Brown Shoes Don't Make It
| "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention from the album Absolutely Free | ||||
| Released | 1967 | |||
| Genre | Experimental rock | |||
| Length | 7:30 | |||
| Label | Verve | |||
| Composer | Frank Zappa | |||
| Producer | Frank Zappa, Tom Wilson | |||
| Absolutely Free track listing | ||||
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Brown Shoes Don't Make It is a song by The Mothers of Invention, written by band leader Frank Zappa. It is the 14th and penultimate song on their second album Absolutely Free. It is one of his most widely renowned works, declared by the Allmusic as "Zappa's first real masterpiece"[1].
Contents |
[edit] History
The title was inspired by an event covered by Time Magazine reporter Hugh Sidey in 1966.[2] The reporter correctly guessed that something was up when the fastidiously dressed President Lyndon B. Johnson made the fashion faux pas of wearing brown shoes with a gray suit. LBJ flew to Vietnam for a surprise public relations visit later that day.
A live version of this song is featured on the album Tinseltown Rebellion.
[edit] Music and lyrics
The lyrics start off as a general attack on suburban American society: TV, greed and conformity are all mocked openly in the song. It then shifts in tone, dealing with a city hall official fantasizing about having sex with a thirteen-year-old girl.
The music makes several stylistic shifts, covering hard rock, classical, psychedelic rock, music hall and jazz. It is cited by Allmusic as being a "condensed two-hour musical". The song lasts 7:30 and is the fourteenth track on Absolutely Free. According to Zappa, the beginning background music was inspired by Lightnin' Slim's "Have Your Way".
[edit] Reception
The song has revived widespread acclaim from critics, and is considered by many as "Zappa's first masterpiece". In a positive review of the album, Dominique Chevalier said "there are snatches of dodecaphonic scales, ballads, rock, R&B, Beach Boys, soap opera and more...and ensures that this is no piece of easy listening"[3]. As well as giving its parent album 4.5 stars, Allmusic gave a very positive review of the song[4]. It is also included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" (song review). http://www.allmusic.com/song/t998763. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ Sidey, Hugh (1980-06-30). "The Meaning of the Cordovans" (web reprint). Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924245-1.00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ Chevalier, Dominique "Viva Zappa!" 1985 Page 62
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/song/brown-shoes-dont-make-it-t998763 allmusic review
- ^ "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll A-C". Archived from the original on 2008-01-20. http://web.archive.org/web/20080120174104/http://www.rockhall.com/exhibithighlights/500-songs-by-name-ac/. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
[edit] External links
- Lyrics [1]
