Album review: FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION – Whisky A-Go-Go 1968

UMC [Release date 21.06.24]

Singer, instrumentalist and composer Frank Zappa is widely considered one of the foremost, innovative, prolific and off-the-wall musicians to ever record, and he often took an anti-establishment view too.

With his band The Mothers Of Invention, Frank Zappa started recording in the mid 60s, both with the band and solo, in fact Zappa recorder We’re Only In It For The Money with the MOI (an avant-garde/psychedelic rock dig at the likes of The Beatles) pretty much in tandem with the solo and more orchestral Lumpy Gravy album. And both were released within a few months of each other in 1968, the latter issued in 1967, withdrawn, and reedited with Musique Contrete/experimental rock leanings.

And shortly after, it was announced that Zappa and The Mothers would be taking over the Whisky A Go Go club for a day (in July 1968) for recording, work undertaken over three sets, and almost three of the 5 hours recorded is what we get here.

Disc 1 opens with ‘Whisky Improvisation Episode 1′. A 10 minute track that does what it says on the tin. Largely drum/percussion based (the more coherent parts have a jazzy edge, reminiscent of King Crimson’s debut), with horn and vocal interjections, occasional keyboards, before Frank comes in with what could be random poetry, or student rambling, or something in-between.

‘America Drinks And Goes Home’ has a music hall jazz feel, with the vocals drifting between singing and spoken word monologue. ‘Help I’m A Rock’ follows. All seem a bit random? If you don’t ‘get’ Zappa that is exactly how it sounds. The array of influences include blues, jazz, psychedelia and even classical, with the aforementioned ‘Help I’m Rock’ sounding like a precursor to the jazzy end of prog rock.

My Boyfriend’s Back takes a very rough’n’ready tongue-in-cheek nod to the bubblegum pop of the day. The guitar bass and drums work well with the saxophone in Tiny Sick Tears Jam, a really enjoyable number. The Purpose Of This Evening is a Zappa monolog about the purpose of the evening, to record new music in a live in person setting.

Disc 2 kicks off with ‘Fun And Merriment’, a rambling start before ‘An oldie but goody’ ‘Hungry Freaks, Daddy’. The set is a continues with a mix of tracks fans will recognise and new or improvised pieces. Again some Crimisonesque crazy saxophone, and blues/jazz rock mixed with, well, just about anything you can think of. From cohesive to free range and back again. But that’s what Zappa was all about.

Disc 3 continues the same with 2 bonus vintage Frank Zappa mixes.

If you love a good melting pot, a touch of improv, you’ll love this, and it’s essential for Zappa fans. Some of this set has been previously released on a bootleg, this is the first official release, and the packaging all the better for it.

Love him or not, from here it’s easy to see and hear why Zappa was such an influence.

Additional notes from Pamela Des Barres (former wife of Michael) who, as Pamela Miller as she was then, was a member of the GTOs, who provided backing vocals on the day.

A wonderful package, and if the music flicks your switch, you’ll love the 3 discs here. ****

Review by Joe Geesin

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