When you first listen to this album by composer/drummer Sean Noonan, you’re going to think that these songs are unknown outtakes from Frank Zappa albums like Hot Rats or Uncle Meat. The tunes and attitude by Noonan’s team of Harry Saltzman/sax, Johnny Richards/key, Michael Bardon/b along with a strings section and vocal department, are so in sync with the unsinkable Zappa that you might want to check Noonan to see if he’s sporting a goatee.
The album is a “surreal rock opera”, mixing sardonic humor, wisecrack lyrics, amazingly tricky themes, jazz directions, and with segues having their own segues. There are more directions than an Italian roundabout as on the kinetic “Zappanation Overture” while the prog rock and jazzy solos on guitar and violin on things like “Inflatable Friends” mix with reggae pop culture for “Pussy Cat’s Gone Wild”. Effects and tapes weave in and out in “Cupid’s Packing Meat” with some mellow moods and choice bass lines on “I Am your Pineapple”. As you can tell, even the titles carry the Zappa label, but this is not imitation, but inspiration. Any tours coming up?