Broadway The Hard Way Merrill WI

Broadway The Hard Way

Frank Zappa

Rykodisc, 1988

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 09/22/2005

After all of the time that Frank Zappa spent honing his skillsas a serious composer, it seems kind of ironic that his return toform, Broadway The Hard Way, was an album of pop tunes with morethan a smidgen of disgust toward modern society, politics andreligion.

The first disc to capture the brief tenure of Zappa's 1988touring band (which imploded following internal strife), Zappa -for the first time in a long while - sounds like he's having funwith the material and performing, and his new-found energy rubs offon his backing band. This is the kind of performance that fans hadbeen waiting for a long time. Pity the group only lasted fourmonths.

No one is safe from Zappa's barbs, from Jesse Jackson (theexcellent "Rhymin' Man") to then-president Ronald Reagan ("Dickie'sSuch An Asshole") to the Republican Party ("When The Lie's SoBig"), even to Pat Robertson ("Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk"), Zappaand crew fire point-blank at the targets of their barbs, and theyalmost constantly hit the bullseye.

Try, as hard as you can, to not get sucked into the chorus of"Planet Of The Baritone Women", with its gutteral laugh punctuatingthe refrain. Try not to smirk at the slams against Jackson on"Rhymin' Man," delivered in an almost Western style. Try not tocheer the declarations of guest vocalist Sting (!) as he sits inwith the band on the old Police track "Murder By Numbers". The factis, you can't. The listener knows that Zappa and crew are fired upand out for blood, and it's impossible not to get caught up in theexcitement and societal indignation - especially when Zappaimplores the audience members at intermission to get up andregister to vote.