Studio Tan is one of four albums culled from the ill-fated 1976 box set Läther and released by Warner Bros. without
Frank Zappa having a word to say about the final product (including the horrible artwork). The 21-minute opener, "The Adventures of Greggery Peccary," is the culmination of
Zappa's art of storytelling. A complex piece painstakingly assembled in the studio over three years, it allies the comedy rock of the
Flo & Eddie era with the jazzy feel of
The Grand Wazoo and the twisted prog rock of the 1973-1974 band. Yet, it is greater than the sum of its parts, proposing an unmatched musical narrative that makes "Billy the Mountain" the work of a child and amounts to a stunning synthesis of the man's influences, stylistic range, and studio techniques. Side two features an intentionally stupid pop song, "Lemme Take You to the Beach," and two instrumental pieces written a few years earlier. The personnel is for the most part the same as on
Roxy & Elsewhere. If you like cartoon music and silly stories, it is worth your money for "The Adventures of Greggery Peccary" alone. ~ François Couture