We're Only in it For the Gravy

Overall Album Score: 8.7 out of 10

…What’s almost interesting is that this (along with most other Zappa albums) is one of the very few overly-experimental albums that you can ever find in CD stores! So, this album title might have been meant as a jab at commercial-rock artists, but … this album ain’t exactly obscure … whoah …

But, as we all know, Frank Zappa wasn’t into it for the money. He was into it because he wanted as many people in the world to know that he’s as total weirdo as conceivably possible. And it worked! Who doesn’t know who Frank Zappa is? … Losers. And he probably made money, too.

This time, he pulls in the reins a little bit from the total oddity of Lumpy Gravy and makes a more concrete album. Above anything else, this parodies the whole counter-culture revolution thing … which I, more often than not, find quite funny, even though I was born 15 years after the final hippie put his sandals in the shoebox.

Still not as concrete as Zappa’s debut album, though, nor as entertaining. … The album does have a few catchy melodies (I counted four, most of which occur toward the end of the album), but there’s a lot more general obscurity and total weirdness that, in my mind, disqualifies this as anything I’d probably listen to on a repeated, frequent basis.

But this is Frank Zappa. Everyone likes Frank Zappa! … He’s always good if you’re looking for something clever. And this one’s got hippie jokes in it … never a bad thing, you know.

Overall Album Score: 8.7 out of 10 (Look … If you are going to get a Zappa album, you’re going to get it because you like to be weirded out. Not because you like catchy melodies! Although, there are about four brief songs that are quite catchy …)

Average Song Score: 8.7 (A lot of weird music too eccentric to think ill of.)

Album Tilt: 8.5 (Nothing stimulating as a whole from this! I like his silly put-downs of hippies … but other than that … um … this is just weird. Not that I can’t appreciate weirdness, of course.)

Artist Rating: 9.0 (The point.)

Track Reviews

Are You Hung Up? 8/10

…Um… I’m not hung up. But apparently they were hung up in providing an actual song in the first track! … This is just whispering and weird noises! DUDE!!! …….. Oh wait, I’m reviewing a Frank Zappa album. So it’s okay, then. 8/10.

Who Needs the Peace Corps? 9.5/10

AMEN, BROTHER!!!! … You know, I just started reviewing Joan Baez albums, and I’m more thrilled than usual to hear a funny song like this that parodies the whole hippie culture. … Hippies really are weird. Zappa’s silly talking at the end of this (that sounds like he’s making up stuff on the spot) is really funny!

Concentration Moon 8.5/10

Starts out as sort of a waltz! … And … um … more of those weird Zappa melodies! Then, it turns into another weird melody. … Then some whispering. … And he says something about an Indian in the group (again). And … the waltz thing … Dude, this Frank Zappa guy is really weird. Have I mentioned that before?

Mom and Dad 8/10

I want to quit trying to describe these songs. It’s giving me headaches. … Okay, here I go … This song is lethargic and … Zappa-esque. It’s too novel to suck. That’s my story and I’m a-stickin’ with it.

Telephone Conversation 8/10

…HEYYYYYYYY!!! This isn’t a song! It’s a phone conversation! … How am I supposed to score this? … I’ll just give it the same score I gave the last song. Man.

Boe Tie Daddy 8.5/10

…An old-timey song … that’s only 33 seconds long. … Dude!

Harry, You’re a Beast 8.5/10

Lost of piano scales in this one! (And no fish scales to my surprise.) And then the song pipes up into a rather pleasant, silly psychedelic song. … And then pig noises … and then the psychedelic song again. Man, I feel tired.

What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body 9/10

How many really short tracks can you stuff in an album? … Not that I mind, it doesn’t take so long to review these tracks! This song uses a plethora of melodies that I can’t keep track of. It’s only a minute long, so … I don’t really have time to keep track of ‘em.

Absolutely Free 9.5/10

Absolutely free from really short tracks. This is a lengthy epic track (3.4 minutes long) and … the locust noises are kind of awesome. I like the harpsichord thing … And when he says “flower power sucks” makes me feel happy, because it’s TRUE!! … This is just another weird Zappa song when it comes right down to it.

Flower Punk 9/10

…Perhaps weirder than the last song … and he’s still making fun of hippies. … I’d hate to say that this song is eccentric to a fault, but … I ain’t giving this a 10. The end is … um … jumbly. This stuff was never meant to be described, so I won’t!

Hot Poop 8/10

…Ew. 26 seconds of weirdness. Um. Thanks.

Nasal Retentive Calliope Music 8/10

Actually the title sums it up. 2 minutes of Frank Zappa playing with tapes. Woo.

Let’s Make the Water Turn Black 10/10

Whoah. As if Frank Zappa couldn’t get any weirder, he actually comes up with a catchy melody here! … The song works on the same sort of way as Leonard Nimoy’s Bilbo Baggins song, except (of course) Frank Zappa isn’t Spock. This is weird and fun novelty music!

The Idiot Bastard Son 8.5/10

I’ve been accused of being an Idiot Bastard Son many times … especially after posting those Mae reviews. … The song starts up as being a weird ole Zappa tune and then going to sped-up tapes, slowed-down tapes … EEEE!!! And then a slow song starts playing. … It picks up steam a little bit. The end.

Lonely Little Girl 9.5/10

It sounds like a Beatles song after sucking a lot of helium. … It’s a pretty good song. It’s only a minute long, but … nice jorb.

Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance 9.5/10

…Dude, I’d totally start going to ballroom dancing sessions, then. … Um … What’s with all the catchy songs showing up when the album’s almost over? … There’s more weirdness to Frank Zappa than we’re probably aware of, disturbingly enough.

What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body (Part 2) 8.5/10

Frank Zappa undoubtedly revisited this song, because he wanted his audience to seriously consider this question. … It’s the same ole do-wop song that was present in Part 1. And … um … yeah. He says the ugliest part of your body is your mind. Yeah, hippies are stupid. I agree.

Mother People 8.5/10

Indeed, mothers are people, too! This is another weird Zappa melody (that’s not catchy … it’s just meant to be weird). And … um … Thayt’s all I have to say ‘bout dat. … Oh … classical music at the end. That’s nice.

The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny 8/10

The best I can make out, you were meant to turn off the album during this track! … But alas, Frank Zappa playing random notes on a piano (and, proceeding that, a vast array of instruments) and Frank Zappa making up things to say on the spot are similar in nature. Except one of them is FUNNY and the other is ANNOYING. But … eh … Frank Zappa can get away with it … even though this is one of the MOST LENGTHY SONGS HERE! (6.5 minutes.) The goblin laughs at the end are kind of cool, I guess.

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