Search - Frank Zappa :: Meets the Mothers of Prevention

Mixed Bag

02/02/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"*Note: The 1995 re-issue of this album on CD is available on Amazon. For whatever reason, its listed as "Meets the Mothers of Preventio" without the final "n" in the Prevention. You can buy it new there.The impetus behind this album was, of course, the PMRC hearings on labelling/censoring offensive rock lyrics. The album is a mixed bag of material -- 5 studio tracks with a band, 3 synclavier compositions, and 2 collage tracks. They're somewhat hapharzadly thrown together, making the album extremely disjointed -- but there is a lot of great material on this album, nevertheless.The opener, "I Don't Even Care," is a waste of 5 minutes. Its essentually a groove set down in studio by Zappa's band, with "I don't even care" sung in the background while Johnny "Guitar" Watson (not credited?) ad libs some lines. No solo, though you keep waiting for one. The song goes nowhere and is extremely repetitive.Then follows 3 synclavier compositions, "One Man One Vote," "Little Beige Sambo," and "Aerobics in Bondage." These are pretty good. "One Man One Vote" is the least interesting, but the other two are extremely worthy compositions that measure up to the best material on Jazz From Hell.The next 4 tracks are all Zappa classics that rank among his best work. "We're Turning Again" is a hilarious swipe at hippie culture, brilliantly arranged with a great hook. There's a great re-mix of this, and "Yo Cats" on the Have I Offended Somebody? compilation. "Alien Orifice" is a jaw-dropper. Get the Make A Jazz Noise Here album to hear the '88 band perform this sucker live! Zappa at his best."Yo Cats" is a great Ike Willis crooner, taking a shot at professional musicians. "What's New In Baltimore" is the best track on the album -- rarely can Zappa's work be desribed as "beautiful," but the opening guitar/percussion run on this song deserves the charge. The solo is one of Zappa's greatest."Porn Wars" and "H.R. 2911" (a bonus track) are both sound collages, mixing sound effects, synclavier, guitar, and looping the taped hearings of the PMRC in congress. Its amusing -- especially the extra clips from the people in the piano from the Lumpy Gravy album (one of my favorites!). Also, you'll get to hear Al Gore profess to be a Mothers fan, which is PRICELESS. But it drags on far too long. Doesn't work as an album, since it has no cohesive direction, but some of the material on this album is great."

Strange album - vintage zappa

T. Klaase | Orange Park, Florida United States | 12/31/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most of the music herein was composed on the synclavier machine and there are very few musicians on the over all disc. At first I thought the emotional depth was a bit low, but after a few repeated listenings - I've come to really enjoy this stuff... There are also some sound clips of the meeting between Zappa and Al Gore discussing the Censorship of rock albums... Gore sounds like a total and complete loser in the face of Zappa's rational arguments. One more note; this music (like most zappa) isn't for everyone."