Composer: Frank Zappa.

Personnel: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Adrian Belew (vocals, guitar); Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, saxophone, background vocals); Tommy Mars (vocals, keyboards); Terry Bozzio (vocals, drums); Ed Mann (vocals, percussion); Davey Moire, Randy Thornton (vocals, background vocals); Patrick O'Hearn (vocals); David Ocker (clarinet); Andre Lewis (keyboards, background vocals); Peter Wolf (keyboards).

Audio Remixers: Frank Zappa; Joe Chiccarelli.

Recording information: Basing Street Truck; Deutschland Halle, Berlin, Germany; Manor Truck; Odeon Hammersmith, London, England; Ol' Four Track; Palladium, New York, NY; RCA Truck; Village Recorders, Los Angeles, CA.

Photographers: Lynn Goldsmith; Gail Zappa.

Unknown Contributor Role: Peter Wolf .

Arranger: Frank Zappa.

In order to finance his artier excursions, which increasingly required more expensive technology, Frank Zappa recorded several collections of guitar- and song-oriented material in the late '70s and early '80s, which generally concentrated on the bawdy lyrical themes many fans had come to expect and enjoy in concert. Sheik Yerbouti (two LPs, one CD) was one of the first and most successful of these albums, garnering attention for such tracks as the Grammy-nominated disco satire "Dancin' Fool," the controversial "Jewish Princess," and the equally controversial "Bobby Brown Goes Down," a song about gay S&M that became a substantial hit in European clubs. While Zappa's attitude on the latter two tracks was even more politically incorrect than usual for him, it didn't stop the album from becoming his second-highest charting ever. Social satire, leering sexual preoccupations, and tight, melodic songs dominated the rest of the record as well, as Zappa stuck to what had been commercially successful for him in the past. The "dumb entertainment" (as Zappa liked to describe this style) on Sheik Yerbouti was some of his dumbest, for better or worse, and the music was undeniably good -- easily some of his best since Apostrophe, and certainly the most accessible. Even if it sometimes drifts a bit, fans of Zappa's '70s work will find Sheik Yerbouti on nearly an equal level with Apostrophe and Over-Nite Sensation, both in terms of humor and musical quality. ~ Steve Huey

The folly of others was always Zappa's bread and butter, and living in LA, there was plenty of folly from which to choose. On SHEIK YERBOUTI he was at the top of his game, with relentless and biting sarcasm, and the chutzpah to not care who he insulted. Blessed with the ability to expose nincompoopery with just one cleverly turned phrase, Zappa was the great leveler, insulting everyone equally. Peter Frampton ("I Have Been In You") and Jewish American Princesses ("Jewish Princess") are just two of Zappa's targets on SHEIK. Zappa reserved most of his barbs for Los Angeles scenesters, dedicating six tunes, including the hilarious "I'm So Cute" and "Dancin' Fool" to the "beautiful people" of his hometown. Conspicuously absent from the list of victims is the religious right, who would be his favorite target in the '80s.