Cruising with Ruben & the Jets

Last updated

All tracks are written by Frank Zappa except as noted

Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
Frank Zappa - Cruising With Ruben & the Jets.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 2, 1968
RecordedJuly 1967 – February 1968 [1]
Studio Apostolic (New York)
Genre
Length40:34
Label Bizarre/Verve
Producer Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention chronology
Lumpy Gravy
(1968)
Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
(1968)
Mothermania
(1969)
Ruben and the Jets [4] chronology
Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
(1968)
For Real!
(1973)
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cheap Thrills" 2:23
2."Love of My Life" 3:10
3."How Could I Be Such a Fool" 3:35
4."Deseri"Collins, Paul Buff2:07
5."I'm Not Satisfied" 4:03
6."Jelly Roll Gum Drop" 2:20
7."Anything"Collins3:04
Total length:21:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."Later That Night" 3:06
9."You Didn't Try to Call Me" 3:57
10."Fountain of Love"Zappa, Collins3:01
11."No. No. No." 2:29
12."Anyway the Wind Blows" 2:58
13."Stuff Up the Cracks [5] " 4:35
Total length:20:37

Personnel

Musicians [13]
Production

Charts

Album - Billboard (United States)

YearChartPosition
1969 Billboard 200 110

Related Research Articles

<i>Were Only in It for the Money</i> 1968 studio album by the Mothers of Invention

We're Only in It for the Money is the third album by American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on March 4, 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.

<i>Uncle Meat</i> 1969 studio album with live elements by the Mothers of Invention

Uncle Meat is the sixth album by the Mothers of Invention, and seventh overall by Frank Zappa, 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.

<i>Civilization Phaze III</i> 1994 studio album by Frank Zappa

Civilization Phaze III is the sixty-third album by Frank Zappa, released posthumously as a double album on October 31, 1994. It was the first studio album of new material from Zappa since 1986's Jazz from Hell. The album marks the third part of a conceptual continuity that started with We're Only in It for the Money (1968), with the second part being a re-edited version of Zappa's 1967 album Lumpy Gravy. Zappa described the album as a "two-act opera", but in lieu of traditional recitatives and arias, it alternates brief spoken word passages with musical numbers created on a Synclavier using a combination of sampled and synthesized sounds. Much of the sampled material in the second half of the album was originally recorded by Ensemble Modern and other musicians to Zappa's specifications.

<i>Lumpy Gravy</i> 1968 album by Frank Zappa

Lumpy Gravy is a 1968 solo album by Frank Zappa, written by Zappa and performed by a group of session players he dubbed the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. Zappa conducted the orchestra but did not perform on the album. It is his fourth album overall: his previous releases had been under the name of his group, the Mothers of Invention.

<i>Burnt Weeny Sandwich</i> 1970 studio album with live elements by The Mothers of Invention

Burnt Weeny Sandwich is the seventh album by the American rock band the Mothers of Invention, and the ninth overall by Frank Zappa, released in 1970. It consists of both studio and live recordings. Following the Mothers' split in late 1969, Zappa assembled two albums of unreleased recordings by the band - this album and its follow-up Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Burnt Weeny Sandwich focuses mostly on studio recordings and tightly arranged compositions, while Weasels Ripped My Flesh focuses mostly on live recordings and loose/improvisational pieces. Both albums also include some outtakes/leftovers from the sessions for Zappa's 1969 solo album Hot Rats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mothers of Invention</span> American rock band

The Mothers of Invention were an American rock band from California. 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 first lineup comprised Ray Collins, David Coronado, Ray Hunt, Roy Estrada, and Jimmy Carl Black. Frank Zappa was asked to take over as the guitarist when a fight between Collins and Hunt led to the latter's being fired. Zappa insisted they perform his original material — a decision that resulted in Coronado's leaving because he did not agree to the change — and on Mother's Day in 1965 the band changed its name to the Mothers. Record executives demanded the name be changed again, and so, "out of necessity", Zappa later said, "We became the Mothers of Invention".

Calvin "Cal" Schenkel is an American illustrator, graphic designer, animator and comics artist, specializing in album cover design.

<i>Mothermania</i> 1969 compilation album by the Mothers of Invention

Mothermania (1969), subtitled The Best of the Mothers, is a compilation album by the Mothers of Invention. While the songs were previously released on Freak Out!, Absolutely Free and We're Only in It for the Money, it contains unique mixes or edits made specifically for this compilation.

<i>For Real!</i> (Ruben and the Jets album) 1973 studio album by Ruben and the Jets

For Real! is an album by Ruben and the Jets, and the debut of musician Rubén Guevara Jr.'s new lineup, after the group name had previously been used as an alias of The Mothers of Invention in 1968. Released in 1973, For Real! was produced by Frank Zappa, who wrote the first track and played guitar on the second track. The album consists of blues, rhythm and blues and rock and roll music.

Ruben and the Jets was an American rock and roll band from Los Angeles, California. The band originated as an alias for The Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa's band, to release Cruising with Ruben & the Jets (1968). Later, musician Rubén Guevara Jr. continued the band with his own lineup. Guevara's "Jets" recorded two albums, For Real! (1973) and Con Safos (1974).

Ray Collins was an American musician. He is best known for being an original member of the Mothers of Invention.

<i>Uncle Meat</i> (film) 1987 film by Frank Zappa

Uncle Meat is a 1987 film written and directed by Frank Zappa. It was conceived in 1968 as a vehicle for the Mothers of Invention, but remained unfinished until 20 years after the production began.

<i>You Are What You Is</i> 1981 studio album by Frank Zappa

You Are What You Is is a 1981 double album by American musician Frank Zappa. His 34th album, it consists of three musical suites which encompass pop, doo-wop, jazz, hard rock, reggae, soul, blues, new wave and country. The album's lyrics satirize a number of topics, including hippies, socialites, fashion, narcotics use, cultural appropriation, religion, televangelists and the military draft.

<i>Old Masters</i> (box set) 1985 box set series by Frank Zappa

The Old Masters is a box set series by Frank Zappa, released in three volumes on Barking Pumpkin Records from April 1985 to December 1987, consisting of studio and live albums by Zappa and The Mothers of Invention originally released from 1966 to 1976 on other labels, as well as "Mystery Discs" which contained previously unreleased material. The graphics on all three sets was airbrush illustrated by Larry Grossman. 200 Motels was not included in the series, as it was the only Zappa/Mothers album for which Zappa was unable to secure the rights.

Jackie & the Starlites were an American doo wop group active between 1960 and 1963.

Euclid James "Motorhead" Sherwood was an American rock musician notable for being a member of the original version of Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention, providing soprano, tenor and baritone saxophone, tambourine, vocals and vocal sound effects. He appeared on all the albums of the original Mothers line-up and the 'posthumous' releases Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh, as well as certain subsequent Zappa albums. He also appeared in the films 200 Motels, Video from Hell and Uncle Meat.

<i>Greasy Love Songs</i> 2010 compilation album by Frank Zappa

Greasy Love Songs is a compilation album by Frank Zappa, released in 2010. The album consists of the original vinyl mix of Cruising with Ruben & the Jets (1968), with bonus material, including previously unreleased tracks from the original sessions, the single version of "Jelly Roll Gum Drop", and "audio documentary" material. The album is designated as a "Project/Object Audio Documentary". It is project/object #3 in a series of 40th Anniversary FZ Audio Documentaries, following MOFO (2006) and Lumpy Money (2009).

"Memories of El Monte" is a doo-wop song released in 1963 by the Penguins featuring Cleve Duncan. It was written by Frank Zappa and Ray Collins before they were in the Mothers of Invention. The song was first released as Original Sound 27.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunk Gardner</span> American musician

Bunk Gardner is an American musician who most notably played for the original version of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention until the group disbanded in 1969. He plays woodwinds and tenor sax.

<i>Meat Light</i> 2016 compilation album by Frank Zappa

Meat Light is a 3CD compilation of Frank Zappa's Uncle Meat recordings. It is project/object #5 in a series of 40th Anniversary FZ Audio Documentaries, following MOFO (2006), Lumpy Money (2009), Greasy Love Songs (2010) and The Crux of the Biscuit (2016).

References

  1. 1 2 Ulrich, Charles (May 13, 2018). The Big Note: A Guide to the Recordings of Frank Zappa. New Star Books. ISBN   1-554201-46-2.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 James, Billy (2002-10-01). Necessity Is: The Early Years of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. ISBN   9780946719518.
  3. Rojek, Chris (2011). "Theoretical Perspectives". Pop Music, Pop Culture. Polity. p.  84. ISBN   978-0-7456-4264-2.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Eder, Bruce. "Biography of Ruben and the Jets". AllMusic . Retrieved 2007-12-24.
  5. 1 2 Frank Zappa interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Barry Miles (2005). Zappa. Grove Press. pp. 160, 169, 326. ISBN   978-0-8021-4215-3.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zappa, Frank with Occhiogrosso, Peter (1989). The Real Frank Zappa Book . New York: Poseidon Press. pp.  87–90. ISBN   0-671-63870-X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. Couture, François. "Review of Cruising with Ruben & the Jets". Allmusic . Retrieved 2007-11-02.
  9. 1 2 Couture, François (2011). "Cruising with Ruben & the Jets - The Mothers of Invention | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 Westergaard, Sean. "Greasy Love Songs: An FZ Audio Documentary Project/Object - Frank Zappa | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  11. Marcus, Griel (December 21, 1968). "Records". Rolling Stone . San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.
  12. 1 2 Frank Zappa, "Serious Fan Mail", Greasy Love Songs, Zappa Records ZR20010, 2010.
  13. "The Mothers Of Invention - Cruising With Ruben & The Jets - Releases - Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 2023-04-08.