Sobre el álbum
El doble álbum "Them or Us" se erige como una obra densa y ecléctica, una de las más variadas de la etapa ochentera en la discografía de Frank Zappa. Este disco es un verdadero cajón de sastre que contiene rock enérgico, complejas piezas instrumentales, sátira mordaz y versiones de otros artistas, todo ello ejecutado con una precisión milimétrica por su banda de la época.
De hecho, el álbum destaca por su increíble trabajo de guitarra. La canción que le da título, "Them or Us", es una pieza instrumental formidable, mientras que "Sinister Footwear II" es un tour de force compositivo. Además, el disco incluye una versión en directo de "Whippin' Post" de The Allman Brothers Band, demostrando el respeto de Zappa por otros géneros y su capacidad para llevar cualquier canción a su terreno.
Por otro lado, la sátira sigue presente y afilada. "In France" es una pieza de rock con un aire de blues, mientras que "Be in My Video" es una burla directa a las estrellas del pop de la MTV como Michael Jackson o Prince. Consecuentemente, el álbum mantiene el equilibrio entre la seriedad musical y el comentario social.
En resumen, "Them or Us" es un disco largo y exigente que puede resultar abrumador en una primera escucha debido a su diversidad. Sin embargo, para el oyente paciente, revela una cantidad enorme de detalles y contiene algunos de los momentos instrumentales más potentes de Frank Zappa en los 80.
Listado de Canciones
- The Closer You Are2:58
Letra
The closer you are The brighter the stars in the sky And, darling I realize That you're the one in my life Oh oh My heart skips a beat Every time You and I meet My life, my love, my dear I can't defeat This yearning deep in my heart To have only you When I first saw you I did adore you And all your loving ways But then you went away But now you're back to stay And my love for you grows stronger every Day-ahhh way-ahhh way The closer you are The brigher the flames in my heart And, darling We'll never part We'll always be in love - In France3:30
Letra
We're playin' in a tent It's payin' the rent If you pooch a civilian, It's a mayor event In France Way down in France Way on down Way on down In France The girls is all salty The boys is all sweet The food ain't too shabby, An' they piss in the street In France Way down in France Way on down Way on down In France They got diseases Like you never seen Got a mystery blow-job Turn your peter green In France Way down in France Way on down Way on down In France They got some coffee, Eatin' right through the cup, An' when they go ka-ka They make you stand up In France Way down in France Way on down Way on down In France If you're not careful, It'll stick to your cheeks You'll smell like a native For a couple of weeks In France Way down in France Way on down Way on down In France We cannot wait Till we go back It gets so exciting When the poodles 'react' In France Way down in France Way on down Way on down In France Never try to get yo' peter sucked In France - Ya Hozna6:26
Letra
[Backwards:] I am the heaven I am the water Ich bin deine Ritze Ich bin deine Ritze und Schlitze I am the clouds Ich bin der Chrome Dinette Ich bin Eier aller Arten Ich bin alle Tage und Nachte Ich bin alle Tage und Nachte (AIEE-AH!) I am embroidered Ich bin der Dreck unter deinen Walzen (Oh no, whip it on me, honey!) (AIEE-AH!) (AIEE-AH!) Ich bin hier (AIEE-AH!) Ich bin der Autor aller Felgen Und Damast Paspeln Ich bin der Chrome Dinette You're a lonely little girl But your Mommy & your Daddy don't care Ich bin hier (AIEE-AH!) Und du bist mein Sofa You're a lonely little girl Ich bin hier Und du bist mein Sofa Yeah-ha-ha-ay Yah-ha Yeah, my Sofa Yeah-ha-hey Moon: Im like reach Im like squat Im like roll Repeat Like roll over Like thrust Okay, like pull Like push Im like . . . Okay, like . . . blow Im blow Ich bin dein geheimer Schmutz Und verlorenes Metallgeld (Metallgeld) (AIEE-AH!) Und du bist mein Sofa Ich bin hier (AIEE-AH!) Moon: You're never too old Like blow Im like blow Im like blow Okay, like . . . Ich bin hier Und du bist mein Sofa Yeah-ha-ha-ay Yah-ha Yeah, my Sofa Yeah-ha-hey Moon: Hey, alright, faster, faster Go, do it, do it, right, YEAAH Im feelin' good 'N im lookin' great Yeah, fer sure Like NO WAY Ich bin hier Und du bist mein Sofa Yeah-ha-ha-ay Yah-ha Yeah, my Sofa Yeah-ha-hey Ich bin hier Und du bist mein Sofa Yeah-ha-ha-ay Yah-ha Yeah, my Sofa Yeah-ha-hey - Sharleena4:33
Letra
Sharleena I'm crying I'm crying Crying for Sharleena Don't you know? I called up all my baby's friends And asked them Where she done went But nobody around here seems to know Where my Sharleena has been Where my Sharleena has been I'm crying I'm crying Crying for Sharleena Can't you see? I called up all my baby's friends And asked them Where she done went But nobody around here seems to know Where my Sharleena has been Where my Sharleena has been Ten long years I been lovin' her Ten long years and I thought deep down in my heart she was mine Ten long years I beloved her Ten long years and I would call her my baby And now, I'm always crying Ugh! Ugh! I would be so delighted I would be so delighted If they would just Send her on home to me I would be so delighted I would be so delighted If they would just Send her on home to me Send my baby home to me! Send my baby home to me! Send my baby home Send my baby home to me! - Sinister Footwear II8:40
- Truck Driver Divorce9:03
Letra
Truck driver divorce! It's very sad (steel guitars Usually weep all over it) The bold & intelligent Masters of the road With their secret language, And the giant Over-sized Mechanical Trans-continental Hobby-horse! Truck driver divorce! It's very sad! Oh the wife! Oh the kids! Oh the waitress! Oh the drive all night! Sometimes when you get home Some ugly lookin' son-of-a-bitch Is trying to pooch yer Home-town sweetheart! Oh, go ride the bull! Oh, go ride the bull! Make it go up 'n down 'n when you fall off, You can eat the mattress! Truck driver divorce! It's very sad! Bust yer ass To deliver some string beans, Deliver some string beans, Deliver some string beans, To Utah! - Stevie's Spanking5:24
- Baby, Take Your Teeth Out1:24
Letra
Baby take your teeth out Try it one time Baby take your teeth out Try it one time Baby take your teeth out Leave 'em on the kitchen table Baby take your teeth out It'll be fine Baby take your teeth out It'll be fine Baby take your teeth out There ain't nothin' left to talk about Baby take your teeth out You look divine Baby take your teeth out You look divine Baby take your teeth out Go ahead and eat the label Baby take your teeth out I will recline Baby take your teeth out I will recline Baby take your teeth out There ain't nothin' left to talk about - Marque-Son's Chicken7:34
- Planet of My Dreams1:40
Letra
The planet of my dreams The earth, my earth Is bulging at the seams The earth, my earth It's full of many schemes And as the sunlight beams The glory of our sciences And militant alliances Reveal their basic worth Along the mounds of dead appliances! The planet of my dreams The earth, my earth I hear it's muffled screams The earth, my earth And though it often seems From televison beams That ignorance is rampant there And govermental goons don't care I know that i shall not despair And cheat like all the rest I'll just keep on With what i do the best! Cheat-cheedly-cheat! go ahead! I can't do it! Cheat-cheedly-cheat! go ahead! I can't do it! Cheat-cheedly-cheat! go ahead! I can't do it! Cheat-cheedly-cheat! go ahead! I can't do it! - Be in My Video3:39
Letra
Be in my video, Darling, every night I will rent a cage for you And mi-j-i-nits dressed in white (teeny-little-tiny-little...) Twirl around in a lap dissolve Pretend to sing the words I'll rent a gleaming limousine; Release a flock of Ber-herna-herna-herna Herna-her-nerds Wear a leather collar And a dagger in your ear (Stabbin' and a-stabbin' and a-stabbin' and a-stabbin' at you-ou-ou-ou-ou) I will make you smell the glove And try to look sincere, then we'll Dance the blues (Oh yes) Let's dance the blues (We'll dance the blues) Let's dance the blues (We'll dance them very much) Under the megawatt moonlight Pretend to be Chinese, (One-hung-low) I'll make you wear red shoes There's a cheesy atom bomb explosion All the big groups use Atomic light will shine Through an old venetian blind Making patterens on your face, Then it cuts to outer space With its billions & billions & Billions & billions and Be in my video Darling, every night Everyone in cable-land Will say you're 'outta-sight' You can show your legs While you're getting in the car, then I will look repulsive While I mangle my guitar Reen-toon-teen-toon-teen-toon Tee-nu-nee-nu-nee, Moo-ahhhh Reen-toon-teen-toon-teen-toon Tee-nu-nee-nu-nee, Moo-ahhhh Reen-toon-teen-toon-teen-toon Tee-nu-nee-nu-nee, Moo-ahhhh Tee-nu-nee-nu-nee, Moo-ahhhh Tee-nu-nee-nu-nee, Moo-ahhhh-wah-wah-wah! After all the closeup shots of you In bondage leather They'll spray an alley with a hose And we'll escape together Then we'll dance the blues again (Oh yes, we'll dance the blues) Let's dance the blues again (Sure we will) Let's dance the blues again (We'll dance them blues) In the middle of an alley Let's dance your face (Let's dance your face) Let's dance your lips (And dance your lips) Let's dance your nose (We'll dance your nose) And then we'll dance your sinus! Wooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-oo-oo-oo-oo-ooooooo! - Them or Us5:08
- Frogs With Dirty Little Lips2:46
Letra
Frogs with dirty little lips Dirty little warts on their finger-tips Dirty 'n green Tiny 'n mean Floppin' around By the edge of the stream Frogs with dirty little eyes Dirty little tongues all covered with flies Dirty brown Floppin' around Puffed up 'n bloated When the sun goes down Frogs with dirty little nose Dirty little spots all over their clothes Dirty legs Dirty feet Dirty little frogs is what you eat - Whipping Post7:32