Frankly A Cappella – The Persuasions Sing Zappa

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In a work of absurdist inspiration worthy of its subject, a cappella heroes the Persuasions offer up a surprisingly soulful collection of. . .that’s right, Frank Zappa covers. The vocal quintet—expanded to a sextet for this outing—pays homage to Zappa, who inked them to their first album deal in 1969. The 12 featured songs are a savvy survey of Zappa’s legendary catalog of avant-garde rock and jazz, spanning the years 1963-1989. As a bonus, the album features contributions from former Zappa collaborators like trombonist Bruce Fowler on ‘Cheap Thrills’ and guitarist Mike Keneally on ‘My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama.’ But The Persuasions, who previously covered Zappa’s ‘Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up’ on 1994’s ‘Right Around The Corner,’ have no problem translating his complex musical arrangements with just six-part harmonies. As evidenced on tracks like ‘The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing’ and ‘Lumpy Gravy’ (a Zappa instrumental composition), “Frankly A Cappella” is a novel reworking of a true original. Great Googly-Moogly, indeed.

— Billboard Magazine

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