The Man from Utopia

Infobox Album
Name = The Man from Utopia
Type = studio
Artist = Frank Zappa


Released = March 28, 1983
Recorded = October 1980 - October 1982
Genre = Hard rock, progressive rock, art rock, comedy rock
Length = 40:21
Label = Barking Pumpkin
Producer = Frank Zappa
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:nqn8b594tsq4~T1 link]
Last album = "Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch"
(1982)
This album = "The Man from Utopia"
(1983)
Next album = "Baby Snakes"
(1983)

"The Man from Utopia" is a 1983 album by Frank Zappa. It is a more song-driven, and less conceptual work than many others in Zappa's "oeuvre". The album is named after a 1950s song, written by Donald and Doris Woods, which Zappa covers as part of "The Man from Utopia Meets Mary Lou". [http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/lyrics/The_Man_From_Utopia.html#Utopia]

The sleeve art features the work of RanXerox artist Tanino Liberatore. It portrays Zappa on stage trying to kill mosquitos. The back cover shows the audience as seen from the stage. Chaos prevails, and the cover is meant to show the events at a disastrous concert in Palermo, Italy, July 14 1982. At that concert, fans kept trying to rush the stage, and the local security force began firing tear-gas canisters into the crowd. Zappa and his band continued to perform, but were forced to flee when the gas became unbearable, and live ammunition (presumably from the audience) was fired. Backstage footage can be found on The Dub Room Special. The album was the second of two to credit Steve Vai with "impossible guitar parts" (the first being Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch).

Track listing

All songs were written by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

Original release

The album was originally released on vinyl in 1983.

ide one

# "Cocaine Decisions" – 2:56
# "The Dangerous Kitchen" – 2:51
# "Tink Walks Amok" – 3:40
# "The Radio is Broken" – 5:52
# "Mōggio" – 3:05

ide two

# "The Man from Utopia/Mary Lou" (Donald and Doris Woods, Obie Jessie) – 3:19
# "Stick Together" – 3:50
# "SEX" – 3:00
# "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" – 4:30
# "We Are Not Alone" – 3:31

Re-release

The album was re-released on CD in 1995.
# "Cocaine Decisions" – 3:53
# "SEX" – 3:44
# "Tink Walks Amok" – 3:39
# "The Radio is Broken" – 5:51
# "We Are Not Alone" – 3:18
# "The Dangerous Kitchen" – 2:51
# "The Man from Utopia Meets Mary Lou" – 3:22
# "Stick Together" – 3:14
# "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" – 4:29
# "Luigi & the Wise Guys" (bonus track) – 3:25
# "Mōggio" – 2:35

Personnel

*Frank Zappa – guitar, vocals, drum machine, ARP 2600
*Steve Vai – guitar, acoustic guitar
*Ray White – guitar, vocals
*Roy Estrada – vocals
*Bob Harris – boy soprano
*Ike Willis – vocals
*Bobby Martin – keyboards, saxophone, vocals
*Tommy Mars – keyboards
*Arthur Barrow – keyboards, bass, micro bass, rhythm guitar
*Ed Mann – percussion
*Scott Thunes – bass
*Chad Wackerman – drums
*Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
*Craig Twister Steward – harmonica
*Dick Fegy – mandolin
*Marty Krystall – saxophone

Charts

Album - "Billboard" (North America)

References