Review Summary: A sublime exercise in instrumental virtuosity. Essentially a compilation, but extremely strong in the choice of material, and quite cohesive due to heavy editing in the studio. Not recommended for the casual fan, but a rewarding listen for those willing t
Following the sprawling Uncle Meat in the Mothers discography, in approach much of Burnt Weeny Sandwich is similar to the instrumental songs from that album, following the pattern of the modern classical “electrical chamber music” that Zappa had produced on that album. This is not a coincidence, as much of the album has its origins in the 1968-69 studio sessions that produced We’re Only In It For The Money, Cruising With Ruben And The Jets, and Uncle Meat. The genius of this album lies in the way that Zappa weaves these discarded studio odds and ends with live songs and unused snippets from the Hot Rats sessions to form a cohesive whole.
The album begins and ends with two doo-wop cover songs, WPLJ and Valerie. These are acceptable, mildly amusing covers, and if you dislike modern classical, or late 60s Zappa/MOI instrumentals, they may be the only songs you enjoy on the album, but to me, they represent charming bookends to the far superior material within.
Igor’s Boogie serves as a brief tribute to the composer Igor Stravinsky, and at under a minute is little more than a short intro to the Holiday In Berlin Part 1.
Overture To A Holiday In Berlin establishes the main theme of the piece, a somewhat lazy sounding, vaguely German instrumental that will be reprised in a slightly different form two songs later.
Theme From Burnt Weeny Sandwich is arguably the weakest of the instrumentals, being a fairly average Zappa guitar solo from the We’re Only In It For The Money sessions over a later percussion piece. It’s not necessarily a bad song, just more forgettable than the rest.
Igor’s Boogie Part Two is just a slightly different reprise of the original Igor’s boogie, preceding the second Holiday In Berlin.
Holiday In Berlin (Full Blown) expands upon the themes established in the Overture, featuring a decent Zappa guitar solo and some excellent piano and sax work. At six and a half minutes, it’s the second longest song on the album, and a personal favorite of mine.
Aybe Sea is a gentle piano piece, one of the most beautiful moments on the album and one that sticks out in the discography of an artist best known for his harsh, sometimes atonal music and challenging instrumental passages.
The Little House I Used To Live In is the centerpiece of this album, and an example of the seamless meshing of live and studio segments to form a cohesive whole. From the gentle piano solo that begins the song to the epic instrumental flourishes and the scorching violin solo of Don “Sugercane” Harris leading into the live version of “Aybe Sea” that closes the song, this in one of the best Mothers instrumentals. The guitar is less prominent here than on most of the album, giving more room for the piano and violin to jam, and producing one of the most sublimely beautiful songs in the Mothers/Zappa discography.
Burnt Weeny Sandwich is one of the finest releases from the first period of Zappa’s career, and is essential for any lovers of The Mother’s/Zappa’s instrumental work, especially that on Uncle Meat or Hot Rats. Those who only enjoy Zappa for the humor, prefer his admittedly more refined later work, or don’t enjoy instrumental music should give this release a wide berth, but otherwise, I highly recommend Burnt Weeny Sandwich to anyone who enjoys good instrumental music.
