THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION – UNCLE MEAT 2LP – Nr MINT FRANK ZAPPA

The Mothers Of Invention – Uncle Meat
(Reprise Records  REP64005)

Gatefold Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
– back cover has small light crease in top left corner
Inner Sleeves in Nr MINT condition

Double Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
Some light discolouration to side 4 of the vinyl but it doesn’t affect the sound quality

The Mothers of Invention were an American rock band from California that served as the backing musicians for Frank Zappa. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows.

Originally an R&B band called the Soul Giants, the band’s original lineup included Ray Collins, David Coronado, Ray Hunt, Roy Estrada and Jimmy Carl Black. Zappa was asked to take over as the guitarist following a fight between Collins and Coronado, the band’s original saxophonist/leader. Zappa insisted that they perform his original material, changing their name on Mothers Day to the Mothers. After record executives objected to the name it was changed. Zappa later said “out of necessity, we became the Mothers of Invention.”

After early struggles, the Mothers earned substantial popular commercial success. The band first became popular playing in California’s underground music scene in the late 1960s. Under Zappa’s helm, it was signed to jazz label Verve Records as part of the label’s diversification plans. Verve released the Mothers of Invention’s début double album Freak Out! in 1966, featuring a lineup including Zappa, Collins, Black, Estrada and Elliot Ingber. Don Preston joined the band soon after.

Under Zappa’s leadership and a changing lineup, the band released a series of critically acclaimed albums, including Absolutely Free, We’re Only in It for the Money and Uncle Meat, before being disbanded by Zappa in 1969. In 1970, he formed a new version of the Mothers that included Ian Underwood, Jeff Simmons, George Duke, Aynsley Dunbar and singers Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (formerly of the Turtles, but who for contractual reasons were credited in this band as the Phlorescent Leech & Eddie). Later adding another ex-Turtle, bassist Jim Pons, this lineup endured through 1971, when Zappa was injured by an audience member during a concert appearance.

Zappa focused on big-band and orchestral music while recovering from his injuries, and in 1973 formed the Mothers’ final lineup, which included drummer Ralph Humphrey, trumpeter Sal Marquez, keyboardist/vocalist George Duke, trombonist Bruce Fowler, bassist Tom Fowler, percussionist Ruth Underwood and keyboardist/saxophonist Ian Underwood. The final album using the Mothers as a backing band, Bongo Fury (1975), featured guitarist Denny Walley and drummer Terry Bozzio, who continued to play for Zappa on non-Mothers releases.

Uncle Meat is the fifth studio album by The Mothers of Invention, released as a double album in 1969. Uncle Meat was originally developed as a part of No Commercial Potential, a project which spawned three other albums sharing a conceptual connection: We’re Only in It for the Money, Lumpy Gravy and Cruising with Ruben & the Jets.

The album also served as a soundtrack album to a proposed science fiction film which would not be completed, though a direct-to-video film containing test footage from the project was released by Zappa in 1987. The music is diverse in style, drawing from orchestral, jazz, blues and rock music. Uncle Meat was a commercial success upon release, and has been highly acclaimed for its innovative recording and editing techniques, including experiments in tape speed and overdubbing, and diverse sound.

Track listing

All tracks written by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

Personnel

Musicians

The Mothers – at the time of this recording were:

• Frank Zappa – guitar, low grade vocals, percussion
• Ray Collins – swell vocals
• Jimmy Carl Black – drums, droll humor, poverty
• Roy Estrada – electric bass, cheeseburgers, Pachuco falsetto
• Don (Dom De Wild) Preston – electric piano, tarot cards, brown rice
• Billy (The Oozer) Mundi – drums on some pieces before he quit to join RHINOCEROS
• Bunk (Sweetpants) Gardner – piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, bassoon (all of these electric and/or no-electric depending)
• Ian Underwood – electric organ, piano, harpsichord, celeste, flute, clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax, special assistant, copyist, industrial relations & teen appeal
• Artie (With the Green Mustache) Tripp – drums, timpani, vibes, marimba, xylophone, wood blocks, bells, small chimes, cheerful outlook & specific inquiries
• Euclid James (Motorhead/Motorishi) Sherwood – pop star, frenetic tenor sax stylings, tambourine, choreography, obstinance & equipment setter-upper when he’s not hustling local groupies

Special thanks to:

• Ruth Komanoff – who plays marimba and vibes with Artie on many of the tracks, and
• Nelcy Walker – the soprano voice with Ray & Roy on “Dog Breath” & “The Uncle Meat Variations”.

Uncredited:

• Pamela Zarubica as Suzy Creamcheese

Production

• Frank Zappa – producer
• Jerry Hansen – engineer
• Euclid James Sherwood – equipment technician, choreographer
• Art Tripp – adviser
• Cal Schenkel – package design
• Roy Estrada – prop design
• Ian Underwood – copyist, public relations, special assistance