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The Mothers of Invention (Frank Zappa)
Description
Frank Zappa's *Burnt Weeny Sandwich* (1970) stands as a curious artifact of the late-1960s Mothers of Invention catalog, issued after the dissolution of the original band and composed of both studio and live recordings assembled from the vault. It's essentially a posthumous release that reclaims forgotten Mothers tracks, yet it resists being pigeonholed. While it dips into structured compositions and avant-garde experimentation, the album bookends two covers: the raucous, doo-wop-style "WPLJ," featuring Roy Estrada's Pachuco rap and Janet Ferguson's backing vocals, and the comparatively tame ballad "Valarie." The title itself derives from a burnt Hebrew National hot dog, a snack Zappa favored, proving his penchant for the mundane and the absurd.
Ian Underwood's contributions-piano, woodwinds, and saxophones-are vital here, particularly on the sprawling centerpiece "Little House I Used to Live In," a 18-minute composite of distinct sections recorded at different times and places. The track features compound meters, including 11/8 and 6/8, overlaid with melodies in 4/4, before ending with an organ solo recorded at Whitney Studios in Glendale, followed by Zappa speaking to a London audience. It's a studio trick so seamless it masquerades as a continuous performance, a hallmark of Zappa's compositional cunning. The guitar solo in "Theme from Burnt Weeny Sandwich" is an outtake from an extended version of "Lonely Little Girl," later overdubbed by Art Tripp on percussion.
Cover art by Cal Schenkel-originally commissioned for an Eric Dolphy release-features a triple-folded black-and-white poster announcing "The Mothers of Invention Sincerely Regret to Inform You," a tongue-in-cheek nod to the band's self-aware mockery of media and commerce. *Burnt Weeny Sandwich* was reissued in 1975 alongside *Weasels Ripped My Flesh* as *2 Originals of the Mothers of Invention*, complete with a gatefold cover depicting a revolver shooting toothpaste onto a toothbrush-a visual gag that perfectly encapsulates Zappa's irreverent spirit.
<https://www.allmusic.com/album/burnt-weeny-sandwich-mw0000268953> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnt_Weeny_Sandwich>
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