We're Only in It for the Money

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We're Only in It for the Money
Zappamoney1.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 4, 1968 (1968-03-04)
RecordedMarch 6 – October 8, 1967 [1]
Studio
Genre
Length39:15
Label Verve
Producer Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa chronology
Lumpy Gravy
(1967)
We're Only in It for the Money
(1968)
Lumpy Gravy
(1968)
The Mothers of Invention chronology
Absolutely Free
(1967)
We're Only in It for the Money
(1968)
Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
(1968)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [22]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [29]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [30]
Entertainment Weekly A [31]
The Great Rock Discography 8/10 [32]
MusicHound Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [33]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [34]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [35]
Tom Hull B− [36]
The Village Voice A [37]

Barret Hansen praised the album in an April 1968 review for Rolling Stone . [6] He felt it was the most "advanced" rock album released up to that date, though not necessarily the "best"; he compared Zappa with the Beatles, and felt that the wit and sharpness of Zappa's lyrics was more intelligent, but unless one were to adopt a utilitarian view, he would not deny the beauty of the Beatles' music. He concluded that while the initial listening may be significantly profound, due to the reliance on shock, subsequent listening may be reduced in value; and he returns to a comparison with the Beatles, in which he feels that Zappa has the greater musical genius, but is less comfortable to listen to. [38]

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." [22] 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." [37] In 2012, Uncut described the album as a "satirical psych-rock gem". [39]

It was voted number 343 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). [40] As of 2015, the album was ranked number 297 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [41] Additionally, Rolling Stone ranked the album number 77 in its August 1987 article, "The Top 100: The Best Albums of the Last Twenty Years". [42] It is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die along with the Mothers' first release, Freak Out! . [43]

In 2005, the U.S. National Recording Preservation Board included We're Only in It for the Money in the National Recording Registry, calling it "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" and "a scathing satire on hippiedom and America's reactions to it". [44]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Frank Zappa

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Are You Hung Up?"1:23
2."Who Needs the Peace Corps?"2:34
3."Concentration Moon"2:22
4."Mom & Dad"2:16
5."Telephone Conversation" (included in "Bow Tie Daddy" on the original LP)0:48
6."Bow Tie Daddy"0:33
7."Harry, You're a Beast"1:22
8."What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?"1:03
9."Absolutely Free"3:24
10."Flower Punk"3:03
11."Hot Poop"0:26
Total length:19:14
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Nasal Retentive Calliope Music"2:03
2."Let's Make the Water Turn Black"2:01
3."The Idiot Bastard Son"3:18
4."Lonely Little Girl" (listed as "It's His Voice on the Radio" on the original LP sleeve)1:09
5."Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance"1:35
6."What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body? (Reprise)"0:57
7."Mother People"2:32
8."The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny"6:25
Total length:20:00 39:15

Personnel

The Mothers Today (as of 1967)

(Subsequent CD releases of this album contain a paragraph on the sleeve titled "The Last Word," explaining that the Mothers band pictured on the album was not the band that played the music, and in fact all musical duties on the album were performed by Frank Zappa, Ian Underwood, Roy Estrada and Billy Mundi. Jimmy Carl Black, Don Preston, Bunk Gardner and Euclid James "Motorhead" Sherwood were all featured in some capacity on the record.)

Additional personnel
Production

Charts

YearChartPosition
1968 Billboard 200 30

See also

Related Research Articles

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Frank Vincent Zappa was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experimentation, musical virtuosity and satire of American culture. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestral and musique concrète works; he also produced almost all of the 60-plus albums that he released with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. Zappa also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. He is considered one of the most innovative and stylistically diverse musicians of his generation.

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