Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ CRUISING WITH RUBEN & THE JETS ZAPPA 3838 (Barcode: 824302383827) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garge Pop Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 5th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1968. The album presents thirteen original songs, all (except two) by Zappa, with all of the material recorded in the studio. This album was the third installment of the “No Commercial Potential” project, which also included “We`re Only In It For The MoneyFind albums with this title”, “Lumpy GravyFind albums with this title” and “Uncle MeatFind albums with this title”. The Mothers, who recorded this music included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Don PrestonFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, woodwinds players Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Art TrippFind albums by this artist. The music is a loving tribute by Zappa and the Mothers to the Doo-wop strain of American Rhythm And Blues music, which was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s and immensely influenced the Pop and Rock scene in years to come. Of course, as usual with Zappa’s treatment of any music, the result is quite extraordinary, full of brilliant vocal harmonizing, humor and satire, with purposely almost moronic lyrics, to emphasize the trivialization of music by the music industry. The arrangements, however, include many highly sophisticated tricks, like outlandish harmony, odd rhythmic patterns etc. As the result this album is often considered as the most “straightforward” album Zappa ever recorded, despite its hidden layers. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write music, which amalgamates anything between Avant-Garde Pop and Rock, Jazz, including Free Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion and contemporary orchestral Classical Music. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the music are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Ironically, despite the album’s Avant-Garde nature, it was exceptionally well received at the time of its release and even charted on the album list. This could have only happened in the late 1960s, when the last evidence of Human intelligence was still present on earth. Overall, although fifty-five years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 13/05/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend