take it a step further, I think Frank had a decent enough voice to hold a good note, without needing to resort to hiding his vocal insecurities behind the façade of a comedic vocalist. That's just my hunch, but I could be wrong. Many may think I'm crazy for thinking all of that, but, that's fine. "I'm The Slime" many people may know, as it opens with a fabulous guitar solo. Funny, but somewhat accurate lyrics on what effect television can have on the mind. "Dirty Love" is a short, playful number. "50/50" (or Fifty-Fifty) is a hilarious number featuring the screechy and grating vocals of Ricky Lancelotti. Should provide many listeners with an appreciation for absurd humor plenty of laughs. There's also an extended instrumental jam section near the end. Frank in general is playing some accomplished guitar solos. "Zomby Woof" features some bizarre, mind-twisting musicianship. To say it's impressive would be an understatement. "Dinah-Moe Humm" is the controversial track on the album. While funny, it can be considered downright nasty and offensive, as the [] lyrics are fairly graphic. "Montana" is the number discussing a guy moving to Montana and raising a crop of dental floss. Not sure what the significance of this was, but I do find it funny, as well as enjoying the unpredictable twists and turns, musically speaking. The thought of something from Zappa being considered accessible may turn some Zappa purists off. However, it's still weird, and Zappa has not lost his knack for virtuosic composition and instrumentation, as they both can be found scattered throughout the album. Absolutely worth having for fans of Zappa's humor and musicianship, as this serves as a perfect balance of both.
|
|
|
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just Frank doin' his thing, March 22, 2005
I don't believe, as other reviewers have stated, Zappa set out to make a blatenly commercial album with Overnite Sensation. This was the inevitable direction the band had been heading since 1970 (in Zappa terms that can & does mean a 6-8 album span). The songs were still indescribable as anything but Zappa compositions, still retained the fresh originality that he brought to almost everything he touched and contained more wit (and wisdom) than most of Zappa's recordings since the early Mothers of Invention records. At this stage, Zappa could afford to hire better musicians and of course better production facilities were available which tended to give this album a glossy veneer that previous albums didn't have (although Zappa always strived for the best in both production and musicianship). Overnite Sensation is definitely a great jump off point for the uninitiated, as is Sheikyerbouti or Apostrophe, but I don't necessisarily think fans of those albums are going to like Grand Wazoo or Uncle Meat. I have friends who like the unexpurgated Zappa but could care less for his instrumental and compositional recordings and I have friends that are vice versa, and I also know people (myself included)who love and appreciate his work as a whole. What I am trying to say in a wordy way is, commericiality, when applied to Zappa's music is in the eye of the beholder. Most fans of top 40 music are not going think this commercial at all, but Zappa fans may think it so because it has more conventional song structures and such. I tend to think of later recordings such as Joe's Garage and Tinseltown Rebellion as having more commercial potential than this.
To cut this short (forgive my ramblings, I am very passionate about Zappa's music), this is a great album as a starting point for those unfamiliar with Frank Zappa. If it is appealing then by all means explore further, if you like his dirty little ditties head towards Sheikyerbouti, Joe's Garage or Tinseltown Rebellion (and especially the compilation Have I Offended Someone?). If you are impressed by his musical chops, head towards Uncle Meat, Grand Wazoo or The Yellow Shark and if you like his social satire head towards Freak Out, We're Only In It For the Money and Them or Us. It's all great to me!!!!
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
~ Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention
~ Frank Zappa
~ Frank Zappa
~ Frank Zappa
~ Frank Zappa,the Mothers
See all Editorial Reviews
by Frank Zappa 
