Thing-Fish

Thing-Fish is an album by American musician Frank Zappa, originally released as a triple album box set on Barking Pumpkin Records in 1984¹. It was billed as a cast recording for a proposed musical of the same name, which was ultimately not produced by Zappa, but later performed partially in 2003, ten years after his death. The album's storyline is inspired by Broadway theatre, AIDS, eugenics, conspiracy theories, feminism, homosexuality and African American culture. It involves an evil, racist prince/theater critic who creates a disease intended to eradicate African Americans and homosexuals. The disease is tested on prisoners who are turned into "Mammy Nuns" led by the story's narrator, Thing-Fish. The story within a story is a satire of a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant couple, Harry and Rhonda (actually played by Italian-Americans), who attend a play performed by the "Mammy Nuns", and find themselves confronted with their pasts: Harry presented as a homosexual boy, Rhonda presented as a sex doll brought to life. The story was constructed during the recording sessions, which included producing new overdubs for recordings which previously appeared on Zappa's albums Zoot Allures (1976), Tinsel Town Rebellion, You Are What You Is (both 1981) and Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch (1982).…

Thing-Fish is an album by American musician Frank Zappa, originally released as a triple album box set on Barking Pumpkin Records in 1984. It was billed as a cast recording for a proposed musical of the same name, which was ultimately not produced by Zappa, but later performed partially in 2003, ten years after his death. The album's storyline is inspired by Broadway theatre, AIDS, eugenics, conspiracy theories, feminism, homosexuality and African American culture. It involves an evil, racist prince/theater critic who creates a disease intended to eradicate African Americans and homosexuals. The disease is tested on prisoners who are turned into "Mammy Nuns" led by the story's narrator, Thing-Fish. The story within a story is a satire of a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant couple, Harry and Rhonda (actually played by Italian-Americans), who attend a play performed by the "Mammy Nuns", and find themselves confronted with their pasts: Harry presented as a homosexual boy, Rhonda presented as a sex doll brought to life. The story was constructed during the recording sessions, which included producing new overdubs for recordings which previously appeared on Zappa's albums Zoot Allures (1976), Tinsel Town Rebellion, You Are What You Is (both 1981) and Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch (1982). The release of the album was delayed when Barking Pumpkin Records' previous distributor, MCA, refused to distribute the album. It was instead released by Capitol Records in the United States, accompanied by a "Warning/Guarantee" written by Zappa himself. Thing-Fish was initially received poorly by critics, who criticized the use of previously recorded material, but has since been reappraised for its highly satirical content.

Track listing

The 1995 CD release has sides one to three and side four tracks 1 & 2 on CD 1, and side four tracks 3 & 4 and sides five and six on CD 2.

Personnel

Cast Ike Willis – Thing-Fish Terry Bozzio – Harry Dale Bozzio – Rhonda Napoleon Murphy Brock – The Evil Prince Bob Harris – Harry-As-A-Boy Johnny "Guitar" Watson – Brown Moses Ray White – Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cowhoon Credits Frank Zappa – Book & lyrics, music, arrangements, direction of characterizations and album production Mark Pinske & Bob Stone – Recording engineers Jene Omens – Thing-Fish & Sister Ob'dewlla 'X' prosthetics Robert Fletcher – Costumes Ladi Von Jansky – Cover photo The musicians Frank Zappa – guitar, Synclavier Steve Vai – guitar Ray White – guitar Tommy Mars – keyboards Chuck Wild – broadway piano Arthur Barrow – bass Scott Thunes – bass Jay Anderson – string bass Ed Mann – percussion Chad Wackerman – drums Steve De Furia – Synclavier programmer David Ocker – Synclavier programmer Uncredited musicians Bob Harris – keyboards and trumpet on "Galoot Up-Date", backing vocals on "No Not Now" and "Won Ton On" Motorhead Sherwood – saxophone on "Mudd Club" Denny Walley – slide guitar on "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing" Bobby Martin – saxophone and keyboards on "Clowns on Velvet" Roy Estrada – backing vocals on "Artificial Rhonda", "No Not Now" and "Won Ton On" Captain Beefheart – harmonica on "Artificial Rhonda" Ruth Underwood – synthesizer on "Artificial Rhonda"

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370355918 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.