The Man from Utopia
Encyclopedia
The Man from Utopia is a 1983 album by Frank Zappa
. It is a more song-driven, and less conceptual work than many others in Zappa's oeuvre. The album is named after a 1950s song, written by Donald and Doris Woods, which Zappa covers as part of "The Man from Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
The sleeve art features the work of RanXerox
artist Tanino Liberatore
. It portrays Zappa on stage trying to kill mosquitos. That is a reference of a concert held in Italy
in 1982, the year before the release of the album, on the 4th of July at Redecesio Park (which is also referred in a street sign on the album cover) near Milan. While Zappa was playing a huge number of mosquitos began flying on stage and gave the band a hard time. The back cover shows the audience as seen from the stage. The album was the second of two to credit Steve Vai
with "impossible guitar parts" (the first being Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch
).
The album's opening track "Cocaine Decisions", with its groove redolent of skiffle washboards, is an angry, disgusted attack on drug-influenced businessmen and features an ironically cheerful harmonica. "The Dangerous Kitchen" satirizes dirty, unkempt kitchens, specifically the one in the Zappa household at the time. "Stick Together" is a deeply passionate attack on all unions in general, especially those controlled by organized crime. "The Radio Is Broken" satirizes 1950's sci-fi B-movies. "Sex" is a blunt, crude song which unabashedly celebrates the title topic; lyrics include "Maybe you could use a protein surprise" and "The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin'". The "Mary Lou/Man From Utopia" medley finds Zappa returning to his beloved doo-wop roots in a completely sincere style; no satire included.
"Kitchen", "Radio", and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" all feature Zappa's "meltdown" style of generally pre-written but sometimes improvised singing/speaking. For "Jazz" and "Kitchen", Zappa had guitarist Steve Vai overdub complex guitar parts for the entire length of the songs, which perfectly copied Frank's every word and syllable. Vai considers it to be one of his most difficult assignments as a musician; it required him to detune his guitar at times to match Frank's varying pitches. This unique type of overdub was a one-time experiment that Zappa never repeated. Peter Eötvös
composer said in an interview:
"Jazz" became semi-infamous in Zappa circles for its extremely scatological subject matter: certain substances found in a woman's discarded underwear, and what certain band members did with those substances while at a hotel pool late one night in Albuquerque, NM. The song was written to humorously explain to audiences the origin of why certain band members occasionally wore underwear on their heads onstage.
The original album had instrumentals ending each side: the complex yet catchy "Mōggio", and the mellifluous "We Are Not Alone," featuring Marty Krystall on overdubbed baritone saxophones. A third instrumental, "Tink Walks Amok", gets its clever name from bass player Arthur Barrow's nickname (Tink), and a term (walking amok) for what 'out of control robots' do in old sci-fi films, hence its thematic sequencing next to "Radio". 'Walk' in the title has additional significance because it musically refers to a style of bass playing, and since Barrow plays multiple and highly unusual bass parts on the song, he is indeed "walking amok" at times.
in the UK in 1986.
in 1991 by Barking Pumpkin. The later 1995 Rykodisc
edition is identical.
(North America)
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
. It is a more song-driven, and less conceptual work than many others in Zappa's oeuvre. The album is named after a 1950s song, written by Donald and Doris Woods, which Zappa covers as part of "The Man from Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
The sleeve art features the work of RanXerox
RanXerox
Ranxerox is a science fiction graphic novel series by Stefano Tamburini and Tanino Liberatore, two Italian artists who had worked on such magazines as Cannibale and Frigidaire...
artist Tanino Liberatore
Tanino Liberatore
Gaetano Liberatore , better known as Tanino Liberatore, is an Italian comics author and illustrator. His best known fictional character is RanXerox.- Life and work :...
. It portrays Zappa on stage trying to kill mosquitos. That is a reference of a concert held in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1982, the year before the release of the album, on the 4th of July at Redecesio Park (which is also referred in a street sign on the album cover) near Milan. While Zappa was playing a huge number of mosquitos began flying on stage and gave the band a hard time. The back cover shows the audience as seen from the stage. The album was the second of two to credit Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
with "impossible guitar parts" (the first being Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch
Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch is an album by Frank Zappa, released in May 1982 and digitally remastered in 1991. It features five tracks composed by Zappa, and one song, "Valley Girl", co-written with Moon Unit Zappa, his daughter, who provided the spoken monologue mocking some of...
).
The album's opening track "Cocaine Decisions", with its groove redolent of skiffle washboards, is an angry, disgusted attack on drug-influenced businessmen and features an ironically cheerful harmonica. "The Dangerous Kitchen" satirizes dirty, unkempt kitchens, specifically the one in the Zappa household at the time. "Stick Together" is a deeply passionate attack on all unions in general, especially those controlled by organized crime. "The Radio Is Broken" satirizes 1950's sci-fi B-movies. "Sex" is a blunt, crude song which unabashedly celebrates the title topic; lyrics include "Maybe you could use a protein surprise" and "The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin'". The "Mary Lou/Man From Utopia" medley finds Zappa returning to his beloved doo-wop roots in a completely sincere style; no satire included.
"Kitchen", "Radio", and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" all feature Zappa's "meltdown" style of generally pre-written but sometimes improvised singing/speaking. For "Jazz" and "Kitchen", Zappa had guitarist Steve Vai overdub complex guitar parts for the entire length of the songs, which perfectly copied Frank's every word and syllable. Vai considers it to be one of his most difficult assignments as a musician; it required him to detune his guitar at times to match Frank's varying pitches. This unique type of overdub was a one-time experiment that Zappa never repeated. Peter Eötvös
Peter Eötvös
Péter Eötvös is a Hungarian composer and conductor.Eötvös was born in Odorheiu Secuiesc/Székelyudvarhely, Szeklerland, Transylvania . He studied composition in Budapest and Cologne. From 1962, he composed for film in Hungary. Eötvös played regularly with the Stockhausen Ensemble between 1968 and...
composer said in an interview:
"Dangerous Kitchen", off the album "The Man From Utopia", grew to become a basic piece for me, especially in later years, after I began working on operas. The technique that he uses in this particular song is very interesting: it's this half-sung, half-spoken performing method that's not quite like SprechgesangSprechgesangSprechgesang and Sprechstimme are musical terms used to refer to an expressionist vocal technique between singing and speaking. Though sometimes used interchangeably, sprechgesang is a term directly related to the operatic recitative manner of singing , whereas sprechstimme is...
, but what makes it so interesting is that he accompanies it with an instrumental solo. I was very surprised to find out that the guitar part was recorded separately. As it seemed so synchronous, I was convinced that Zappa had sung and played at the same time. Nevertheless the technique itself, the idea of "the singing instrument" comes from "Dangerous Kitchen".
"Jazz" became semi-infamous in Zappa circles for its extremely scatological subject matter: certain substances found in a woman's discarded underwear, and what certain band members did with those substances while at a hotel pool late one night in Albuquerque, NM. The song was written to humorously explain to audiences the origin of why certain band members occasionally wore underwear on their heads onstage.
The original album had instrumentals ending each side: the complex yet catchy "Mōggio", and the mellifluous "We Are Not Alone," featuring Marty Krystall on overdubbed baritone saxophones. A third instrumental, "Tink Walks Amok", gets its clever name from bass player Arthur Barrow's nickname (Tink), and a term (walking amok) for what 'out of control robots' do in old sci-fi films, hence its thematic sequencing next to "Radio". 'Walk' in the title has additional significance because it musically refers to a style of bass playing, and since Barrow plays multiple and highly unusual bass parts on the song, he is indeed "walking amok" at times.
Original release
The album was originally released on vinyl in 1983. An unauthorized CD of this edition (with the exception of a remixed "Moggio") was issued by EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in the UK in 1986.
Side one
- "Cocaine Decisions" – 2:56
- "The Dangerous Kitchen" – 2:51
- "Tink Walks Amok" – 3:40
- "The Radio is Broken" – 5:52
- "MōggioMoggioMoggio is a comune in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km northeast of Milan and about 11 km northeast of Lecco. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 508 and an area of 13.4 km²....
" – 3:05
Side two
- "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" (Donald and Doris Woods, Obie Jessie) – 3:19
- "Stick Together" – 3:50
- "SEX" – 3:00
- "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" – 4:30
- "We Are Not Alone" – 3:31
Re-release
The album was issued (in remixed and resequenced form) on CDCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 1991 by Barking Pumpkin. The later 1995 Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
edition is identical.
- "Cocaine Decisions" – 3:53
- "Sex" – 3:44
- "Tink Walks Amok" – 3:39
- "The Radio is Broken" – 5:51
- "We Are Not Alone" – 3:18
- "The Dangerous Kitchen" – 2:51
- "The Man from Utopia Meets Mary Lou" – 3:22
- "Stick Together" – 3:14
- "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" – 4:29
- "Luigi & the Wise Guys" (bonus track) – 3:25
- "Mōggio" – 2:35
Personnel
- Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals, drum machineDrum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
, ARP 2600ARP 2600The ARP 2600 is a semi-modular analog subtractive audio synthesizer, designed by Alan R. Pearlman , and manufactured by his company, ARP Instruments, Inc... - Steve VaiSteve VaiSteven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
– guitar, acoustic guitar - Ray WhiteRay WhiteRay White is a soul vocalist and rock and blues guitarist, best known as a member of Frank Zappa's touring ensembles. He was drafted into Zappa's band in the fall of 1976, being featured on rhythm guitar and vocals, forming a memorable vocal harmony partnership with Ike Willis on later tours in...
– guitar, vocals - Roy EstradaRoy EstradaRoy Estrada is an American musician and backing vocalist, best known for his bass guitar work with Frank Zappa and for co-founding Little Feat.-Biography:With drummer Jimmy Carl Black and Ray Collins, Estrada was an original member of Frank Zappa's...
– vocals - Bob Harris – boy sopranoBoy sopranoA boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
- Ike WillisIke WillisIke Willis is a singer and guitarist who was a regular sideman for Frank Zappa, first joining Zappa's band for the fall 1978 tour and remaining in the band for several years. He did not tour with Zappa in 1981 and 1982 for personal reasons, but returned to touring with Zappa for his final two...
– vocals - Bobby Martin – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, vocals - Tommy MarsTommy MarsTommy Mars is a keyboard player, best known for his work with Frank Zappa.Born in Connecticut, U.S.A., 26 October 1951 Mars began piano lessons at age eight, and later his instrument range expanded to various keyboards and synthesizers. Mars graduated in 1972 from the Hartt College of Music in...
– keyboards - Arthur BarrowArthur BarrowArthur Barrow is a multi-instrumental musician, best known for his stint as a bass guitar player for Frank Zappa in the late 1970s and early 1980s.-Early life:...
– keyboards, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, micro bass, rhythm guitar - Ed Mann – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Scott ThunesScott ThunesScott Thunes is a former bass player with Frank Zappa, Wayne Kramer, Steve Vai, Andy Prieboy, Mike Keneally, Fear, The Waterboys and others....
– bass - Chad WackermanChad WackermanChad Wackerman is a jazz, jazz fusion and rock drummer; arguably best known in the United States for his work as a drummer and percussionist in Frank Zappa's band...
– drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Vinnie ColaiutaVinnie ColaiutaVincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
– drums - Craig Twister Steward – harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
- Dick Fegy – mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
- Marty Krystall – saxophone
Charts
Album - BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
(North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Pop Albums | 153 |