History Music / TheYellowShark

* RepurposedPopSong: "Outrage At Valdez" was a piece Zappa originally composed for a 1990 documentary investigating the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
* GratuitousGerman: Some German is spoken at the start of "Welcome To The United States".

* CelebrityCameo: The liner notes thank some notable celebrities for their "very special but no less significant contributions", among them Beverley D' Angelo (Ellen Griswold in the Film/NationalLampoon Vacation film series; voice of [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E20ColonelHomer Lurleen Lumpkin]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''), Music/YokoOno, Creator/MattGroening, Larry Flynt, Lynda Barry, Creator/RutgerHauer, [[Series/{{Roseanne}} Tom and Roseanne Arnold]], composers/conductors Nicolas Slonimsky, Pierre Boulez and Kent Nagano, Creator/StephenHawking, Warren [=DeMartini=], Don Cerveris, Creator/JohnnyCarson, Creator/DennisMiller and Creator/JackNicholson.

* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: "Food Gathering In Post-Industrial America" criticizes [[spoiler:the pro-life movement in the USA]], while "Welcome To The United States" [[spoiler:pokes fun at the the US Customs Card that needs to be filled in by immigrants who visit the USA. The stinger is the final question: "Between 1933 and 1945 have you been involved in any way with persecutions associated with Nazi Germany?" When the visitor answers "Yes" he is immediately welcomed to the United States.]]

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: "Questi Cazzi Di Piccione", which sounds chic, unless you speak Italian, because it means "Those Fucking Pigeons". "G-Spot Tornado" is another example. "Food Gathering In Post-Industrial America" ends with [[spoiler: criticism of anti-abortionists]] and "Welcome To The United States" with [[spoiler: the question whether the visitor was involved with persecutions associated with Nazi Germany, which is already controversial enough on its own but then remember that this concert was performed in Germany itself!]]. "Get Whitey" sounds like the racially motivated slur, but was actually inspired by the fact that the piece was originally only concerned with the white keys on the piano.

''The Yellow Shark'' is a 1993 ClassicalMusic LiveAlbum by Music/FrankZappa, generally seen as the crown on his career. The album is a collaboration with the German Ensemble Modern, a classical orchestra specialized in performing more modern AvantGardeMusic. It wasn't Zappa's first experience with a classical orchestra: ''Music/LumpyGravy'' (1968) and ''Film/TwoHundredMotels'' (1971) already had orchestral pieces on them and albums like ''Music/OrchestralFavorites'' (1979), ''Music/LondonSymphonyOrchestra'' (1983/1987) and ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' (1984) were even entirely classical music. Never before, however, had an orchestra been [[ShownTheirWork so entirely devoted to rehearsing and performing Zappa's music according to his personal wishes]]. The orchestra was even able to perform "G-Spot Tornado", a track off of ''Music/JazzFromHell'' that Zappa had previously assumed to be unplayable by human musicians (the studio version was composed entirely on a Synclavier). For Zappa, this was the most satisfying performance his work ever received, being the closest approximation of how his compositions sounded in his head, and it all happened one year before his untimely death from cancer. It would also be the last album released while he was still alive. Even for the Ensemble Modern, it was the first time a classically trained orchestra performed music in a manner similar to a large-scale rock concert.

''The Yellow Shark'' is a 1993 ClassicalMusic album by Music/FrankZappa, generally seen as the crown on his career. The album is a collaboration with the German Ensemble Modern, a classical orchestra specialized in performing more modern AvantGardeMusic. It wasn't Zappa's first experience with a classical orchestra, after all ''Music/LumpyGravy'' (1968) and ''Film/TwoHundredMotels'' (1971) already had orchestral pieces on them and albums like "Orchestral Favorites" (1979), ''Music/LondonSymphonyOrchestra'' (1983/1988) and ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' (1984) were even entirely classical music. But never before had an orchestra been [[ShownTheirWork so entirely devoted to rehearsing and performing Zappa's music according to his personal wishes]]. The orchestra was even able to perform "G-Spot Tornado", a track off of ''Music/JazzFromHell'' that Zappa had designed to be deliberately unplayable by human musicians (the studio version was composed entirely on a Synclavier). For Zappa this was the most satisfying performance his work ever received and it all happened one year before his untimely death from cancer. It would also be the last album released while he was still alive. Even for the Ensemble Modern it was the first time a classically trained orchestra performed music in the same manner similar to a large-scale rock concert.

''The Yellow Shark'' is a 1993 ClassicalMusic album by Music/FrankZappa, generally seen as the crown on his career. The album is a collaboration with the German Ensemble Modern, a classical orchestra specialized in performing more modern AvantGardeMusic. It wasn't Zappa's first experience with a classical orchestra, after all ''Music/LumpyGravy'' (1968) and ''Film/TwoHundredMotels'' (1971) already had orchestral pieces on them and albums like "Orchestral Favorites" (1979), ''Music/LondonSymphonyOrchestra'' (1983/1988) and ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' (1984) were even entirely classical music. But never before had an orchestra been [[ShownTheirWork so entirely devoted to rehearsing and performing Zappa's music according to his personal wishes]]. For Zappa this was the most satisfying performance his work ever received and it all happened one year before his untimely death from cancer. It would also be the last album released while he was still alive. Even for the Ensemble Modern it was the first time a classically trained orchestra performed music in the same manner similar to a large-scale rock concert.

'''Tracklist'''

'''Personnel'''

''The Yellow Shark'' is a 1993 ClassicalMusic album by Music/FrankZappa, generally seen as the crown on his career. The album is a collaboration with the German Ensemble Modern, a classical orchestra specialized in performing more modern AvantGardeMusic. It wasn't Zappa's first experience with a classical orchestra, after all ''Music/LumpyGravy'' (1968) and ''Music/TwoHundredMotels'' (1971) already had orchestral pieces on them and albums like "Orchestral Favorites" (1979), ''Music/LondonSymphonyOrchestra'' (1983/1988) and ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' (1984) were even entirely classical music. But never before had an orchestra been [[ShownTheirWork so entirely devoted to rehearsing and performing Zappa's music according to his personal wishes]]. For Zappa this was the most satisfying performance his work ever received and it all happened one year before his untimely death from cancer. It would also be the last album released while he was still alive. Even for the Ensemble Modern it was the first time a classically trained orchestra performed music in the same manner similar to a large-scale rock concert.

* CelebrityCameo: The liner notes thank some notable celebrities for their "very special but no less significant contributions", among them Beverley D' Angelo (Ellen Griswold in the Franchise/NationalLampoon Vacation film series; voice of [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E20ColonelHomer Lurleen Lumpkin]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''), Music/YokoOno, Creator/MattGroening, Larry Flynt, Lynda Barry, Creator/RutgerHauer, [[Series/{{Roseanne}} Tom and Roseanne Arnold]], composers/conductors Nicolas Slonimsky, Pierre Boulez and Kent Nagano, Creator/StephenHawking, Warren [=DeMartini=], Don Cerveris, Creator/JohnnyCarson, Creator/DennisMiller and Creator/JackNicholson.

-> ''It is his last major work. The ensemble is awe-inspiring. It is a rich pageant of texture in colour. It's the clarity of his perfect madness, and mastery. Frank governs with Elmore James on his left and [[Music/IgorStravinsky Stravinsky]] on his right. Frank reigns and rules with the strangest tools.''

-> '''Music/TomWaits''', who placed "The Yellow Shark" on the 13th place in his personal list of Top 20 favorite albums of all time, published in "The Guardian" in 2006.

'''The Yellow Shark''' is a 1993 ClassicalMusic album by Music/FrankZappa, generally seen as the crown on his career. The album is a collaboration with the German Ensemble Modern, a classical orchestra specialized in performing more modern AvantGardeMusic. It wasn't Zappa's first experience with a classical orchestra, after all ''Music/LumpyGravy'' (1968) and ''Music/TwoHundredMotels'' (1971) already had orchestral pieces on them and albums like "Orchestral Favorites" (1979), ''Music/LondonSymphonyOrchestra'' (1983/1988) and ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' (1984) were even entirely classical music. But never before had an orchestra been [[ShownTheirWork so entirely devoted to rehearsing and performing Zappa's music according to his personal wishes]]. For Zappa this was the most satisfying performance his work ever received and it all happened one year before his untimely death from cancer. It would also be the last album released while he was still alive. Even for the Ensemble Modern it was the first time a classically trained orchestra performed music in the same manner similar to a large-scale rock concert.

'''The Yellow Shark''' is a 1993 ClassicalMusic album by Music/FrankZappa, generally seen as the crown on his career. The album is a collaboration with the German Ensemble Modern, a classical orchestra specialized in performing more modern AvantGardeMusic. It wasn't Zappa's first experience with a classical orchestra, after all ''Music/LumpyGravy'' (1968) and ''Music/TwoHundredMotels'' (1971) already had orchestral pieces on them and albums like "Orchestral Favorites" (1979), ''Music/LondonSymphonyOrchestra'' (1983/1988) and ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' (1984) were even entirely classical music. But never before had an orchestra been [[ShownTheirWork so entirely devoted to rehearsing and performing Zappa's music according to his personal wishes]]. For Zappa this was the most satisfying performance his work ever received and it all happened one year before his untimely death from cancer. It would also be the last album released while he was still alive. Therefore, as far as Zappa's classical albums go it's seen as his MagnumOpus. Even for the Ensemble Modern it was the first time a classically trained orchestra performed music in the same manner similar to a large-scale rock concert.

[[caption-width-right:350: ''Now let's get serious, ladies and gentlemen. I know you came here for really FINE performances by a really FINE modern music enesemble, conducted by a really FINE conductor.'']]

[[caption-width-right:350: The Master in his final years.]]

The concert was named after a piece of FanArt that Zappa had received in 1988: a yellow surfboard carved and modified in the shape of a shark. A famous fan of the album is Music/TomWaits who ranks it among his 20 favorite albums. [[http://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/mar/20/popandrock1]]

* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: "Food Gathering In Post-Industrial America" critizes [[spoiler:the pro-life movement in the USA]], while "Welcome To The United States" [[spoiler:pokes fun at the the US Customs Card that needs to be filled in by immigrants who visit the USA. The stinger is the final question: "Between 1933 and 1945 have you been involved in any way with persecutions associated with Nazi Germany?" When the visitor answers "Yes" he is immediately welcomed to the United States.]]

--> ''I understand there is a sign in the audience that once again says: "What's the secret word for tonight?" The secret word for tonight is ... (sound of children's ray gun)''

* CallBack and ContinuityNod: "The Yellow Shark" brings up memories to the mudshark featured on ''Music/FillmoreEastJune1971''. "Dog Breath Variations", "Uncle Meat" and "Pound For A Brown" appeared earlier on ''Music/UncleMeat'' (1969). "The Girl In The Magnesium Dress" was a piece from ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' (1984), "Be-Bop Tango" made its debut on ''Music/RoxyAndElsewhere'' (1973) and "G-Spot Tornado" on ''Music/JazzFromHell''. "Food Gathering In Post-Indudstrial America" mentions poodles, a dog species Zappa referenced before on ''Music/OverNiteSensation'' and ''Music/{{Apostrophe}}''. "Welcome To The United States quotes from "Louie Louie", a piece that Zappa enjoyed referencing now and then in his music, as he did on ''Music/UncleMeat'' (1969) and ''Music/OneSizeFitsAll'' (1975).

* CelebrityCameo: The liner notes thank some notable celebrities for their "very special but no less significant contributions", among them Beverley D' Angelo (Ellen Griswold in the Vacation film series; voice of Lurleen Lumpkin in "The Simpsons"), Music/YokoOno, Creator/MattGroening, Larry Flynt, Lynda Barry, Creator/RutgerHauer, [[Series/{{Roseanne}} Tom and Roseanne Arnold]], composers/conductors Nicolas Slonimsky, Pierre Boulez and Kent Nagano, Creator/StephenHawking, Warren [=DeMartini=], Don Cerveris, Creator/JohnnyCarson, Creator/DennisMiller and Creator/JackNicholson.

* CelebrityCameo: The liner notes thank some notable celebrities for their "very special but no less significant contributions", among them Beverley D' Angelo (voice of Lurleen Lumpkin in "The Simpsons"), Music/YokoOno, Creator/MattGroening, Larry Flynt, Lynda Barry, Creator/RutgerHauer, [[Series/{{Roseanne}} Tom and Roseanne Arnold]], composers/conductors Nicolas Slonimsky, Pierre Boulez and Kent Nagano, Creator/StephenHawking, Warren [=DeMartini=], Don Cerveris, Creator/JohnnyCarson, Creator/DennisMiller and Creator/JackNicholson.