Them or Us

Them or Us

Digitally remastered edition of this 1984 album from the Rock legend. One of the more diverse of the later Zappa albums, the set includes everything from a pair of '50s doo-wop homages ("Sharleena" and "The Closer You Are"), to a straight-faced cover of the Allman Brothers' "Whippin' Post," to a backhanded salute to rock's latest trend ("Be In My Video"). Other humorous moments include "Stevie's Spanking," a recounting of guitarist Steve Vai's bedroom adventures; and "In France," where the scatological lyrics are handled by Johnny Guitar Watson. Some of Zappa's better rock instrumentals are here as well. The title track finds him soloing away with only bass and drums for accompaniment; while "Sinister Footwear II" is an intricate, multi-keyboard arrangement of a section of his ballet of the same name. Less characteristic is "Ya Hozna," which pairs a funky bassline with hypnotic, tape-reverse vocals -- doubtlessly a response to the "backwards masking" flapdoodle of the time.