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Epicurus.com - Burnt Weeny Sandwich
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List Price: $11.98
Our Price: $11.98
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0014431050923
Format: Original recording remastered
Label: Zappa Records
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Zappa Records
Release Date: 1995-05-02
Studio: Zappa Records
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Editorial Reviews:
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Japanese limited edition reissue of 1969 album, packaged in a miniature gatefold LP sleeve.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Zappa Thrills Listeners!
Comment: This album is hilarious at times with songs like WPLJ, and the instrumental arrangements are testaments to Zappa's skilled, unrestrained manner of musical expression.
Customer Rating:
Summary: This IS a Tasty Little Sucker
Comment: First, a bit of trivia. Cal Schenkl once told me that the fabulous Burnt Weeie Sandwich album cover was actually originally commissioned for an Eric Dolphy release. Now that IS interesting considering that Dolphy was one of Zappa's early influences. Ok. On with the review.
Burnt Weenie Sandwich along with Weasels Ripped My Flesh were put together by Zappa shortly after he called the band out to his house in Laurel Canyon to announce he was disbanding The Mothers. Both releases are definitely worth owning. Both would have been "assembled" during the period Zappa was working on Hot Rats. Both releases are made up of live and studio tracks recorded between 1967 and 1969. Weenie is more focused on some of Zappa's formal ensemble writing while Weasels has more of a jazz feel and more live tracks as well. I would say that Burnt Weenie Sandwich is probably the stronger of the two releases but they are both excellent.
As I wrote above, Burnt Weenie Sandwich seems to focus more on Zappa's "classical" and ensemble writing, in fact, some of this music found its way into 200 Motels a couple of years later; played by a full orchestra. The knowledgeable listener will recognize little pieces like the overture ( Semi Fraudulent/Direct From Hollywood Overture aka "When I Go Out On the Road to go Touring") There's a wide variety of musical styles here including a nostalgic rocker "WPLJ" and a doo-wop (perhaps a Ruben and the Jets out-take) called "Valerie". One of the "classic" pieces recalls Spike Jones in that it includes bicycle horns (the little squeeze bulb horn). There's even a "baroque" duet (Aybe Sea) with Underwood on piano and Zappa on acoustic guitar.
Now, the center piece is of Weenie is by far "The Little House I Used to Live In", a suite of pieces recorded both live and in the studio that are welded together into a single 15 + minute piece. Little House starts off with a piano introduction played by Ian Underwood, a sort of atonal "recital" type piece. This segues into a kind of prog rock thing that reminds me of European folk dance music. I swear, it sounds like 10,000 instruments playing in places here. There isn't a mellotron credited in the notes but it sure sounds like there is one present. This may just be the magic of the Wurlitzer organ that, at the time, was probably the most advanced piece of electronic equipment widely available for purchase (see Alice Coltrane to learn more about the Wurlitzer). Any way, this wild folk piece has its own little interlude that all Zappa fans will recognize as "The Mudshark" theme, then it's back into that sort of East European folk-dance thing - I almost expect guys with big wool hats, boots, and handle-bar mustaches to come leaping into the room dancing about whenever this plays. Ok, are you paying attention? Because This piece then develops into a scorching blues violin intro by Don Sugarcane Harris for a jazz-rocker with a REALLY jazzy piano solo by Ian Underwood (playing as I type these words in fact). Then that violin just keeps coming back again and again, building in blistering intensity each time he comes back in to do his "Sugarcane" thing. This is then followed by a wonderful ensemble interlude that has Zappa playing a wah-wah guitar over Don Preston playing harpsichord,Ian Underwood playing bassoon and Art Tripp on vibes. It's a beautiful, dreamy little piece of music that some how works right along with the jazz blues piece before it.
Little House is truly an amazing accomplishment, but then Zappa was THE master at making disparate things work wonderfully together. The whole thing is topped off with a wild Wurlitzer organ solo (played by Zappa himself) from a live performance, presumably in England as at the conclusion a disturbance breaks out and you can hear a "bobby" instructing an individual to return to his seat.
I consider both Burnt Weenie Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh important Mothers' releases and may reflect the very best performances by members of the first unit. If you are interested in Zappa's music then you MUST own them both. You WILL buy them now. Click!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Was this one nominated for a Grammy?
Comment: Despite the bizarre album title, this is the main course (yeah, I said it) from that master. Beginning and ending with doo-wop, the main content is classically-based progressive rock, with heavy reliance on a great pianist, Ian Underwood. "Aybe Sea" and "Little House I Used To Live In" are really masterpieces, in that vein. I would think that Aaron Copeland himself would approve of these "soundscapes".
The "Holiday In Berlin" pieces are expertly arranged and manage to make off-key passages sound melodic, with beautifully integrated horns.
As Zappa & co. ventured into the '70s, the concept albums (I purchased) were also interesting, though heavily misanthropic lyrically and instrumentally. BWS conveys the musical/socially conscious mind of FZ with alot more open space for psychic exhaling, if you will. And the "FZ approved master, 1993" features crystalline sound and a perfect mix to make the headphone experience that much more rewarding.
CD also features Black, Harris, and Preston.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Classic Zappa
Comment: Classic Frank Zappa. Especially WPLJ, a good remake of a 50's era song. Zappa is as usual innovative. A good Zappa classic for your collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Perect Mixture of Instrumentals & Doo Wop
Comment: "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" is one of the early masterpieces by Zappa's first lineup of the mothers of invention. how good is this album? well, it's easily one of the most pleasant 41 minutes of music ever recorded. it is actually a better album than the follow-up "weasels ripped my flesh" which, sadly, gets more attention than this album in many rock magazines & music articles because of it's awesome and hilarious album cover. don't get me wrong, "weasels" is a damn good album but i won't get into explaining why in this review (see the separate "weasels" review for that stuff) but here's what to expect when you listen to this opus of musical brilliance:
the opening track "WPLJ" is actually a cover of an obscure doo wop song about a unique beverage that is allegedly very refreshing. the ingredients needed to make this tasty concoction are White Port (wine)and Lemon Juice..WPLJ!! although i never heard the original version, i will assume that zappa's version is more enjoyable to listen to. zappa sings lead vocal on it, an activity he'd temporarily abandon for the most part when Flo & Eddie were to arrive 2 albums later. such a catchy toe-tapper and a great way to open up an album.
for the next 35 minutes or so, there is nothing but instrumental music for your listening pleasure. this is not experimental musique concrete bu carefully written, organized and performed pieces of various styles.
"igor's boogie phases one and two" is Zappa's tribute to one of his musical idols, Igor Stravinsky.
"Holiday in Berlin and its overture" is one of Zappa's signature instrumental songs. It's name perfectly suits the music that belongs to it and you will notice this when you listen to the short overture. It has a feeling of ethnic pride to it and you can just imagine hitler and his nazis proudly marching to it at one of their nurenburg rallies. Zappa probably imagined it that way too and titled it holiday in BERLIN.
holiday in berlin actually has some words to it that were sung later on by Flo & Eddie during their period in Zappa's band (1970-71) but you won't hear the lyrical version on any main zappa albums. you'll have to go to the official bootleg set "beat the boots" to hear it. it's okay but not as powerful as the instrumental version heard here.
"Aybe Sea" (pronounced A-B-C) is a marvelous re-creation of a sea-shanty (old songs that were sung while on-board ships) that starts out quite happily and then concludes with a chilling piano solo that will put goose bumps on the arms of anyone who listens to it.
the album's "theme" has a fast and memorable guitar solo & riff in it that demands to be put on repeat for atleast an hour.
"the little house i used to live in" starts out slow but then soon picks up with awesome guitar playing and a long electric violin solo that is reminiscent of the one heard on "Hot Rats."
alas, "valerie", another doo wop cover song, closes the album. it's more similar to the awesome doo wop tunes heard on "cruising with ruben & the jets" than the doo-wop opener "wplj." Zappa also sings lead vocal on this doo wop tune as well.
all in all, it is hard for any true Zappa fans to criticize this album.
"The little house I used to live in
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