Draft Again You Are What You Is

Many Zappa albums are built around a musical theme or concept and carry this construction through from first to finish successfully. Amid the better examples of this is probably the avant-garde and jazz fusion album serial that included "Burnt Weeny Sandwich," "Hot Rats," "Waka/Jawaka" and "The Grand Wazoo." "Rueben and the Jets" is another case that was an homage to a particular musical manner. The best was probably "Jazz From Hell." Of course, there are others.

And and so there were the concept albums built effectually content themes. The first 3 releases of "Freak Out!", "Absolutely Free," and "We're Just In Information technology For The Money" are probably the nigh successful examples. Not until "200 Motels" does Zappa deliver this type of album again, and and then the lapse before some other true concept album is produced is eight years when "Joe'southward Garage" is released.

Zappa comes close to another full concept anthology built around a singular content theme with "You lot Are What Y'all Is," but it's probably more effective to think of this double album as one with ii, somewhat related themes. There is the overt theme of race, anchored by the championship vocal. But interwoven throughout this is the secondary theme dealing with religion, a favorite target of Zappa's for lampooning, particularly televangelism. Because frequently at the center of our racial and ethnic identities is a religious fashion that enables this identity to exist. And yet, Zappa broadens this concept to include other cultural hegemonies effectually which we build our identities, whether information technology be the drug civilization or the empty commercialism that is constantly telling us we must have things that we don't demand.

Stick with me on this delight; I am going out on a limb here by positing that with "You Are What You Is," Zappa is putting right in front end of our face up the notion that nosotros have no real identity because everything we use to create what we call up is the "me" in all of the states is an ever-changing concept that is exterior of us, rather than inside. This mirage propels the states to go on to chase this ephemeral self, but instead of finding fulfillment, we go along to feel empty and unhappy. While this may sound all very depressing and a especially melancholy theme for Zappa to build an anthology effectually, the entire notion was laughable to him. Nosotros become what we deserve in Zappa'southward perspective, because nearly of us are too stupid to recognize that we create our own misery. Hence, you are what you is.

How does this breach from self commencement? The explanation begins with the first track, "Teen-Age Wind." The notion that our education system pushes us into the vapid emptiness we are constantly trying to escape is a theme that goes all the way dorsum to "Freak Out!" The pip-squeaky character in "Teen-Age Wind" sings about parents who don't love their children, teachers that deliver unimaginative curriculums (a common theme with the early Mothers albums), which gives rising to the desire to escape information technology all: "Nothing left to exercise just get out the 'ol mucilage." Information technology likewise feeds the false notion of what liberty really is: "Freedom is when you don't take to pay for nada/or practise goose egg!/We want to be free!"

Our delusion carries into adult life where many follow the path of meaningless love diplomacy, as portrayed in "Harder Than Your Husband." Information technology'southward non that Zappa was a puritan by any means: rather, the woman that Jimmy Carl Black's grapheme is maxim goodbye to in this song is an unhappy married woman who thinks she's going to notice happiness by sleeping with this peripatetic cowboy. Expertly delivered, by the fashion, in a country way (With this song, we also get a flake of project/object in that Zappa has an Indian singing the character of a white cowboy, equally he did in "200 Motels" with "Lonesome Cowboy Burt").

The tables are turned in the next song, "Doreen." This fourth dimension it is the man dependant on Doreen to come up make him feel skilful. The theme remains, still: someone seeking fulfillment through another. This vocal has a great ending and is among my favorite tracks on the anthology.

"Goblin Girl" is probably the weakest song on the album in terms of sticking inside the overall theme. It'due south a song that doesn't announced often in live shows, as it would be pretty difficult to perform alive given all the studio effects that were used in its production. "Theme from the 3rd Movement of Sinister Footwear" is an instrumental that was oft played alive and too shows upwardly on "Them Or United states," "Guitar," and "Brand a Jazz Noise Hither."

People often create their own sense of self-importance, not just for their own benefit, but for the promotion of that pretension among others. Nevertheless, anyone who does that must eventually face how frail the façade is when some event or person comes along to spiral things upward. That'due south the scenario we get with the next series of songs on the album.

With "Gild Pages," we get a clever petty song about the self-important dame of a pocket-sized town that Franks sings, "didn't appeal to me." The one-time lady in the song owns the newspaper and is involved in a diverseness of civic projects, merely her motivation for such philanthropy is self-promotion, as evidenced by her ever being on the society pages of the paper she owns.

But she brings forth a son who believes that he is "a cute guy." With the song, "I'm a Beautiful Guy," we have a self-centered egoist who charms all the vacuous ladies, who also are so infatuated with maintaining their beauty and presentation that they volition get to any lengths to preserve it, fifty-fifty painful ones. Hence, along comes the song, "Dazzler Knows No Pain." This delicious little ditty succinctly clarifies that the pursuit of dazzler ("Beauty is a pair of shoes that makes y'all wanna die") is, of grade, "a lie."

The next musical vignette on the album centers around the demise of a girl named Charlie. With "Charlie's Enormous Rima oris," nosotros learn of a daughter with an enormous mouth about which, "nosotros can merely assume how she's been usin' it." Charlie as well has a very large olfactory organ, and we get a bit more information nigh how she's been using it: snorting cocaine. Her demise is foreshadowed by the line, "Kind of young/Kind of dead." We get a glimpse into her disgusting brain, as well as run into her stupid friends who were either too indifferent or besides ignorant to see that Charlie was headed for a train wreck. And when she does die, her stupid friends at the funeral can only inquire whether anyone has "Whatever Downers?" We're all "Coneheads," Zappa implies in the next song. Everyone else is strange or odd or screwing up their lives, merely non us!

The title track comes on side three of the LP release, an up tempo number that has some outstanding vocals from Ray White. Information technology tells the hapless tales of a white man trying to be blackness, and of a black man trying to be white. Zappa'southward sage advice is simply, "Do y'all know what you are?/You are what you is/Yous is what you lot am/A cow don't make ham." Yet we go along to vesture whatsoever costume is demanded past the tribe we want to identify with, and so elevate ourselves to places like the "Mudd Club" to find whatever we're looking for: sex activity, recognition, a sense of belonging, whatever.

In that location are those among u.s.a., nevertheless, who believe they are above all that hedonism; they are post-obit a higher calling. But those who seek solace in religion are simply post-obit a different delusion, as Zappa opines that "The Meek Shall Inherit Cipher." Equally an alternative to blindly post-obit an austere doctrine promising you something that it cannot deliver, Zappa offers something simpler: "Do what you wanna, do what y'all will/Just don't mess up your neighbor's thrill/'N when you pay the bill, kindly get out a little tip/And help the side by side poor sucker on his i-manner trip."

Sage advice, but there's ever someone who thinks they know amend and want to dictate to you how to live your life. To Frank, they're but "Dumb All Over." And non to mention, "a little ugly on the side."

This song, which is really a spoken-word piece set to a driving beat that adds to both the seriousness of Zappa'due south thesis and the pseudo-seriousness of the doctrines he criticizes. Right down the line, Zappa spells out how monotheistic religion has been a root crusade of all our troubles throughout all of history. It isn't a religion in god that screws things up; information technology's doctrine, as doctrine is simply a different form of politic.

Amid Zappa's favorite targets are televangelists, whom he goes after in the next song, "Heavenly Bank Account." Subsequently being exposed to all this deception, this chicanery, Zappa recognizes that some folks might feel a bit helpless and depressed. And so with his typically terse delivery, he suggests the pick of bailing out, which would brand ane a "Suicide Chump." All of this is really quite harsh, and might be over the top for some listeners. Merely Zappa'due south message is articulate: if your life is a mess, you made it that style, and suicide is just a chicken shit way of avoiding personal responsibility. If you screwed up your life, you tin can unscrew it. Suicide is so craven shit, in fact, that Zappa suggests that anyone going through the theatrics often associated with suicide only might "desire a petty attention."

Our sorry suicide chump is saved by a girl "with a head like a buffalo," leading to the next song, "Jumbo Go Abroad," the tale of a girl who has an insatiable appetite for giving head. The vignette moves into "If Only She Woulda," which begins to stretch the thematic mucilage of the album. Our suicide chump gets saved by Jumbo only to be drafted. The last song, "Drafted Once more," was written at a time when reinstating the draft was nether consideration during the Reagan administration, a notion that resulted with a requirement that all men of draftable historic period register, and that subsequently, anyone who turns 18 must register. It's a situation that continues today.

Granted, the thematic notion I present at the outset for "You Are What You Is" requires a few interim songs to sort of string some of the concepts together. And one has to wonder if Zappa had intentionally set out to construct such an album, or was information technology serendipity that he had the base material bachelor and all he had to exercise was write material to bring it all together.

Don't exist also harsh with me in your own personal cess. But I am inclined to recollect it was serendipity. Had Zappa intended to write such a concept album, I think it would have been constructed differently with compositions that blended seamlessly, rather than finding filler fabric to bring the sort of advertizing hoc fabric together.

And yet, if you read the liner notes from the album, y'all have to wonder.

I rate this four of five stars. Add your own rating below.

Released: Sept. 23, 1981, Barking Pumpkin Records.

Track listing (from original double LP):

Side one
"Teen-Age Wind" – three:02
"Harder Than Your Husband" – 2:28
"Doreen" – four:44
"Goblin Girl" – 4:07
"Theme from the 3rd Motion of Sinister Footwear" – 3:34

Side two
"Society Pages" – 2:27
"I'yard a Beautiful Guy" – 1:56
"Beauty Knows No Pain" – 3:02
"Charlie's Enormous Oral cavity" – 3:36
"Whatsoever Downers?" – two:08
"Conehead" – four:24

Side three
"You Are What Y'all Is" – iv:23
"Mudd Order" – three:11
"The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing" – 3:10
"Dumb All Over" – 5:45

Side 4
"Heavenly Bank Business relationship" – 3:44
"Suicide Chump" – 2:49
"Jumbo Go Away" – three:43
"If Only She Woulda" – three:48
"Drafted Again" – iii:07

Personnel:

Tommy Mars – Keyboards, Vocals
David Ocker – Clarinet (Bass), Clarinet
Marker Pinske – Vocals, Engineer
Motorhead Sherwood – Sax (Tenor), Vocals
Allen Sides – Engineer
Craig "Twister" Stewart – Harmonica
Denny Walley – Vocals, Slide Guitar
Ray White – Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
Ahmet Zappa – Vocals
Moon Unit Zappa – Vocals
Jo Hansch – Mastering
Dennis Sager – Digital Engineer
Santi Rubio – ?
Amy Bernstein – Artwork
John Livzey – Photography, Cover Photo
Thomas Nordegg – Engineer
John Vince – Artwork, Graphic Design
Ed Isle of mann – Percussion
Jimmy Carl Black – Vocals
Ike Willis – Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
Bob Stone – Remixing, Digital Remastering
Arthur Barrow – Bass
George Douglas – Assistant Engineer
Frank Zappa – Arranger, Composer, Vocals, Producer, Primary Performer, Guitar
Bob Harris – Boy Soprano, Trumpet
David Logeman – Drums
Steve Vai – Guitars, listed as "Strat Corruption" on anthology cover

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Source: http://frankzappasrevenge.blogspot.com/2009/07/you-are-what-you-is.html

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