- Audio CD (2 Oct 2006)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Original recording remastered
- Label: Rykodisc
- ASIN: B0000009TA
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | Vinyl
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 26,264 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. The Closer You Are |
| 2. In France |
| 3. Ya Hozna |
| 4. Sharleena |
| 5. Sinister Footwear II |
| 6. Truck Driver Divorce |
| 7. Stevie's Spanking |
| 8. "Baby, Take Your Teeth Out" |
| 9. Marque-Son's Chicken |
| 10. Planet Of My Dreams |
| 11. Be In My Video |
| 12. Them Or Us |
| 13. Frogs With Dirty Little Lips |
| 14. Whippin' Post |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I find Frank Zappa's output to be inconsistent and I never do quite know where to start if I am recommending an album of his. 'Them or Us' is pretty much near the top of my list. There's some fun (Be In My Video), some of the usual smut (Baby Take Your Teeth Out, Stevie's Spanking), some offence (In France) and some pretty good songs throughout.
My only criticism is that there is too much of Frank and his guitar. I know this makes me very unpopular with the hardcore fans but I like about 30 seconds of Truck Driver Divorce but have to wait for it amidst nine minutes of solos. If you listen for the nine minute guitar solos then this album might disappoint you, if you enjoy everything else then it is a definite four stars.
My only criticism is that there is too much of Frank and his guitar. I know this makes me very unpopular with the hardcore fans but I like about 30 seconds of Truck Driver Divorce but have to wait for it amidst nine minutes of solos. If you listen for the nine minute guitar solos then this album might disappoint you, if you enjoy everything else then it is a definite four stars.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
"You Are What You Is", "Thing Fish", and "Them or Us" are the only three Zappa albums from the eighties with at least 95% of studio material on them. This one features most variaty of the three. More or less every song is in a genre of its own. There's doo-wop, blues, rock, fusion, pop, reggae, country-spoofs, Broadway-spoofs, and jazz smothered in "Zappa". The sound quality and stereophony is very good - not excellent, though, but the band is. The rhythm section consists of Chad Wackerman (drums throughout), Arthur Barrow and Scott Thunes (equally on bass), Ed Mann (perc), Steve Vai (guit), Tommy Mars (keys), Bobby Martin (keys/voc), and Ray White (guit/voc). Other vocalists include FZ, Ike Willis, Napoleon Murphey Brock, Bob Harris, and Thana Harris. Some guests are Dweezil & Moon Zappa, Patrick O'Hearn, George Duke, Roy Estrada, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, and others...
Songs like "Truck Driver Divorce", "Marque-Son's Chicken", and the title track feature long FZ guitar solos (with a variaty of cool sounds), and gives the rhythm section a lot of freedom to back them up; the rest of the material is well arranged and pretty strict. I guess this could be a good intoduction to Zappa's music - it shows how capable the composer (and band) was of writing, arranging, and performing alternating material without losing the main thread, and the album features a suitable amount of Zappa humour. While listening to this album, you will be proven that humour does belong in music. "Them or Us" is one of my FZ favorites, and definitely worth its amazon price, don't worry.
Songs like "Truck Driver Divorce", "Marque-Son's Chicken", and the title track feature long FZ guitar solos (with a variaty of cool sounds), and gives the rhythm section a lot of freedom to back them up; the rest of the material is well arranged and pretty strict. I guess this could be a good intoduction to Zappa's music - it shows how capable the composer (and band) was of writing, arranging, and performing alternating material without losing the main thread, and the album features a suitable amount of Zappa humour. While listening to this album, you will be proven that humour does belong in music. "Them or Us" is one of my FZ favorites, and definitely worth its amazon price, don't worry.
Format:Audio CD
Frank Zappa'a output is large and varied but this is classic, Frank at his best. There are no duds, but variety. There are crooning peices like "Planet of my Dreams", Guitar oriented tracks like the title track "Them or Us". The hilarious "Baby take your teeth out" and "Frogs with dirty little lips" and the experimental "Ya Honza" and "Sinister Footwear" You can't categorise it, it is in a league of it's own, well worth the money.
Lucky Eddie
Lucky Eddie
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Frank Zappa Classic
This is probably one of the greatest albums Frank Zappa brought out in the last 10 years of his life. As a double album, it has some great songs. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mr. C. J. Jorgensen
Varied and appealing
The album opens with The Closer You Are, a doo-wop number where the deep base male vocal contrasts sharply with the female backing. Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2008 by Pieter
hey, get your hands on this
If you like Frank Zappa, well you will love this. If this is your first glanse you will be in for a supprise.
This fantastic album was published back in 1984. Read more
This fantastic album was published back in 1984. Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2002 by craigamitc@aol.com
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