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Frank Zappa: Over-Nite Sensation
Originally Released: September 7, 1973
Genres: Rock, Comedy
Rating: 4 out of 10
I had just gotten onto a bus in high school when I noticed my friend Justin motioning for me to come to his seat. I walked back a few rows and sat down next to him. He was wearing headphones and listening to a portable CD player (kids, that's like an olde-timey MP3 player). He took his headphones off and handed them to me, saying, "Dude, listen to this," with a wide smile on his face. I eagerly put the headphones on to hear what was being offered to me. It turned out to be a random Frank Zappa song off of a random Frank Zappa album. I don't remember the name of it, or any specifics about the song. I do remember that the lyrics were quite dirty, but humorous. This is the primary reason why Justin showed it to me. I laughed, took off my headphones, and let him continue to listen to his latest musical discovery.
That was my first and only run-in with Zappa before last week. I kinda wish it would've stayed that way.
Truthfully, Frank Zappa has some amazing skills as both a lyricist and a musician (that guitar...whoah). I have the lyrics to "Camarillo Brillo" in front of me right now, and it reads like a short story, not song lyrics. That's quite an achievement for any artist, much less one like Zappa who I have to assume didn't take himself too seriously. I mean, if he did, maybe his lyrics wouldn't enter the gross-out department so often; or perhaps he would release an album maybe once every few years as opposed to several a year as he did for much of his career.
But my biggest problem with Zappa isn't the shoddy nature of the work, but more just how everything comes together. I'm all one for having fun in music, even if that fun is quite juvenile. But too often the lighthearted comedy of Zappa's lyrics don't flow well with the mastery of his guitar, or the brilliant rock work of the rest of his band. To me, it feels like they're clashing, constantly battling for supremacy until I ultimately just lose complete interest.
This is clearly an album that is not meant for all audiences. Some will get it, others will not. Zappa's so renowned in the rock world that it leads me to believe that I simply don't understand exactly what he's trying to accomplish with Over-Nite Sensation. When you have such an extensive catalogue, as Frank does, I would think it'd be difficult for me, let alone anyone, to fully grasp the concept without at least listening to 2 or 3 albums. That theory alone makes me question whether or not this can be considered a classic album. Assuming I'm entirely wrong, what makes this one classic? Is it the fact that it was his commercial breakthrough, or is it really just that good? Let's discuss this in the comments, because as disappointed as I am by Over-Nite Sensation, I'm not entirely ready to give up on Zappa yet.
Verdict: Overrated