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No. 33907
Phaze Two would begin with a newly assembled Mothers of Invention and a whole new style inspired by the solo album he recorded, Hot Rats, during his time without a proper band. Hot Rats went a long way in pioneering the sound of the, then, infantile genre known as jazz-rock fusion, and this new set of Mothers would continue that pioneering attitude. Most of the new members came from a background in either jazz or progressive rock, which lended them particular talents that helped them pull off Zappa's increasingly complex arrangements.
The lyrical content also developed overtly comical themes, as opposed to the tongue-in-cheek mocking and cynicism of earlier albums. Tracks like What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning, Ms. Pinky, and others often focused on taboo sexual exploits and touring stories. The conspicuous humor would become the star of his career later on, but here it only serves as much needed comic relief to the most inspiring and technically creative rock music ever written, exemplified by songs like Florentine Pogen and Echidna's Arf (Of You). Even the more straightforward tracks, and there are those again with the doo-wop flair he loved so much, have the flourish of great depths in the pool of music theory. I'm letting you know now: the second half will, for lack of a better cliche, blow your mind.
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