Frank Zappa‘s lore has its fare share of almost apocryphal artifacts, and one of those is “Sinister Footwear”: in the composer’s own words, it’s “a ballet about a guy who designs the ugliest shoe in the world and then all the things that happen before you get to wear it” – only a full version of the piece, which premiered in Berkeley in June 1984 has never been released. A few artists, such as NAKEDEYE ENSEMBLE, have covered its parts over the years, yet now there’s a complete take on the nigh-mythical classic, recorded by Hans Annellsson and issued now for mass delectation.
Hans has been around for about five decades, working both as a solo performer and half of THE VEGETARIANS, with quite a few albums under his belt, but Annellsson’s take on Zappa might seem like his most ambitious projects to date. Arranged for a traditional rock band plus violin, woodwinds and mallets, it’s available via the Swede’s Bandcamp – as a single 22-minute epic worth delving into.
Sinister Footwear
1. Jake, Who Designs It
2. Someplace In New Jersey Where They Make Them
3. Illegal Aliens On A Lunchbreak
4. At The Catering Truck
5. Jake Eats A Molded Jello Salad
6. Jake’S Secretary
7. Illegal Aliens Work Slower In The Afternoon
8. Jake’S Secretary Reads Her Magazine
9. Illegal Aliens Want To Go Home
10. Jake’S Secretary Eats Cottage Cheese
11. Ugly Shoes On The Assembly Line
12. What You Think You Look Like While You’re Wearing Them
13. Sometimes They Make You Walk Funny
14. Other People Pretend Not To Notice
15. Sometimes You Have To Take Them Off For A Minute
16. Then You Put Them Back On Because You Think They Look So Good On You
17. Children Can Also Have Ugly Shoes
18. The Foot Doctor Says You Might Need An Operation
19. But You’Re Gonna Wear Them Anyway
20. Various New Postures
21. Everybody Has A Pair Somewhere
22. A Place You Can Go When You Got Them On
