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One Size Fits All

 
Album Review: One Size Fits All

Review

Released soon after the live Roxy & Elsewhere, One Size Fits All contained more of the material premiered during the 1973-1974 tour, but this time largely re-recorded in the studio. The band remains the same: George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Chester Thompson, Tom Fowler, and Ruth Underwood. Johnny "Guitar" Watson overdubbed some vocals and Captain Beefheart (credited as Bloodshot Rollin' Red) played some harmonica ("when present," state the liner notes). The previous album focused on complex music suites. This one is more song-oriented, alternating goofy rock songs with more challenging numbers in an attempt to find a juste milieu between Over-Nite Sensation and Roxy & Elsewhere. "Inca Roads," "Florentine Pogen," "Andy," and "Sofa" all became classic tracks and live favorites. These are as close to progressive rock (a demented, clownish kind) Zappa ever got. The obscurity of their subjects, especially the flying saucer topic of "Inca Roads," seem to spoof prog rock clichés. The high-flying compositions are offset by "Can't Afford No Shoes," "Po-Jama People," and "San Ber'dino," more down-to-earth songs. Together with Zoot Allures, One Size Fits All can be considered as one of the easiest points of entry into Zappa's discography. The album artwork features a big maroon sofa, a conceptual continuity clue arching back to a then-undocumented live suite (from which "Sofa" was salvaged) and a sky map with dozens of bogus stars and constellations labeled with inside jokes in place of names. An essential third-period Zappa album. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Inca Roads Frank Zappa The Mothers of Invention (8:45)
Can't Afford No Shoes Frank Zappa The Mothers of Invention (2:38)
Sofa No. 1 Frank Zappa The Mothers of Invention (2:39)
Po-Jama People Frank Zappa The Mothers of Invention (7:39)
Florentine Pogen Frank Zappa The Mothers of Invention (5:27)
Evelyn, A Modified Dog Frank Zappa The Mothers of Invention (1:04)
San Ber'dino Frank Zappa The Mothers of Invention (5:57)
Andy Frank Zappa The Mothers of Invention (6:04)
Sofa No. 2 Frank Zappa The Mothers of Invention (2:42)

Credits

George Duke (Synthesizer), George Duke (Keyboards), George Duke (Vocals), George Duke (Vocals (Background)), Chester Thompson (Drums), Chester Thompson (Sound Effects), Chester Thompson (Voices), Unity (Assistant Engineer), Bob Stone (Engineer), Tom Fowler (Bass), Dick Barber (Assistant Engineer), Dick Barber (Assistant), Captain Beefheart (Harmonica), Captain Beefheart (Keyboards), Captain Beefheart (Vocals), Bloodshot Rollin' Red (Harmonica), Michael Braunstein (Engineer), Napoleon Murphy Brock (Flute), Napoleon Murphy Brock (Sax (Tenor)), Napoleon Murphy Brock (Vocals), Napoleon Murphy Brock (Vocals (Background)), Frank Zappa (Guitar), Frank Zappa (Composer), Frank Zappa (Keyboards), Frank Zappa (Vocals), Frank Zappa (Vocals (Background)), Frank Zappa (Producer), Frank Zappa (Main Performer), Kerry McNabb (Engineer), Kerry McNabb (Remixing), Cal Schenkel (Design), Cal Schenkel (Illustrations), Cal Schenkel (Paintings), Robert Stone (Engineer), Ruth Underwood (Percussion), Ruth Underwood (Keyboards), Ruth Underwood (Marimba), Ruth Underwood (Vibraphone), Johnny "Guitar" Watson (Guitar), Johnny "Guitar" Watson (Vocals), James "Bird Legs" Youman (Bass), Gary O. (Engineer), Ferenc Dobronyi (Design), J.E. Tully (Design), Coy Featherstone (Assistant Engineer), Paul Hof (Assistant Engineer), Paul Hof (Assistant), Matti Laipio (Voices), Matti Laipio (Assistant Engineer), Bill Romero (Voices), Bill Romero (Assistant Engineer), Richard "Tex" Abel (Assistant Engineer), Richard "Tex" Abel (Assistant), Jukka (Engineer), Marty Perellis (Voices)
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Wikipedia: One Size Fits All
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One Size Fits All
Studio album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention
Released June 25, 1975
Recorded Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles; Caribou Ranch, Nederland, CO; and Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, August 1974 - April 1975
Genre Jazz fusion, hard rock, progressive rock
Length 42:55
Label DiscReet Records
Producer Frank Zappa
Professional reviews
Frank Zappa chronology
Roxy & Elsewhere
(1974)
One Size Fits All
(1975)
Bongo Fury
(1975)

One Size Fits All is a 1975 rock album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. It is the last Zappa album to be recorded with The Mothers of Invention. A special four-channel Quadraphonic version of the album was prepared and advertised, but not released.

The album features the final version of The Mothers of Invention, with George Duke, Chester Thompson, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler and Napoleon Murphy Brock. The album itself features one of Zappa's most complex and well-known tracks, "Inca Roads". One of Zappa's heroes, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, guests on two tracks.

Early U.S. LP pressings of the album have a skip during Inca Roads at approximately 4:40 into the track. This error was a manufacturing defect not caught during the test pressing stage. The first round of pressings were recalled after the mistake was caught, but a significant number had already been sold. The highly complex nature of the music made it difficult to recognize the error without comparing it to the correct version.

In 1988, One Size Fits All was released on CD by Rykodisc.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written by Frank Zappa.

Side one

  1. "Inca Roads" – 8:45
  2. "Can't Afford No Shoes" – 2:38
  3. "Sofa No. 1" – 2:39
  4. "Po-Jama People" – 7:39

Side two

  1. "Florentine Pogen" – 5:27
  2. "Evelyn, a Modified Dog" – 1:04
  3. "San Ber'dino" – 5:57
  4. "Andy" – 6:04
  5. "Sofa No. 2" – 2:42

Personnel

Musicians

Production staff

  • Kerry McNabb (credited as Kerry McNab) – engineer, remixing
  • Cal Schenkel – design, illustrations, paintings
  • Robert Stone – engineer
  • Michael Braunstein – engineer
  • Unity – assistant engineer
  • Dick Barber – assistant engineer, assistant
  • Gary O. – engineer
  • Ferenc Dobronyi – design
  • J.E. Tully – design
  • Coy Featherstone – assistant engineer
  • Paul Hof – assistant engineer, assistant
  • Matti Laipio – voices, assistant engineer
  • Bill Romero – voices, assistant engineer
  • Richard "Tex" Abel – assistant engineer, assistant
  • Jukka – engineer

Charts

Album

Year Chart Peak
1975 Billboard 200 26[1]

References

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "One Size Fits All" Read more

 

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