We're Only In It For The Money

Lmao @ all of the reviewers calling this juvenile and "just a bunch of skits thrown together". TikTok brain has absolutely ruined 21st century society. Sure, at first this album may seem "random for random's sake" but I guarantee that I could never compose a psychedelic album of this caliber. Want to experience a mushroom trip without actually taking mushrooms? 'We're Only In It For The Money' is for you. Zappa's wildly unorthodox style feels both ahead of its time and perfectly comfortable in the time it came about.. hard for me to put into words, really. There are some brilliant layers to the songwriting approach, and I love the irony of how this album was embraced by 60s hippiedom despite it being a direct critique on hippie culture.

genius

Nice

Not my music

Lots of tracks with noises, some have amusing lyrics and a singalong tune, but the overall effect is a bit weak for me.

Frank Zappa is wittier than you and his band is more talented. But his songs are just ok. Don’t think I’d revisit this.

This was my first introduction to Frank Zappa. I’ve had a lot of friends over the years tell me how much I should listen to him. I’m glad I never listened to my friends before and I wish I could go back and not listen to this now. Worst thing is I took a break from music I actually liked to listen to it.

4/10

Anybody who gives this a one is dead inside. How would they survive if they were alive, shitty little person?

This was actually better than I thought it would be.

Yea I didn’t really feel like I was listening to music with this one, more random background noise and chatter

about half listenable even enjoyable and half absolutely awful noises that hurt my head

Just not into this purely satirical attitude. It’s so above it all. The only thing that saves this stuff for me is knowing the extent to which Zappa was “the real deal,” and the amount of actually interesting music he went on to make in his too-short life. I really respect the guy which is why I won’t rate this one star. But really, it irks me.

A far out early Zappa album for sure. One of the better album titles from the 60’s too. Sonically it doesn’t grab me like Freak Out! or Hot Rats or Joe’s Garage, and to me it serves as a solid relic of experimentation in the studio.

Well that was experimental First half sounded like the wiggles on acid, second half much better. I wasn’t a Zappa fan before and still don’t see the charm, probably more of its time. 1 star

Whispering beginning deeply uncomfortable Who needs the peace corps: like the guitar tone, fun and jangly Nice spoken word train of thought vibe From concentration moon on, really makes this feel lik a sgt pepper knock off Drummer was putting in work throughout the album, really interesting rhythms chosen There are no highlights to this album, at Best take Your Clothes Off When You Dance has a vibe to it. The albums only redemption is as an experimental album of the time.

Just because you did some acid doesn't mean you should write an album.

Not sure why but I felt a bit sick…psychedelic tripping

?!?!?!?

Very strange album. Had no idea that Frank Zappa did this project. His critique on the hippy movement (and the beatles?) was pretty good. Not sure I'd listen again, but I'm giving it an extra star for ambition and another star for making me laugh out loud for the line "what are you doing with the button in your shirt? I'm going to play bongos in the dirt"

I dont get it. I don't and i would like to but this does not really do it for me. I think there are far better Zappa albums.

Very weird, very experimental. Often funny. Playful, goofy, all of those things. All that said, how much do I want to re-listen to this? Outisde of one or two tracks, not very much. But I appreciate what Zappa and his crew were doing here.

A genuinely solid satire album calling out psychedelic bands of the era and the fans that became hippies for the drugs and sex but believed in none of the mission statements. I am ill equipped to go through every reference they make, but I definitely caught the Beatles, The Who, and a few others that were notable. This album is often idiosyncratic and somewhat off putting, and that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. Counter counter culture, a sort of early punk fighting against the established style that was itself trying to fight the system. While I didn’t enjoy every avenue, I certainly enjoyed the aplomb with which they did every song. They treated the topic they were lampooning with the necessary amount of honor to show they understood the point, they just thought it was ill conceived. I’ll give it a 4/5 not for enjoyment, but out of respect for the talent and time put into it.

Heel eigenaardig

Ik vind het eigenlijk wel leuk 🤭

Very annoying, although I did quite enjoy some of the bits.

If this exercise has taught me anything, it’s that I really like Frank Zappa. It’s such great 60’s satire. So late to the game.

The vocals are just atrocious. I also get that this is supposed to be weird and it's proto-weird? I don't know, I feel like even weird needs to follow at least some conventions to make it good. Hence why I feel this is proto-weird. Anyway, I kinda hate it. It feels like making fun of hippies is punching down.

I don't know who it's for, edgelords? Making fun of hippies and the peace corps is lame, sorry Frank

This was weird. And not good weird.

This is an album that really needs to be listened to for a true understanding of what it is. But I’ll add a two word description that might help: Frank Zappa.

mmmm zapper

Doesn't quite work.

Im all for a bit of experimentation but this was a little bit too much

This album children is why you shouldn't do drugs.

Loved it

This album is gorgeous, absolutely fantastic. The rhythm of the album, how it flows, also through those kind of talked interludes, is delightful. And the songs are all bewitching, so creative and unique, and with some really catchy melodies. Sure, The Mothers Of Invention, and Frank Zappa specially, have such a very peculiar way of making music, and a great psychedelic approach that sounds very fresh and original. It is great, they are great, and this album is magnificent, so enjoyable and fun to listen to.

I now know what the soundtrack to an ADHD brain sounds like

If ADHD made an album. I mean, there's obviously some interesting things in here, but they live for about 30 seconds at a time. They are also clearly talented musicians. But apparently that isn't what they want to project. I listened slightly drunk on the train home and it definitely kept me awake. So it has that going for it. Oddly I actually think I'd want to listen to one or two of these again, which wouldn't take long, so somehow I want to give it a low 3. Shouldn't be on this list though.

this was so weird. some of it in an irritating way but most of it in ways that really tickled me.

I bought cheap thrills by Zappa years ago and loved it. I thought that I would like everything else he did. I bought cheap thrills 2 and it was worse. I can only assume if I keep going through his albums by choosing one slightly worse than the previous each time I'll eventually reach whatever this is. Look, I love comedy music, I want more rebellion in music, but at some point it all stops really being music. This is just a collection of ideas. Lots of random voices that don't have a lot of merit in a the music world Perhaps this is an influential album because of what it showed people they could do? I've no idea. I find it pretty ironic that this is the album he made when supposedly parodying the Beatles most experiential album to date because he felt they were too commercial or something. Look, I wanted to, but I just don't get it and it wasn't fun to listen to.

Good

This one grew on me as I listened through out the day. Whether as a piece of genuine revolutionary art, a satire focused on the low hanging fruit of the era, or a fungal infection, I'm not sure, but it grew on me.

Like the Marvin Gaye divorce album, I am struck first and foremost by Zappa & Company’s commitment to the bit. They clearly felt some animus for the hippies, but then I suppose you had to be there. “What’s the ugliest part of your body? / Some say your nose / Some say your toes / I think it’s your mind.” Ouch. Musically, this is pretty neat, a more varied departure even from “Freak Out!” and a sign that Zappa was in fact a composer of considerable eclecticism.

For some reason I thought this album would take forever to get through. Less than 40 minutes! Intentionally weird! But not obnoxious.

I forget how mean-spirited this was to hippies. Still more cohesive and enjoyable than Freak Out.

Funny, inventive, dark. Absolutely captivating.

The result of many heavy acid and weed sessions - I dig it

At least now I know what psychedelic drugs must feel like.

It all started to make sense once I worked out Frank Zappa was on this. It’s an interesting one as it’s weird but it felt a bit like it was pulling its punches, odd without being abrasive. Parody, skit, drugs and psychedelia, in jokes, anti music, all thrown into a jumble that moves at pace. The first few tracks gave it the feel of a semi political protest album so found that bit more interesting as a piece of social history but the music itself didn’t find great. Doubt I’d listen again.

I liken this album to a concept car.  It's a showoff of style and possibility.  They, however, usually suck in reality as they are full of problems, engineering or cost challenges and create compromises that simply can't make it to the production scale model. In my view this album has a point in time position, it will age badly because of what it is, and it almost certainly when put in the hands of the consumer will find significant flaws in the concept package. This is focused on statement not consumption.  In 2026 I have no reason to connect with the 60s hippy and certainly don't want to listen to a load of chip monks chatting about it. I can manage most of it but its fair to say some of the noise is simply odd and annoying.

You've made a satirical piece that attempts to subvert pop culture to highlight it's hypocrisy. Unfortunately you have committed the cardinal sin of making something that's awful to listen to. I looked hard for redeeming features and didn't find any.

For the longest time Frank Zappa was a guy I respected but didn’t care for. This is the first album of his I actually enjoyed listening to. It actually has some bangers. There’s some lovely instrumentals in here. Couple of good jokes. It does get a little too Zappa-y at points. There’s a song called Hot Poop I mean cmon. But I did enjoy the whole ride

Zappa må vara hur begåvad som helst han aldrig riktigt gjort det för mig. Detta är dessutom tidigt i karriären och väldigt spretigt och odisciplinerat. Dessutom något slags Beatles-parodi. Även om det finns ögonblick av genialitet så håller det inte. En tvåa

We all agree this is trash, right?

Their third album is one of the most clear satires on the whole hippie and US political movements you’re likely to hear on record. The artwork is legendary - and features Hendrix (who’s also on the Sgt Pepper cover)- and remarkably avoided legal action. The title quotes a line in which Zappa referred to the Beatles’ supposed insincerity. As with all Zappa it’s cleverly done and amusing in places but it’s not music doing what it can do best, it’s picking holes….

Nah! not much good to say really, very dated and a bit wet

I don't have time for this shit

Number: 215 Familiarity: Aware (2) Rating: 4 Before: ======= I respect and admire Frank Zappa but his work never really clicked with me to the point I ever felt motivated to buy one of his albums. There was one album in particular that one of my friends had back in high school that we used to listed to a good bit but it wasn't this one. During: ======= Yeah, I don't really like this all that much but I admire it for what it is, and I would consider it an essential must listen album from that time period. I'll probably give this a higher rating than I usually would. That is, most of my ratings are based on my own personal opinion of the music. That is, is it something I enjoy and actually choose to listen to, and would I consider it for my hypothetical list of "100 essential albums", which list would only contain albums I like. And would contain those albums that if I could only listen to 100 albums for the rest of my life, those are the albums I would choose. However, I think a case could be made for this or some similar album that is a bit hard to listen to and makes absolutely no sense and challenges ones sense of what music is and what it's purpose is. However, if I were choose one of those kind of albums for my hypothetical list of "100 essential albums", I would probably choose something else, like maybe "Meet The Residents". After : ======= So, I did end up listening to it 3-4 times. It's impossible to rate on a song by song by song basis and overall, I think a case could be made for rating anywhere from 2 - 4, but I'll give it a 4. I may revisit my decision after I listen to Freak Out! and/or Hot Rats. I really don't think you need more than one of these types of albums per artist on this list.

Just because it’s niche/unpopular/unheard doesn’t mean it’s worth gushing about, parody or not. Another case of an album I could die without having heard.

Thank you

wtf?

Lou Reed was right this guy is an absolute hack.

It was so close to Sargent Peppers haha. This is absolute auditorial cinema

Brilliant

Passes the time well enough. Is gently amusing but not much else. There are better zappa albums. Silly cover as well

Yes! Flamingo

Pretty cool, really out there, but not sure how much I enjoy it

++: Are You Hung Up?, Bow Tie Daddy, What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?, Mother People +: Mom & Dad, Absolutely Free, Flower Punk, Hot Poop, Lonely Little Girl, What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body? (Reprise) +-: Who Needs the Peace Corps?, Concentration Moon, Harry, You're a Beast, Let's Make the Water Turn Black, Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance, The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny -: Nasal Retentive Calliope Music --: The Idiot Bastard Son 3,3/10

Proto-Ween. Roundef up from a 3.5.

This was weird and awesome

либо я не понял, либо залупа какая-то

I freaking love "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance", but the rest of the album does not live up to the expectation.

Ok

Yes, this captures the spirit of the bands it’s making fun of in a very interesting way. I probably still don’t want to listen to it ever again 😅

I don't mind a bit of Zappa now and then if I'm in the right mood, musically he was a genius, but his lyrics can be a bit grating sometimes... quite often actually.

Yeah...this just isn't something that's for me. Look we all know Frank Zappa was eccentric and a music genius (I guess? From what I've heard) but this just isn't it. Maybe there's some of that genius on other Zappa albums but I admit I haven't heard a lot. Maybe I just don't get it, but this simply wasn't that enjoyable. It had the odd moment here and there. I'm giving it a 2 because I'm feeling generous.

I never quite know what to do with Frank Zappa. Is it just making fun of music, then it does a great job, but is it also supposed to be musically pleasant then it fails. I can’t see this being a favorite album to listen to or even having a favorite song from it. What they do is interesting and new and musical but is that enough?

Creative album. Reminds me as a forerunner to Ween. Zappa not afraid to try new arrangements.

A : 3, Telephone JL : 1, The Idiot Bastard Son

Awful like a parody from Monty Python just gibberish hated it

Nyt oli kyllä erikoismeininkiä enkä oikee saanu kiinni mistään

No nyt oli turhan hippimeininkiä.

Zappan sekoilut on pääsääntösesti mieleen. Tässä oheistaide on ehkä vähän liian isosti framilla ja ite veisut jää sitten liiaks pimentoon. On siel kuitenkin joukossa ne oikeet elementit. Ei nyt kuitenkaan voi lähtee liikaa kumartaan kuvaa arvosanan suhteen.

Olin vähän innoissani kun näin että tämä on nyt kuuntelusta. Niin moni puhuu Zappasta, ja itse en ole oikeastaan ikinä kuunnellut yhtään. Ja ei varmaan kauheasti tarvi jatkossakaan kuunnella. En kyllä yhtään päässyt sisään tähän levyyn. Vähän niinkun semmosta huonoa huumorimusaa. Annetaan nyt kaksi tähteä kuitenkin.

Better than Captain Beefheart.

It’s been cool to hear the evolution of zappa’s music from this list, going from making fun of doo wap to sarcastic psychedelia. It’s like a time capsule of the liberal thought of the time.

richtig whack und random, irgendwie eine beatles parodie aber nur mit komischen geräuschen und nicht enjoyable AT ALL??

🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 (rounded down not because it deserves a two, but because it doesn’t deserve a three... to me) Um. Okay, so. I’ll admit, I’m prone to defending albums people shit on, because everyone’s so stick-in-ass puritanical about even slightly weird music on here for some reason. Also, I think I’ve always liked what Frank Zappa stands for, or what I thought he stood for from a distance, and I’ve wanted to get into his stuff for a while now. The way people talk about him, you’d think he’s some kind of last bastion of artistic expression, sardonic defender of the weirdo, but I really think he’s got just as much of a brand of his own. This was, like… fine, but nowhere near as funny as the titles advertised. These, easily, are the funniest part of the album, and their numbers are not strong: “What’s the ugliest part of your body” was the only one that got a mild chuckle out of me (again, just the title), and while “Who Needs the Peace Corps?” isn’t exactly breaking contrarian ground, it promised a strong start that I didn’t feel delivered (this seems to be the case for other recommended albums by Apple Music—Weasels Ripped my Flesh and Uncle Meat are both top-tier titles given little credit, likely, by their contents). I’ve heard a few Zappa songs before—“Dancing Fool” is the only one I remember—but they seem to follow a formula where he says “I’m a _________ and I __________ around, totally oblivious to my idiocy” and that’s the epic takedown. It just seems vaguely nasty and cynical, but I think I’d be able to hang with that if it wasn’t also so played out. Like most comedy music, I think structure and rhyme scheme are the enemy of clever subversion here—instead, there are sort of predictable, eye-roll rhymes that signpost incoming jokes from a mile away instead of maximizing that space to make, you know, more jokes. It’s like when someone has to sneeze and they have this really long wind-up and then they don’t even really sneeze at the end. I don’t know, this isn’t my issue with the Mothers of Invention so much as it is the genre at large, which, to their credit, they seem to have created. I also think there’s not exactly a vacuum of creativity here, although it’s not what I’d call groundbreaking, either (maybe I just need some perspective?). Certainly, I liked a lot of the squirrelly noise they included intermittently—I enjoyed the whispers and monotone deliveries of certain jokes more than I did most of the sung ones—but it never really coalesced into anything interesting, so it was mostly just disorienting. Maybe that was the point, but to be honest, there’s very little ambiguity about the artistic intentions of this album, and when it has points to make, there’s no “maybe” about it. I’m not saying this was unpleasant or anything, nor was it really bad—not sure why everyone’s acting so offended and upset by it since nothing really flagrant was said. Maybe I should be more upset by mediocrity, but it wasn’t bland in a commercial way, just kind of tepid execution. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing

Wow! I had no idea what this would be going into it. I still don't really understand?? It's definitely one of the more bizarre albums so far. I can't say I liked it, but I have a fearful reverence of it and see a faint resemblance to Fingertips. Definitely not an easy listen, but I was a little bit thrilled by how nutso it was.

Such a different, fun strange sound. While not my favorite album, it definitely stands out in great and not so great ways. Love the exploration of beautiful melodies and random talking. Favorite songs were Let's Make the Water Turn Black and Concentration Moon. Loved Are You Hung Up?

I don't really know what I just listened to and what to think...

I'm just not cool enough for this...

Hey, Frank 3.45

For me, one of the hardest albums to listen to out of the approximately 800 I have had. I think the tracks that are just whispering were the worst, although quite a lot of it falls into my personal category of Not Music. As satire, it has not aged well at all, it's like picking up a 60-year old issue of Mad magazine, but far more grating and obnoxious.

And that's why I'll buy the album when I get the chance. 4/5

I can only describe this as a mishmash of randomness. A lot of it wasn't even music, just talking, sounds, and static as if you're flipping through stations on the radio. What music was present was kind of nice and melodious. It was sort of interesting, I guess.

Wtf was that. Burn it.

Terrible. Literally awful. I’m questioning the validity of this experiment.

A very wacky and weird album. Maybe a little too wacky and weird for me at times but it has enough good songs for me to at least somewhat like it.

More zany Zappa brilliance

What's of this album has very nice elements mixed throughout it's fairly experimental with how it chooses to mash musical ideas. I think the comments from others about this album made me think I was about to listen to a train wreck but I don't really see why people get so heated about this. It's fine , but nothing that really stood out. I don't really understand the bits that they do throughout. I feel that that element has aged pretty poorly. Fav Track: The Idiot Bastard Son

1.5

Really?

Let's make fun of great music by making utter shite. 1/5

he funny asl

para ser de 1968 podría ser tranquilamente un álbum experimental de alguna banda de ahora, re mil adelantados pero tan experimental que nunca terminas de agarrarle bien la mano. buen sonido pero mucha locura que no termina de agradarme

I only got a couple songs into this album. I did not like it at all.

As a parody of 60s culture and counterculture, this certainly has value. As an album to sit and listen to on a Saturday morning in 2026, a little less so.

Should have to listen to a Chipmunks album, as the Mothers used the same techniques (speed changes and talking over each other). Is this an important album? As a counter-culture (or counter-counter) album, the St. Pepper’s cover and “Hey Joe” parodies are the best points.

5/5

хорошая пародия на "Битлз" и высмеивание их и хиппи культуры. в целом концепция альбома классная, да и Заппа крутой музыкант. странно, что в ревью здесь многие вообще не поняли ничего и наставили единиц. лол. TikTok абсолютно разрушил мозг у общества XXI века. я думаю, что концептуально альбом прекрасен, здесь часть музыки теряется в абсурде. оценка: 5/5. в РАЗЫ лучше, чем большинство альбомов "The Beatles".

Today I listened to a song called Hot Poop. Hello again Frank Zappa so nice to see you. So bad it’s good? Or so good it’s bad? Who’s to say - iconic nonetheless god I love these weird bastards x

I wonder if Frank was kicked by a hippy babysitter on a regular basis as a kid? This comes across as more of an album expressing distain in lyrics, a counter counter cultural moment rather than a pure musical expression. By that I mean there is less Frank’s amazing guitar solos, but still plenty of freeform jazz/rock that you’d associate with Frank. I dont hate it, but not my favorite. Plenty of wit and bite, which i like about Frank’s work and plenty of great musos backing it all up. Particularly find of the bass and drums combo on this. The rest hang of their groove and interplay and with Frank’s timings that is no small feat. Its a good album but how to rank it among the ither Mothers albums (is it as good as Freak Out) or Zappa albums (is it anywhere near Hot Rats) - and lets face it a Mothers album and a Zappa album ate all part of the same discog.

Album #1000! With goofy song titles served hot and fresh, introducing: Stupid Beatles! Tons of Beatles spoofs exist, so presumably The Mothers Of Invention's version is special in some way. And that specialness (if you want to call it that) is entirely the result of Frank Zappa's star power. He ensures you know of his involvement in the opening track, when some guy whispers "Frank Zappaaa" seductively into your right ear. The music takes frequent potshots at hippies, with an early example appearing in Who Needs The Peace Corps?: "I will have a psychedelic gleam in my eyes at all times / I will love everyone / I will love the police as they kick the shit out of me on the street". The issue here is that hippies were responsible for an extremely important cultural and political shift, and anti-hippie sentiment doesn't really fly. Also of note is the fact that the Mothers Of Invention are composed of hippies. So the lyrics kind of feel like Caitlyn Jenner being transphobic of fellow transgender people. Re the album title: I can't quite place if it's supposed to represent an (extremified) unspoken hippie quote, but if so, that's stupid. Music made extremely little money in the 60s, where taxation was high even for the "upper class". What of the music's sound? Well... it completely sucks. Individual and occasional "psychedelic filler" tracks are excusable, or at least don't completely swamp the album. But then this record, WOIIFTM, rears its ugly head. Another reviewer wrote that "It's just a bunch of stupid unfunny skits and noises that they've released and called an album". I couldn't agree more. Goofy tape reversals that sound objectively terrible, bad recording quality, poorly trained falsetto at various arbitrary times, cuts between completely different tapes/tracks without any musical or thematic justification, pigs snorting for extended lengths of time, a bunch of greasy hipster Americans whispering into the listener's ear. Not exactly emblematic of great, or good, or passable, music. Their 1966 record, Freak Out!, is significantly better. More groovy, tuneful, filled with musical ideas, and the lyrical themes are less distractingly bad. None of the songs here are particularly good, so instead, my key tracks are the ones with the dumbest titles. Deal with it. (I will shout out the intro of Lonely Little Girl, as well as the back-to-back songs Absolutely Free and Flower Punk, for being comparatively groovy. 1/5 Key tracks: What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?, Hot Poop, Nasal Retentive Calliope Music, Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance, What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? - Reprise, The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny

Very not for me.

entiendo el contexto histórico del album, sin embargo, no es lo mejor del mundo!

Top album my eye

You really told those hippies, Frank.

Some of the songs were musically ok, but just way too much weirdness

Not my cup of tea :/

Very inteteresting album, i fw the sound and im happy to have spent my life listening to a song called hot poop

Go Frank. I am not sure the flower people he mocks are the justifiable targets of the withering glare he casts their way. I mean, c'mon Frank, aren't you in it for the money too? Or does this absolve you of complicity because at least you're aware of it? And hippie cluelessness is a pretty easy target. In any case, the music is funner than hell, and I sure want to be along for the ride.

The first time I listened to this album (many, many years ago), I didn't get it. Now, I am in awe of how brilliant this is. Nothing escapes Zappa's scathing criticism, and he'll support the same folks he lambasted in the next breath. Musically, it's remarkable. Strange, impressive, melodic, biting, irreverant, dense... what an artist.

Fuck yeah. God, I haven't heard this thing in decades, and I remembered every word. He never topped this one, as far as I'm concerned. There's so much going on here, and yet as wacky as it gets, it never loses the plot, thanks to his killer melodic gifts. Growing up, I had a copy of the '80s Rykodisc version, in which he re-recorded the bass and drums. It was nice to hear the original, but I do think the re-recording is better, especially for the first half. The bass alone is worth the price of admission. Anyway, this is an all-time classic, and I think it must have influenced the guys in The Firesign Theatre.

Oh boy did I love this. It was just the right level of avant garde, wit, and musicality. Andre is a big Zappa fan so by proxy I've learned a bit about Frank the man but can't say I'm super familiar with his vast music catalog. This one hit just right. I'm going all the way

A collection of funny random skits and psychedelic sounds. I found it very entertaining.

It’s like Weird Al if Weird Al were political and vulgar. Fun songs to listen to every now and again, but it would never make heavy rotation for me.

This is a whole lot of meandering streaming of consciousness from some fucked-up brains, and it doesn't translate into good listening for me.

I only recently realized that I don't hate all Frank Zappa. This one however, I do.

I think this album is criticism of a large number of other albums on this list. So +1 for that.

First Zappa (kind of) album for me. This album is crazy diverse, the styles change so much within one song, it can't fully commit to anything! This album just takes the piss at every possible moment. It seems to be with the album cover on some releases a parody of mainly hippies and other things psychedelia. On some songs - especially on the A-side - it literally feels like an imitation of a John Lennon-led Beatles psychedelic-era song. Some of my favourite elements from this were the bard-like storytelling delivery in "Absolutely Free" or just the abhorrent but interesting straight noise in "Nasal Retentive Caliope Music." Only major thing I didn't like from this is there are burping sounds at some moments in some songs, which make my skin completely crawl, but that's the only major thing that ticks me off. This is for sure an album that would suck so much to listen to on a bad day, like could easily 1 star tier, yet when listened with at least an open mind, I think 4 stars is actually reasonable. It does hell of a good job at it's, well, job. I can definitely see why this album was put on the list. Highlight Song/s: "Concentration Moon", "Bow Tie Daddy", "Absolutely Free", "Nasal Retentive Caliope Music" and "Lonely Little Girl"

Definitely not easy listening, but I didn't dislike it as much as other experimental, avant garde type albums on this list. Kind of a satire of contemporary music and culture, but having not lived during that era it feels like I'm missing some of the joke. 2.5 rounded down for lack of relistenability.

I'm a big Zappa fan, but I felt like he didnt really hit his stride until 1970 or so, with Apostrophe and Over-Nite Sensation. This album is oddly produced (very claustrophobic imo) and a little precious, dated, etc but it definitely has its moments. "Lets Make the Water Turn Black: is an awesome composition he would revisit frequently, and "Who Needs the Peace Corps?" does make me laugh...but there is something about this particular album that never fully grabbed me. Maybe its the skits and 60s of it all. I am bummed that its one of only two Zappa albums on this list because his first half of the 70s is as strong as any artist.

so many layers of irony i just dont know what to think, theres even a song about hating hippies performed by eric cartman?? i guess that if i was a hippie in san francisco in the sixties and i heard this in the middle of an acid trip, i wouldnt have started reflecting on how phony i am and zappa would have sounded like a jerk, but nice try

zappa?!? UGH we get it you're a child.

I am aware of the existence of Frank Zappa. But in my mind he was always a novelty act doing joke songs like "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" and "Catholic Girls" in the 70s and "Valley Girl" (with his daughter Moon Unit) in the 80s. He was the kind of joke act you'd hear on Dr Demento radio show. So, seeing him pop up as having some supposedly great albums surprises me. But, I'm open to see what all the excitement is about. Thoughts after listening 3 times... Wow, 19 songs, I hope this isn't a double album. Looks like it's not - but it just has a bunch of really short tracks. Ok, I lied - I didn't listen to this 3 times like I usually do with the albums on this site. Once was enough and life is too short to waste time on this nonsense. If we're putting novelty albums on this list - I'd nominate nearly any Weird Al Yankovic album. I have not listened to any Weird Al albums in total but I would bet a billion dollars that any one of them would be more enjoyable than this - just based on the handful of his songs that I do know. At least his stuff is funny. I will add that I've seen clips of Frank Zappa on YouTube outsmarting Congress people and conservative pundits in the 70s and 80s (I think). He seems like a very intelligent and quick witted guy. I would rather watch those clips on repeat for a few hours than listen to this. I don't need to hear any of this again. Liked songs on Spotify: 0/19 Rating: 1/5 (should be zero)

An all time favorite, but possibly not for everyone

Frankly I thought this was freaking hilarious. Frank Zappa is a bitter little snob, but he's also a musical-genius snob, so it works. Obviously this isn't easy-listening, but it's cool to see industry beef, especially when they're incredibly talented. Musique concrète ftw.

Nothing to really say about this one, just really weird but so are all of Zappa’s songs. Still enjoyable though!

Very weird

<-- negative reviews the point --> Musically, sure, nothing standout, but that ignores entirely the point of this album. It 100% belongs on the list because of what it tries to do. Will I listen again: hell no. Am I glad I listened: absolutely.

Kuulostaa lähinnä siltä, että keskenkasvuiset kakarat on päästetty studioon leikkimään. Onko joku aikalaisvitsi, en tiedä. Oli mitä vaan niin en valitettavasti ymmärrä. 2/5

music for the Minions

Turbo ass

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. I assembled a pre-written review for Zappa's "Freak Out!" a couple of days ago, where I mentioned I was surprised by his absence on my list to that point. I later realised that it was because he only had three list albums to his name, which honestly felt like the listmakers had undercut him. Four Zappa albums seems about right relative to his level of influence and legacy in the pop culture zeitgeist, but then again I don't know anything about his discography. Anyways, I guess we're doing an impromptu finale to the Mothers of Invention picks, aye? I could somewhat appreciate Freak Out. I liked the quirky, playful songwriting and unusual vocal performances, though I didn't know what else to make of the music, truth be told. There wasn't anything in there which stuck out to me as being truly inspired, and the gimmicky nature of the music, quick song lengths and unflattering levels of bloat left the album in a bit of an ungracious state. Hopefully this album will be the one to rectify my gripes. I am a big fan of the album name/cover combination, after all. This certainly had a lot more going for it. A lot more political, too. It's not really my place to speak on an album about American politics as a Strayan, though the enlightened centrist "both sides bad" philosophy of this album is occasionally annoying with how dire the current political landscape is, I won't lie. Of course, my shit's all retarded and I talk like a fag for taking a Zappa album seriously, so I was thankfully able to appreciate the more lightheartened elements of this album. The songwriting is much the same as their previous inclusion, though the vocal melodies are a lot tighter and more distinctive, occasionally leaning into some discordant and avant-garde melodies. Where this album really benefits, however, is in the more varied instrumentation and influences of this album. In particular, I favour the dynamic guitars, heavy percussion, rapid fire pianos and many of the miscellaneous flourishes which feature on these songs. The pitched up vocals still kind of bug me, though I'm admittedly getting used to them. Overall, I liked this album. It marks a definitive evolution in Zappa's sound, and I'm tempted to revisit it sometime in the future. Book time. The entry opens by labeling this album as "One of the most influential albums of the second half of the twentieth century", solidfying Zappa as a visionary within experimental music. Beloved by 60s hippies despite the album ruthlessly mocking them. The album cover/name were provocative at the time, releasing when Sgt. Pepper was hailed as "...rock's holy grail" and musicians were considered "...visionaries, philosophers and saints." The remaining content is "...a hauntingly prescient attack on conservative mores, lifestyle, and nihilistic politics in the United States." The messaging was ahead of its time, placing the album "...toward the top of the "best concept album ever" chart." Wikipedia says this album was a part of Zappa's "No Commercial Potential" series of albums, which includes three other records released between 1967 and 69. Jimi Hendrix appears on the cover artwork of this album. Go figure - I thought that was him on the right. The cover artwork which appears on initial pressings of this album was also a parody of Sgt. Pepper, this time homaging the photograph which appears on the inner sleeve of the record. The front and inner photographs of this album were switched around to their intended places on future reissues of the album. The whole reason as to why they were ordered incorrectly on the initial pressing of this album was over fears of the record label being sued for copyright infringement. Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and Tim Buckley contributed music to this album. Had the highest US chart placement of any Mothers album. Preserved in the Library of Congress. Beloved by critics, with it receiving enduring acclaim in the years following release. The album only charted in the US. Yeah, this album seems like a solid pick. I cosign this inclusion.

It's giving schizophrenia.

Never heard of album or band. Major alt vibes, low expectations. Really weird opening. Don’t like the whispers. Stretch to call this a song. Last couple seconds is cool. First 40 seconds of peace corps sucks. It picks up a little as it goes but overall not what I’d call a good song. Very choppy. A lot of talking. Concentration is more of the same. This is a weird album. Need more guitar, that’s been really good. Cannot stand the whispering. Now tie daddy and Harry are both just weird songs. Not terrible but 60s. Kind of the theme of the whole album. More of the same with ugliest part but I like the switch up on this one. Absolutely free is actually kind of a cool song. Definitely still weird but works a lot better. The most bullshit vocals you’ve ever heard on flower punk. This song sucks. More bs whispering on hot poop. Unnecessary. Cool sounds to open up nasal retentive. Weird song beyond that again. Water turn black isn’t bad. Actually sounds like a real song. Good songwriting in this one. Idiot bastard son is more weirdness combined with bs vocals. Sick guitar on lonely little girl. Why was every sign not like this. Aside from more bs vocals which is on all songs. Take your clothes off is fine. More good guitar but that’s it. Don’t hate mothers people. Choppy but it works well. Good guitar again. Weird ending to an overall weird album. It’s similar to sargeant peppers which imo is an Extremly overrated album. Difference is, there’s no yellow submarine to save this record. Just not a fan of this style. Keep this in the 60s. Giving it a 2 because at least it’s kind of unique and it has some cool elements. 2/5 stars.

I'm a Zappa apologist for the most part and was introduced to the mothers by my father (haha) so this has sentimental value. On reflection it's pretty self-indulgent and mostly mean mocking so . . .

Review - much much better than the earlier Mothers of Invention album I had to listen to. Still not really my sort of thing, complex but a little boring. A few bits where I could see the influence on Serj Tankian very clearly. Score - 6/10 Need to listen? YES

Jesus fucking Christ, Frank Zappa was SUCH a pretentious douchebag.

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

i'll start with the positive in that i thought the production was great. But in general i found it unpleasant for 2 reasons. The claim to satirise counter culture just sounds like a cover for a sarcastic and mean spirited piss take that was snooty and empty. secondly, they forgot to make any actual tunes.

So bizarre but I didn't hate it. 3/5

Frank Zappa was a genius, however... satire\art-performance can be hard to listen to.

Emperor's new clothes

This was all concept and no music, but I didn't listen closely enough to identify the concept. (Sorry, Dad.)

I like to believe that this was the pinnacle of psychedelic schizophrenic music in the 60’s

Feels like a compilation made up exclusively of bad filler tracks. Incredibly disappointing after getting Hot Rats yesterday and finding they can do something great when they want

I swear to god I heard the Minions on this thing

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......

the invention of Stereo drove a lot of people crazy.

Super low effort comedy music. Nobody should be compelled to subject themselves to this crap before they die. Life is too short for this.

The best way I can describe this is an egomaniacal schizophrenic shitpost. I liked Hot Rats from Frank Zappa but this was a mess. Another reviewer described this as “that secret track you find at the end of an album that’s just the band talking and messing around and maybe some inside jokes, except a whole album of that” and I find that extremely accurate. There’s zero flow, Zero cohesion, zero melody, and nearly zero music. That was probably the point, as Zappa was into making some kinds of grandiose artistic statements, but this is just a guy thinking he’s above it all making “”music”” that no one else can understand because they’re just not on his God level of layered nuance and political commentary and vibes, man. This is garbage disguised as enlightened commentary or satire disguised as trash. ⭐️.5

Oh boy, ANOTHER crappy Zappa album?? I just can't ...

Almost 2 for the inspiration on the cover

Should this album be on this list? Absolutely! Will you ever need to listen to it again? No, not really.

Ah yes, a Sgt Pepper's parody. I guess this is a function of its time. Did not enjoy this at all, but maybe I just had to be there and it would have been edgy af. 1*

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.

It was fun and funky. Probably wouldn’t listen again, but I liked hearing some of the backstory from my dad

psychedlisches Hippie und Experimental Wirr Warr

soll ja alles humoristisch sein, aber die "Klänge" irritieren doch sehr.

A bad day to have ears

The vibe I get from this album after listening is of that one guy at a party (no one is sure who invited him) who believes he’s the smartest person in the room; negging women and scoffing at men, insisting that he would never play such drivel like pop music at the function, bemoaning the lack of organic wine. Don’t you feel silly for liking such banal things like melody, sincerity, and musicianship in your music? Oh, you like your music mixed and produced well? How foolish. How base. Frank is enlightened, however, and is here to relieve us of the shackles of simple-mindedness. In the year of our lord 2026, almost 60 fucking years later, I am fully sick of irony poisoning, the shield of “satire” that’s about as thick as cardboard. If you don’t mean anything you say, what are you saying? Why should I listen to you? Maybe this album just caught me in a bad mood and I’m being too unkind or ungenerous, but if I’ve said it once I’ve said it one hundred times: I do not appreciate music that deigns to imply the listener is stupid for wanting to engage meaningfully with it. Whatever, Frank. Take your shoes off at the door; you’re tracking mud in. Also, along with being condescending, this is fucking boring. An unforgivable combination. The parts of songs that I enjoyed made me feel even more frustrated. “Flower power SUCKS” Was that a hot take at the time or something? Like, no shit dude. Just wait until we get to trending hashtags and keyboard warriors.

I was excited for a split second thinking I’d got The Beetles, instead I got whatever this is, just a bit of a mess of an album, there are some light hearted tracks on this so I’ll give it a 2, but it barely gets a 2

Ah yes, there was a time when I lived for this record and its contemporary, "Lumpy Gravy." It’s some of the usual Zappa silliness, with great music interspersed with it all. So much of this feels contemporary, or maybe it's just that I happen to listen to lots of records with random noises sprinkled here and there nowadays? A couple of the tracks, like "Concentration Moon," and "Mom and Dad,” which were written about young people being oppressed for not being “normal” at the time, made me think about what it’s like for young trans and queer folks now, and it was chilling. Yeah, 5 stars because while there are a couple of off moments here and there in it, it sure was important to me in the 70s and has some great music.

Love zappa. This be shit

Too experimental, and i dont like their voices

Absolutely Free delay

I hated this so much.

What in the actual hell is this?

Listen, I know what I’m getting into when I listen to Frank Zappa. It’s going to be weird, maybe funny, maybe subversive, and I’m just along for the ride. This is probably his best, though. “Who Needs The Peace Corps?,” “Flower Punk,” and “Let’s Make The Water Turn Black” are the best tracks, but thankfully you’re not stuck with any song long enough to start to tire of it. This is a good record if you go in knowing what to expect or with an open mind.

Not Sargent Pepper

1/5

Not to my taste. Some of the music is great but the vocals made it more a comedy album.

Okay

Much better than their other album that’s on the list

Super weird but I kind of enjoyed it

Pre Listen: I have a...complicated relationship, with Frank Zappa. He's like that one friend who has so much potential, and you really love hanging with him for like 30 minutes. Then suddenly he does something so despicably cringe, it makes that Pickle Rick kid look like a comedic genius. The album cover being a parody of Sgt. Peppers doesn't fill me with hope. The Beatles are one of my top bands. You come at the king, you better not miss. I had a music professor my freshman year of college who's favorite artist was Frank Zappa. I respected her a lot as a teacher, but I can't fathom why she likes Frank so much. Every new album I encounter from him, I try and put myself in her shoes. My expectations for this are the lowest to date, but I'm trying to put myself in that professor's headspace. Notable Tracks: Who Needs The Peace Corps? - Song raised my expectations for the album somewhat. Funny little critique of hippie culture. Doesn't sound horrible. What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body - My favorite track on the album, it parodies the Beatles the best I think. The harmony they hit is so fucking spot on. The "All your children-" verses made me laugh pretty hard. **NOT** including the Reprise. Nasal Retentive Calliope Music | The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny - Tied for the worst tracks on the album by a fucking landslide, holy shit. This is exactly what I was talking about in my Pre Listen. If this is music, then dogshit is food. Post Listen: It's an early shitpost in audio form. If this album was supposed to be a statement of some sort, it's about as deep as a 9gag meme. The Zappa experience here is identical to every other encounter I've had with him. A lot of songs have really, *really* great instrumentation on occasion, only to be interrupted by the worst shit you've heard in your life. The lyrics are funny or briliantly satirical, only to be quite literally interrupted by burps and audio cuts. Zappa takes something nice, and ruins it before your very ears. He's like those Turkish ice-cream guys, but he never gives you the ice cream. Instead he flashes you and gets away with it. I told a friend I'd not give this album a 1/5 before I finished it, since he is a big Zappa fan. I can't do it. I just can't. I never want to hear any of this again, 1/5.

Yes Frank, the Beatles and hippies suck, but you are annoying and should shut up. 40 minutes that would’ve gone by easier staring at a wall clock. Now Tie Daddy was a favorite but it ended up being 30 seconds so that sucks. Thank God Absolutely Free was an actually great song or I would’ve had a meltdown. I’ve got four hours of driving to go. I did not need this today. Worse than Beyond Skin award 🏅 https://tenor.com/iirIUBJEdVI.gif

Oh god what even is this

Yikes. I really didn't like their last album. If anything this one is worse.

pet sounds if it was awesome

How interesting.

Hell yeah my dudes, go off

I feel like this album contained some of the most annoying songs I have ever heard, but it also had some quite cool and clearly innovative moments. That opening track sounded like ASMR and there were bits throughout with a lot of vision and excitement. Don't really know where that leaves me so will say 3

Lame satire and weak material, a deadly combination.

I guess these are joke songs, but they weren't funny. Swing and a miss.

Va niquer tes morts Frank Zappa

This Frank Zappa thinking he's extremely funny and smarter than everyone else.

Delightfully weird but not sure I'll be listening regularly

Uncomfortable ASMR for an entire album. How did this ever sell?

I don't like Frank Zappa. And this is him at his worst. I tried to get through this, but two bad albums in a row was too much for today. I'm out.

This record is trash. I'm sure if I paid attention to the lyrics there's some pointed satirical humor of the time here, but it's not pleasant to listen to. Most of it is about as interesting as a children's song, and the last track is just 6 minutes of chaotoc noise FFS.

not my fav zap

This is definitely the closest you can get to being on psychedelics without actually taking any...the perfect audio embodiment of what's going on in your mind when you're really tripping, and it heavily reminds me of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. "What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?" is actually a pretty deep question when you look past the weirdness, and I love that they even throw in a reprise of it later. "Concentration Moon" is another fantastic, eerie highlight. "Mother People" is easily the most signature Zappa-esque song on the album because it perfectly sets up his future style. It shifts gears every few seconds, blending upbeat avant-pop melodies with random electronic noises and sudden tape edits. Ending the album with that extended piano sustain just like on "A Day in the Life" is the ultimate cherry on top. Copying that famous final chord is the ultimate homage while simultaneously creating their own masterpiece. Favorite song: "Concentration Moon"

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'm not fully sure how I feel about this album some of the songs have amazing elements to them and some of the social comintary is on point but there are some parts of this album that are just bad. It committed to hard to the Beatles slander at point without any of the good elements of the Beatles. I don't know if that point makes sense but I just don't love or like this record. I feel like I want to give it a 3 but I also want to give it a 1 at the same time so a 2 it is .

Was soll das

Nonsense. How did Zappa ever become popular? He's like Weird Al but way less musical.

For 1968 this is really creative. Today it wouldn't be.

I’m very much a Prog Rock lover and as such been recommended many times that I should listen to Frank Zappa. I have done, including this album. I can only conclude that my recommenders are either liars or delusional. I believe it is the latter and that they have been fooled into thinking Prog is just unconventional random noise rather than long melodic musical masterpieces. So having established it’s not Prog then what the hell is it? Search me. Maybe Frank found it somewhere hidden in that toilet basin he made famous. 1/5 31/5/26

I'm generally a fan of Zappa, but wasn't too fond of this album. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace for it.

Garbage album. It’s not even creative.

Wasn’t for me

I honestly can’t tell if this is some kind of avant-garde masterpiece or if the band was just having a laugh by recording random chatter and noise. Listening to it is absolute insanity, it’s a total sensory overload of high-pitched voices, weird time changes, and chaotic sound effects that feels like a massive prank on the whole 60s scene.

Aceitavel

I have some friends who are really into Frank Zappa, but me not as much. Normally, I appreciate satire, as I am plenty disillusioned by the fallacies of society, but I guess I view music as separate from all of that. At the very least, his music ends up coming off as if it's making light of music itself. I listen to music so that I can hear good music, not so that I can listen to noise that is making fun of music and everything else

Frank Zappa is *sui generis* (thank goodness? - lol). I was aware of him from a young age, because (of course!) Mombo & Granddad had a couple of his albums (I wonder who bought them? Probably Mombo? Maybe I'll ask Granddad -- Granddad told me that the connection might have been drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who played with Zappa, although not on this album - Dunbar was a judge at the Collegiate Jazz Festival when Granddad was the faculty sponsor there, and met Dunbar, which might somehow have led to the albums appearing at our house). I was mostly attracted (as a kid) by the funky cover art (still have the albums - might send a photo). I think I tried to listen to the music when I was a kid, but was . . . mystified? Not very interested? Both? And, I guess, I haven't shifted from that position too much. Mombo also gave me a "classical" album, Boulez Conducts Zappa, when I was in college (I think), so I guess Zappa was considered a (semi-)serious composer, in avant-garde classical circles. ANYWAY, I can't claim to particularly love or enjoy *this* album that we're now rating (which somehow feels less like music than . . . an experience, or a theatrical performance . . . or, I don't know what; like I said, sui generis). But very glad that it exists, if only as a time capsule window into a certain segment of 1968 avant-garde/hippiedom (with a small but memorable connection to my childhood), and a celebration of non-mainstream weirdo free expression. So, yeah, still have the albums; will try to remember to send a pic. And, oh yeah, 3 stars.

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

Jamais écouté avant. Une longue et pénible inside joke de 40 minutes... Si je peux comprendre, et même adhérer à l'envie de se moquer des excès et des dérives de la culture hippie, force est de constater que la blague, près de 60 ans plus tard, tombe carrément à plat. Reste une série de "morceaux" très courts, plus foutraques que réellement expérimentaux, parfois tout à fait aléatoires, et dont la parenté avec les artistes dont ils sont censés être un pastiche est parfaitement illisible. A pousser la caricature jusqu'au non-sens (finalement, la meilleure parodie de We're Only in It for The Money, c'esr sa pochette !), Zappa a juste oublié de faire un album écoutable... Top : Mom & Dad Flop : The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny

While Zappa’s talent for composition shines a bit more than on Freak Out!, the album still relies too heavily on mostly-played-straight “parodies” of boring 60s song tropes accompanied by Zappa’s cynical but mostly witless lyrics that make him look more like an annoying child than the intellectual satirist he sees himself as. With an odd musical detour here and there to keep the “experimental” label Freak Out! got by throwing shit at the wall for its last couple of songs. Hot Rats this is not.

Annoying music

Fun upbeat lively spoof album, short songs with strong messages

super experimental, lots of interesting samples, not really my style

I like experimental music. I really like some of Zappa's music. This shit is just stupid. The humor is reflective of the worst of Zappa, the uninspired BS that turned me off to him for many years. I reserve 1* to unlistenable material, which is rare, but this helps me redefine the bar.

I guess there weren't a lot of options other than the pride of Lancaster, California if you were into this kind of thing in 1968. My slight fascination with Frank Zappa as a person rather than a recording artist continues after listening to this. But godspeed to anyone who like really really digs this.

I don't get it.

I can't tell if Frank Zappa would be a fun hang or an insufferable one, but I appreciate the irony that propels We're Only In It For the Money. That's about it, though. My limited exposure to his music in the past didn't hook me, and neither did this.

Album #102, The Mothers of Invention, We’re Only in It for the Money, ⭐⭐⭐ I’ve read a lot more about Frank Zappa than I’ve ever listened to him. I’ve seen interviews, read his views and listened to his opinions while having only ever really heard parts of Hot Rats and Apostrophe. His discography always felt quite dense and a little confusing to me. So this was my first full album of his and, as the title suggests, it’s one of the most cynical albums I’ve ever heard. It’s as cynical in its own way as something like The Downward Spiral. It’s a bleak, depressing album. The Mothers of Invention completely tear the flower power movement to shreds. Despite liking a lot of hippie-adjacent music, I don’t really care for the movement itself and would largely agree with Zappa’s take on it. I also feel a lot of the social commentary is sadly still very relevant today. That’s the politics out of the way, what about the music? I don’t love it, but I appreciate it more than I enjoy it. It’s very avant garde and eccentric and quite orchestral in places. There’s not a ton of what I’d call “songs” on it. There are loads of sound effects and bits of people talking over the phone and all sorts of weird little interruptions. There are beautiful passages of music in it too though, like the opening of Absolutely Free. I think it’s very cool and was probably hugely influential, but it’s not a listening experience I feel especially keen on returning to. I’m looking forward to more Zappa as the list goes on though, and hearing more of the music behind the man.

Too experimental for me

Fun, and some good lines. Insanely ahead of its time. A bit rough and ready though considering I knew Frank Zappa's stuff first, which is much more polished.

We're Only in It for the Money by The Mothers of Invention is an album I really struggled with. At its best it can be amusing and satirical, but at its worst I found it genuinely quite boring. I approached it as a parody album because it feels impossible to take seriously, with a lot of the humour coming across as cynical, bitter and almost jealous of the very music and culture it is mocking. The vocals, sound effects and random noises throughout the album are intentionally strange, but for me they quickly became more irritating than interesting. There are moments where you can appreciate the creativity and experimentation, but overall it just felt messy and difficult to enjoy as an actual listening experience. The biggest positive is how short the abum is. Unfortunately, this is not an album I can see myself ever coming back to. Favourite tracks: Honestly, nothing really stood out for me Least favourite tracks: “Flower Punk” was particularly awful Album artwork: I actually prefer this cover to Sgt. Pepper — it’s a clever parody visually

Nope, not my cup of tea.

Нормас, но сложно что-то выделить

That was fun. Would it be an album I'd listen to regularly in the future? Nope, but I enjoyed hearing it and there are some pretty revolutionary sounds in there which nowadays are not so revolutionary. Great album.

An incredibly creative artistic statement satirising every assumption people had about 1960s culture, this would absolutely scare the hoes and there are few tracks I enjoyed

fattar noll och har inte tid att läsa på :c

Mitä helvettiä tää on, todella huonoa opiskelumusaa, todella flower power

This is ass

This is my gateway album to frank Zappa and so I feel unable to properly rate this

Not enjoyable

It's a hell lotta noise despite understanding the messages behind the song. The one with least noise and good bgm is Mother People, imo. Everything else puts me on edge with the overlapping of vocals and sounds.

Urgh, hippie nonsense. I know Frank Zappa has done some great things, but this isn't one of them. It's clearly a blueprint for others to follow, but does nothing for me.

There's a Norfolk saying, "If you don't understand it, hit it with sticks", which is probably the feeling most people have when hearing the early Mothers output for the first time, and this is no exception. It's on my shelves, as an original '68 press vinyl. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★★ (9/10) Total reviewed : 319 Already owned : 72 Purchased : 15 To buy : 4 Nope : 228

Even Weirder.

Interesting but not for me.

Garbage

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!

2.0 / 10

Not for me

Ending up liking this way more than i thought I would

Frank Zappa is a name I feel like I’ve heard since birth. He’s supposedly a genius, but I haven’t really delved into his music. I think I’ve been afraid to. I’m afraid that if I listen to his music, I’ll hate it and therefore not be cool. I don’t know why I feel that way. I’ve got nothing to lose, really. I’ve never been cool. Zappa was part of a band called The Mothers of Invention. Apparently, the band was formed before he joined, but they asked him to join after their guitarist left. He apparently said I’ll play with you but we have to record only my music. Another band member left, but the rest were okay with it, and then the Mothers were off. We’re Only In It for the Money is the band’s third album, and it’s a concept album, as their first two were. IF you can't tell by the very Sgt. Pepper's album cover, Zappa is a cheeky fellow who writes very satirical lyrics. Let’s dive in and see if everyone’s been right all of these years, and I’m not cool. Oh, I just saw the album has 19 tracks, but it is only 39 minutes long. That could be good news. Plus, after listening, I can say the album came out in 1968 and was very reflective of that time, though a lot of the lyrics still have meaning today. Right off the bat, there are a lot of skits or interstitials in between the songs. I have no idea what they are about for the most part. Most seem to threaten Zappa's life. Track 3 is Concentration Moon, and it's an interesting song as it both satirizes the hippies, or the left, and targets the authority or the right-wingers. Hippies go to San Francisco to jump on a bandwagon of love & cops beat up or kill the hippies for essentially being hippies. It seems like Zappa believes most hippies weren’t sincere in their beliefs, but he also believes that hippies shouldn’t be hassled by the government just because they aren’t living as the squares would have them live. Track 4 is Mom and Dad, and the lyrics are very interesting. It's about “plastic” parents not loving their kids. That era’s parents weren't the lovey-dovey type, I’m betting. A lot of the men probably saw a ton of horrifying things during WWII, and in that era, I'm sure the only way they thought to deal with it was to drink, which Zappa points out in the song. Track 6 is Bow Tie Daddy, and I like this song. It's almost a jingle. How this album got to number 30 on the Billboard albums chart, I just don't know. The music on this album sounds weird. And for some reason, Zappa's voice is pitched higher in a lot of songs. This seems less rock and roll and more jazzy Weird Al, though the songs aren't parodies of other songs. I think this may be one of the few albums where I enjoy the lyrics more than the music. Or maybe an album where I understand the lyrics better than I do the music. Track 10 is Flower Punk, and this actually is a parody song of Jimi Hendrix's Hey Joe, except the line " Hey Joe" is "Hey Punk." Again, Zappa's voice is pitch-shifted, and he sounds just a notch or two below what the Chipmunks sound like. I don't get it. For a second, the song devolves into a Wild Thing parody. I don't think it's a shot at Hendrix or anything. I think it's just an homage. Track 15 is Lonely Little Girl, and it’s about how kids in the 60s grew up lonely because parents didn’t know what their kids were going through. Parents raised in the 40s and 50s had no frame of reference as to what was affecting their children in the 60s. There was a radical difference between 1948 and 1968. I wonder if Zappa would look back in time and have some sympathy for those same parents 20 years after this album was made? At the end of the day, most were doing the best they could with what they had. Track 16 is Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance and it's an interesting song. It's about how in the future, every evil will be accepted, and there will be no shame for anything you do. Everything will be good and allowed. It's like Zappa was speaking about today, or at least a very near future. It seems we live in a time where no one has any shame. If someone is wrong, they don't apologize. They just double down on being wrong. Projecting strength makes things right! No, it makes you look like an idiot. I think once we get to the age where all these TikTok “stars” and “influencers” are raising kids, then it truly will be a free-for-all. Zappa was about 80 years too early. Ugh, this album depressed me. Plus, I just couldn’t get into the music. I have no idea how this became popular. It’s not my bag, baby. I definitely think the lyrics are great and almost prescient. They still speak to a lot of things going on today. It seems society may be just as lost today as it was in 1968. Though back then, there at least seemed to be a real reason for the trouble. Today, it's just billionaires keeping us idiots fighting, so they just get richer and richer. There are some days when nuclear annihilation doesn't seem like such a bad end, huh? But I digress. One thing I do know is that I’m not cool because I don’t get Frank Zappa, and I don’t recommend this album. Well, I recommend the lyrical content, but as a listening experience, it’s not fun.

Dogshit

Not my vibe

Quit funky but I enjoyed it. This describes what’s going on inside my head rn.

Nothing special, Bruno vibes fs

Cerramos la semana con el mostro de Frank Zappa y con la banda con la que arrancó sus genialiadades artísticas. Un delirio hermoso. Otro álbum del reto que entra en la categoría de los discos que generan hipnosis por lo experimentales que son. No deja de parecerme loco lo adelantado del tipo y de cómo con la tecnología de ése momento crearon canciones con todas las capas y efectos como "Harry, You're A Beast" o "Flower Punk". Muchas gracias por el cierre de semana y nos vemos el lunes.

Whatever the bloody hell this is, I'm still not entirely sure, but what I am sure of is that I love it! A hilarious, brilliant, ironic, witty, disorientating and utterly fearless listen from the moment you hit play, it's sensory overload by just about every conceivable metric, but hell, give me something like this any day of the week over the 200th variation on the same country/folk album that supposedly warrants listening to before I drop dead. It plays out as a huge middle finger towards the perceived performative rebellion and cynicism of successful acts of the time, and a brutal dismantling of the ethos of the 1960s counterculture. Despite the ongoing "noise"; frequent disruptions of telephone conversations, whispering and random orchestral snippets underline the whole thing - the musicianship remains watertight throughout. The album is an elaborate piss-take, but a seamlessly executed one. The odd time signatures and complex arrangements provide ample evidence of the band outclassing most of the industry, whilst actively mocking it - winning the game of music composition, surely?

I get the impression that this album has not aged well, especially as its satire grows more out of date and the once-innovative sound effects have grown more mundane. I don't think that there is much here that appeals to the 21st-century listener. This is a relic, and moreover not a very enjoyable one. But man, what an interesting album. Favorite track: "Absolutely Free"

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.

Sometimes it was a little *too* on the nose for me. He's not wrong that hippies were/are annoying, he's just also a little annoying in how he goes about it all. Let's not act like Frank wasn't a weirdo, too! Either way, the musicianship is great which is something you can say about anything from the Mothers.

I love Frank Zappa and the Mothers, just not this era.

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

Eu peguei a vibe and I appreciate artists that make music for the music as an art and not for the people, but I would rather not listen to this again lol. It’s those art paintings that are super conceptual and interesting but you wouldn’t hang one at home

Title checks out. Utter by-the-numbers-60s-pyschedelic rubbish, clearly phoned in without due care, attention or regard for the paying public. I expected better of Zappa. I don't know why, he's massively overrated, but I did.

My kind of bizarre

I love the Mother's and really surprised to see this on the list. I feel like Zappa was punk before punk with his disdain for the music industry and ultra short songs. This album really is a dichotomy of subjects talking about fake hippies, police violence, and suburban living, With such a weirdness mixing absurdism and incredible musicianship; there really isn't anyone like them.

Eccentric (purposefully) album - was actually a reasonable listen - feels a bit contrived, but quite good fun - sounds like minions in the background!

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

Frank Zappa is an interesting dude. I had to look this up to see if he was in the band or if just was photoshopped on. I did that because of Hendrix being on there but apparently they were tight. Balls to pull off a parody of the Beatles. This stuff is over my head admittedly. I just don’t connect. The lyrics are certainly interesting.

Diogenes of Sinope is often rejoiced in online communities for being the ancient greek madlad. Didn't give a shit (unless he wanted to throw them at his detractors) and was a founding father of the cynic philosophy. I wonder though, whether those near Diogenes really admired him or were sick of his shit. Because though his ideas are in concept great, being at risk of getting urinated on does not sound like he's a fun person to hang around with. All to say that I get the same feeling about this album. In concept, mocking the Beatles and satirizing the hippie subculture is great. But having to listen to it is something else. With satire, you're walking the fine line between being a chuckleworthy cynic or being an insufferable twat. I think the Mothers of Invention have pissed all over the line like Diogenes did in this blaring, noisy, and annoying album.

It's like listening to old memes without any context. Confusing and painfully unfunny.

What the hell am I listening to?! Couldn't make it through the whole...thing

call me a hipster all you want, zappa is a madman and i love him. and this is another one of his greatest records. essentially an album that parodies the very concept of an album. making fun of just about anything, what was happening in the world, making fun of movements... hell, the album cover is making fun of the damn beatles. this album is RIDICULOUS. and it's good ridiculous. imagine the beatles but they sucked helium and they're being viewed through a funhouse mirror. i'm an absurdist by nature, so the more i hear stuff that aligns with my perspectives. it's weird as FUCK!!

Honestly … has anyone ever listened to this more than once?! Truly awful.

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.

me dormí

Sticking it to sticking it to the man, dude.

I have no idea what this is. Some sort of hippie bullshit that may of sounded good on acid in the 60’s. It’s just a bunch of people making noise. It’s terrible.

Man they really stuck it to those try-hard musicians who actually put effort into their albums with this one

It would be really easy to dismiss this one as nothing more than stupid bullshit. So easy, in fact, that I think that’s exactly what I’ll do. 1/5

Too experimental to my taste. But it does sound like a great album.

I did not like this and it felt like it was much longer than it was. I know Zappa is considered a legend but I don't think this is very good. I don't even understand what it is making fun of? Im confused at the point. This just felt like noise and was dumb. Liked Songs: "Concentration Moon" , "Mom & Dad" , "Absolutely Free" , "Lonely Little Girl"

I’m sure it’s meaningful in some avante garde way but man it’s unlistenable

não experimentalidade é diferente de bagunça, e crítica é diferente de fazer qualquer merda e falar que critica

Seems like this album could've been a little more subtle no? The only song that really sticks out is Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance, that song bopped

I'm giving this a bonus star for the surprisingly biting social commentary of "Ugliest Part of Your Body". Otherwise, this is a solid 1-star album.

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.

Well that was weird

Zappa îs tough. HIs later work became popular in the late 70's and 80's where he was still exploring but had a better craft - once he left Mothers. This is a fun satirical album that does not age well listening to it almost 60 years later. Would be more relevant at its time.

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.

no se entiende nada

Sometimes, Zappa's wacky in a way that makes me laugh and gives me energy... this time, I'm just exhausted. I just don't get it, Frank. I'm sure it makes total sense to you as a subversive concept album or whatever, and I love that for you, but I'm gonna sit this one out.

This album is hot poop.

anti-society, and freak out.

Since he seems to be out to make anti-music, or at the very least, anti-pop, this is aurally fairly challenging to listen to. Credit for having the balls to do this in the first place, though I suspect this has not aged very well over the years.

Wacky, but enjoyed this.

Poor album musically more annoying and stale i would just listen to one of his older albums

What a waste of time