Released in 1970, this is the Mothers of Invention's second release of archival studio/live material, the first being Burnt Weeny Sandwich. This album combines some reguar rock music (My Guitar wants to kill your mama), jazz infected music (Orange County), and just some crazy experimental jams that will make your mind freeze up and want more. This album encompasses The Mothers of Invention at their best time in my opinion and this album showcases what a lot of their concerts were like and the amazing guitar playing of Frank Zappa.
1. Didja Get Any Onya? [Live] - The song starts out with a tribal beat with a horn playing that almost sounds like an elephant. The whole band is at an uproar in this track. Near the end of the song it kind of starts to sound like a jazz song, but the song as a whole is truly indescribable. But really nothing less of perfect.
Rating: 5/5
2. Directly from My Heart to You - The band starts into a bluesy number with a violin playing a great accompaniment. This is really just a standard blues song with a great band backing it. It is very loose and mellow.
Rating: 4/5
3. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask [Live] - This is another one of those strange live songs. If I had to compare these kinds of tracks to anything I could compare them to an orchestral soundtrack to a film. The song really fluctuates in and out of styles. This song could really be the soundtrack of someone going insane.
Rating: 5/5
4. Toads of the Short Forest - One of my favorites, it is a very mellow jazzy tune with a wahhed guitar playing the melody until it leads into a very percussion heavy part of the song. There is just something that is really strangely amusing to this song.
Rating: 4.5/5
5. Get a Little [Live] - A very slow and relaxing song that features some very fine guitar playing and eases you down as you drift in and out of the song.
Rating: 3.5/5
6. Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue - This song is just an epic Jazz song that explores many styles and techniques and really cannot be compared to much else in the large world of music. It has a great Jazz line in the middle of the song that eventually speeds up and relaxes into some keyboard sounds that sound like screaming.
Rating: 5/5
7. Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Dwarf Nebula - A very easy going tune with a great feel to it. There are eventually some sounds that are played and mixed backwards that may scare small children.
Rating: 4/5
8. My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama - Probably the most conventional Rock song on the album that features Frank on lead vocals. The whole band really sounds great on this track. The interlude is really a good part of the song that leads into this extroardinary classical guitarline that will blow your mind. The song as a whole is probably one of the best on the album but not fitting with a lot of the otehr strange material that is showcased on the album.
Rating: 5/5
9. Oh No - This song is very similar to singers of the late 40s or 50s but the entire attitude of the song is put truly into a Mothers way of playing and it seems a little tongue and cheek.
Rating: 4.5/5
10. Orange County Lumber Truck [Live] - Easily the best song on the album. A very exquisite piece that leads into a faster composition. This is a track that seems very similar to what is showcased by Frank on Hot Rats.
Rating: 5/5
11. Weasels Ripped My Flesh [Live] - 2 minutes of feedback that ends with some strange noises and eventually a farewell bid from Frank Zappa himself. Pure Genius.
Rating: 5/5
I can say without any hesitation that this album is not for everyone because it is highly experimental and really different from the modern and classical conventions of Jazz and Rock Music. As a Mothers of Invention fan myself and for anyone really interested in expanding their horizons I really can not give the album any less than this (5/5 stars).
