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''The Man From Utopia'' is a 1983 album by Music/FrankZappa. Originally Zappa wanted to bring out an album called "Chalk Pie", but when a bootleg copy was brought out he scrapped the plans. "The Man From Utopia" is best remembered for songs like "Cocaine Decisions", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "SEX", "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" and "Moggio". Like many albums Zappa released during TheEighties it's not highly regarded among fans, mostly due to the fact that in three songs Zappa and his band members sing in rather obnoxious voices and the rest of the material isn't particularly up to Zappa's standards either. Together with ''Music/ThingFish'' (1984) it's often perceived as his worst album.
The album cover was designed by Italian comic book artist Tanino Liberatore, best known for his series "Ranxerox".
The album cover was designed by Italian comic book artist Tanino Liberatore, best known for his series "Ranxerox".
to:
''The Man From from Utopia'' is a 1983 album by Music/FrankZappa. Originally Zappa wanted to bring out an album called "Chalk Pie", ''Chalk Pie'', but when a bootleg copy was brought out he scrapped the plans. "The Man From Utopia" is best remembered for songs like "Cocaine Decisions", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "SEX", "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" and "Moggio". Like many albums Zappa released during TheEighties it's not highly regarded among fans, mostly due to the fact that in three songs Zappa and his band members sing in rather obnoxious voices and the rest of the material isn't particularly up to Zappa's standards either. Together with ''Music/ThingFish'' (1984) it's often perceived as his worst album.
The album cover was designed by Italian comic book artist Tanino Liberatore, best known for his series"Ranxerox".
''Ranxerox''.
The album cover was designed by Italian comic book artist Tanino Liberatore, best known for his series
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# "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" (3:19)
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# "The Man From from Utopia Meets Mary Lou" (3:19)
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[-The CD re-release has a different track order (see the notes) and adds "Luigi & The Wise Guys" as bonus track.-]
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[-The CD re-release has a different track order (see the notes) and adds "Luigi & The the Wise Guys" as bonus track.-]
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* ACappella: "Luigi & The Wise Guys" is sang with vocals only.
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* ACappella: "Luigi & The the Wise Guys" is sang with vocals only.
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** "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" mentions that Mary Lou "took my watch", which is similar to "Advance Romance"'s from ''Music/BongoFury'' ("they took George's watch like they always do"). The mention of a Cadillac and '55 Chevy continues car imagery in Zappa's lyrics. The song also appears on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Volume 4" (1991).
to:
** "The Man From from Utopia Meets Mary Lou" mentions that Mary Lou "took my watch", which is similar to "Advance Romance"'s from ''Music/BongoFury'' ("they took George's watch like they always do"). The mention of a Cadillac and '55 Chevy continues car imagery in Zappa's lyrics. The song also appears on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Volume 4" (1991).
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** "The Dangerous Kitchen" would reappear again live on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Volume 1" (1988).
** Just like he did before with "Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink" from ''Music/ChungasRevenge'' (1970) Zappa attacks unions in "Stick Together".
** Just like he did before with "Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink" from ''Music/ChungasRevenge'' (1970) Zappa attacks unions in "Stick Together".
to:
** "The Dangerous Kitchen" would reappear again live on "You Can't Do That On on Stage Anymore, Volume 1" (1988).
** Just like he did before with "Rudy WantsTo to Buy Yez A a Drink" from ''Music/ChungasRevenge'' (1970) Zappa attacks unions in "Stick Together".
** Just like he did before with "Rudy Wants
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* CoverVersion: "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
* {{Doowop}} and DoowopProgression: "Mary Lou/Man From Utopia".
* {{Doowop}} and DoowopProgression: "Mary Lou/Man From Utopia".
to:
* CoverVersion: "The Man From from Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
* {{Doowop}} and DoowopProgression: "Mary Lou/ManFrom from Utopia".
* {{Doowop}} and DoowopProgression: "Mary Lou/Man
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** Zappa said in "They're Doing the Interview of the Century", published in the June issue of "Society Pages" in 1990, that "Moggio" was based on a dream Zappa's daughter Diva had about a "tiny little father named Moggio, who lived under the pillow".
to:
** Zappa said in "They're Doing the Interview of the Century", published in the June issue of "Society Pages" ''Society Pages'' in 1990, that "Moggio" was based on a dream Zappa's daughter Diva had about a "tiny little father named Moggio, who lived under the pillow".
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** The title is a shout-out to "The Man From Utopia", a song by Donald and Doris Woods, which Zappa covers as part of "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
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** The title is a shout-out to "The Man From from Utopia", a song by Donald and Doris Woods, which Zappa covers as part of "The Man From from Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
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not a trope
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* CoolHat: "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", where female panties are worn as hatwear.
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Corpsing is now trivia, moving to that tab.
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* {{Corpsing}}: Zappa cracks up a few times halfway "The Radio Is Broken".
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The album cover was designed by Italian comic book artist Tanino Liberatore, best known for his series "Ranxerox".
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* DesignStudentsOrgasm: The album cover was designed by Italian comic book artist Tanino Liberatore, best known for his series "Ranxerox".
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''The Man From Utopia'' is a 1983 album by Music/FrankZappa. Originally Zappa wanted to bring out an album called "Chalk Pie", but when a bootleg copy was brought out he scrapped the plans. "The Man From Utopia" is best remembered for songs like "Cocaine Decisions", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "SEX", "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" and "Moggio". Like many albums Zappa released during TheEighties it's not highly regarded among fans, mostly due to the fact that in three songs Zappa and his band members sing in rather obnoxious voices and the rest of the material isn't particularly up to Zappa's standards either. Together with ''Music/ThingFish'' (1984) it's often perceived as his "worst album."
'''Tracklist'''
'''Tracklist'''
to:
''The Man From Utopia'' is a 1983 album by Music/FrankZappa. Originally Zappa wanted to bring out an album called "Chalk Pie", but when a bootleg copy was brought out he scrapped the plans. "The Man From Utopia" is best remembered for songs like "Cocaine Decisions", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "SEX", "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" and "Moggio". Like many albums Zappa released during TheEighties it's not highly regarded among fans, mostly due to the fact that in three songs Zappa and his band members sing in rather obnoxious voices and the rest of the material isn't particularly up to Zappa's standards either. Together with ''Music/ThingFish'' (1984) it's often perceived as his "worst album."
'''Tracklist'''
worst album.
!!Tracklist
'''Tracklist'''
!!Tracklist
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The CD re-release has a different track order (see the notes) and adds "Luigi & The Wise Guys" as bonustrack.
'''Personnel'''
'''Personnel'''
to:
'''Personnel'''
!!Personnel
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* TheresNoBInMovie: Zappa expresses his love for cheap and laughable science fiction movies in "The Radio Is Broken".
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* UnabashedBMovieFan: Zappa expresses his love for cheap and laughable science fiction movies in "The Radio Is Broken".
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How To Create A Works Page explicitly says "No bolding is used for work titles."
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'''The Man From Utopia''' is a 1983 album by Music/FrankZappa. Originally Zappa wanted to bring out an album called "Chalk Pie", but when a bootleg copy was brought out he scrapped the plans. "The Man From Utopia" is best remembered for songs like "Cocaine Decisions", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "SEX", "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" and "Moggio". Like many albums Zappa released during TheEighties it's not highly regarded among fans, mostly due to the fact that in three songs Zappa and his band members sing in rather obnoxious voices and the rest of the material isn't particularly up to Zappa's standards either. Together with ''Music/ThingFish'' (1984) it's often perceived as his "worst album."
to:
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** "Cocaine Decisions" attacks coke sniffing yuppies, a topic Zappa handled before in "Charlie's Enormous Mouth" from ''Music/YouAreWhatYouIs'' (1981). It also mentions noses, which are part of Zappa's conceptual continuity.
to:
** "Cocaine Decisions" attacks coke sniffing yuppies, a topic Zappa handled before in "Charlie's Enormous Mouth" from ''Music/YouAreWhatYouIs'' (1981). It also mentions noses, which are part of Zappa's conceptual continuity. The opening line "chop up a line now" was used before during "Tinseltown Rebellion" from ''Music/TinseltownRebellion'' (1981).
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2ec69ae8ddf5140f8a849a4430da7276.jpg]]
'''The Man From Utopia''' is a 1983 album by Music/FrankZappa. Originally Zappa wanted to bring out an album called "Chalk Pie", but when a bootleg copy was brought out he scrapped the plans. "The Man From Utopia" is best remembered for songs like "Cocaine Decisions", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "SEX", "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" and "Moggio". Like many albums Zappa released during TheEighties it's not highly regarded among fans, mostly due to the fact that in three songs Zappa and his band members sing in rather obnoxious voices and the rest of the material isn't particularly up to Zappa's standards either. Together with ''Music/ThingFish'' (1984) it's often perceived as his "worst album."
'''Tracklist'''
[[AC:Side One]]
# "Cocaine Decisions" (2:56)
# "The Dangerous Kitchen" (2:51) [[note]] Track 6 on the CD release [[/note]]
# "Tink Walks Amok" (3:40)
# "The Radio Is Broken" (5:52)
# "Moggio" (3:05) [[note]] Track 11 on the CD release [[/note]]
[[AC:Side Two]]
# "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" (3:19)
# "Stick Together" (3:50)
# "SEX" (3:00) [[note]] Track 2 on the CD release [[/note]]
# "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" (4:30)
# "We Are Not Alone" (3:31) [[note]] Track 5 on the CD release [[/note]]
The CD re-release has a different track order (see the notes) and adds "Luigi & The Wise Guys" as bonustrack.
'''Personnel'''
* Music/FrankZappa: vocals, guitar, drum machine, ARP 2600
* Music/SteveVai: guitar
* Ike Willis: vocals
* Ray White: vocals, guitar
* Roy Estrada: vocals
* Bob Harris: boy soprano
* Bobby Martin: vocals, keyboards, saxophone
* Tommy Mars: keyboards
* Arthur Barrow: keyboards, bass, micro bass, rhythm guitar
* Ed Mann: percussion
* Scott Thunes: bass
* Chad Wackerman: drums
* Vinnie Colaiuta: drums
* Craig Twister Steward: harmonica
* Dick Fegy: mandolin
* Marty Krystall: saxophone
!! ''The Man From Utropia''
* ACappella: "Luigi & The Wise Guys" is sang with vocals only.
* AllWomenAreLustful: "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" is both an example as well as a subversion:
--> ''One of them thought she was a beauty queen...''
--> ''The other one was a walking Blow-Job''
--> ''And then there was this skinny girl...''
--> ''Oh well...Some of the guys in the band got together''
--> ''With the girls from the college''
--> ''They were having a good time...''
--> ''(We were in Alburquerque for a couple of days)''
--> ''But these girls thought they were Hot Shit''
--> '''N wouldn't pooch the guys in the band''
--> ''On the first day, so...''
--> ''A couple of the guys in the band''
--> ''Who were desperate for THAT KIND OF ACTION''
--> ''Kept workin' on 'em for two days''
--> ''(Which is a waste of fuckin' time anyway...)''
--> ''So, anyway... but if that's your idea of a good time, what the hey?''
* BiggerIsBetterInBed: "SEX"
--> ''The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin''
* BMovie: "The Radio Is Broken" is a {{Homage}} to cheap science fiction movies and all the clichés found in them.
* CallBack and ContinuityNod:
** "Cocaine Decisions" attacks coke sniffing yuppies, a topic Zappa handled before in "Charlie's Enormous Mouth" from ''Music/YouAreWhatYouIs'' (1981). It also mentions noses, which are part of Zappa's conceptual continuity.
** "The Radio Is Broken" is a homage to sciencefiction B-movies. Zappa expressed his love for B-movies before, most notably during "Cheepnis" from ''Music/RoxyAndElsewhere'' (1973). The song also mentions a "gigantic spider", which also appeared before in "Cheepnis", and the co-pilot "always plays the harmonica", which is similar to the line "Blow your harmonica, son" that Zappa used before on ''Music/FreakOut'' (1966). The final line, "Dwarf nebula!" is a call back to "Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Nebula" from ''Music/WeaselsRippedMyFlesh'' (1970). The adjective "blobulent" would reappear during "The Massive Improve'lence" from ''Music/ThingFish'' (1984).
** "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" mentions that Mary Lou "took my watch", which is similar to "Advance Romance"'s from ''Music/BongoFury'' ("they took George's watch like they always do"). The mention of a Cadillac and '55 Chevy continues car imagery in Zappa's lyrics. The song also appears on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Volume 4" (1991).
** "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" has people skinny dipping and Zappa mentioning "the water was very, very cold". He says a similar line during "Fembot In A Wet T-Shirt Nite" from ''Music/JoesGarage'' (1979). Interestingly enough one of the band members also wears a T-shirt in the song and Zappa says "this would make a great way of life for them", similar to his line "Ain't this what livin' is all about?" in "Fembot In a Wet T-Shirt Nite". The song also mentions undergarments, which have been alluded before in Zappa's songs. The girls are also described as "college girls", whom Zappa satirized before in "The Illinois Enema Bandit" from ''Music/ZappaInNewYork'' (1978).
** "The Dangerous Kitchen" would reappear again live on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Volume 1" (1988).
** Just like he did before with "Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink" from ''Music/ChungasRevenge'' (1970) Zappa attacks unions in "Stick Together".
* CloudCuckooLander: The band members wearing women's pants on their heads and snorting them in "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", as Zappa lampshades:
--> ''Some of you might think this is weird...''
--> ''No wonder. It's not exactly normal, but "What the fuck?" ''
--> ''So, they're snorting it...''
--> ''Hey! It's the twentieth century...''
--> ''Whatever you can do to have a good time, let's get on with it,''
--> ''So long as it doesn't cause a murder...''
* CoolHat: "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", where female panties are worn as hatwear.
* {{Corpsing}}: Zappa cracks up a few times halfway "The Radio Is Broken".
* CoverVersion: "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
* DesignStudentsOrgasm: The album cover was designed by Italian comic book artist Tanino Liberatore, best known for his series "Ranxerox".
* {{Doowop}} and DoowopProgression: "Mary Lou/Man From Utopia".
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: "Moggio" was inspired by a dream Zappa's daughter Diva once had.
* DrugsAreBad: "Cocaine Decisions" is a satirical attack on yuppies, who often snorted coke in TheEighties.
--> ''And the cocaine decisions that you make today''
--> ''Will mean nothing later on, when you get nose decay''
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: "The Dangerous Kitchen"
--> ''The bananas are black''
--> ''They got flies in the back''
--> ''And also the chicken''
--> ''In the dish with the foil''
--> ''Where the cream is all clabbered''
--> ''And the salad is frightful''
--> ''Your return in the evening''
--> ''Can be less than delightful''
* FemmeFatale: Mary Lou in "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
--> ''Well, she picked up from Georgia, moved to Kalamazoo''
--> ''Made her a fortune outta fools like you''
--> ''Meet her a rich man who was married and had two kids''
--> ''She stoked that cat till he flipped his lid''
--> ''Mary Lou -- she took my watch and chain''
--> ''Mary Lou -- she took my diamond ring''
--> ''Mary Lou -- she took my Cadillac car''
--> ''Jumped in my Kitty and drove far''
* FoodSongsAreFunny: "The Dangerous Kitchen", about the dangers of disgusting, stale and/or rotting food in the kitchen, stuff you can cut your fingers on and all the things that you can step on and/or slip over.
--> ''While you're sleeping''
--> ''It crawls off''
--> ''It gets in your bed''
--> ''It could get on your face then''
--> ''It could eat your complexion''
--> ''You could die from the danger of the dangerous kitchen''
* HidingBehindReligion: "SEX"
--> ''Even them Christians who are born again''
--> ''Go out 'n' get pooched every now and then''
--> ''Do ya do or don't ya don't''
--> ''Bet your lyin' if ya say ya won't''
* HurricaneOfPuns:
** "Cocaine Decisions"
--> ''You're a person with a snow job'' [[note]] A pun on a "snow job", a job that is far less important than the person makes it out to be, but also on the fact that they do coke, aka "snow" [[/note]]
** "The Radio Is Broken"
--> ''You can land on Uranus'' [[note]] An old joke about the resemblance between the planet and the word "your anus" [[/note]]
* {{Instrumentals}}: "Moggio", "Tink Walks Amok" and "We Are Not Alone".
* IntentionallyAwkwardTitle: "SEX".
* LiveAlbum: Some tracks are performed live, but with overdubs.
* MarsNeedsWomen: "The Radio Is Broken"
--> ''The tiny little dresses on the space girls''
--> ''A love-starved race begging to reproduce with earthmen''
* {{Medley}}: "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" is a medley of the original 1950s song "The Man From Utopia" and additional lyrics by Zappa.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: "The Dangerous Kitchen", about the dangers of going out to get some food at night, "The Radio Is Broken" about cheap science fiction B-movies and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", about his band members putting girls' panties on their head and wearing them like hats.
* {{Mundangerous}}: "The Dangerous Kitchen", where Zappa warns for the dangers of going to your kitchen at night and trying to find something to eat:
--> ''The can things with the sharp little edges''
--> ''That can cut your fingers when you're not looking''
--> ''The soft little things on the floor that you step on''
--> ''They can all be dangerous''
--> ''Sometimes the milk can hurt you''
--> ''(If you put it on your cereal''
--> ''Before you smell the plastic container)''
--> ''And the stuff in the strainer has a mind of its own''
* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: Zappa calls collecting female underpants "part of a Great American Tradition, the tradition of the Jazz discharge party hats".
* TheNameless: "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats"
--> ''A couple of the guys in the band, who shall go nameless''
--> ''Because their girlfriends might find out''
--> ''Decided they were gonna work the wall on these girls from the college''
* TheNavigator: "The Radio Is Broken"
--> ''The navigator always gets killed by a bad space person''
* OneManSong: "The Man From Utopia" and "Moggio".
* ProductPlacement: "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou"
--> ''Mary Lou - she took my Cadillac car''
--> ''(...) I had a '55 Ford and a two dollar bill''
* ProtestSong:
** "Cocaine Decisions" is aimed at yuppies:
--> ''I don't wanna know about the things that you pull outta your nose''
--> ''Or where they goes''
--> ''But if you are wasted from the stuff you're stickin' in it''
--> ''I get madder every day because what you do 'n' what you say''
--> ''Affects my life in such a way''
--> ''I learn to hate it every minute!''
** "Stick Together" attacks unions.
--> ''Once upon a time the idea was good''
--> ''If only they'd a done what they said they would''
--> ''It ain't no better, they's makin' it worse''
--> ''The labor movement's got the Mafia curse''
* TheRadioDiesFirst: "The Radio Is Broken" is just one of the clichés in sciencefiction B-movies Zappa addresses.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot:
** Zappa is depicted with a fly swatter on the cover. This is a reference to the 1982 concert he and his band held in Segrate, Italy, where the group battled mosquitos on stage. Later a riot broke out, which is depicted on the back cover.
** "The Dangerous Kitchen" was based on Zappa's own experiences of working all night in his studio and getting something to eat from the kitchen downstairs. As he explained in ''Literature/TheRealFrankZappaBook''.
** "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" was based on a real life touring anecdote, described in full in the lyrics.
** Zappa said in "They're Doing the Interview of the Century", published in the June issue of "Society Pages" in 1990, that "Moggio" was based on a dream Zappa's daughter Diva had about a "tiny little father named Moggio, who lived under the pillow".
* RealWomenHaveCurves: "SEX"
--> ''Some girls try it 'n' go on a diet''
--> ''Then they worry 'cause they's too fat''
--> ''Who wants t'ride on an ironin' board?''
--> ''That ain't no fun, I tried me one''
--> ''Grow that meat all over your bones''
--> ''Work the wall with the local jones''
* SexIsGood: "SEX"
--> ''Any time, anywhere''
--> ''Why d'ya think it's growing there?''
* ShoutOut:
** The title is a shout-out to "The Man From Utopia", a song by Donald and Doris Woods, which Zappa covers as part of "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
** "The Radio Is Broken" mentions the names of B-movie actors Lisa Kranston, John Agar [[note]] Prof. Clete Ferguson in ''Film/RevengeOfTheCreature'' (1955), Dr. Hastings in ''Film/{{Tarantula}}'' (1955) and Dr. Farrell in ''Film/WomenOfThePrehistoricPlanet'' (1966). [[/note]], Morris Ankrum [[note]] Colonel Fielding in ''Film/InvadersFromMars'' (1953) and Brig. Gen. John Hanley in ''Film/EarthVsTheFlyingSaucers'' (1956) [[/note]], Richard Basehart [[note]] Admiral Nelson in ''Film/VoyageToTheBottomOfTheSea'' (1961) [[/note]], Jackie Coogan and Sonny Tufts [[note]] Laird Grainger in ''Film/CatWomenOfTheMoon'' (1953) [[/note]]. The word "botchino" comes from ''Film/QueenOfOuterSpace'', where the evil queen of Venus uses it as a command to her soldiers to march. The film also showcases a giant spider. On Venus!
* SingerNameDrop:
** "Tink Walks Amok" references Arthur Barrow, Zappa's bassist, whose nickname was "Tink".
** Avoided in "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats".
--> ''A couple of the guys in the band, who shall go nameless''
--> ''Because their girlfriends might find out''
--> ''Decided they were gonna work the wall on these girls from the college''
* {{Skinnydipping}}: The band members and groupies do this in "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats"
* SpokenWordInMusic: "The Dangerous Kitchen", "The Radio Is Broken" and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" are performed in ''sprechstimme'', which is a waying of singing while talking.
* TakeThat: "Cocaine Decisions"
--> ''But if you are wasted from the stuff you're stickin' in it.''
--> ''I get madder every day 'cause what you do 'n' what you say affects my life in such a way. I learn to hate it every minute!''
* TheresNoBInMovie: Zappa expresses his love for cheap and laughable science fiction movies in "The Radio Is Broken".
* TimeMarchesOn: "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats"
--> ''Hey! It's the twentieth century...''
--> ''Whatever you can do to have a good time, let's get on with it'',
--> ''So long as it doesn't cause a murder...''
* UnusualEuphemism: "The Radio Broken" speaks of a "blobulent suit".
* UpperclassTwit: "Cocaine Decisions"
--> ''You are a person who is high class''
--> ''You are a person not in my class''
* UranusIsShowing: "The Radio Is Broken"
--> ''We have to fall in love on Uranus!''
'''The Man From Utopia''' is a 1983 album by Music/FrankZappa. Originally Zappa wanted to bring out an album called "Chalk Pie", but when a bootleg copy was brought out he scrapped the plans. "The Man From Utopia" is best remembered for songs like "Cocaine Decisions", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "SEX", "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" and "Moggio". Like many albums Zappa released during TheEighties it's not highly regarded among fans, mostly due to the fact that in three songs Zappa and his band members sing in rather obnoxious voices and the rest of the material isn't particularly up to Zappa's standards either. Together with ''Music/ThingFish'' (1984) it's often perceived as his "worst album."
'''Tracklist'''
[[AC:Side One]]
# "Cocaine Decisions" (2:56)
# "The Dangerous Kitchen" (2:51) [[note]] Track 6 on the CD release [[/note]]
# "Tink Walks Amok" (3:40)
# "The Radio Is Broken" (5:52)
# "Moggio" (3:05) [[note]] Track 11 on the CD release [[/note]]
[[AC:Side Two]]
# "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" (3:19)
# "Stick Together" (3:50)
# "SEX" (3:00) [[note]] Track 2 on the CD release [[/note]]
# "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" (4:30)
# "We Are Not Alone" (3:31) [[note]] Track 5 on the CD release [[/note]]
The CD re-release has a different track order (see the notes) and adds "Luigi & The Wise Guys" as bonustrack.
'''Personnel'''
* Music/FrankZappa: vocals, guitar, drum machine, ARP 2600
* Music/SteveVai: guitar
* Ike Willis: vocals
* Ray White: vocals, guitar
* Roy Estrada: vocals
* Bob Harris: boy soprano
* Bobby Martin: vocals, keyboards, saxophone
* Tommy Mars: keyboards
* Arthur Barrow: keyboards, bass, micro bass, rhythm guitar
* Ed Mann: percussion
* Scott Thunes: bass
* Chad Wackerman: drums
* Vinnie Colaiuta: drums
* Craig Twister Steward: harmonica
* Dick Fegy: mandolin
* Marty Krystall: saxophone
!! ''The Man From Utropia''
* ACappella: "Luigi & The Wise Guys" is sang with vocals only.
* AllWomenAreLustful: "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" is both an example as well as a subversion:
--> ''One of them thought she was a beauty queen...''
--> ''The other one was a walking Blow-Job''
--> ''And then there was this skinny girl...''
--> ''Oh well...Some of the guys in the band got together''
--> ''With the girls from the college''
--> ''They were having a good time...''
--> ''(We were in Alburquerque for a couple of days)''
--> ''But these girls thought they were Hot Shit''
--> '''N wouldn't pooch the guys in the band''
--> ''On the first day, so...''
--> ''A couple of the guys in the band''
--> ''Who were desperate for THAT KIND OF ACTION''
--> ''Kept workin' on 'em for two days''
--> ''(Which is a waste of fuckin' time anyway...)''
--> ''So, anyway... but if that's your idea of a good time, what the hey?''
* BiggerIsBetterInBed: "SEX"
--> ''The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin''
* BMovie: "The Radio Is Broken" is a {{Homage}} to cheap science fiction movies and all the clichés found in them.
* CallBack and ContinuityNod:
** "Cocaine Decisions" attacks coke sniffing yuppies, a topic Zappa handled before in "Charlie's Enormous Mouth" from ''Music/YouAreWhatYouIs'' (1981). It also mentions noses, which are part of Zappa's conceptual continuity.
** "The Radio Is Broken" is a homage to sciencefiction B-movies. Zappa expressed his love for B-movies before, most notably during "Cheepnis" from ''Music/RoxyAndElsewhere'' (1973). The song also mentions a "gigantic spider", which also appeared before in "Cheepnis", and the co-pilot "always plays the harmonica", which is similar to the line "Blow your harmonica, son" that Zappa used before on ''Music/FreakOut'' (1966). The final line, "Dwarf nebula!" is a call back to "Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Nebula" from ''Music/WeaselsRippedMyFlesh'' (1970). The adjective "blobulent" would reappear during "The Massive Improve'lence" from ''Music/ThingFish'' (1984).
** "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" mentions that Mary Lou "took my watch", which is similar to "Advance Romance"'s from ''Music/BongoFury'' ("they took George's watch like they always do"). The mention of a Cadillac and '55 Chevy continues car imagery in Zappa's lyrics. The song also appears on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Volume 4" (1991).
** "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" has people skinny dipping and Zappa mentioning "the water was very, very cold". He says a similar line during "Fembot In A Wet T-Shirt Nite" from ''Music/JoesGarage'' (1979). Interestingly enough one of the band members also wears a T-shirt in the song and Zappa says "this would make a great way of life for them", similar to his line "Ain't this what livin' is all about?" in "Fembot In a Wet T-Shirt Nite". The song also mentions undergarments, which have been alluded before in Zappa's songs. The girls are also described as "college girls", whom Zappa satirized before in "The Illinois Enema Bandit" from ''Music/ZappaInNewYork'' (1978).
** "The Dangerous Kitchen" would reappear again live on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Volume 1" (1988).
** Just like he did before with "Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink" from ''Music/ChungasRevenge'' (1970) Zappa attacks unions in "Stick Together".
* CloudCuckooLander: The band members wearing women's pants on their heads and snorting them in "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", as Zappa lampshades:
--> ''Some of you might think this is weird...''
--> ''No wonder. It's not exactly normal, but "What the fuck?" ''
--> ''So, they're snorting it...''
--> ''Hey! It's the twentieth century...''
--> ''Whatever you can do to have a good time, let's get on with it,''
--> ''So long as it doesn't cause a murder...''
* CoolHat: "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", where female panties are worn as hatwear.
* {{Corpsing}}: Zappa cracks up a few times halfway "The Radio Is Broken".
* CoverVersion: "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
* DesignStudentsOrgasm: The album cover was designed by Italian comic book artist Tanino Liberatore, best known for his series "Ranxerox".
* {{Doowop}} and DoowopProgression: "Mary Lou/Man From Utopia".
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: "Moggio" was inspired by a dream Zappa's daughter Diva once had.
* DrugsAreBad: "Cocaine Decisions" is a satirical attack on yuppies, who often snorted coke in TheEighties.
--> ''And the cocaine decisions that you make today''
--> ''Will mean nothing later on, when you get nose decay''
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: "The Dangerous Kitchen"
--> ''The bananas are black''
--> ''They got flies in the back''
--> ''And also the chicken''
--> ''In the dish with the foil''
--> ''Where the cream is all clabbered''
--> ''And the salad is frightful''
--> ''Your return in the evening''
--> ''Can be less than delightful''
* FemmeFatale: Mary Lou in "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
--> ''Well, she picked up from Georgia, moved to Kalamazoo''
--> ''Made her a fortune outta fools like you''
--> ''Meet her a rich man who was married and had two kids''
--> ''She stoked that cat till he flipped his lid''
--> ''Mary Lou -- she took my watch and chain''
--> ''Mary Lou -- she took my diamond ring''
--> ''Mary Lou -- she took my Cadillac car''
--> ''Jumped in my Kitty and drove far''
* FoodSongsAreFunny: "The Dangerous Kitchen", about the dangers of disgusting, stale and/or rotting food in the kitchen, stuff you can cut your fingers on and all the things that you can step on and/or slip over.
--> ''While you're sleeping''
--> ''It crawls off''
--> ''It gets in your bed''
--> ''It could get on your face then''
--> ''It could eat your complexion''
--> ''You could die from the danger of the dangerous kitchen''
* HidingBehindReligion: "SEX"
--> ''Even them Christians who are born again''
--> ''Go out 'n' get pooched every now and then''
--> ''Do ya do or don't ya don't''
--> ''Bet your lyin' if ya say ya won't''
* HurricaneOfPuns:
** "Cocaine Decisions"
--> ''You're a person with a snow job'' [[note]] A pun on a "snow job", a job that is far less important than the person makes it out to be, but also on the fact that they do coke, aka "snow" [[/note]]
** "The Radio Is Broken"
--> ''You can land on Uranus'' [[note]] An old joke about the resemblance between the planet and the word "your anus" [[/note]]
* {{Instrumentals}}: "Moggio", "Tink Walks Amok" and "We Are Not Alone".
* IntentionallyAwkwardTitle: "SEX".
* LiveAlbum: Some tracks are performed live, but with overdubs.
* MarsNeedsWomen: "The Radio Is Broken"
--> ''The tiny little dresses on the space girls''
--> ''A love-starved race begging to reproduce with earthmen''
* {{Medley}}: "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" is a medley of the original 1950s song "The Man From Utopia" and additional lyrics by Zappa.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: "The Dangerous Kitchen", about the dangers of going out to get some food at night, "The Radio Is Broken" about cheap science fiction B-movies and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", about his band members putting girls' panties on their head and wearing them like hats.
* {{Mundangerous}}: "The Dangerous Kitchen", where Zappa warns for the dangers of going to your kitchen at night and trying to find something to eat:
--> ''The can things with the sharp little edges''
--> ''That can cut your fingers when you're not looking''
--> ''The soft little things on the floor that you step on''
--> ''They can all be dangerous''
--> ''Sometimes the milk can hurt you''
--> ''(If you put it on your cereal''
--> ''Before you smell the plastic container)''
--> ''And the stuff in the strainer has a mind of its own''
* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: Zappa calls collecting female underpants "part of a Great American Tradition, the tradition of the Jazz discharge party hats".
* TheNameless: "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats"
--> ''A couple of the guys in the band, who shall go nameless''
--> ''Because their girlfriends might find out''
--> ''Decided they were gonna work the wall on these girls from the college''
* TheNavigator: "The Radio Is Broken"
--> ''The navigator always gets killed by a bad space person''
* OneManSong: "The Man From Utopia" and "Moggio".
* ProductPlacement: "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou"
--> ''Mary Lou - she took my Cadillac car''
--> ''(...) I had a '55 Ford and a two dollar bill''
* ProtestSong:
** "Cocaine Decisions" is aimed at yuppies:
--> ''I don't wanna know about the things that you pull outta your nose''
--> ''Or where they goes''
--> ''But if you are wasted from the stuff you're stickin' in it''
--> ''I get madder every day because what you do 'n' what you say''
--> ''Affects my life in such a way''
--> ''I learn to hate it every minute!''
** "Stick Together" attacks unions.
--> ''Once upon a time the idea was good''
--> ''If only they'd a done what they said they would''
--> ''It ain't no better, they's makin' it worse''
--> ''The labor movement's got the Mafia curse''
* TheRadioDiesFirst: "The Radio Is Broken" is just one of the clichés in sciencefiction B-movies Zappa addresses.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot:
** Zappa is depicted with a fly swatter on the cover. This is a reference to the 1982 concert he and his band held in Segrate, Italy, where the group battled mosquitos on stage. Later a riot broke out, which is depicted on the back cover.
** "The Dangerous Kitchen" was based on Zappa's own experiences of working all night in his studio and getting something to eat from the kitchen downstairs. As he explained in ''Literature/TheRealFrankZappaBook''.
** "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" was based on a real life touring anecdote, described in full in the lyrics.
** Zappa said in "They're Doing the Interview of the Century", published in the June issue of "Society Pages" in 1990, that "Moggio" was based on a dream Zappa's daughter Diva had about a "tiny little father named Moggio, who lived under the pillow".
* RealWomenHaveCurves: "SEX"
--> ''Some girls try it 'n' go on a diet''
--> ''Then they worry 'cause they's too fat''
--> ''Who wants t'ride on an ironin' board?''
--> ''That ain't no fun, I tried me one''
--> ''Grow that meat all over your bones''
--> ''Work the wall with the local jones''
* SexIsGood: "SEX"
--> ''Any time, anywhere''
--> ''Why d'ya think it's growing there?''
* ShoutOut:
** The title is a shout-out to "The Man From Utopia", a song by Donald and Doris Woods, which Zappa covers as part of "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou".
** "The Radio Is Broken" mentions the names of B-movie actors Lisa Kranston, John Agar [[note]] Prof. Clete Ferguson in ''Film/RevengeOfTheCreature'' (1955), Dr. Hastings in ''Film/{{Tarantula}}'' (1955) and Dr. Farrell in ''Film/WomenOfThePrehistoricPlanet'' (1966). [[/note]], Morris Ankrum [[note]] Colonel Fielding in ''Film/InvadersFromMars'' (1953) and Brig. Gen. John Hanley in ''Film/EarthVsTheFlyingSaucers'' (1956) [[/note]], Richard Basehart [[note]] Admiral Nelson in ''Film/VoyageToTheBottomOfTheSea'' (1961) [[/note]], Jackie Coogan and Sonny Tufts [[note]] Laird Grainger in ''Film/CatWomenOfTheMoon'' (1953) [[/note]]. The word "botchino" comes from ''Film/QueenOfOuterSpace'', where the evil queen of Venus uses it as a command to her soldiers to march. The film also showcases a giant spider. On Venus!
* SingerNameDrop:
** "Tink Walks Amok" references Arthur Barrow, Zappa's bassist, whose nickname was "Tink".
** Avoided in "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats".
--> ''A couple of the guys in the band, who shall go nameless''
--> ''Because their girlfriends might find out''
--> ''Decided they were gonna work the wall on these girls from the college''
* {{Skinnydipping}}: The band members and groupies do this in "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats"
* SpokenWordInMusic: "The Dangerous Kitchen", "The Radio Is Broken" and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" are performed in ''sprechstimme'', which is a waying of singing while talking.
* TakeThat: "Cocaine Decisions"
--> ''But if you are wasted from the stuff you're stickin' in it.''
--> ''I get madder every day 'cause what you do 'n' what you say affects my life in such a way. I learn to hate it every minute!''
* TheresNoBInMovie: Zappa expresses his love for cheap and laughable science fiction movies in "The Radio Is Broken".
* TimeMarchesOn: "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats"
--> ''Hey! It's the twentieth century...''
--> ''Whatever you can do to have a good time, let's get on with it'',
--> ''So long as it doesn't cause a murder...''
* UnusualEuphemism: "The Radio Broken" speaks of a "blobulent suit".
* UpperclassTwit: "Cocaine Decisions"
--> ''You are a person who is high class''
--> ''You are a person not in my class''
* UranusIsShowing: "The Radio Is Broken"
--> ''We have to fall in love on Uranus!''
