When it comes to Zappa, I am a dissenter. His early stuff has its place in rock history; "Hot Rats" is a minor landmark in jazz-rock fusion. After that, I find absolutely nothing to like about what he did. As satire, it's half-baked; as music, it's just a conglomeration of pop junk  (...)  that is supposed to make some kind of statement--what, exactly, pray tell, would that be? That pop music is dreck to be recycled in Zappa's lab? I don't believe I have ever needed Frank Zappa to tell me that most pop music is worthless; I knew that already. But pop music is worthless in a way that can sometimes approximate worth. Phil Spector's productions would be an example. Phil Spector believed in what he was doing; Frank Zappa did not. Zappa thought he was above popular music, a strange and lame attitude. The CD under review is often cited as one of his best efforts, merging "jazz-rock" "sophistication" with "humor." I am no geek in some comic-book shop, and I do not find "Going to Montana to find some dental floss" funny. This is sophomoric, arid music for disengaged pseuds. Zappa's libertarian "satire" is not a part of my world, and neither are his attempts at "serious" music--half-digested Varese and Stravinsky and Ives. Three minutes of Captain Beefheart is worth all of Zappa's catalog. Who was it who said that, for all Zappa knew about music, he lacked the talent to write a song as good as "Louie Louie"?