Picking an introductory song for Zappadan was really tough, but I knew it had to be one of his fan favorites. Something which encapsulates everything that makes Zappa’s work so inspiring and entertaining. “Inca Roads” is my pick. While there are many songs within the conceptual continuity that I come back to, “Inca Roads” sticks out as a particularly strong song. Dare I say it's his magnum opus? Well, the last song of Zappadan might be, but this one’s close. Musically complex with humorous, suggestive lyrics laden with many in-jokes sure to fly over the heads of most listeners. That said, I also think it shows how Zappa worked on his own compositions when looking back in retrospect. You can draw a very nice line from its earliest versions to its final studio appearance and live performances. “Inca Roads” also shows how Zappa would utilize new techniques to push his music to the next level. If you want to understand Zappa, this is a fascinating one to study.
While originally released in 1975, “Inca Roads” was first recorded in 1972. These versions were released on the 50th anniversary releases for Overnite Sensation and contain the middle section of the track (the “did a vehicle” portion and jazz jam leading back into the reprise at the end). The vibe here is jazzy, in line with The Grand Wazoo. There were a few more developments in this time, including its live debut in this simplistic form, but 1973 would see the song get closer to the final version. We start hearing the first portion of the track, with a lounge vibe and lyrics about aliens and UFOs. As Zappa pointed out before “Inca Roads” on 7/24/1973, he based the lyrics on the Erich von Däniken book Chariots of the Gods. In the book, Däniken details strange theories about the Nazca Lines being airstrips for civilizations prior to human civilization. Sound like a load of shit? Zappa thought so too, even saying Däniken copied elements from Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier’s The Morning of the Magicians. Whatever the case, Chariots of the Gods plays a significant influence in the creation of “Inca Roads.” This lounge version continued up to 1974 where we’d settle on the jazz fusion take heard on One Size Fits All with an extended solo from Zappa.
The most important performance came on 8/27/1974. While filming the unaired TV special A Token Of His Extreme, the Mothers would play the track for the studio audience. A month later on September 22nd and 23rd, two Europe shows were recorded. This is where things get a little complex. Zappa liked the 8/27 performance and decided to use this as the basis of a new version of “Inca Roads.” He kept a majority of the performance but cut his solo as well as some vocal parts. For the solo, he took the 9/22 and 9/23 performances and spliced them together to create a new solo which was then inserted into the track. Some additional overdubs were done but what’s heard on One Size Fits All was largely recorded live.
Let’s talk about the song now. We’ll start lyrically. George Duke introduces the track by questioning if aliens had crash landed in the Andes. It’s straightforward, though the discordant middle with the band shouting out various quotes (“Mother Mary and Josuf!”) adds humor. The focus of the song starts to shift after the solo. While the first portion from George Duke keeps the alien theme, the second changes certain words to give them a new context: the Mothers as a touring unit. “Did a vehicle” becomes “did a booger-bear” - the band’s slang for ugly groupies. We get mention of a “guacamole queen” (I’m not too sure what the reference is there, possibly referring to Roy Ralph Moleman Guacamole Guadalupe Hidalgo Estrada) and the Armadillo in Austin, Texas (a club where the band played). There’s also two explicit band member mentions, one reference to Chester Thompson and another to Ruth Underwood (“Chester’s thing… on Ruth”). What once was a pretty straightforward song about aliens making their way to Earth has become a mess of innuendos and in-jokes. Musically there’s too much to discuss in this tiny blurb, but I really love the solos here. Zappa takes this mysterious break with some fascinating guitar work while George Duke gives the real highlight of the track. Soaring, rocking, disorienting. Absolutely incredible!