One of the most interesting tidbits connected with this album is the fact that none of the guitar solos were actually played over the backing tracks that compose this material. By the time this album was recorded, Frank was headlong into his experimentations with what he called "xenocrony". Xenocrony, or strange synchronization, is the process of taking tracks from one song and mixing them with tracks from a completely different song - resulting in a new composition.
In the case of
Joe's Garage live guitar tracks were extracted from concert tapes and used as the blueprint for elaborate studio constructions that were completely different than the setting for the original solo. The solos were then flown over the top of this from other concert recordings.
Zappa went on to use this technique in the studio almost exclusively. In interviews, Frank commented that it was easier to find a solo that he had already played and edit it to fit a new recording than it was to spend hours in the studio trying to get an acceptable guitar tone.
Compositionally, this album has a bit of everything Zappa... irreverently sexual lyrics, tricky time signatures, state of the art studio production and amazing guitar.
Highlights include several classics - the title track,
Catholic girls,
Crew Slut,
Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?,
Keep It Greasey,
Outside Now and arguably the most spine-tingling, goose-bump-raising, lump-in-the-throat, clean-toned Strat offering ever recorded,
Watermelon In Easter Hay.
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