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The Mothers of Invention
Weasels Ripped My Flesh


5.0
classic

Review

by Kingadamx USER (18 Reviews)
January 16th, 2005 | 30 replies


Release Date: 1970 | Tracklist


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).



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user ratings (281)
3.9
excellent

Comments:Add a Comment 
Dark Hero
November 24th 2004


160 Comments


Great review :thumb: I'm definitely going to get this, it's at my used CD store for very cheap.

ledfloyd_fan
November 24th 2004


23 Comments


Nice review, I love this album. 5/5 Definitely.

Zappa
December 11th 2004


355 Comments


I completely missed this review. This is one of my very favorite Zappa albums, and a truly unique entry in his catalogue. Ian Underwood and the Gardners could really play free jazz better than anyone else that's passed through Zappa's band over the years, and they get to show it off on this mixed bag. The "freeform" tunes have a sense of sober arrangement, which is an interesting thing to note. Of course, Zappa's music, while often crazy, was always purposeful and meticulously worked out, even if Zappa had to drag the sounds he wanted out of the musicians in sort of odd ways. This is a flawless album that shows what Zappa could do in the context of avant garde jazz with his strongest gang of Mothers, and it also showed the striking diversity of his compositional mind.
5/5

Happymeal
December 11th 2004


330 Comments


So this is a good first Zappa album?

Zappa
December 11th 2004


355 Comments


No.

It's a fantastic Zappa album, but not a good starter.

How come you're never on slsk anymore?

Iai2
December 11th 2004


5 Comments


I'd say Hot Rats for a first Zappa album. Given that I just got it, and love it.

Zappa
December 11th 2004


355 Comments


[QUOTE=Iai2]I'd say Hot Rats for a first Zappa album. Given that I just got it, and love it.[/QUOTE]

This is like "Hot Rats'" perverted, anti-social cousin.

Smackers
December 12th 2004


25 Comments


I love this album, I even have it on vinyl. 'My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama' is one of my favorite songs by Zappa.

Badmoon
December 12th 2004


384 Comments




Distorted Vision
December 12th 2004


184 Comments


Good review, I still have a few other Zappa albums I plan on getting before this though.

EdwardTheGreat
December 12th 2004


57 Comments


I just got into Zappa through 'Cheap Thrills', and was wondering what album to get next. Is this a good one then? I liked Cheap Thrills quite alot, especially the live songs. Or would one of the 'You Cant Do That On Stage Anymores' be better? Other than that, good review.

Distorted Vision
December 12th 2004


184 Comments


I'd recommend 'One Size Fits All' to start with, that was my first proper Zappa album after I had picked up 'Cheap Thrills', and it's still probably my favourite FZ record.

Zappa
December 12th 2004


355 Comments


"One Size Fits All" is a great recommendation for first Zappa album.

Kingadamx
December 12th 2004


120 Comments


I started with the Apostrophe(')/Over-nite Sensation combination cd and I think that either one of those albums would be a good choice as well. I just don't seem to enjoy One Size Fits All all that much.

Grateful Undead starring Jerry
December 15th 2004


1 Comments


Absolutely Free got me hooked, and I want to get this, so thanks!

Kingadamx
December 15th 2004


120 Comments


Yeah, Absolutely Free is a good one. I think I am going to try and review that and We're only in it for the money very soon, because it seems like there is a large demand for more zappa reviews from the large feedback I have gotten from this album review.

the_misery_chick
July 14th 2005


76 Comments


I started my Zappa obsession with a "Best Of" CD. Haven't got much else, except You Are What You Is, which is my Mum's!!! Weasels Ripped My Flesh sounds pretty valid. May have to grovel and beg for it for my birthday! But then again I am getting a bass amp for my birthday so maybe Weasels... for Christmas. What other Zappa albums would you recommend for a teenager who just got into him? I'd like to know

The Jungler
November 3rd 2006


4826 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This was my first Zappa record and I love it.

Unfortunetly I couldn't find my Dad's copy of Hot Rats, but I found a few good records and decided to try this one first. Their are some songs on this that just blow my mind. I deffinetly need to look into listening to some more Zappa.

Zebra
Moderator
October 24th 2007


2647 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

It took me a while but now I consider this one of Zappa's finest 70's albums. The abrupt instrument and mood changes are hilarious, tracks like The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue and Orange County Lumber Truck are some of Zappa's best avant-garde-jazz songs.

druglesshippie
April 3rd 2008


182 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

God! This album is no less than pure genius! That's all that I can say I can't believe how good this is sometimes...



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