Chunga's Revenge represents a shift from both the satirical political commentary of his 1960s work with The Mothers of Invention, and the jazz fusion of Hot Rats.

The material presented on Chunga's Revenge is eclectic: side one includes a guitar jam ("Transylvania Boogie"), a bluesy amble ("Road Ladies"), a jazz interlude ("Twenty Small Cigars") and an avant garde live improvisation ("The Nancy and Mary Music") drawn from "King Kong" from a July 1970 Mothers performance, released officially on Road Tapes, Venue 3.

"Transylvania Boogie" and "Chunga's Revenge" come from the early 1970 period where Zappa performed with a band informally known as "Hot Rats," including Ian Underwood, Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Max Bennett and Aynsley Dunbar.

The vocal tracks all deal with the subject of sex and/or groupie encounters and as Zappa notes on the sleeve of both the vinyl and CD, are a preview of the then forthcoming 200 Motels film/album, and date from the summer of 1970 after the formation of the new Mothers of Invention lineup.

This album is maybe less demanding that the last one, the utterly unique Weasels Ripped My Flesh, but Zappa confirms himself now as solid, mature and aware of his creative skills.

The complex time-signature and Dunbar's shimmering cymbals are exotically bohemian, though there is a distinctly sci-fi flavour to Zappa's wah-wah guitar sound.

The mid-section has him plucking irrational runs with some of Conlon Nancarrow's delirium: he builds to a peak note and then moves to an irresistible boogie, Underwood's organ grooving behind him, Dunbar contributing a new fluency.