BOIL THAT DUST SPECK

Mike Keneally's second album was every bit as good as his first (which is saying a lot). It's somewhat darker than Hat, but that's understandable, coming out right after the deaths of both his father, and his mentor, Frank Zappa. And like Hat this album was a godsend for those of us in the thralls of Zappa's demise.

The music is incredible. Like Zappa, Kennealy's music at this time was prone to go off in any direction at any time. Which isn't to say Keneally is a Zappa clone, but he learned enough from his stint in Zappa's band to infuse a similar type of irreverence into the music.

Everything on this disk is great, but special mention must go to the trio of songs, Them Dolphins Is Smart, 1988 Was A Million Years Ago (a reference to the great 1988 Zappa tour, which Keneally was a huge part of), and Yep, Them Dolphins Is Smart, Alright. These songs are some of the best RIO/Symphonic/Fusion blend Kennealy has made.

And Yes fans should listen to Faithful Axe, a piece made up ok Keneally playing various snippets from a variety of Yes classics, while singing pseudo-Yes lyrics in an Anderson(sort of)-like falsetto.