Baby Snakes Atlanta GA

Baby Snakes

Frank Zappa

Barking Pumpkin Records, 1983

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 09/22/2000

One of the Holy Grails for any Frank Zappa fan is to acquire acopy of his three-hour movie Baby Snakes. It's a bizarre mixture of clay animation,studio recording and live performance that defies simplecategorization, and is a film you'll either love or hate. (Me? Ihave my very own copy of this film... though I freely admit it'sbeen some time since I watched it.)

The 1982 album Baby Snakes is somewhat a soundtrack to this film, yet it'salso an album that easily stands alone as a unique Zappa creation.However you choose to look at it, it captures Zappa at his best andat his most extreme, and leaves the listener with a rather mixedbag.

From the opening speech featuring future Zappa band memberWarren Cucurillo to the return of the title track (originally onthe excellent disc Sheik Yerbouti), things get off to a strong start as Zappaand crew kick into a typical Halloween show for the band. Theinterplay between Zappa and drummer Terry Bozzio on "Titties 'N'Beer" makes me almost wish that they had lengthened this segment inconcert. (Also noteworthy is one of Zappa's many shots againstWarner Brothers, his former label... as well as Peter Frampton. Tounderstand that reference, hie yourself down to Best Buy and pickup You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Volume 6 and listen tothe track "Is That Guy Kidding?".)

I don't believe the version of "Jones Crusher" on Baby Snakes is the same one on Sheik Yerbouti; I hear some subtle differences in thisversion that I don't quite remember before. I am, however, willingto admit I'm wrong on this - besides, it's a great track, so whoreally cares? A short version of "The Black Page # 2" and a killerrendition of "Disco Boy" round out the first half of therelease.