Frank Zappa - Orchestral Favorites

Orchestral Favorites features several Frank Zappa's instrumental melodies rendered by a very large big band bordering on classical orchestra combining electric combo (bass, drums, electric keyboards) with the vast array of woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion. The 37 piece lineup is known as Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Orchestra (a tag FZ also used for the entire line up on Lumpy Gravy album). This is a fairly inventive fusion of orchestral music and electric sonorities of rock. Not only does the listener get electric organs and synthesizer along with electric bass and a guitar solo during one of the numbers, there are also touches like wah pedal on viola and creative stereo-panning. This is one of the outstanding examples of Zappa's skills regarding musical synthesis.

The drummer here is none other than Terry Bozzio, having already appeared on the Bongo Fury tour in Spring 1975. Apparently this was where he proved to be the true monster drummer for the first time. A critic, blown away by his drumming during the orchestral shows in September 1975, called him the drummer with a future. And it shows. Not only is Bozzio providing strong and loaded backbeat to the majestically arranged "Duke of Prunes" (which also features a feedback heavy guitar solo in the middle), but he also fights himself through the advanced rhythmical labyrynths on the denser numbers such as the ultra-dissonant "Pedro's Dowry" or the multi-sectioned "Bogus Pomp". This 13 minute piece blends several items from the 200 Motels album (off which a fine instrumental version of "Strictly Genteel" is also included) and is made up from several sections ranging from dissonance and atonalism to accessible and memorable melodies. It's also said to be a parody of movie music clichès. Actually the entire album suggests how Zappa might have scored a soundtrack for films, given not only the cinematic qualities of orchestration, but also the inclusion of material Zappa had used in movies (200 Motels material, plus "Duke of Prunes" was originally featured in "Run Home Slow" film). The dissonant pieces could also work well in a soundtrack for a horror movie or a motion picture about some ecological disaster or something (years later FZ wrote a piece called "Outrage At Valdez" which indeed was used in a documentary regarding pollution). The music on this album is very vivid and are played accordingly by musicians. Essential orchestral Zappa.