Frank Zappa – Sheik Yerbouti

Frank Zappa – Sheik Yerbouti

Frank Zappa’s Sheik Yerbouti is one of the most distinctive and commercially successful albums of his career, originally released in March 1979 as a double LP and the first release on his own Zappa Records label. Blending experimental rock, comedy, funk, jazz-rock and Zappa’s characteristically intricate guitar work, the album is built largely from live performances recorded during 1977 and 1978, subsequently transformed through extensive studio overdubs and editing.

Much of the album’s basic material comes from Zappa’s 1978 performances at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, alongside recordings from New York’s Palladium and other European concerts. The result is neither a conventional live album nor a conventional studio record, but a meticulously constructed Zappa production where concert performances became the raw material for elaborate studio creations. The recording period therefore spans 1977–1978, while the album itself was released in 1979.

The album is packed with some of Zappa’s best-known satirical and musical pieces. “I Have Been In You” opens with a parody of Peter Frampton’s contemporary pop-rock image, while “Flakes”, “Broken Hearts Are For Assholes” and “I'm So Cute” combine sharp humour with tightly arranged rock performances. “Bobby Brown” became one of Zappa’s most recognisable songs, while “Dancin' Fool”, “City Of Tiny Lites”, “Jewish Princess” and the epic “Yo' Mama” demonstrate the extraordinary range of the album.

With its mixture of virtuoso musicianship, absurdist humour, sophisticated arrangements and deliberately provocative songwriting, Sheik Yerbouti remains an essential Frank Zappa release and an important document of his late-1970s band. The album features performances from musicians including Terry Bozzio, Patrick O'Hearn, Tommy Mars, Adrian Belew and Napoleon Murphy Brock, with Zappa handling production and extensive arranging and overdubbing.

Tracklist

Side A

1. I Have Been In You – 3:33
2. Flakes – 6:41
3. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes – 3:46
4. I'm So Cute – 4:20

Side B

1. Jones Crusher – 2:49
2. What Ever Happened To All The Fun In The World – 0:33
3. Rat Tomago – 5:15
4. We Gotta Get Into Something Real – 0:32
5. Bobby Brown – 2:43
6. Rubber Shirt – 2:58
7. The Sheik Yerbouti Tango – 2:44

Side C

1. Baby Snakes – 1:50
2. Tryin' To Grow A Chin – 3:32
3. City Of Tiny Lites – 5:30
4. Dancin' Fool – 3:43
5. Jewish Princess – 3:16

Side D

1. Wild Love – 4:10
2. Yo' Mama – 12:38