Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (aka
Flo and Eddie) are easily two of the most underrated talents in rock
history. Everybody knows these guys voices, but
very few people know who they are. As the leaders of the Turtles, they turned
out satirical laughs, several amazingly idiosyncratic albums, and some of the
best singles of the 60’s. After getting
royally screwed by their record company, White Whale, they worked with Frank
Zappa on some of his most humorous work.
Some of it was totally over the line, and really irritated/offended a
lot of Turtles and Zappa fans. All of it
however was performed with stunning musical prowess and over the top
showmanship. After Frank Zappa was
hospitalized, by a deranged fan who pushed him off stage, Howard and Mark set
out on their own using most of Frank’s band as backing musicians. “The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie” was the
result.
Mark starts off “Thoughts Have Turned” with some raunchy clean guitar and takes the lead vocal. The beat is driven hard by Aynsley Dunbar, who plays dynamically in a sort of more focused Keith Moon fashion. The vocals weave in and out with falsetto that is as light as a cotton ball. Mark sings that his thoughts have “turned to love” for a girl who is able to “share herself with everyone.” Poor Mark.
When I
first heard this album, the song that stuck out to me most was “Feel Older
Now.” If the falsetto in “Thoughts Have
Turned” as light as a cotton ball, then here it’s sharper than a straight
razor. Part of me feels like they are
making fun of bands like Led Zeppelin (Immigrant Song) here, but they do it
with straight faces. This is actually an
epic song with angry creaked out vocals, subtly nasty lyrics (“I’m hard on you”),
and a chorus that burns with rocket-like fury.
Sometimes
I wonder what it would be like to walk into a party in the year 1972. As I picture it, “I’ve Been Born Again” would
be playing with its scant two chords and high-hat sizzle. This may be the best song on the album, and it
is easy to get wrapped up in this one. Everything
in this song is a hook. The trumpet and repetitious
vocals just go on and on. Things never
get boring though. Vocals harmonize and
fade in and out. It is not a song that
really builds. It is a song that holds
steady. I would rate its intensity a 7
from start to finish. Tell me you don’t want
to walk into a party that is cookin’ at a seven when you walk in. My wife absolutely loves this song. Her face lights up when I play it. She even asked for a CD copy of my vinyl copy
which I gladly gave her. Now, she plays
this song for me in the car.
My son
on the other hand really likes “Nikki Hoi.”
Either that or he likes how weird my wife and I act while it is
playing. This is a song that would have
fit nicely on the Turtles record “Battle of the Bands” (where the Turtles pretend to be a different band for every song). Mark and Howard were always great at making
convincing sounding genre exercises.
They always found a way to make them their own though. For example, the little bubbling sounds they
add on the song would never be on a real “Hawaiian” song, but are a silly (and
surprisingly fitting) addition. Also
catch some of the classic Flo & Eddie humor at the end with one of them
saying “Aloha, Joe” in a female voice to an American G.I. In addition to their talent, these guys are
silly.
Tones: Jim Pons sings
and plays bass on this record. He was
also in the Turtles, and followed Flo & Eddie for several Zappa records. His voice is extremely low and I love that it
is featured here. It really gives a bit
of continuity which flows from Turtles to Zappa to Flo & Eddie. You can hear his low “Ooh Ahh, Ooh Ahh” at
the end of “Goodbye Surprise.” Don Preston adds some great keyboard parts to
this record as well. Check out his piano
rolls on “Why It Never Happened.”
Cover Note: Wow! Look at these guys! Mark’s yellow shirt is incredible! And have you ever seen a more perfect set of chompers? I want to hang out with these guys so
badly. Howard was always a touch chubby
when he was in the Turtles, but here he is super thin and has a head of mostly
grey hair. Seriously, what is he,
31? His duck shirt is amazing too. I could frame this record on my wall and
smile every time I look at it. Looking
at it really makes me happy.
Price paid: I had to order this off of Ebay. It was about $11.00. I have seen a few of their later records in the bins I dig through, but never this one. If you find it, snatch it up because you won’t see it again.
Bottom Line: This is a great record for music weirdos and family men. It’s quirky, but not offensive. It’s silly, but not hokey. It’s musical, but not heady. This album lies in the middle ground between the Turtles’ poppyness and Zappa’s musicality. If you like the Turtles, there is enough of their sound to keep you happy. The same is true if you are a Zappa fan. I hope you’re ready, for Flo & Eddie.