Editorial Reviews

Eddy Loves Frank is Ed Palermo's third album of Frank Zappa compositions. One of the great things about Palermo's albums is his choice of material. Showing himself to be a true fan, he often picks obscure or overlooked tracks. Let's face it, most of these song titles aren't going to register with casual Zappa fans. A case in point is "Night School," originally from Jazz from Hell, Zappa's album consisting almost entirely of Synclavier (state-of-the-art sequencing/sampling computer circa 1986) performances. Palermo's arrangement is fantastic and he contributes a really nice alto solo as well. In fact, all the arrangements are simply excellent. Another cool thing about Palermo is that he isn't afraid to alter the form of a song to make it work for the band. He doesn't change the melody at all, just the form: like writing an intro and some additional spots for soloing on "Echidna's Arf (Of You)" or for the trombone solo on "Regyptian Strut." True, Palermo doesn't strictly adhere to FZ's notes on paper, but he does it with such a deep knowledge of the tune and executes it so well that it seems natural even to folks who know the material well. So why would he include "America the Beautiful" at the end of an album of Zappa compositions? The liners say it's a tribute to his dad, but the Zappa hardcores have heard Frank's performance of the song from the 1988 tour, performed without irony as it is here. But while Frank's version (with Ike Willis on vocals) was soulful, this one is a bit too earnest and ends things on a bit of a down note after all the great Zappa music. It's a nice gesture and easy enough to program out. It's the only misstep on yet another Ed Palermo album that celebrates one of America's greatest composers. Eddy loves Frank all right; that's easy to hear, and anyone else who really loves Frank will dig this album. Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide

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