We're Only In It For The Money

WTF

I’m glad it’s over. I am a big fan of the Beatles, but, admittedly, Sgt. Peppers is pretty low on my list. I give them credit for the “creative” nature of the dubbing and production, but I don’t enjoy the music as well. How could I, then, enjoy a parody of that? Zappa didn’t invent the technique, he simply used it as his personal protest against “the machine”. I liked Hot Rats, but this is hot garbage.

I don't hate this, and i thought i would. And i think i would have been really into it at the time. If it was now the late 60s, it'd be a 5 star. Now though we're 60 years down the road. It's still a nice solid 3 though, for the social commentary and the interesting way it's said.

Too nerdy to be a parody. Too wacky to be a satire. To a casual listener, it offers nothing but a bunch of what sounds like poorly made aimless "experimental" tunes. I guess it's only a "must-listen" for its statement.

Kinda funny 2

Second Zappa offering in a row. Wanted to like it but it’s a bit of a hot mess. Has its good moments but not enough to put it in the good books I’m afraid.

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

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…

This is the second Mothers of Invention album that I've reviewed. If this is anything like the first record, it's going to be super weird. Judging by the album art (which features Frank Zappa in a dress), I feel like I am right. There are a few call backs to their satirical Doo Wop musical stylings throughout the album. Also, portions of Concentration Moon sounds like it was sung by Petey the Sexual Harassment Panda from South Park.... So does Bow Tie Daddy. What's with the constant whispering throughout the whole record?? This whole record is a concept of sorts. It all runs together into one huge fucked up acid trip. When they decide to play music, it's actually good, such as in the song "Harry, You're a Beast". But half way through, they record someone snoring for 30 seconds, then play the rest of the song backwards. Clearly, as I said in my review of the first Mothers of Invention album I reviewed (Freak Out!), all of the drugs were consumed during the recording of this album. ALL OF THEM!!! Favourite songs: Let's Make The Water Turn Black, Absolutely Free, Lonely Little Girl Least favourite songs: Are You Hung Up?, Telephone Conversation, Hot Poop (fuck skits), Nasal Retentive Calliope Music, The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny (just noises and static). 2/5. I wasn't nearly high enough for that!!

bullshit

Had some decent parts but overall kinda weird

Either you like Zappa or you don’t- I do

Probably made more sense at the time

Can you say LSD?

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

Zappa is an amazing instrumentalist and composer. His guitar playing is awesome. I just can’t stand his songwriting. I get it’s supposed to be satirical but it just doesn’t hit to me. It either seems pretentious or juvenile. With this specific record, I get that they’re making fun of the hippie culture, but it really just comes off as “I don’t do drugs and that’s why I’m better than you”. The music itself is good though and I think it’s pretty ironic that they made some solid psych tracks.

All. The. Drug. Frank Zappa is a weird dude.

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!

As an album, I did not love this. Way too much randomness and "quirkiness" for this to beconsidered good for me. Sounds like a Ren Fair comedy sketch, which I also don't really care for. That being said, I actually liked Mom and Dad, and Absolutely Free, which saves it from 1 star.

This is so annoyingly incomprehensible. They got a little heart and that’s about all. The experimentation isn’t flushed out enough to give a unique and original sound while also being something people can enjoy listening to. It’s an entirely undigestible album. I usually enjoy Frank Zappa, and I understand he walks a fine line with his experimental stuff, but this is on the wrong side of that line. 2/5

Drugs

A parody of 60s psychedelia and acid rock. I put this in the same class as comedy rock bands such as the Dead Milkmen, They Might be Giants, and Ween. They tend to be versatile parodying various styles of rock and pop of the era, topped with nonsense lyrics, usually with a somewhat forced and overemphasized vocal delivery. And in most cases, they tend to be hard to listen to. This one... isn't that bad to listen to with how short the tracks are. But with the technology at the time, it sounds dated, abrasive, and quite messy. I understand what they're trying to make fun of, but I find them to be only somewhat successful in delivering that message, even if that message takes the form on an assault on your ears. The value of this album is to see contemporary criticism of hippie culture and the silly subject matter of psychedelic music. And from that perspective, I think they could been smarter about how to parody the music. Instead of loudly forcing these effects and techniques on the audience, they could have slowed and toned things down, and mislead our expectations instead. This album is probably more important or interesting but less entertaining than Freak Out. Not a single song I would save, whereas Freak Out had several legitimately fun songs to listen to. Favorites: Who Needs the Peace Corps?, Absolutely Free

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"

Such a strange album, from one of the fathers of strange Frank Zappa and his Mothers of Invention. But it's not so strange that it's bad. As a parody or satire of Sgt Pepper, it's pretty good. Put the albums side by side or back to back - and watch how this one ebbs and flows, even abruptly twists and turns. Sgt Pepper is not that different. It's just that Zappa goes with irreverent lyrics and themes. But when he/they really go after hippie culture or either side of the political spectrum, it is quite clever and enjoyable. Case in point Who Needs the Peace Corps (pretty good beat and oh the lyrics - "I will love everyone, I will love the police as they kick the s%*t out of me ... I will go to a house where there is a rock and roll band because the groups all live together ... and I will stay there with them and I will get the crabs but I won't care."), Absolutely Free (satire at its finest, just listen), Flower Punk (a direct takedown), The Idiot Bastard Son (yikes, but listen close). There's also some songs or song combos that have such weird musical twists and turns or themes but it just works - Concentration Moon, Telephone Conversation to Bow Tie Daddy (there's supposed to be a link there right?), Harry You're a Beast to What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body? (the first one doing more experimental splicing like the Beatles whereas the second one is the most melodic on the album...at least the first half), Lonely Little Girl to Take Your Clothes Off and Dance (both catchy and off-kilter in their own way, seem to fit together). I've written a lot, because there are things to pay attention to and to love about this album. Don't just cast it aside as too strange. But still, it remains rather strange and when you're not listening so intently, it can be off-putting. I think that's what kept me from a 4.

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.

Pretty bizarre. Seems like parody of the 60s music at the time, kinda scathing. Not great to listen to though, which I guess is kind of the point? 2.7.

This has a “I’m being hypnotized into being a 60s cult member“ vibe. That said it’s pleasant just scattered? 3/5

Better than Korn but not by much.

could i write poetry to this? n

A Zappa haiku (for Jimi): I am into the idea of Frank Zappa. But I don't like this.

Sorry Geof

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

Some super weird shit 2.5

Yeah, not sure who this appeals to, but it ain’t me. The thing with music is that it should sound… well, you know, good. This doesn’t.

i have this record and i like to hold it and stroke it and look at all the silly faces if you play it from start to finish and let the big silly thing just wash over you its actually one of the better zappa records; one of the few cohesive ones in a catalogue of about 70, but it is not a p o s t r o p h e (') ding ding dingding ding di di ding ding

Really? They may be a group of creative musicians but for my tastes overly creative. I want music. Lyrics are secondary. This a collage of sounds, very 60's improvisation. Honestly, boring.

Not entertaining

Cannot understand or appreciate this at all. Even as satire, it is very difficult to listen to

Weird even by Zappa standards

I like weird; this was interesting and I didn’t hate it, but I also think I probably won’t listen through again.

Creative vision from Zappa, catchy yet satirical. I can't say I love the sound but its cultural significance and execution is strong

this has got to be one of the weirdest albums. I’ve listened to. It wasn’t horrible in the sense that I thought it would be sure it was a lot of horrible noises but it could’ve been worse and I acknowledge that it was a joke however, I’m good with just once.

Similar feeling to my listening to Freak Out! just 2 weeks ago ... I like a lot of Zappa but later Zappa. This music is better than Freak Out! - but i'm not a fan of albums that base their entire existence on sarcasm. I'm sarcastic. I get it. But for me it doesn't carry a song, and definitely not an album. Plus this is a good way of making music sound dated. As it is the music has to drive the bus and even though it's getting there... it's not nearly enough to make this a favourite. Also... every song is like 2 minutes long. There's nothing to sink your teeth into. Of course this record is (in)famous for its mockery - that's the point - but it's not all that enjoyable outside of a novelty factor. Smart-ass album that is good for a few haha laughs but once again - give me jazz fusion Zappa. I hate giving bad ratings to Zappa but man it's also reminding me that when you release 700 albums, there's a good chance you've released a few hundred that aren't that good. He'll get there, but until then... 5/10 2 stars. p.s. Hot Poop.

This was a wildly uncomfortable listening experience.

I get it’s Zappa and it’s poking fun at the flower power 60s. I don’t mind a satire record, but at least make it listenable.

An eclectic sound, but nothing memorable ... the esteem that some people hold for TMOI is not deserved.

Found it pretty dang annoying to be honest. Too conceptual. Too much to say. Not enough just music. Sure there are some fun critiques and lots of musical talent, but like it’s not fun and doesn’t stand the test of time imo.

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.

What’s the ugliest part of the album?

many a true word --

It's a great album. Kind of a psycho-punk-Beatles thing. Now I know who the great-grandfathers of Bloodhound gang were.

I listened to this album with headphones and now I have A HEADACHE!!!!!

Once again tried to listen but just can’t get through it

kinda cool and yet not my fave

Too weird

Heel raar album..? wel prima

Maybe some good satire in the 60s but this is just some strange stuff. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so their digs on the Beatles must say something. Cool that John Lennon actually joined them onstage at a concert in the 70s. A weird, messy album. Yikes, did these people not have anything better to do!? Chipmunk voices, seriously?! 1.5 stars at best. Maybe more like 1. Shocked this made it on the list. 😬

I thought I had heard some strange albums but this is by far the strangest album I have ever heard. It is so odd that it starts to get disturbing. The lyrics even started touching on some serious topics in a very creepy way. It felt like a window into someone's mind on a bad shroom trip displaying their insecurities and deepest thoughts in a twisted fashion. Im not sure why anyone would want to produce or buy this album. Did I like it? No. Did it do something unique and interesting. Yes. Was it really grating and stressful to listen to at work. 100% 1 star

I preferred “Freak Out.”

Meandering weird elf music. No thanks.

Some Mothers I am ok with. Some I'm annoyed by. Most of this I was annoyed by.

I believe Zappa was known as an innovator - but nothing about this album interested me.

"We're Only In It For The Money" seems to be the motto of the album. It's an attempt to squeeze some money out of junk.

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

nok den største "hvad laver den her på listen" endnu. don't get the joke

Interessant at høre virkelig dygtige musikere spille noget virkelig fjollet musik, men der var godt nok langt imellem ting der lød godt sys jeg. Og jeg er med på at det er satire, men tror måske man skulle ha være der? (der = San Francisco, 1967)

Sjove tekster, men umiddelbart tror jeg at jeg misser en masse musikalske og lyriske referencer, fordi jeg ikke rigtigt kender Sgt. Pepper's... 🤷‍♂️

Love that album!

This is what the DARE program warned us of.

Pretty cool, but not something I’d go back to for fun. I get it and really appreciate being introduced to their stuff for sure.

I did not enjoy this album at all. Too much random noise with odd dialogue, and the music is all over the place. Not my type of music, and it truly must be an acquired taste. Will definitely not listen to it again. Favorie Song(s): N/A

I wish I could give this zero stars. Nothing but random annoying noises and bad vocals. I'm sure art snobs could call it a masterpiece, but it's dog shit.

En tiedä, kestääkö vitsi. Muusikon kykyjä jengillä on, mutta onko tarpeeksi, kun menee niin kolinaksi - ylilyönti.

Herrajumala, minähän jaksan kuunnella tätä - ja erityisesti sanoituksia!? Hipit ovat tämänkin päivän näkökulmasta huvittava maalitaulu, tai ainakin lapsellisena ihmisenä minua naurattaa, ja LP on musiikillisesti huomattavan hillitty - tai ainakin ironisissa keskiaikaisuuksissaan ja näppäryyksissään riittävän utilitaristinen. Poikkeuksellisesti olen siis valmis arvioimaan tätä enemmänkin komediana: 3.

Not heard of this - late 60s rock. Sounds more modern than 1968. Not really my thing. 2/5.

I'll never understand Zappa

Grating nonsensical sounds and conversations are interspersed annoyingly throughout, which ruins any musicality of the album. It's a lot worse than the music that it attempts to satire.

Has me seriously considering abandoning this project

Mais t'es un vrai déglingo Frank Zappa ma parole. Ma parole.

Frank je te pisse au cul tu es le pire artiste de l'histoire de la musique.

Makes me wanna listen to sgt peppers :(

Ich freue mich schon auf den Tag, wo hier ein Album erscheint und ich denke: Geil! Da habe ich richtig Bock drauf und freue mich, es rauf und runter zu hören. Zuletzt waren es für mich eher Ausflüge, die ich machen musste und gar keinen Bock drauf hatte.. Aktuell bin ich vielleicht zu kritisch und zu wenig offen für Musik, die nicht der aktuellen, stereotypischen Elektro-Pampe entspricht. Ich frage mich aber wirklich, warum manche Alben hier drin sind. Ist es, weil sie anders sind? Ist es, weil es irgendein Detail gibt, was es zuvor nicht gab? Achte ich zu wenig auf die Texte? Bin ich das Problem? Ist es, weil das Albumcover eines der bekanntesten Alben ever parodiert? I don't know. Für mich ist "We're only in it for the money" wie ein Spielball von LSD-Trippenden Menschen, die beim jammen zufällig das Mikro an einen Kassettenrekorder angestöpselt haben. Ist auch mal schön, dass ein Album nicht nach Jahrzehnten nochmal hochglanzpoliert wurde und man die Qualität von früher konserviert. Angenehm ist es trotzdem nicht. Oder meine Boxen sind kaputt.. "Bow Tie Daddy" fand ich zwischendurch mal erfrischend, das hat aber nur 33 Sekunden angehalten. Die Rifffolge (Bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich das Richtige meine) bei "Absolutely Free" hat mir gut gefallen. Und "Nasal Rezeptive Calliope Music" hat mich abgeholt. Eine entspannte Abfolge von harmonischen Klängen, die ich sofort verstanden habe *hust*. Es soll ja auch Horrotrips beim LSD-Konsum geben.. "The Idiot Bastard Son" hat mir noch einigermaßen wenig verschreckt. Ansonsten frage ich mich, was ich hier gerade gemacht habe..

- irgendwie ganz witzig und erstaunlich kurzweilig - gleichzeitig auch nervig hier und da - bei einigen Referenzen zur Musik der 60er bzw. deren Parodie musste ich durchaus schmunzeln - die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass ich das Album nochmal höre ist eher gering Rating: 2,5/5

- Na Gott sei dank endlich wieder avantgarde - Der erste Teil des Album war durchaus erträglich, teilweise mit sehr coolen Parts - Mir kommt es von der Aufmachung und der Ausstrahlung der Platte auch so vor, als sei sie ihrer Zeit voraus gewesen. Die Snippets, die Leichtigkeit und das Arrangement sind alles total progressiv - Ab Mitte wirds teilweise sehr anstrengend bis unerträglich und die guten originellen Parts werden seltener - Zeugnis seiner Zeit und und Beweis für Frank Zappas weirdigkeit, kein absoluter Schrott. Hab aber auch keine Verbindung bekommen 2/5

- Ne danke! Rating: 0 / 5

A bit too experimental

Great satire is also great art. This is neither. This is just a lazy collection of cheap shots taken at easy targets with slipshod production and no care put towards making anything resembling good music.

Noise fest

Sounds like a bunch of people trolling

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.

Someone took too much acid and then decided to take more. Crazy songs, I can appreciate that it was probably unique for the time period. Would give it 2.5 stars only because it's a tough listen with all of the interludes.

This album did drugs and listened to me. WTF were some of these ramblings??? The lows were LOW and the highs were good. I think if they took out all of the junk, this would be a very solid 15 minute album.

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.

This was a strange one. Was hoping to like it a lot more since I’ve really dug some of Zappa’s stuff we’ve listened to already. Definitely can appreciate the dogs at counterculture and hippies in humor even though it comes off as pretty pretentious. Would be willing to give this one another listen but first impression is meh.

obviously it was experimental and satirical - the creativity is up there, but the cohesiveness of the project is lacking.

-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 is from a little before my time and a light year away in my cosmos. Even though I had heard of The Mothers and Frank Zappa as eclectic musical freaks, I have to confess it was only in the context of Dweezil and Moon Zappa and of Terry Bozio as the drummer for Missing Persons. I imagined, or I got the impression, that The Mothers were more high brow jazz/prog, but listening to this record I don't know where to begin contextualizing them, other that being convoluted in a counter-counter-culture conundrum of absurdity. I would hardly call this high minded prog rock, rather a series of skits on satirical social commentary. It doesn't make me want to tap my toes and strum a guitar, rather I feel I need to go punch a hippie.

You'd need drugs to bother with this shit.

Absolutely bonkers... I was expecting to hate this completely but it was amusing and has some moments between the madness. Still a 2* though haha

This is an accurate representation of insomnia. And why would you want to listen to that?

Wow. So aggravating and annoying. Unlistenable.

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.

Its like if someone let a bunch of hippies of the street and said we've got a ton of money so sure we'll make an album out of whatever you do and the hippies were like yeah okay and just pretended to sing/talk nonsense into a mic and bang on the instruments in the studio fro an hour.

You ever get on the bus and there's some students on there talking loudly because they think everyone should hear how funny their banter is?

Just weird

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.

Did they invent ASMR back in the 60s?

Listening to this is what it must have felt like being on all those drugs for them.

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

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.

Batshit.

Frank Zappa is an artist who I like more when I’m not listening to him. I like the idea of Frank Zappa. I like the idea of non-conformist, complex, satirical music and a lifetime of work dedicated to it. I like his willingness to be political and silly and impenetrable. Yet, I never really enjoy listening to his music very much. Now having said that, I like a lot of the sounds and music on this album, and I don’t mind noise or disparate elements in music. A lot of the lyrics are interesting and funny. Yet the album feels entirely like a parody, mocking psychedelic rock, and I’m left wondering, is there any joy in the music itself? Or is joy only present in the lampooning of this music? If the latter, I find it difficult to enjoy the album as anything more than a joke.

I am fully aware of the kind of album Frank Zappa and his band was capable of making. So as an introduction to the group, this isn’t the best way to make me want to listen to more of his music. This is a mix of psychedelic pop music, and experimental/satirical sound collages. It is supposed to be a concept album that parodies American hippie culture. And I was genuinely surprised at how heavy it leans into those sound collages. The amount of actual “music” here isn’t much. And the sound collages aren’t great. There is a lot of harsh cut-offs and scratches that kind of hurt my ears. I even thought maybe the 6 minute closing track, which is the longest by quite a bit, would be something really cool. But it was actually just 6 minutes of bits and boops. Random noises. The songs that are real music are okay. But not anything amazing. This tries to be a lot of different things at the same time, and it ends up just feeling like nothing. Rating: 3/10

Pass. Not really my scene, man…

So first off, I'm a fan of Zappa and weird music. That said, this was all over the damn place. I enjoyed the music enough to finish the entire album but can't say I'd ever listen to this again. I appreciate the satire of the album but a little more focus would have done wonders for re-play-ability.

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

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.

Nope

This is by far the most talented weirdness I’ve ever heard. I’m not even sure where to start with this. This seems like it could be the soundtrack to a life in the day of Hunter S Thompson. It’s just that freaking weird.

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

OK Best album cover ever I rarely describe music as awful, but. oof.

Loved it! Super creative.

Lil too druggy for me

1/10, no, bad, don't listen to this

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

Not for me. I want to like Frank Zappa but it's all just too random for my liking.

the cynical viewpoint is not interesting because it is so simplistically expressed. The music is interesting in very short bursts but the vocals are aloof and robbed of richness they could have had if they were just straightforward recordings and not sped up. I can't say I will ever actively listen to this again because there is nothing of enduring interest to me. I like humor, criticism and experimentation but I am not interested in this desire to just reactively kick something in a slapped together fashion.

Vraiment moyen. C'est quoi le but, faire un album comme sergeant pepper pour montrer que vous êtes capable aussi d'utiliser les sonorités ? J'adore frank zappa et sa musique, mais cet album est jute vraiment moyen. 2.25

Super odd album. Felt like I should’ve been on mushrooms to really understand it

Expectations were low for a Frank Zappa band’s album, but this wasn’t quite as bad as I thought it was going to be. That said, I thought it was going to be an easy 1 so the bar was pretty low and it’s still only a 2. I pretty immediately got what they were trying to do by satirizing The Beatles and psychedelic rock and hippie culture, but that does not mean it will make for a good album. It’s an interesting art piece worthy of a listen, but not something you’d want to play regularly I think. I can respect the parody, but it’s a tough pill to shallow satirizing the greatest band of all time.

I had a vague idea because my ex is a huge Zappa fan but this is worse than I imagined. Unlistenable. And taking pot shots at an easy target. And personally I don’t think The Beatles were ‘only in it for the money’. Even if they were, so what? They wrote some classics that survive the decades unlike this nonsense. Get the feeling Zappa always thought he was the smartest person in the room, in a condescending way. O stars if that was a thing

Not as good as Ruben & the Jets.

This might have been funny at the time*, but it sure as hell isn't now. Although admittedly it captures an irritating and cringeworthy side of the hippie dream that is probably best forgotten now. *I doubt it was funny at the time.

Favorite songs: none Interesting to listen to from a historic perspective but the concept album is not my thing.

Sick

Weird as fuck

Meow Wolf ambient music. Kind of crazy-making after a while.

Funny little album. Zappa went on to make better things

Nå bs

Nothing better to describe it than straight trash.

This is not for me. Maybe you had to be there?

I struggled

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 have to apologise to Frank Zappa but I simply don’t get this one, random non-musical noises and vocals throughout. I listened to this on a flight and there was a kid who shat himself screaming like he was being exorcised and I thought it was part of the album. (I wish this was a lie)

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

If you have any questions, listen to 'The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny'.

What in the actual F@#$. I am so confused. Much of the content is on serious subjects but the music is so random and so horrible that I cant take it serious if tried. I only know that if there is "concept album" in the description I need to be worried.

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

Frank Zappa and co rebutting Sergeant Pepper, hey? Interesting, had occasionally unpleasant mixes of sounds. Hot Poop was appropriately named. Glad I've heard it once, the mockery of 60s sensibilities was fine but didn't leave me with much to connect with.

Even for Zappa this is a mess

I like Frank and in particular like his silliness but this one is just way too out of date for me to like today.

Weird and chaotic with lyrics that mock the hippy movement, as well as the police and The Beatles. Underneath it the arrangements are quite interesting. That Frank Zappa could generate 3 albums worth of these 2 minutes songs shows he's got a lot to say. Not for me, but a brave release for 1968.

We just received Zappa's debut Freak Out the other day, so yet another early Zappa record that has the same satirical, parody, nursery rhyme type of singing seems to be too much and too soon, and this is from a self-professed Zappa fanboy too. As I mentioned in my review of Freak Out, I think there are far better albums in his repertoire that could have been chosen for this list since there are many others that showcase his guitar playing and song-writing brilliance much better and this satire shit gets old fast. This gets a bump to three stars, only because he has so many other better albums that weren't on this list.

This album was total garbage.

Weird and dissonant

musical acid rock.

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.

Cool album, really dig the psychedelic sound, but I'm not on nearly enough acid to fully enjoy it.

It was fun and creative but I didn't get much out of this, a lot of frank Zappa's other stuff is significantly better

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

I mean... Not boring I suppose, but not exactly good either. Feels like a pretty solid 2 to me. All over the place, can't really take it seriously even as satire. 🤷

Gets one star only because there is no 0 option

Odd comedy concept album

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

Wacky whimsical, dated annoying.

I really want to appreciate Zappa's music because I appreciate him as a person and his decades long effort fighting censorship. I did enjoy Hot Rats given to me earlier by the generator. This is a tougher sell. Maybe in 1968 it hit pretty hard and I would have been entertained and amused. At this distance in time, though, it is just kind of boring. It's not trash, though, and possibly does have a place on this list. Best songs: Absolutely Free and Mother People.

This was hell on my ears. Very tough listen and I hope to never hear another album by these clowns again. I am assuming they'd appreciate being called clowns since they make clown music. Go away with this bullshit. I wish I can score in the negatives.

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

1 Oh God, it gets worse than Freak Out. The majority of this album is just noise, and when it isn’t, it’s pretty much just Zappa ranting and telling hippies to get off of his lawn. While I would like to at least appreciate the group taking a shot at The Beatles with the album title and cover, is Sgt. Pepper’s really the most exemplary of the group vying for commercial success? If anything, the album was probably a bold jump for the group. I have quite a few criticisms to aim at The Beatles myself, but being overly greedy is probably not one of them - I don’t think they would have broken up the group if that was the case. Just because someone makes their music listenable doesn’t automatically mean they’re a sellout, Zappa. It’s pretty clear that the music here is intentionally made to be unpalatable, so with that in mind, I would say my biggest issue with this album (and Zappa’s work in general) is its cynicism. People seem to think Zappa’s attempts at attacking and satirizing American culture and music has a punk spirit to it, but for me, punk music should stand for something, and this doesn’t stand for anything - it’s just about hating everything, and I think that makes Zappa come off as kind of an asshole. So, bad takes, bad music, what does that leave us with? Oh yeah, a 1.

Pretty great stuff here. 5 stars.

Talentierte Musiker machen Quatschmusik

LOL WTF DID I LISTEN TO ??? It was interesting and i quite enjoyed the weird ideas ! I did skip a few songs that were just a bit too screechy and long. Otherwise, i had fun listening to this.

occasionally some music broke out and it was acceptable. the rest of it reminded me of SHACKs internal monologue.

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

Probably not great

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

Strange

We're Only in It for the Money is the third album by American rock band the Mothers of Invention. It is an experimental psychedelic rock genre, satirical concept album with themes about hippies and both sides of US politics. Although releasing the album stirred controversy within the record label, it received critical acclaim on release. This album was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2005 for its cultural and historical influence. This was an interesting album to say the least. It was intended to be trippy, but I was shocked at how crazy the musical and vocal arrangements were. Almost indescribable, this album has to be listened to to be understood. Even then, it may need a few listens before every part of this album can sink in and have meaning. Frank Zappa and the rest of the band were geniuses that wanted to poke fun at politics and the music industry with this album.

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.

Was surprised by this. I just assumed I'd be into it, but it was a bit of a chore. There's little bits of interesting things here, but I think it was too tied to the concept and there's too much fluff to make it a fun listen. 2/5

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.

Groovy

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

Ok

This was an acoustical LSD trip

Wasn't for me.

What's the ugliest part of this album? Some say it's the goofy vocal interpolations. Some say it's the mean-spirited jabs at hippie culture. But I think it's the music. I think it's the music. Sometimes Frank Zappa was too smart for his own good. Don't get me wrong, quite often, this record is a great parody. I only wish some of the jokes about both "phony hippies" and their square counterparts didn't repeat themselves so much. But I guess such a wearisome repetition is part of the dada-inspired endeavor suggested in the album's title. So, OK. You see, kiddies, the cultural war that's currently going on in the US isn't anything new, and if this record has one merit, it's that it documents that sixties version of it. Also appreciated the jabs at the music industry, by the way. The line between blatant cynicism and shrewd opportunism has never been all that clear when it comes to Zappa's ethos, so maybe one shouldn't take those jabs at face value. That's still an interesting ambiguity here, one among many others. If you add all those ambiguities up, Zappa's lyrical program might even remind you of a Thomas Pynchon novel, where the author mindfucks with you on one page only to give in to slapstick comedy on another--both acts being actually part of the same program, of course. All of this is fine and well, but the problem is that if the music in this LP was as interesting as its concept, I would *really* have my fun. Newflash: apart from a couple of moments on the second side, the music in *We"re Only In It For The Money* is dull and ridiculous. Yeah, I know, it's ridiculous *on purpose*. Doesn't change the fact that it's dull. Of course, a record bearing such a provocative name needs to have "stupid" music in it. But did it need to be stupid *to such an extent*? What works so well in *Freak Out* or *Hot Rats* is that most of the compositions in them are great. Only later, when you finish counting all the layers of irony--slyly sprinkled at first, then bellowed through a bullhorn at the end--that's when you finally understand where Zappa is really coming from. This is how you execute a dada concept well in my book. By giving to your audience different ways to look at it. And incidentally, it's also how you can make your work go through the years better. I mean, who really cares about the structural hypocrisy of American flower power today, apart from us music geeks and historians? That's right, nobody. So in comparison to other Zappa records that I know of and can appreciate, I think *We"re Only In It For The Money* ultimately falls victim of its own titular program. The album is an important one in terms of "concept", sure. But it's mostly an excruciating listen. And jeeze louise, Zappa can call me "square" from his grave all he wants, god rest his soul, I'm still taking that album business seriously. At least seriously enough to call the man's bluff. For all intents and purpose, *We"re Only In It For The Money* is a dud. At the end of the day, a self-conscious dud is still a dud no matter what. 1/5 for the purposes of this list, translating to a 6/10 grade for more general purpose, mostly for "historical" importance (5+1). Number of albums left to review: 425 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 264 Albums from the list might* include in mine later on: 141 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 175 (including this one)

Satirical genius with some laugh out loud moments but maybe not that many catchy song hooks. In reading about this album, I found it interesting to learn of Zappa’s social circles (i.e. Lenny Bruce, Hendrix) and the contemporaries he despised (i.e. The Beatles, Velvet Underground) around the time this album was recorded/released. That album cover parody deserves a bonus star.

It's not good. It was short but even then it was too long. It was really eccentric. Go ahead skip it.

At least they are honest in the album title...I don't know if they got the money, though. I didn't enjoy it, but they deserve some credit for the experimentalism. This stuff is not enjoyable, but they are typically responsible for all the excellent music created after them. It's necessary to have someone on it for the money (and craziness) to enable others to do it better for the art (also for the money).

I really liked the words

I respect the Hell out of Frank Zappa and he's clearly talented, but he also gets too clever for his own good. Experimental is all well and good, but often I feel like I'm just being inundated with noise

Maybe one day I'll understand

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.

Best Song: Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance. Even tough this one is also annoying, at least it's a catchy annoying. Worst Song: The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny. This is basically just noise. Overall: Mostly just annoying. Can't really impart much impact in 19 songs over 40 minutes. Each snippet just feels like frivolous hippy fart that didn't need to be put to tape.

This album tried to be satirical and avant-garde, and for me, it missed both. Sure, a couple of the lyrics were pithy, and there were some head-nodding melodies. But I think it became experimental for the sake of being experimental towards the end of the album.

ну мало что поняла. жанр пародии люблю более музыкальный)

I like Zappa's rock blues guitar playing and funky jazz, but this early pastiche or send up of doo-wap and psychedelic late 60s pop and rock is just silly and lacks artistry.

I mean for a Zappa album, this is better than many. You know the father of Dwezel and Moon Unit is gonna bring the weird and this one has it in spades. The odd conversational chatter really stood out to me. Overall, it's like art at a museum where you look at it and think Well I wouldn't want it in my house, but I'm glad it exists. Like that.

This is what happens when (-surprise!) your commune wants to start a band and you're force to sing or move out. I had this happen to me once in 'Frisco. We had this head honcho, we'll call him "Dave" he was in charge of growing all the food in the backyard, but he really wanted to play music and thought himself quite the comedian. Truth is, everyone hated "Dave", but he grew the best eggplant. Anyhow, Dave and his jokes, that only he laughed at, and his overinflated eggplant decided the commune should start a band. And, this band would be dedicated to making silly songs and being as 'far out' as possible. That's about the time that I decided to head to another commune across the street where they just ate mushrooms, smoked a ton of weed and had group sex all day. But, that's a different eggplant story.

I don't know how "The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny" can be considered the only thing that goes too far on "We're Only In It For The Money." Sure, that's a fitting coda on a bizarre journey, but the whole album is an oddity. I can't imagine listening to it repeatedly. There are some very interesting ideas in the lyrics, no doubt, but having listened once I get the idea. It is said that "necessity is the mother of invention," but there's no necessity here. The Mothers Of Invention did it because they could, not because they should or because we needed it. Of course, there's no fault in that - art and ideas should be pursued because you can, for your own desires and purposes. I just don't feel the need to listen to it.

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.

This feels like music that was meant to be listened to while high, but if I got stoned and listened to this it would give me a massive panic attack so I’m not really sure who this is for.

Frank Zappa is really sticking it to big Good Music on this one

Cheesy. I don’t do the drugs required to enjoy this.

I appreciate the creativity, but it's exhausting to listen to. I'm glad I heard it, but it was the last time. Especially the "funny" voice FX are annoying. The humor is hit and miss, more miss than hit. It's very much about 60s themes, like hippie culture, and I guess you have to be in on it to appreciate it. Or maybe it was never funny. Favorite song: flower punk, which is obviously a parody of Hey Joe.

Pis il y en a qui disent que Sgt Pepper a mal vieilli! L’album au complet se moque de la culture hippie et d’évènements sociaux niche des années 60, pis la musique est juste straight up nul. J’espère qu’il y aura d’autre album de Zappa, il y en a des bien meilleur

I really wanted to love this. Needs psychoactive assistance.

Fine. Very quirky. I don’t know if I liked the music enough to listen afain

So weird

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.

This was.... strange... I really looked forward to this one when I saw it on the list, as I absolutely love Frank Zappa's solo work. Somehow, I'm extremely hard pressed to even call most of this album music. The short and scattered parts that were music, mostly sounded great. But I'm not even sure what the rest was. I considered work such as the entirety of Joe's Garage an absolute masterpiece, including all of the weird sounds, voice-overs, etc. But this was just too much, unfortunately. Or too little. Or too ??? Who knows, really.

Absolutely insane and then more so when you contextualize it for the time

Zappa sure is a weirdo and I'm glad weirdos exist and are represented on this list. I'm also glad someone is dunking on all the hippies because someone needed to do it. But I don't need to hear it more than once.

like nails on a chalkboard

There's some interesting material on this album. It's satire at its base, though, which is regrettable. Satire can be art in its own right, but sometimes it has its head too far up its own ass, too focused on taking the piss out of something else to bring anything of substance itself. This album walks that fine line. There are moments of brilliance, musically and humoristically. But for all the fleeting moments that sound like the work of inspired musicians, far too much of this sounds like a bunch of edgy, jaded teens were given recording equipment. Zappa was clearly a visionary but his vision is through a worldview that I don't subscribe to. Still, a fun listen, just not one that I'll be rushing back to.

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.

I’m quite the Zappa fan. And I really like the sarcasm and the fact that this album was in part a response to him particularly not liking one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time. But as I’ve listened to this many times through the years some of the initial shock value has slowly worn off. Had this been my first ride, I would probably raise my score a bit.

One of those albums where id like to see why it was on here. Seems almost beetlsey?

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!

Previously rated Hot Rats as 4 stars. Also own a copy of WOIFTM on cd, but had not listened to it for at least 20 years or so. In my memory: a 3-star perhaps 4-star album on a good day. 2023 view: Anti-hippie and right-wing mockery is fine of course. However, the typical Frank Zappa way in which this is done makes the whole album (not only the final "song") almost completely unlistenable and highly annoying, despite some catchy tune here and there. It is just not funny at all in contrast to the Real FZ autobiography, which is a great read! So: 1 star (2/10) despite its historical value.

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.

Apart from some suggestions of melodies (e.g., Flower punk) this is completely unlistenable.

Very strange, and I don't really typically like these kids of albums, but I was strangely entertained. Not enough to listen again, but still, it was....fine. Kind of liked "Let's Make the Water Turn Black".

Meh way too experimental avant garde for my tastes. Very weird.

This is the bad side of psychedelic rock. The skits kinda stink of shit, like 'Hot Poop.' This album is for a very acquired taste. Not for me

i think i appreciate Frank Zappa, Legendary Weirdo and Anti-Censorship Crusader, more than I appreciate the music of Frank Zappa

Not really a fan of this one.

If you wanna spoof the Beatles I’m all for it, but you’ve got to have some actual music to back it up. About half of this album was sped up spoken word and it got tiresome.

This makes it very clear why Frank Zappa never had mainstream success. There is talent in there somewhere but it’s buried by too much nonsense.

This sucked. I get that it was supposed to be a parody of the hippies and music from this era but it was more like a bad sound collage. I also just didn’t think it was that funny.

Saw Frank Zappa, rolled my eyes, but started listening anyway. And, actually, while this is not really music I would listen to again, from a lyrics standpoint, this has been quite amusing and witty. I'm pleasantly surprised. Well done! 3/5

I'm glad I got to listen to this, if only to confirm for the 100th time that I just don't like Frank Zappa. I know a lot of people think he's a genius but it's just not that good or interesting to me. Every once in a while Zappa does something I like, but those moments are few and far between. 2 stars.

This hits differently when staring at a white ceiling with a changing pattern.

Ik dacht dat ik dit wel leuk zou gaan vinden na de beschrijving gelezen te hebben. Maar dit is gewoon een bende van een album. Ik weet niet wat voor drugs je op moet hebben hiervoor, maar ik zal wel op het verkeerde gezeten hebben.

This is quite clever- ever changing, comical, nonsensical and satirically making points about the current state of US society in the 60s. You can pick melodies and references fleetingly before it changes to something completely different. FlowerPunk is an example- funny and poking fun at the Hippy culture. But all this of course makes it dated and just an intellectual exercise- not enjoyable in a musical way.

Too weird for me. Frank Zappa is very strange

Highlights: Mother People Leave Em's: Nasal Retentive Calliope Music, Harry, You're A Beast, The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny Overall Thoughts: I do not comprehend what I listened to in this album. This is one of the strangest things I've ever heard. Everything from the song titles to the rip off of the Beatles album cover conveys such a crazy vibe. I didn't like hardly any of it and the stuff that was reminiscent of music was quickly cut into by either abrasive sounds, or off the cuff lyrics. This feels like a satirical album, however most satirical music that I have heard in the past has been some fun to listen to, this was not. Score Breakdown: 1.627 & 1 -> 1.314

not a fan

Rock psicodélico

Has some of its moment, but much like "Ruben and the Jets", it suffers from the quirks of the Zappa-sound.

This record is a time machine. 40 minutes feels like two hours. And it's a long two hours. This sucks.

Isso me pareceu como completamente datado. Esperava que tivesse efeito ma minha mente, só senti que precisava de algum aditivo para entrar na onda do disco.

Frank Zappa has always had a sense of humor about him. The original US cover doesn't make it clear, but based on the European cover you can tell it's a larp on the Beatles. Specifically, the commercialization of hippie culture, as perpetuated by the Beatles. It's an incredibly sarcastic record that clearly wants to make you laugh. They also want to make a point, but it's mostly for a laugh. Not only that, but the Mothers of Invention are actually quite a talented band. Their ability to hone in on psychedelic rock and play as a unit is impressive, particularly on Absolutely Free. The lacking parts of this record happen to be rooted in their cynicism, as they never take any part of the album too seriously before leaning heavy into a satirical joke. Any effort towards sincere artistic expression is brick-walled by making fun of hippies. Aged like milk, I'm afraid. Despite this, I think this is probably the best that a satirical record could be. We are lucky to see Frank Zappa's more serious work in other releases, but this one is still well done.

***** al titolo!

interessante como sátira e tals, mas não muito agradável de curtir sem o contexto

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.

StRaNgEr ThInGs

Shit

So much of this is a hoot. But it's also 55 years ago and I have almost no relation to anything they're talking about / making fun of. Still, though, glad it exists.

I have this album and I have enjoyed some of it, some of the time. I will always retain a fondness for 'The Idiot Bastard Son' and a couple of other tracks, but there lurks at the heart of this album a suspicion that poisons the well somewhat. The suspicion? That Frank Zappa, despite many documented protestations to the contrary, was not a music lover. Only rarely did he apply his talent with sincerity to the creation of art. Even when he gets close, a fatal imperative to scrawl a moustache over the Mona Lisa takes hold. Zappa was never much of a satirist or surrealist - the overriding impression is that of a bitter, unpleasant misanthrope. Still, Jimmy Carl Black is on this album so that's worth a star on its own.

Fine. I liked that they worked in a dig at "corporate logos" into the lyrics of one song. And made fun of hippies and San Francisco way before that was cool. And yet... the music just doesn't do much for me. I can appreciate that we probably don't have some of the noisier, weirder bands I do like without these mothers, but it's rare for me to listen to something repeatedly just because I appreciate it.

funny album, not just there to make a point, sounds decent too

So how much is too much? I had quite enjoyed the album Freak Out! as an exercise in satire and experimentation. This one maybe not so much. While this album had some great moments of spot-on satire, much of it reminded me of when I was 12 and used to make tape recordings with friends of noises and silliness that were hilarious to ourselves then, but definitely haven't stood the test of time. It was interesting as a historical document, but I don't think I'll ever want to listen to it again.

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!!!!

I was rather looking forward to more from The Mothers after enjoying most of Freak Out a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, I found this one a bit tedious. Not particularly interesting sound wise and not particularly funny nor profound words wise. It seems like these guys had some fun making it but that doesn't necessarily translate to fun for us what listen.

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

Usually open to whatever Zappa's thinking, but this one doesn't come together for me. Too sparse in the instrumentation to have any kind of throughline, and too spastic in the ideation to grab me with any kind of experimental hook.

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.

Has to have been written while high. Probably best listened to when high. I do not get high. Therefore, mid levels of enjoyment.

Weird album, I didn’t enjoy the experimental tracks and off-beat singing. Zappa is not for me.

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

Kinda weird but yeah sure

AJ: 19 songs, 39 minutes, lol.

Iconic.

Aggressively juvenile. I guess once had to be there to get the joke. I wasn't, and I don't

lets make the water turb balck

Actually questioning my own taste in music as I read all these 4 and 5 star reviews.

TRACKS: Are You Hung Up? [1] Who Needs The Peace Corps? [3] Concentration Moon [2] Mom & Dad [3] Telephone Conversation [1] Bow Tie Daddy [2] Harry, You’re A Best [1] What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? [3] Absolutely Free [2 Flower Punk [1] Hot Poop [1] Nasal Retentive Calliope Music [1] Let’s Make The Water Turn Black [2] The Idiot Bastard Son [1] Lonely Little Girl [2.5] Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance [2] What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? – Reprise [3] Mother People [3] The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny [1]

Interesting and satirically relevant to its time as it may be, it's not something I can casually experience, so it's difficult to truly enjoy. I've heard it, so it met its purpose on the list. Don't think I'd ever chose to go back to it.

Cool that it's satire, kinda lame lyrics and singing though. And annoying music.

I do like Zappa, but this is definitely an earlier iteration of his stuff. Not quite as exciting as some of his later albums

Didn’t do anything for me but gotta respect the originalities.

Really isn’t convincing me that I need to listen to more Zappa.

Zappa! Experimentation and commentary. Awesome album.

Hard to listen to, and not enjoyable. Novelty songs about all of the people they don’t like.

Obviously cool. At times annoying. Makes Aerial Pink less impressive.

3/10

Perhaps funny in the 60’s. Not today though.

He’s Frank.

Mmh

Weird at

I respect Zappa more than I like him

Lekfullt och knasigt, men har inte åldrats så väl

I should definitely revisit

Ik snapte het niet helemaal. Het moet satire zijn, maar de referenties waren misschien buiten mijn kennis

Pretty fascinating historical artifact. Sure, it has dated, but I enjoy the anarchy, spite and inventiveness. And some of it is still pretty good.

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.

There are people who are obsessed by Zappa and proclaim him a genius. Whenever I listen to him I feel like I am on the outside of some elaborate joke that is impossible for me to find funny

Sucesión de canciones extrañas sin ningún tipo de orden ni filosofía. No sé por qué está este disco metido en este ranking. Lo definiría como pop-rock psicodélico

Absolutely mental but I didn't dislike it overall.... I liked that they took the piss out of the Beatles

this is silly

I already know what this is all about, and it's just not my thing. Not a big fan of Zappa's sound. I've mentioned before, on the last MOI record that I was assigned not so long ago, that while I can appreciate his unique POV and bold willingness to experiment, I just don't like the way the music sounds. It's not my bag, baby. Simple as that.