The Mothers of Invention
We're Only in It for the Money
with Frank Zappa
Vinyl LP - Verve V6-5045
First Pressing (1968)
Condition: Good + Vinyl and Very Good Cover. Vinyl was play-tested on both sides and plays very well throughout with intermittent light background noise, but no skips. Original gatefold cover is intact with good color, partial split on spine (still visible) and a name stamp on cover and label.
Matrix / Runout (Side A): V6-5045 SIDE-1 MGS-1250-REVF
Matrix / Runout (Side B): V6-5045 SIDE-2 MGS-1251-REV-F
We're Only in It for the Money is the third album by the Mothers of Invention, released in 1968, by Verve Records. As with the band's first two efforts, it is a concept album, and satirizes left- and right-wing politics, particularly the hippie subculture, as well as the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was conceived as part of a project called No Commercial Potential, which produced three other albums: Lumpy Gravy, Cruising with Ruben the Jets, and Uncle Meat.
Zappa's art director Cal Schenkel and Jerry Schatzberg photographed a collage for the album cover, which parodied the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Zappa spent US$4,000 on the photo shoot, which he stated was "a direct negative" of the Sgt. Pepper album cover. "Sgt. Pepper had blue skies ... we had a thunderstorm." Jimi Hendrix, a friend of Zappa, took part in the photo shoot.
Zappa phoned Paul McCartney, seeking permission for the parody. McCartney told him that it was an issue for business managers, but Zappa responded that the artists themselves were supposed to tell their business managers what to do. Nevertheless, Capitol objected, and the album's release was delayed for five months. Verve decided to package the album with inverted cover artwork, placing the parody cover as interior artwork (and the intended interior artwork as the main sleeve) out of fear of legal action.
AllMusic writer Steve Huey wrote, "the music reveals itself as exceptionally strong, and Zappa's politics and satirical instinct have rarely been so focused and relevant, making We're Only in It for the Money quite possibly his greatest achievement." Robert Christgau gave the album an A, writing, "With bohemia permanent and changed utterly, this early attack on its massification hasn't so much dated as found its context. Cheap sarcasm is forever." In 2012, Uncut described the album as a "satirical psych-rock gem".
Track listing
A1 Are You Hung Up 1:23
A2 Who Needs The Peace Corps 2:34
A3 Concentration Moon 2:32
A4 Mom Dad 2:16
A5 Bow Tie Daddy 1:22
A6 Harry, You're A Beast 1:22
A7 What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? 1:03
A8 Absolutely Free 3:26
A9 Flower Punk 3:57
A10 Hot Poop 0:16
B1 Nasal Retentive Caliope Music 2:00
B2 Let's Make The Water Turn Black 1:54
B3 The Idiot Bastard Son 3:27
B4 Lonely Little Girl 1:10
B5 Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance 1:33
B6 What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? (Reprise) 1:03
B7 Mother People 2:30
B8 The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny 6:30
The Mothers Today / The Mothers Yesterday
Frank Zappa ? guitar, piano, lead vocals editing
Billy Mundi ? drums, vocal, yak black lace underwear
Bunk Gardner ? all woodwinds, mumbled weirdness
Roy Estrada ? electric bass, vocals, asthma
Don Preston ? retired
Jimmy Carl Black ? Indian of the group, drums, trumpet, vocals
Ian Underwood ? piano, woodwinds, wholesome
Euclid James "Motorhead" Sherwood ? road manager, soprano baritone saxophone, all purpose weirdness
Suzy Creamcheese (Pamela Zarubica) ? telephone
Dick Barber ? snorks
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I use the Goldmine Grading System, and play-test all records. I note any differences between vinyl and cover, and make note of any inserts, special sleeves, or potential defects.
MINT (M) - Absolutely perfect in every way. Most often this is a still sealed record, records that have been opened are rarely if ever marked as Mint.
NEAR MINT (NM) - A good description is that it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time. In other words, it?s nearly perfect, with no visible defects.
VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) - Except for a couple minor things, this could be Near Mint. Most collectors will be happy with a VG+ record, especially if on the high end (VG++). VG+ records may show slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Covers should have only minor wear.
VERY GOOD (VG) - VG records are among the biggest bargains, and for many, will be worth the money. They can lack the original gloss, may have surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages. But the noise will not overpower the music. VG covers will have signs of handling, and may have minor splits.
GOOD PLUS (G+) - Good+ does not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, but it has significant surface noise and groove wear. Cover may have significant ring wear, noticeable writing, or obvious damage.
GOOD (G) - Record may have some skipping, but is otherwise listenable. I generally avoid selling Good (G) rated records unless they are highly collectible or desirable, in order to enjoy until something better comes along. Cover has major wear or seam splits that need repair, or heavy writing like radio station call letters to prevent theft.
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