THE GRAND WAZOO

This album is absolutely indispensable. No matter how many times I listen to it, I still feel it the first time because its content is so fresh and original that it always feels like a brand new discovery. Frank ZAPPA had already created two excellent Jazz songs in his previous record "Waka/Jawaka", but in "The Grand Wazoo" there was no poor filler songs in the middle, in fact, the whole album, with the five songs it contains, is in the highest level of creativity and musical quality.

"The Grand Wazoo" is filled with the most amazing mixtures of jazz, rock, and classical music, almost an entirely instrumental work that goes and goes for scarce 37 minutes swimming across the most diverse and complex compositions played by a huge amount of extremely talented musicians, what could possibly go wrong?

"The Grand Wazoo" is an enormous piece (not only because is the longest song on the album but also because it's probably the most interesting and eclectic one of all; excellent percussions all over the piece accompanied with a very groovy guitar line at the beginning, a very jammy trumpet solo that reminds Dizzy GILLESPIE and very casual symphonic arrangements in the background from time to time. "For Calvin (and his next two hitch-hikers)" has a much more relaxed and slow rhythm, but the mood is kind of obscure; it includes a great percussion exploration in the middle section and a very strong presence of trumpets and saxes.

"Cletus Arweetus-Awrightus" has a much less jazz-stylized keyboard section and a very rocky guitar line accompanied by the voices of ZAPPA and his guest musicians (not singing but vocalizing). "Eat that question" is the closest the album got to Hard Rock: the percussions are very powerful and they go accompanied by the nice solo played by George DUKE; ZAPPA played here one of his best guitar solos and one of his most catchy riffs. No wind instruments were included in this piece until the very end of the song. "Blessed relief" is one the jazziest pieces of the record: the trumpet line is unforgettable and the calm drums, bass, and keyboards patterns are delightful.

There is absolutely no single moment of this record that has a slight lack of creativity and magnificence. This is an indisputable masterpiece of Progressive Rock and Jazz.

SONG RATING: The Grand Wazoo, 5 For Calvin (and his next two hitch-hikers), 5 Cletus Arweetus-Awrightus, 5 Eat that question, 5 Blessed relief, 5

AVERAGE: 5

PERCENTAGE: 100

ALBUM RATING: 5 stars

I ranked this album #22 on my TOP 100 favorite Progressive Rock albums of all time.

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