We're Only In It For The Money

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G It was an experience. Frank Zappa was a genius of its time. Clever, funny, political, irreverend, random, and fresh. Fav lyrics: What's the ugliest part of your body Fav music: Flower punk Fav song overall: Take your clothes off when you dance

Man, Ariel Pink has seriously cramped on Frank Zappa's swag this whole time, hasn't he? Anyway, I'd only really been familiar with Zappa's work scoring the theme song for "Duckman" before this. Figures that such an eccentric personality would jump at the chance to score a show like Duckman. Needless to say, I loved this.

- .... 5 stars just for the title "The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny" ..... Sorry, folks; it's art existing in a commercial world. Sometimes, creativity hurts at first .... -

I didn’t have to listen to this again to give it five stars because it’s one of my favourite albums. But I listened again anyway… because it’s one of my favourite albums! Capturing a very sixties sound, yet utterly cynical about the sixties (“Flower Power sucks!”). Cynical and sarcastic yet with some of zappas most direct political and social points that feel quite emotional (“ All your children are poor unfortunate victims of lies you believe”). Full of ideas, crazy, funny and some times beautiful music. And with the themes of American Authoritarianism that wind through the album it kind of feels more relevant than ever!

Hreat

Masterpiece!

4.5

I was surprised to see this album here. Loved it for many years. Classic Zappa. I’d be curious to read what first time listeners in 2025 would make of it. Well ahead of its time. A constantly evolving and interesting anthropological journey into 60’s America.

Zappa at his best in the 1960s - it's a hilarious comedy and parody of the hippy movement and the music scene. I haven't listened to it for years and I forgot how great this album is. But it's not just the comedy, it's also the pioneer editing and production that makes it a great album. A close 5 star album.

I think I might be one of the only people that really enjoys the Mothers Of Invention albums 😬

Zappa's answer to the hippie movement. Irreverent, childish, innovative, boundary pushing at times.

Brilliantly bonkers

Not my very favorite by Zappa, but it’s still quite a monument in the scope of pop music’s culture and rock history. In essence, he took pop culture of the time and flipped it on its face. We’re Only On It For The Money is a bit of a grower of a record, but it’s genuinely funny, witty, and scathing in spots. I think that of the majority of Frank’s early material, but this album and Freak Out! should be considered essential listening and absolute musts to understand how experimental music gets where it does.

A remarkable, poignant work

This album is intentionally hilarious, and I'm here for it. Literally made me laugh out loud. Also hugely influential in the Rock In Opposition movement Henry Cow started a few years later, and you can even hear that influence in more modern bands like System of a Down.

Everyone needs to listen to this!

I don’t get it but I like it!

One of Zappa's best albums and the greatest of the early mothers.

Sorry, I love this.

9/10

If you don't love this you don't know music.

Whoa…. I listened to this album on a treadmill while doing an entire expert sudoku perfectly, taking pride in my concentration. And I imagined Zappa saying I wasn’t listening at all. I’m going to need some time with this.

Certainly a masterpiece from Zappa and the Mothers. Brilliantly satirical, complex, innovative musical experimentation, and of course: controversy and censorship. Not everyone was ready for Zappa's scathing rebuke of both the mainstream and the counterculture of the time.

Fun and Funky

Sehr speziell. Das ist so schräg, dass es schon wieder toll ist. Ein ganzes Album wie „A Day In The Life“.

Fantastic early Frank Zappa album. It's making fun of everything that was going on at the time. Great songs with ironic lyrics commenting on the social and political situation at the time. I really like the album cover (with Jimi Hendrix)

bem trippy e experimental pra epoca, gosteimas pode ter sido a maconha 5 estralas

I listened to this album so many times in high school and college that, even after not listening to it for at least 10 years, I was able to hum and sing along to every song. Great album. Satirical lyrics aside, Zappa was an excellent musical craftsman. These are really more like musical vignettes, but there's so much here in terms of melody, harmony, and instrumentation, mixing doo-wop with rock and jazz and everything in between. Excellent blast from the past.

The first real conceptual rock album? Biting satire and social commentary? Making fun of hippies (bums - bad karma thing to do)? This album has it all and is an absolute masterpiece. Zappa was a genius

I got into Zappa at the perfect time. The summer before college. I wish I could Eternal Sunshine this album out of my mind so I could hear it again for the first time. Wonder what I would think…

Not For Me™️ The steely dan biography was actually written about mothers of invention

Oh, this one is perfect in every tiny psychedelic detail. Great!

Love that album!

I don't do publicity balling for you anymore The first word in this song is "discorporate, " it means to leave your body Discorporate and come with me Shifting, drifting Cloudless, starless Velvet valleys and a sapphire sea Unbind your mind There is no time to lick your stamps And paste them in Discorporate and we'll begin Flower power sucks Zappa stands alone. This album is very much a response to the time it was created, but it stands up 55 years later. 5/5

zappa is an acquired taste and i have acquired that taste. this album is really smart, really funny, really wild, and genuinely a fun, frenetic listen. zappa pushed the limits on what rock and roll music was, and is. i suspect that most people will not get this album or will find it annoying and weird, which, fair enough. i appreciate zappa's zanyness, his avant-garde flair, and the point he was trying to make about how society handles social issues, which i think still stands true to today.

Loved it! Super creative.

Sick

This is what happens when people take experimental music and apply some of the actual good musical theory to it. It's great!

I always enjoy the disorienting nature of Frank Zappa albums and this one is no exception. This album is mostly a send up of late 1960s hippie culture and (rightly) critiques its superficiality and lack of nuance while wrapping the whole thing up in a delightfully experimental package punctuated by vocal effects, spoken word parts, and sound collages. The effect is overwhelming, funny, and remains relevant today.

Pretty great stuff here. 5 stars.

Groovy

OMG! This was amazing for the moment that I listened. I can’t quite describe it…it elevated my current state to something euphoric and I want to stay here forever..except that I want all my friends and loved ones with me!!!!

This was a totally wild, crazy psychedelic trip that had me excited and delighted throughout!

Iconic.

lets make the water turb balck

Zappa! Experimentation and commentary. Awesome album.

Loved it! I enjoy good avant garde rock music and Frank Zappa is the best at it.

First, the label's inversion of the artwork was and always will be bullshit. This is not just the proper cover but the better cover. And a better indication of what you're about to get. Which is absolute madcap genius and blazing satire. This is my absolute favourite Zappa album, easy. Brilliant takedowns of hippies, right-wingers and the LAPD. There is a lot going on throughout and some of the transitions and oddities will likely drive many folks a bit bonkers, but I think it just makes the whole thing all the more brilliant.

This shit is tight.

Yes boys and girls this album was done without the use of drugs Frank Zappa was an amazing musician and composer. This album should be listened to multiple times to get all the lyrical inside jokes and the complexity of the music To use a late 60’s phrase, this album was a mind blower

I don't know what else there is to say about Zappa...

Wonderful album.

zappa é mor doidão né

Frank Zappa was a genius and every musician top shelf. Best, the attack on hippie culture is ruthlessly hilarious.

I'm convinced Zappa's brain must've naturally produced too much DMT or something. He didn't need to use them to get it. For someone who not only didn't use, but despised psychedelic drugs and its entire culture, he truly made some of the greatest psychedelic music this world has ever seen, and this unique work is absolutely no exception. "What's there to live foooorr"

9/10 always love hearing a Frank Zappa album don’t get me wrong, Sgt. Peppers is one of my favorite albums but it’s so much fun hearing these guys parody it

Yeah, wow.

DUH

the lyrics are genius, but i think that if i were go to listen to this for an extended period of time probably everyone would tell immediately

honestly me listening to this was like the shaq meme where he says i wasn't familiar with your game... is it possible that frank zappa is both goatd and a CIA asset......

Like most esoteric works of genius it takes a few listens to fully grasp. I listened thru at least 4 times, while I wouldn't say I fully grasped it, I do appreciate the weirdness it embodies. Frank was a far out dude with his music and way above average in the intelligence department. Good album but I'm unlikely to revisit.

pet sounds if it was awesome

How interesting.

Hell yeah my dudes, go off

Though I was a Beatles fan by age 10, it was my high school boyfriend, Tom, who introduced me to the best music of the late 60s and early 70s. Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Jethro Tull, The Who, Cream/Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, many other great bands and the Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa. I remembered nothing of this album, listened to it while multitasking this morning--until Mother People. I can still hear Tom singing "Do you think that I'm creepy?" 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Now I need to listen to this album again! The album cover is hilariously outrageous, Lee Harvey Oswald is there. 4 stars for the nostalgia * I gave it another listen and the only other song that was familiar was The Idiot Bastard Son. 4 stars it is.

I have to rate this on a different plane from the rest. It's satire and humor first, music second. Also, half of the album is avant garde (impressive that they can make both pop music and avant garde well). So it's different. Very entertaining, challenging at times, but moreso fun, funny. I was sold by the clever bits of instrumentation, editing, spoken word, one-liners, and overall inventiveness

Even Weirder.

This is somehow my first Zappa? All the humour, insane changes, and weird sounds are here just like everyone said they would be! What a brilliant discography to have suddenly just discover I like!

Ending up liking this way more than i thought I would

A thinly veiled jab at all the plastic, poser hippies of the late 60's and still incredibly more psychedelic than anything those groups were putting out. Zappa just kept it so real man.

Pretty awesome unpredictable experimental record. Like an acid trip that keeps going. Cool and awesome as an album but not an everyday listen

My kind of bizarre

Not my favourite Zappa related album but still really good I love the songwriting here especially on flower punk. Also really appreciate the musique concrete and sound collage elements here 7/10 Favourite: What's The Ugliest Part of Your Body Least Favourite: Bow Tie Daddy

Well, that takes me back. I drove my sister crazy listening to this! We'd come home from school and throw this on ... loud .... and she ... didn't appreciate it. Oh well. 4 stars for the memories.

Sticking it to sticking it to the man, dude.

That’s a great satire of the hippie culture and how hallow it or any other youth cult becomes when it’s monetized. The pseudo-deep nature was deconstructed nicely.

Realmente impresionante, ya es el segundo álbum que escucho de Mothers Of Invention y me sigue sorprendiendo. En comparación a su debut este es mucho más desestructurado, burlón y experimental, llevando las canciones a ser cosas incomprensibles, que se desarman y vuelven a armar en el siguiente tema para volverse a quebrar, la portada burlándose de Sgt. Pepper's es increíble y hace que el contenido del que habla tenga más sentido, criticando duramente al hippismo comercial de su año.

Wtf is this shit i love it. So dumb, Fave Tracks: Who Needs the Peace Corps?, Mom & Dad, Let's Make the Water Turn Black 4/5

Wow, el album arranco tipo what the fuck y termino tipo WATAFAC. No son canciones que escucharía por mi cuenta ni pondría en mis playlists, pero el disco en sí fue un viaje. Posta me hizo pasar un gran momento, y a diferencia de otros albumes medio asi extraños, los sonidos no eran ruidos, se podían disfrutar. En un momento te hace mover un poco las chachas. Pero bueno, repito, no es música que escucharía, pero como disco en sí gran viaje. WOW. 8/10.

Awesome. Not sure how to explain what this album did for me other than “it explained a lot.”

me he divertido

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Wooooooooo!!! Okay. Mothers of invention. Dope shit. So, I think this band's awesome. I also think it's thoroughly hilarious that the same people who threw "Rumours" (great album but that's besides the point) at the top album of all time spot have to listen to this. Sheesh, it really is a beautiful world. Almost 5,000 1-star ratings on this. It really makes you smile. It also has merit though!! Really great satire, and some genuinely good tunes too (see: "Who Needs The Peace Corps," "Absolutely Free," "Lonely Little Girl," "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance," "Mother People"). The concept of satirizing everything popular and stupid at the time is pretty solid too, especially in the cases of songs like "Flower Punk," or, again, "Who Needs The Peace Corps." Overall quite the masterpiece of satire, would listen again! 9.2/10

Exactly the kind of album I would never have listened to if it weren't for this. I love Sgt. Pepper's album, is it OK to also to quite like the absurb satirical pastiche of it too? There's some pretty funny lyrics about hippies going to San Fran, loving the police who'll beat up any protestors. Some marvellous song titles, Idiot Bastard Son was a particular stand out title. Probably a 3 but going to give it 4 stars.

Lmao love mothers of invention

Tipo de album complexo de dar notinha. Entendo o conceito e acho muito bem feito, mas ouvir ele é terrível Boa obra de arte, como entretenimento meio merda

Nån behövde pissa på 60-talet på 60-talet.

Blir lätt drygt när man ska narra men som uppväxt på ariel pink är min ribba hög, eller är den låg? Finns ju mycket musikaliska kvalitéer här också

I fucking love weird shit like this. Frank Zappa, freak that you are <3

I didn't realize Ariel Pink was just ripping off Zappa the whole time

Muy bueno.

Never listened to them before & was pleasantly surprised

WOAH. I really enjoyed this. So humorous yet legit.

incredibly annoying but i like it

I have never heard of this band or this album so here we go. Right off the bat, it has a kind of psychedelic sound to it. It is from 1968 so that is the kind of vibe I am expecting from this album. It has an interesting sound but I do like it. Very interesting and kind of silly. I actually strangely really like this album. It has kind of an experimental-Beatles sound to it. My only critique is that it does not really seem musical enough for me to want to listen to it in my free time.

This is more my flavour of Zappa. Before he went Strictly Commercial

Very interesting!

You know what it was weird, but in a good way. Simpsons: Zappa almost guest starred apparently. But otherwise no

Any album this odd doesn’t deserve 3 stars. The only problem is I don’t know which way to go with the rating.

Yes, I’m listening

7/10

Zappa is a crazy genius

What's there to say? Incredible of course. Though my dislike for Frank Zappa will remain very much prevalent. Also the g slur again. Great music though, important album.

Like if Mad Magazine was a band.

This was great. I hadn’t heard it before. It was like listening to contemporaneous commentary on the hippy 60s, skewering both pro- and anti-flower power sentiments. A Pythonesque flavour to parts of it.

Ziemlich weird aber doch interessant. Fand es tatsächlich auch unterhaltsam.

Evil Sgt Peppers is a funny concept. How many albums were openly satirical like this back in 68? The songs dealing with the hippie movement are the highlights and there are some other novel songs throughout. And then what’s left is whatever weird experimental stuff Zappa liked. Rating: 3.7

Hij had gelijk, wel herrie soms

This guy really hates hippies

I consider myself a die hard fan of Zappa, but I wouldn't put this album on this list. I'd pick something more in the likes of Apostrophe, I think. Still amazing fucked up stuff, brilliant satire of the industry and still pretty relevant today.

Why this album is here? I don't know, but I'll take it with great joy, as I'm a die-hard Zappa/The Mothers fan. We're Only In It For The Money is amongst my favorite, blending so much chaos and genres, while still giving us catchy hints and brillant, yet satirical lyrics.

Debated giving this a 5, but a few songs feel short. Some of the best audio mixing I've ever heard on any record.

would have loved to been a fly on the wall through this whole entire process. really interesting album but never playing this again 😂

4 stars for creativity

I really enjoyed the hippie hate.

Best Song: Absolutely Free This is weird. It has that covered. I don't dislike it but I also don't see myself really listening to it often. Who would have thought Frank Zappa makes weird music?!?!? He seems like a normal chap to me! 4/5.

Woo boy! This album was a great one. Love the creativity behind this album.

Weird. Very.. but kinda cool

So I feel that this represents them.Frank sappa and the mother's invention at their best.When it comes to the meshing of satire and musicianship not only are these songs hilarious in biting, but they're also just good tunes, sometimes their records.Hit on either or but not both.This is not one of those

3.7

Interesting listen. Some of it was a little difficult to enjoy. Zappa - small doses for me.

Very strange album, but very entertaining. He makes original music like no one else. But it is an aquired taste for sure. Fans of Steve Vai will see where his creative knack for melodic construction from after listening to this album.

Loved this!

People will say they do not get the joke on this. I don't think it's all that deep, and maybe people are trying to hard. I think this whole thing is pretty funny and is interesting enough as Zappa always is. Something I enjoyed and will likely not really ever listen to again.

"I will love the police that kick the shit out of you" Satirical (if certainly and obviously dated), critiquing aesthetic priority in political subcultures, emotionless families, and police brutality. I think the experimental aspects are funny and silly, especially when satirizing contemporary music styles by having sudden style shifts. Reading reviews of this album has reminded me that not everyone enjoys 'noise' as a genre lol. Top Picks: Mom & Dad What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body? Absolutely Free Flower Punk Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance Mother Person If you're looking for noise -> Nasal Retentive Calliope Music Honestly like a 4.75 in my books!

I'll commence the review by saying that this album was a big surprise. My expectations were lowered once I both saw the tags and the ratings of this album. Usually, when a psychedlic rock album has low ratings in this sit, I assume it will be a very generic album. But then I discovered Frank Zappa was one of the members of the group, and that shocked me a lot, as this man is regarded as a very talented musician. This fact did also made me feel a bit nervous, as it was my very first exposure to his work, and I didn't really want to have a bad first experience. Fortunately, things went in the right direction, since I loved this album. The main point of this album is its satire of the american culture from when it released, politics and 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. Most of the mockery comes from the lyrics (although is quite clear that the cover of the record is also a parody of 'The Beatles' album), with lines pointing directly to hippies, like "I will love the police as they kick the shit out of me on the street" in the song 'Who Needs the Peace Corps?'; or even politicis, with one of the most interesting phrases in the album being "The Father's a Nazi in congress today" in the song 'The Idiot Bastard Son', due to recent events in the United States (I really wish I could say this line is outdated...). There's also some direct criticism to American womanhood in 'Harry, You're a Beast'; and some songs reference the ignorance of parents towards their children, like in 'Mon & Dad' and 'What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?', with the lyrics of the last one being featured in other tracks. So, while the lyrics are very interesting, they aren't the only remarkable trait. This whole album sounds very pleasent, chaotic, noisy, energetic and funny, all at the same time. The pleasent part would come from the psychedelic aspect of it, featuring the type of vocals, synths and rhythms that are so notable of the genre. What makes this album so chaotic are the odd structures and the constantly interruptions with weird noises and passages. I'll give two examples, but almost every track has it: The first one being in the song 'The Idiot Bastard Song'. It starts very nice, but towards the middle, the music dramatically stops and it starts this weird amalgam of unrecognizable voices, only to return back to where the song was left after a brief moment. The second one would be in the track 'Mother People'. Here there is this sudden cut of the music where they decided to put a gorgeous piece of orchestra. Finally, I also have to mention that there is this energetic feeling in the songs 'Flower Punk' and 'Mother People' thanks to them having a fast rhythm. In conclusion, I had a lot of fun listening to this album. It may have its downsides, notably the interludes. Nonethless, I see it becoming one of my favourite discoveries from this list!

Frank Zappa is annoyed by hippies and posers and so am I! I don’t think I’d listen to this album again for fun but it was an enjoyable experience. Plus it’s got a track called Hot Poop so that’s pretty nice

What's the ugliest part of your body? I think it's your mind Intentionally off-putting / a bit obtuse, and definitely weird for lack of a better word - but still an interesting listen (but I'm in no rush to listen again anytime soon)

Lobotomizing.

The original shitposters. Love this one.

Good songs. Some horsing around that gets thin.

ja ne znam ocjenjivat ovakve stvari, al sviđam

Ovdje sam od dva uma. S jedne strane vojkec obožava zappu i sluša sam ga od ranog djetinjstva s druge strane ova njegova zajebancija na hippie kulturu koliko je god razumljiva i dobrodošla ujedno odaje i njegovu regresivnu, konzervativnu orijentaciju koja mi ide na je trica. Jebo te anti komunizam Frane!

Erilainen joo ja kaipa kunnon hippiliikekritiikkiä. En kuitenkaan niin paljon saanut kiinni että pitäisin nerokkaana. 4/5

Very cooooooool, guy

This is excellent stuff. It’s short and funny too

Lots of cool stuff on it. Pretty psychy

a bit all over but still the Zappa magic

An interesting album and an unusual music style that was nice to listen to. I liked Concentration Moon and Absolutely Free the most.

Zappa's most carefully constructed middle finger to both hippies and squares, built from layers of studio trickery and razor-sharp satire.

7/10

it's very charming and has a political commentary and yet it feels very random but the random feels like it means something.. I;ve heard of the mothers of invention before, mostly as they were attacahed to Frank Zappa as well as the "indian of the Group," but I am happy to have listened to the album now! This is what this project is for! To hear culturally significant classics, to hear the great music of the past that I may have heard about but never actually listened to. The albuum is wildly funny, I especially liked Who Needs the Peace Corps as someone who lives next to SF and thinks hippies and that whole wave was pretty silly and funny. I loved Hair! I love SF and hearing "Frisco" is funny. Phony Hippies. Psychadelic dungeons. Crabs. Loving the police whilst getting the shit kicked out of you. Hot-cha! It's hilarious and I almost feel nostalgic for a time I was certainly not alive for. Smokin' an awful lot of dope, psychadelic gleam, bare feet. Dirty and stupid but happy is, I guess, beautifull. Hm. Pow-pow-pow! This album is so creative and interesting... Jimmy Carl Black is the Indian of the Group... but the interludes, the sounds, the talking... the nontraditional song structure. I love it! It's a good piece of history as much as it is a good piece of music. Cop kill a creep! Pow pow pow There's a weird lot of talk about cops beating people up in this album, at least thus far, and I do think/hope that they're on the right side of that issue.. Oinking... Hot poop wow Boy this album sure is wackadoodle But that's the point Take Your Clothes off when you dance is fun and sort of blissful even though I know its satirical it's stilll a little bit cute I think it's your mind... that's very disturbing and Woo its like my brain is melting I'm delirious. Perhaps that's the effect of the album. But I think it's excellent and I see why the Library of Congress liked it too.

rip frank zappa u would've loved YTPs

Incredibly unique and experimental while also having superb songwriting and performance.

Already shared my feelings here and would consider knocking this down a star for the ASMR of it all but eh

This is an album you have to listen to all at once. It's an excellent piece of satire, but horrible for casual listening. I suppose I'm just in the right mood for it today, but I didn't hate it. It's chaos, but it's funny.

I enjoyed it way more that I think I would, reading to other reviews. Yes, it's chaotic, weird, sometimes (many times?) it's too focused on being weird not to loose the listener. But it's also funny and making fun of everyone and anyone, experimental in a good way, explore all directions (at once?), has some great moments lost in this... maelstrom. With all its quirks and defaults, it's a brilliant record.

So Sgt Pepper had Bob Dylan on the cover but this one has Jimi Hendrix so it’s at least better in one way. Very freaky, biting, madcap, eclectic and satirical, sticking it to hippies at every turn. No need for Residents on this list, this album has weird cartoony pitch-shifted ditties covered to a tee and about a decade earlier. Nasal Retentive Calliope Music has Benefit Of Mr Kite beat. Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny perhaps loses to Day In The Life by a small margin.

Incredible. Funny and satirical, sounds cool as hell, just a great time all around.

Hilarious lyrics, really unexpectedly rewarding

Really get the feeling that Frank Zappa was skewering Boomers decades before it was cool.

Fun album, pretty unique too

Neobičan album, čula sam ga prije. Dosta je psihodeličan, ali istovremeno nekako pitak. U moru same same albuma koje imaš prilike čuti, moram ovo nagraditi nekom finom ocjenom. 4/5, 7/10

I'm curious to know if this is generally accepted or simply my own opinion: This might be the earliest punk album and it's great.

Love Frank

Man, Frank Zappa really didn't like hippies. Slightly unfair to call this an album really. As a collection of songs it's pretty awful, nowhere near as good as other Zappa work, but as a piece of art it's great, although of it's time. Part sound collage, part scathing satire and critique, part note-perfect parody, and with a couple of bits of fantastic experimental sounds. I'd definitely whistle 'Who needs the peace corps' and 'what's the ugliest part of your body' in the shower. But put on to listen and enjoy? Probably not. Recommend you listen once, with the full understanding you probably wouldn't go back for more.

I'll admit it's a mixed bag but I do love Zappa and Co's satirical take on society and it's a whole lot of fun when I'm in the right mood. Shame there's no Fugs on this list

I know it's not for everyone but I do enjoy Frank Zappa's absurd genius

what the hell. Loved it as a sound installation, not as individual pieces of music.

so called weird sounds and experimental lovers sure run fast the other way when they come into the presence of true weirdo i mean of course i know this one is a total hit or total miss for majority of the listeners but you know at least it evokes emotions and makes you question what you just listened to Also the lyrics slaps, i mean come on; "There will come a time when every evil That we know will be an evil That we can rise above" wish i was stoned af when listening to this...

You either get it or you don't. This shits weird, but so am I, so it's right in my wheel house.

the mothers are such an interesting band because basically every song has a couple seconds of the coolest music ever immediately followed by the most unlistenable shit. zappa reigns supreme though so 4 stars

Not my favorite Zappa to listen to, but one of his most interesting.

Weirdo fun times

So Frank Zappa is super weird and I love it. This is less an album of music and more a cultural commentary. I love it. It is so weird and so... nothing normal that whatever is going on musically is kind of second handed by the playful, hippy, anti-establishment, social commentary thing that is going on throughout. I think that the whole "blame it on the boomers" thing is limited to neoliberal conservative types and not really looking at the hippy pot heads that were plentiful. That, in part, is why generational wars are stupid. Hell, there are plenty of golden ager liberals out there. Maybe it would help the newer generations to listen to Frank Zappa to understand this shit has been going on forever! Take a chill and use your voice. We've got this!

One of the best Zappa albums from a period where he was on fire in the strangest ways possible

Loved it

Pretty inventive and interesting; probably deserves a relisten. Some of the interstitial bits with random dialogue might limit the appeal, but overall it feels like a singular piece of music.

Definitely a step up from the other Mothers album my group has gotten, because it just feels more concise than Freak Out!, in my eyes. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

ASMR started here. Sure it's mostly nonsense, but it's catchy nonsense goddamit, and I just.. I just kinda dig it ya know?

All things ZAPPA rank highly with me, 4 stars!!

A curious collection of musical vignettes and political commentary.

Yeah so unfortunately the wiggling worm and dancing monkey in my brain ate this up like a steak dinner. It’s so cool to me that last week I can be prompted to listen to some wildly over-produced Justin Timberlake debut solo album with every little note and production element perfectly placed, then yesterday listen to one of the most heartfelt and undervalued albums I’ve ever heard in American Gothic by David Ackles, then get this craziness today. I can unfortunately see so many people responding to this with something along the lines of “ummmmm yeah not for me no thanks” and being very close-minded to it. I understand that perspective! But this is underniable a memorable listen. Furthermore, it’s both of its time, and ahead of its time! Social issues and late 60’s characters are portrayed well throughout the albums few structured moments. I hear some scathing and clever observations of societal injustices that remind me of System of a Down. I hear the frenetic sounds effects that remind me of Aphex Twin. I hear some beautiful instrumental bending amongst the chaos, like Miracle Musical. I hear LOTS of 100 Gecs in the pitched up vocals. I can even see the line between this and a very modern group like Deaths Dynamic Shroud and their off-the-wall sound. “Flower Punk” and “What’s The Ugliest Part of Your Body” are my highlights, if you can pick out such things from this musical quilt. The wiggling worn and the dancing monkey are telling me to give this 4 stars

muito doido? representou muito bem meu ódio por hippies

legal pra caralho esse, hein. achei divertidaço. bem caótico e confuso, assim como os hippies eram mesmo. achei top. curti bastante os cortes bruscos e os barulho. escutarei novamente no trabalho.

I'm starting to think this Zappa guy makes music that isn't exactly normal🤔

I was shocked on how much I liked this strange album

Wowwww this is as a weird ride. I think I need to eat some gummies and truly settle in but I did enjoy it enough. Kept me entertained, good humour with some good music. It’s a 3.5 rounded up to 4 to balance out the dorks who surely will give this a 1. 4 stars for weird

Wonderfully weird

Some of these songs made me double take by the weirdness of it so for that 4/5

Frank Zappa is a hero and a legend. I love it.

As weird as you'd expect

A strong early highlight for Zappa and his Mothers, and the only psychedelic rock classic I can think of that seems to hold the genre in such contempt. There are sneering condemnations of the performativity of hippie culture and the album title is an attack on psych pioneers selling out while the album cover seems to conversely criticise commercially successful artists capitalising on the street cred of the genre at the time, with both approaches diluting its integrity. And at the same time, it’s a funny and freaky collection of weird sounds, feedback, and pitch shifted vocals. It’s a bit front heavy, and not as fully realised or virtuosic as something like Hot Rats or Apostrophe, but it’s a lot of fun

Ik vind dit allemaal best grappig en kwalitatief een stuk beter dan de meeste 'we maken er een potje van'-platen. Volle muzikale vrijheid en lekker veel steken onder water geven naar de maatschappij, naar hippies en naar andere popcultuur (de Beatles afzeiken, joehoe!). Voor mij als luisteraar vraagt het dat ik enigzins moet gaan opletten waar ze het allemaal over hebben. Dat kan natuurlijk nooit de bedoeling zijn. Toch ben ik deze keer mild voor Frank en zijn partners in crime. Dit is toch best origineel en vaardig in elkaar gestoken. Als je ervoor in de stemming bent kun je dit best vaker luisteren.

highlights: who needs the peace corps?, concentration moon, what’s the ugliest part of your body?, absolutely free (jun 10 2024)

A psychedelic freak out by someone who hated drugs. Go figure.

Honestly, this is way more musical than I was led to believe it would be. Sure, it's not radio-friendly, but there's some wonderful musicianship here, the production is great, and it's genuinely goofy and sounds like they're having fun. I laughed multiple times. The least musical parts of this album are comparable to Revolution 9 or some bullshit that Pink Floyd put out and is seen as revolutionary for reasons beyond my understanding. I've tried listening to Beefheart and Zappa a few times over the years and found no entry point. Even when I found one or two songs I thoroughly enjoyed, it still wasn't an entry point into a deeper understanding of their larger catalogs. But this might actually do it for me. I have lots of respect for Zappa, and used to enjoy watching old interviews of him speaking out strongly in defense of free speech, but respect doesn't equate to enjoyment. Now I finally feel like I get some of the hype. That said, I don't expect this to go into my regular rotation. I might put one or two songs on a playlist though. I am genuinely glad I listened to this before I die.

Sans aucun doute mon album préféré de tous les projets de Zappa à date. La musique, bien que souvent étrange, reste très accrocheuse. L'humour et la satire sont ultra bien faits. C'était vraiment un album divertissant. Pas le genre qu'on écouterait à tous les jours, mais vraiment une oeuvre bien faite et consistante. Aucunement monotone. 8/10

Another genius at work

Here’s an album I haven’t heard since I was like … 15… trippy. Very …. Trippy

Frabk showcases the time tested loathing of something you help create. I thunk it's especially funny knowing the Freaks became the boomers we have to deal with today. It's like they fell into a mirror machine and took the criticisms from Zappa too seriously.

One of the great Zappa albums. Its beatle baiting cover apparently impressed the Fab Four. Zappa was always somewhat ahead or apart of his time so this sounds like something from 1979 or 1983 One of the very few artists I’d accept more than one album on such a list.

Interesting

are you hung up- 6 who needs the peace corps- 7 or 8 concentration moon- 6 or 7 mom and dad- 7 or 8 telephone conversation- that sure was a phone call bow tie daddy- 8 harry youre a beast- 7 whats the ugliest part of your body- 7 absolutely free- 7 flower punk- 6 or 7 hot poop- 7 nasal retentive calliope music- 7 or 8. real lets make the water turn black- 7 the idiot bastard son- 6 lonely little girl- 7 take your clothes off when you dance- 8 whats the ugliest part of your body reprise- 7 mother people- 6 or 7 chrome plated megaphone of destiny- honestly this is the funniest way to end this album. 7 👍 good job gang

Having never heard of this band or album and having no preconceived notions, I initially thought this was a sincere attempt at straightforward music. That illusion was probably shattered in less than a minute. I have to say that, as much as I always thought Zappa was too out there (and I had no idea at first that he was part of this), I really liked this album. I don't know if I'd listen to it often at all, but it made me laugh out loud a few times. It kind of reminded me of a long, catty Oompa Loompa screed. Definitely bizarre, but a better side of bizarre than for some of the albums I have experienced here.

Well that was fucking weird. But it was weirdness that grew on me. I initially thought I was going to dislike it with the excessive talking and random noise, but I didn't and I can't really articulate why.

I am a big fan of Frank Zappa. He draws on many influences and his satire and parody are on point. This is not my favorite by him or the Mothers but was still a fun listen. One needs to listen to this several times to get all the nuances and jokes, it's not just background music. It requires the listener's active participation to receive the full experience. Favorite of mine: "What's the Ugliest Part of your Body?". 'I think it's your mind', words of wisdom. It seems to fit a lot of folks. Whether you like him or hate him, agree or disagree, Frank was a genius.

This was kind of like if the Chipmunks did psychedelic hippie music. But I did find it very catchy and would definitely listen again!

Pretty wild stuff! I like it!

This album didn't blow me away. I could see how it may have been more "mind-blowing" at the time, but, now, it just feels like a good, quirky album with good hooks but kooky lyrics. I do like it and would listen to it, again, and I do want to check out more Mothers of Invention Albums.

I'm not at all certain what I ingested to have that sort of hippie fever dream, but it was fun. Usually an album loses a star for me if I absolutely know I'll never listen to it again, and I'm neither a teenager nor do I possess enough drugs to take down an elephant, so I'm certain I won't likely ever fire this back up, but it's good in it's oddity. It's always sonically interesting, and the lyrics are often poignant and mature for their overall backdrop. There isn't a single song I'll think of as a single, but it's all pretty good.

3.5

Начало похоже на Рокки-Хоррор, первые три трека Классный психодел, мне зашел, дослушала до конца

Think I'm descovering something I vibe with that I didn't knew I vibe this much with before. You're a beast made me so uncomfortable I had to stop the listening tho. A good thing? a bad thing? I don't think it was well executed nor poingnant as the rest of the LP, saddens me that it sours what was being a perfect listening experience. I think the satire befomes a little bit snobish.

Zappa at his best. Some say it's your nose, some say it your toes, I say it's your mind.... 4/5

The longer this album goes on the more I like it. It's a bunch of dudes making fun of hippies in SF, and the lyrics are pretty funny. The songs are short and all interesting sounding, and they aren't taking themselves very seriously. They're also making fun of Sgt Peppers (?), which is one of my favorite albums but I love some satire. I wouldn't say that this was an incredible accomplishment of music, but it was definitely funny and I enjoyed listening to it. 8/10

Who Needs the Peace Corps? What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?

Honestly loved this. It was so weird and abstract.

Snyggt album cover. Som Beatles fast istället för att experimentera med hasch så tog de massa helium. Skämt åsido så var det intressant. Väldigt experimentellt, Zappa står (stod (rip)) med en tå över gränsen för mycket flum för min del. Han var dock en otroligt bra musiker och kompositör. När han väl skrev saker som inte är för kaosiga så var det riktigt bra. Denna skiva var väldigt snabb kändes som. Många roliga moment och han är även en bra textskrivare vars texter tillochmed jag dras till. Han tar upp många viktiga ämnen som fortfarande kan ha betydelse idag 60 år senare. Denna kommer jag nog lyssna på igen någon gång i framtiden. Det jag vet säkert är att Zappa kommer växa på mig, men just nu är det för mycket.

this one was fun with a lil bit of asmr mixed in

While this album may be a little less casually listenable than Freak Out! while also having a far more vague message involved, this album still manages to blow the listener's socks off with its utter bizarro approach to music. It still has a lot of that doo-wop, tongue-n-cheek pop flavor, yes, but it also injects some hints of ketamine to really cause a sort of dreamlike effect that can go from being a bubbly wonderland to a nightmare in a matter of seconds, and that approach to music, especially for 1968, is not only nerve wracking, its flat out impressive. There are hardly any songs here that start at A and end at Z, but the snippets you do get of pop are not done poorly, as they are still incredibly thought out, catchy, and could swing with the best of the genre they satirize. You can tell Zappa does not hate the music he parodies, rather his inspiration from it takes him places very little others can even see coming, and it leads to not only great tunes, but an oddly thrilling narrative one can hardly piece together, some soundscapes straight out of a horror film of the future tucked in with some pixie dust to always ensure that you're willing to keep going. Sure, it's creepy, but it's also so playful about it that you often find yourself still loving what crumbs are given to you, and for an album to jump back and forth and do it all so well is easily commendable. I can't imagine turning most of this album on for any ol' reason, it still has this energy that very little even today could replicate, and for, again, 1968, that's amazing.

Before listening: Is this some sort of joke band? Like Spinal Tap or KISS? Looks like this album was released in 1968 so just a few years after Sgt Pepper and also around the same time the Rolling Stones copied Sgt Pepper with that Majesty album. After listening: I really don't know what to say. I came in kinda expecting to hate this album - everything about it seemed so silly. But then I found myself enjoying it. It was interesting and fun and didn't take itself too seriously. There were times when I felt that they were doing a bad impression of later Beatles McCartney, but I can look past that. I enjoyed this album, in fact, I feel like listening to it right now.

LP

zappa is such a weirdo. i really liked this, was almost feeling a 9/10 at first, but the bit got a bit old towards the end (the last track is...trying). still very cool

There were moments, some bad, some very good. I feel there were more of the latter, so I'm going to give this 4 stars to this jazzy, psychedelic, anti-hippy, weirdness of an album.

It’s definitely Zappa! “What’s the ugliest part of your body” has been stuck in my brain ever since.

Frank Zappa is the pioneer of alternative rock. This proves. It is a great album but not one that I would put as a top of any lists. I appreciate that I was able to listen to it.

At first I was like “wtf” but then … I ended up liking it. Experimental, interesting lyrics and themes, definitely not boring. Would listen to again.

Damn man, really funny to get this album before Sgt. Peppers, just so the cover reference doesn't make any sense. Maybe we'll get that tomorrow? This album is great, yet another banger from Zappa and his gang. It's really cool that he's such a talented musician that chose to make goofy albums like this, and it's crazy that some of the jokes are making me laugh some 50+ years later. "I'm gonna love the police while they beat the shit out of me" killed me. But yeah, once again, it's comedic stuff poking fun of hippies and counterculture, while also being competent, experimental music. Who's doing it like Zappa? Guy was truly one of one, so much so that I thought Captain Beefheart was an alter ego. Favorite tracks: Are You Hung Up, Who Needs the Peace Corps, What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body, Absolutely Free, Flower Punk, The Idiot Bastard Son, The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny. Album art: A pointed spoof of the Beatles' Sgt. Peppers cover. Zappa standing near the front right with no pants, and to his right....Jimi Hendrix? Very cool collage of people, the lightning in the back is a nice touch too. And of course, spelling the word "Mothers" in fruits and veggies is also cool. This is a great cover. 4/5

Interesting as hell. Not your usual listen. 4/5

Way ahead of it's time. Other than the references I wouldn't have guessed this was from the 60s. Odd but interesting compositions. The overlapping voices were a bit of a drawback but overall I liked it and I need to check out more Zappa.

need to listen again when i’m not stressed at work lol

I love Zappa! but yes, not for everybody. Love the albums concept and how it was essentially mocking "psychedelic rock"" of the late 60s.

Drugs

Leave it to Zappa to turn around and pull off such an indictment of the hippies. The collage of sounds on so many of the songs seems a little schizophrenic at times, but it's still pretty good. I was never a fan of the last song ("Chrome-plated Megaphone of Destiny"), though. Still it has some songs that I've always enjoyed: "Who Needs the Peace Corps?", "The Idiot Bastard Son," "Let's Make The Water Turn Black." I know a lot of musicians name this as one of their faves, but I always liked his first a bit better. Top songs: "Who Needs the Peace Corps?", "The Idiot Bastard Son," "Let's Make The Water Turn Black," "Mom & Dad," "Lonely Girl"

Warning: don't listen to this as background music. I did that the first two times and my reaction was "this is just weird" and occasional moments where the lyrics caught my attention and made me laugh. When I paid attention to the music and lyrics, it became clear why this album is on the list. Subversive (some of the lyrics might as well have been an early version of F%^& the Police), skewering hippy culture, and mocking the music of the day. Also really enjoy how each song flows into the next, and you gotta applaud the album cover. Favorite tracks: Who Needs the Peace Corps (love the "I will..." section), What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body (I laughed), Absolutely Free, Flower Punk (enjoyed this hippy-skewering fast version of Hey Joe: "Hey Punk, where you goin' with those beads around your neck? I'm goin' to the shrink so he can help me be a nervous wreck" - also like the Wild Thing reference followed by deranged overlapping speeches, including what sounds an awful lot like Minions). Weird stuff, but fascinating. Can't give it a 5 because it's just too weird, but I can definitely appreciate it and would listen again.

This is a fun record. I used to love the "make fun of everything" attitude, but now I find it exhausting. Was anyone or anything genuine enough to escape Frank's ire? At some point - kinda like South Park - pointing out how lame everyone else is loses some appeal. Still going to rate it high though because I don't want to be labeled lame.

ohhhh lol this is a Frank Zappa project, got it. I only really know Zappa by reputation, so it surprised me to learn he was making stuff as far back as this. Interesting to see some hippy-punching coming from someone contemporary to that whole scene and who can't exactly be written off as a stuffy conservative of the time

Weird even by Zappa standards

such an interesting thing to listen to here in 2024. It still feels subversive and some of the songs are actually good and listenable, but it is really more of an experiment and experience. The needling of the culture at the time is brilliant and much of it still holds up today. It isn’t an easy or fun listen so it’s not necessarily enjoyable but oddly, that is exactly what makes it enjoyable - you’re belong challenged and if you are willing to listen and read the lyrics and appreciate the time and place this came out it is rewarding.

Second listen to this one. Made much more sense why it was on the list.

This album was my first exposure to Frank Zappa, way back in the day. I liked it pretty well when I first listened to it, but I don't like Zappa's schtick as much as I used to since I've gotten to encounter lots of weird music that is more suited to my tastes. Despite that fact, I think this is a good album overall. It's an early album that showed that popular music could be deliberately strange. It's also a lot more accessible than Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefhart. There are plenty of political and social messages in the album as well. What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body is the highlight of the album for me. 4/5

There where some really good tunes here but the electronic experimentations where sometimes a bit too much. Otherwise it’s an almost perfect record.

Staring off the day with some early Zappa; no complaints here. This is some kooky and campy shit, and I say that with love. This is not the album you want in the background if you actually want to use your mind for anything; most songs are short and disjointed with tons of caricaturized psychedelic effects interspersed. That said, Zappa is a crazy dude who knew how to push the envelope while still putting together some great songs. Over a relatively short runtime (39 min) he references a ton of musical styles and pokes fun at the entire hippie flower power movement from multiple angles. This is a deranged fever dream of an album. Not my favorite from Zappa by any stretch, but still solid. 4 / 5 and I'll be back for more. --- The album starts on a truly deranged note with Are You Hung Up? An acid trip of vocal samples. This leads into more traditionally structured Who Needs The Peace Corps? which is a quintessential Zappa tune with weird vocal delivery, unique guitar tone, and, of course, some horns. Super campy, but the man puts together a solid song. The spoken-word outro reminds me a lot of some more recent work and I'm having a hard time placing it (ah I got it. It reminds me of Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem -- now off to listen to that record for a bit). Concentration Moon pulls more campy tempo changes and psych interludes. Recurring reference to the sample about being "the Indian of the Group." Five songs in, this album proves to be quite dark thematically. Harry, You're A Beast -> What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? is a complete trip. A disjointed fever dream, but I enjoy every part of it. Hot Poop -> Nasal Retentive Calliope Music are somehow more nonsensical sounding than their titles; not an easy feat.

I thought this was Sgt. Peppers again when the album cover came up. That album was so incredibly strange that it was good. Frank Zappa is a weird fella. I liked how it was one continuous song pretty much. Only fitting that it ended with just a bunch of weird noises in The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny.

-Didn’t write a BL- AL: now do I think this is good from a historical context? Absolutely, the use of sampling and audio recordings must’ve been thrilling at the time. It creates an interesting sound and also a good piss take at the psychedelia wave of the time (as implied by the album cover). However the album isn’t really cohesive, which I suppose is the point. FT: None 4/5 (for creativity + impact) 2/5 for actual musical enjoyment

This was weird. I like weird. Reminded me of this compilation album some kid put together in the 90s called "Shannon's Tape". 🤣 Now I see where he got some of his influence. I certainly won't listen to this album regularly because it's more of an art piece to me that should be savoured. Definitely an album I'd recommend people listen to at least once.

Nicely bonkers and satirical and political. Interesting mix of influences seemingly lots of Jazz, I reckon. Who needs the Peace Corps is a cracker - an interesting take on the hippy movement! Although it could be hard to tell what is sarcasm, banter or just political commentary, in some of the songs. Sharp witted was Mr. Zappa. I'd like to give this 3.5/5 but as I can't, I shall go with a 4. I'll be going back to this 1.

Weird imperfect but charming and fun and different to listen to. I'm not sure if I'll ever listen to it again but this was a nice change of pace I liked it. four stars.

as everyone else has said, this album is extremely strange. it felt like a cross between they might be giants and the residents, both of whom were probably inspired by this anyway. i basically liked every other track on here though. some of them were probably pretty good satire 60 years ago and parts of that are surely lost to time. the weird skits and random samples really made me feel like i was turning the radio dial to desperately tune into a station with a real song. i definitely understand the dislike for this album but i thought it was a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of boring stuff on this list. favorites: who needs the peace corps, mom & dad, bow tie daddy, what's the ugliest part of your body, absolutely free, flower punk, let's make the water turn black, mother people

Not my favourite Zappa album, but still makes me laugh.

Weird! But decent at the same time. Honestly my first time listen to any Zappa. Psychedelic, experimental sounding. Like proto-talking heads?

This is not to say that frank zappa wasn't clever or funny because he was, but he wasn't close to as funny and clever as he thought he was

I just know that Frank would have called me a plastic person.

Frank Zappa is a brilliant guitarist and composer, and it’s hilarious that he so often uses his talents making silly dum dum music This album was thoroughly entertaining actually

Always have time for a hippie-bashing but Frank gets too annoying in parts.

I have questions: 1.) What was that oinking sound? It made me uncomfortable. 2.) Why does he say "Creep" in almost every song? 3.) Why does he hate hippies? and finally 4.) What? Honestly I enjoyed this. It's absurdist art and I love that shit. It's not perfect and a lot hasn't aged well but I can see myself listening to this again. 3.5

The bad man in the playground came up to me today He asked me if I'd like to pet his dog I went over to his car He unbuttoned his trousers A big black dog jumped out and started licking me He spat all over my face It made me happy

I get it but also ugh shut up but also I’m into it?

This album is fantastic; has all of the Zappa kookiness and is just dripping with satire, taking shots at hippies, the police, 60's rock culture and 60's consumerism all at once.

Is this our first Zappa? Took us long enough. His music became especially indulgent into the 70’s, but there’s already shades of that here as he keeps reminding you why he doesn’t like hippies. But damn if most the rest of the album doesn’t hold up. It’s still funny all over and the musicianship is incredible. I’ll take it over Sgt. Pepper any day. A-

The first listen, I just had it on in the background and wasn't paying close attention. I could tell there was some good stuff there, but I didn't come away that impressed. I gave it one more chance and paid more attention to the lyrics, and liked it a lot better the second time.

ironia ei nappaa jos heh se koira älähtää johon kalikka kajahtaa.. Respect for the high art..

Hi Boys and Girls, I'm Jimmy Carl Black, and I'm the Indian of the group. We the people demand more albums that sound like they were made by insane people locked in a steel shack with dwindling supplies. Song structure, choruses, catchy melodies - all of that is for weak babies. Dip your LP into hydrochloric acid and gargle mayonnaise, pussy. This is the real world.

I spent the better part of a week stuck on this album, trying to discover and organize my thoughts. There is a lot going on here. My initial impression was two stars. The songs are not cohesive, music changing suddenly, constantly. But then I read the Wikipedia page for both the album and Frank Zappa and my mind started to open a bit. FZ had a thought provoking stance on the world around him. This album lambasts hippies, war mongers, and 1960s culture alike. Listening more closely with this background, I appreciated the album more, a solid three. I listened quite a few more times over several days and oscillated between a 3 and a 4. I kept asking myself is FZ a genius or some drugged out, musical schizophrenic? The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny is frankly annoying. There is no way around it. It does the album a disservice by ending with a sour note. So I settled on a 3 a couple days ago and have just been waiting to find time to write this up. In fact I started writing my review and decided to listen one last time. Well, I payed closer attention. This time I listened to the album while reading the lyrics. My stance solidified just now. I can’t believe I’m writing the following: this is a 5 star album right up until the last track (which is a one star deduction). FZ believed people should have the right to do drugs, but didn’t partake himself because he thought they were a waste of time. FZ is a musical savant…maybe. One thing I do know is that I need to spend some time going through the FZ catalogue after this adventure is over.

A real interesting album where the (sometimes a little simple) satire takes a front seat over the music, but where you certainly hear some amazing pieces of brilliance shine through.

So I get that it's a satire of the psychedelic scene, hippies, The Beatles, corporations, etc., etc., etc. And I get that it's an avant garde protest against selling out. But the moments that makes this record actually stick together as a coherent work are exactly the straightforward psychedelic pieces like 'What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?', 'Let's Make the Water Turn Black', and 'Lonely Little Girl', as silly and scathing as the lyrics might be. Now isn't that ironic. Or satirical. Or self-referential. Or... something.

Very weird and pretty funny, in a musically interesting way. Not at all what I expected, from what I knew of Frank Zappa's later work, but maybe it should have been!

Not my favourite Zappa album, but still interesting enough for a positive rating. The emphasis here seems to be on the satire and playful experimentation, where other albums are more coherent and have moments of profound musical brilliance.

I can see where Throbbing Gristle came from. They key difference is that this was cool and good, and that was noise. Still a few too many offputting tracks to want to play this through, but some gems I want to show off.

4+ What's the ugliest part of your body Flower Punk

4.2 + Hippies enjoy a generally sunny reputation within the American psyche, so it's refreshing to hear their thorough takedown on this record. Zappa exposes the hypocrisy and half-baked humanism behind the flower power movement on songs like "Who Needs the Peace Corps?" and "Flower Punk." But there's plenty of satire to dish all around and Zappa is sure to throw in some barbs aimed at the older generation on "Mom & Dad" and "Bowtie Daddy." The music teems with psychedelic tropes - distorted guitars, reverb-laden vocals, strange sound collages - both mocking and outshining the "serious" psychedelic musicians of his day.

This one is really tough. On the one hand it is a scathing and pointed satire of the music, politics, and insincere counterculture of the late 60s. The commentary still holds up today. On the other hand it's a pretty uncomfortable listen. It's sort of genius and brave while also being pretty unpalatable. Normally the innovative and jagged parts of the album would cancel each other out. However, it's meant to be divisive. Giving it a 3 is missing the point and would probably make Frank Zappa more disappointed than a purely negative review. No fence-sitting with this one.

The fact that this was recorded completely sober astounds me. Definitely some bits that lose me throughout, but I can't help but be inspired by just how endlessly strange, off-kilter, and creative this was to listen to! Always been more of a solo Frank Zappa person, but as an introduction to The Mothers of Invention, I can't think of a better way to start! Catch me at the club bumping out to "The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny" lmao

He’s Frank.

I should definitely revisit

Highlights: "The Idiot Bastard Son," "Mom and Dad," "Lonely Little Girl," "Mother People" One of the best Zappa albums and the best introduction even when throroughly marred by its tinny mixing and antagonistic jolts of interrupting noise, because its songs are nearly the only attempt the band made at being lyrically serious. The constantly surprising moments of real musical beauty feel hard-fought in a dramatically intentional way, breaking through brutal and caustic bipartisan mockery. Beyond the seemingly sincere left-libertarianism neighboring the hippies in "Take Your Clothes Off," the frustrated vacuum of any hopeful, positive vision for society makes the music the position, and the music shows you it means it. It's incredible that in '67-'68, in an era known for pop genre-bending, experimentation, and free-thinking, this series of albums from the Mothers would still have been like a bolt out of the blue, maybe only surpassed by the decade's world-historic works of jazz.

this is silly

Disco conceptual en su máxima expresión, grabado como un continuo sin diferenciación entre las canciones. Experimental y atrevido, pop psicodélico, donde la gracia está sobre todo en el discurso, que se pierde si no controlas el idioma.

I have a feeling this record will be divisive, and all I can really say is, "Well, I like it." Nobody really does "freak out" like Zappa and co., where every song is about as tight as you can get it before bursting, while also seeming very free-wheeling and spur-of-the-moment. Favorite tracks: "Concentration Moon", "Flower Punk", "The Idiot Bastard Son", "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance"

Bizarre and unusual, parody this may be but talent abounds.

Thus shit is weird in the best possible way

One of Zappa's best shticks

Sàtira i experiment. Els primers discos de Zappa rebosaven de tots dos conceptes i ho feien amb una inspiració reservada només pels genis. No tot el minutatge té la mateixa qualitat -cap al final de la segona part del disc la cosa afluixa bastant- però continua sent un dels exemples més representatius de la millor innovació artística dels '60

A parody album shouldn’t be this good, Frank Zappa is a genius, anyone attempting a parody of Stg Pepper would need to be for it to work and this does. Not an accessible album but worth a few listens to get it. A few parts just a bit too odd for my taste to give this full marks.

Beautifully weird. Song titles great, as usual. Some interesting use of the stereo balance. Way ahead of the curve on the ASMR trend. Just too disjointed in places to be a 5 - i couldn't listen to it every day!

Harry, You're A Beast reminds me of the short film Possibly In Michigan. I think this album is the closest I'll get to understanding how it feels to be on whatever drugs they took while making it.

Surprised it’s pretty good, crazy though

A little mainstream, straightforward and poppy for my tastes. Usually find Zappa impenetrable, then he does this, what an enigma, eh?

Wild, unfiltered, and unashamedly blitzing. Sometimes it can be a little too much for me, but nobody does "too much" quite like Zappa.

I enjoy the playfulness on display quite a bit. Maybe a bit too much in places, but overall a great album.

This was a good fun ablum with heaps of great tracks like Who Needs The Peace Corps?, What's the Ugliest Part Of Your Body, Flower Punk, Lets' Make The Water Turn Black, and Lonely Little Girl.

For a man who had no truck with drugs Frank Zappa sure did produce music that sounds exactly as if it's intended to be listened to while on drugs. I haven't listened to this one much before, and there's a _lot_ going on, so it would probably benefit from more listens. Still, a lot of fun! Fave track - "Let's Make the Water Turn Black" is the one I was most familiar with already. Also really enjoyed "Absolutely Free" running into "Flower Punk"...

In the first half of the album I thought there wouldn't be anything I'd like. But it got progressively better. Very, veeery experimental, psychedelic rock, so good stuff overall! You also have to admire the dig at Beatles here lol Saved tracks: What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?, Absolutely Free, Let's Make The Water Turn Black, Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance

Side one is a brilliant takedown of 1967 and the hippie movement. Zappa the satirist at the peak of his snide powers. It even has some catchy tunes. It gets a little self-indulgent on the second side, but overall this is one of the best records he ever made.

Hippies suck, Frank is great. Not my favorite Zappa record but it's still good. It might be his most accessible album as there aren't a lot of long instrumentals that might put off some listeners.

What a weird, wild, unique and fascinating album. Bizarrely poetic and literate lyrics that takes jabs at EVERYONE and does so with irreverance and biting dark humour. Musically the styles, production and arrangements are all ove the place but mostly interesting and engaging. My favorite Zappa album that I've heard so far and one that I think will remain in my rotation for a little while at least. As I type this is my 3rd listen. 4 stars

What a ride this one was. Probably the weirdest album so far but if you ignore the tracks that are just speech or noise, you are actually left with some good psychedelic rock songs with funny/satirical and most importantly entertaining lyrics. This is definitely an album that you either love or completely hate but I'm willing to give this some credit

Ok this is the second album from these guys here. This one was done way better - mostly because he was taking potshots at the hippies, and that's something I can stand behind completely. It sounded like late 60s bullshit but the lyrics turned it into something far better. I know Zappa is a hipster darling these days but I have to give this a 4/5 for being one of the best pisstakes I've ever heard. Can't give it the full 5 because some of it was just annoying (see: the last "song") but I was tempted.

4.25

Por alguna razón, vino justo cuando necesitaba escuchar algo así 🥴

One of my favorites of Zappa’s.

Takes real vision and courage to make an album that sounds like this. It seems a bit cynical, which I'm less interested in, but the freedom with which this album bounces from one motif to another, yet stays cohesive and keeps a thread throughout is remarkable.

Probably my second favorite of Zappa's next to "Absolutely Free." I like him in this manic kitchen sink mode best. Though it's a real wooden rollercoaster of an album and there are all these bizarre interludes throughout, he's still keeping it relatively tight. If you don't like something, he's shortly onto the next idea. Whereas on something like "Uncle Meat" it just gets too self indulgent and becomes a mess. Always appreciate his bravery in experimentation, total embrace of humor, and willingness to call things as he sees them.

Far out, interesting shit

Što se mene tiče, može biti i cijela njegova diskografija. Ovo je itekakva satira i sprdnja na glazbu 60-ih, ali ponajviše na Fab Four iliti Bitlse.

Always strange and fun

Massive trip, a strong contender for the definition of cool conversation/argument

This was the shit I was afraid of when we started this project. Listened to this at 11pm at night while outside walking my dog. Went to bed. Nightmares. Great in a weird way. What an experience. Amazing work

Nach dem offensichtlichen Schrott der letzten Wochen ist dies eine Wohltat. Zappa halt.

Frank ❤️