Dweezil Zappa - Automatic (2000)

While praying at the feet of his label boss, Steve Vai, Frank's son has put together a collection of catchy and entertaining guitar-driven compositions and covers. From the Buckethead-ed space ride of "Therapy" to the Rush-y (but not rushed) "Purple Guitar," Dweezil offers a wide array of musical colors. His choices of covers extend the album even further. From a sample-less rendition of Morton Stevens' "Hawaii Five-0" and an impressive calliope turn through Bizet's "Habanera" and "Los Toreadors" to brother Ahmet's authentic reading of "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch," Dweezil stretches his repertoire nearly as far as his fingers on an assortment of guitars. Though some selections are a bit high-school band stiff, Dweezil does not put the album in cruise control, despite its title.~Automatic Review by Matthew Robinson