Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Last updated
ManAgainstWeasel.jpg
Schick 20 electric shaver 1953 ad.jpg
The two images that inspired the cover art by Neon Park: the September 1956 cover to Man's Life magazine (left) and a 1953 Schick electric shaver ad (right).

Frank Zappa recruited artist Neon Park to create a subversive image based on a cover story from the September 1956 issue of Man's Life, a men's adventure magazine. The magazine's cover story depicts a shirtless man being attacked by numerous weasels, above the caption "Weasels Ripped My Flesh". After showing Neon a copy of the magazine, Zappa inquired, "This is it. What can you do that's worse than this?" Neon's answer was to craft a parody of an advertisement for Schick brand electric razor based on the "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" theme. [4] The record company released the album despite its reservations about the album cover. [5] [6]

German releases of the album featured a cover showing a metal baby caught in a rat trap. This cover was not approved by Zappa.

In 1975, Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh were reissued together as 2 Originals of the Mothers of Invention, with the original covers used as the left and right sides of the inner spread, and the outer gatefold cover depicting a revolver shooting toothpaste onto a toothbrush.

Reception

Contemporary reviews of the record called it "far-out" ( Billboard , August 29, 1970) and a "random collection of editing room snippets recorded at the Mothers' concerts" ( Rolling Stone , October 1, 1970). Now placed in its historical context, modern reviewers tend to appreciate it more favorably. A typical example of such appreciation is Christgau's Record Guide (from 1981), which grades the album a B+. In a retrospective review, AllMusic gave it 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it a "fascinating collection", and stating that "Zappa's anything-goes approach and the distance between his extremes are what make Weasels Ripped My Flesh ultimately invigorating" [1] In his book Viva Zappa!, Dominique Chevalier wrote that the album is "one of Zappa's most aggressively bizarre works, full of cross-references to free jazz and modern classical musicians such as Luciano Berio. He also said that the best piece was undoubtedly "Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue", calling it "the cleverest tribute that could have been paid to him". [7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Frank Zappa except where noted

Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Frank Zappa Weasels Ripped My Flesh.jpg
Reissue cover
Studio album with live elementsby
ReleasedAugust 10, 1970
RecordedDecember 1967 – August 1969 at various locations
Genre
Length39:48
Label Bizarre, Reprise
Producer Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa chronology
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
(1970)
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
(1970)
Chunga's Revenge
(1970)
The Mothers of Invention chronology
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
(1970)
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
(1970)
Fillmore East – June 1971
(1971)
Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Didja Get Any Onya?"March 2, 1969, Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia 3:44
2."Directly from My Heart to You" ( Richard Wayne Penniman )July 1969, TTG Recording Studios, Hollywood 5:17
3."Prelude to the Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask"October 25, 1968, Royal Festival Hall, London 3:35
4."Toads of the Short Forest"August 1969, Whitney Studios, Glendale and February 7–8, 1969, Thee Image, Miami 4:48
5."Get a Little"February 13, 1969, The Factory, New York City 2:35
Total length:20:41
Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
6."The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue" (instrumental)June 1969, A&R Studios, New York City 6:53
7."Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Dwarf Nebula" (instrumental)December 1967-February 1968, Apostolic Studios, New York City 2:12
8."My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama"February 1969, Criteria Studios, Miami and August–September 1969, T.T.G. Studios, Hollywood 3:35
9."Oh No"December 1967-February 1968, Apostolic Studios, New York City 1:46
10."The Orange County Lumber Truck" (instrumental)October 25, 1968, Royal Festival Hall, London 3:18
11."Weasels Ripped My Flesh"May 30, 1969, Town Hall, Birmingham 2:05
Total length:20:37

Personnel

Production

Charts

AlbumBillboard (United States)

YearChartPosition
1970 Billboard 200 189

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Carl Black</span> American drummer and vocalist (1938–2008)

James Inkanish, Jr., known professionally as Jimmy Carl Black, was an original member of the Mothers of Invention, providing drums and vocals.

<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>Chungas Revenge</i> Album by Frank Zappa

Chunga's Revenge is the third solo album, and eleventh album counting the work of his band The Mothers of Invention, by Frank Zappa, released on October 23, 1970. Zappa's first effort of the 1970s marks the first appearance of former Turtles members Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan - nicknamed Flo & Eddie - on a Zappa record, and signals the dawn of a controversial epoch in Zappa's history. Chunga's Revenge represents a shift from both the satirical political commentary of his 1960s work with The Mothers of Invention, and the jazz fusion of Hot Rats.

<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.

Don Francis Bowman "Sugarcane" Harris was an American blues and rock and roll violinist and guitarist. He is considered a pioneer in the amplification of the violin.

<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.

Ian Robertson Underwood is a woodwind and keyboards player, known as a member of the original version of Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention. Following the original band's split in late 1969, Underwood continued to work with Zappa extensively during the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Preston</span> American jazz and rock keyboardist

Donald Ward Preston is an American jazz and rock keyboardist. He is best known for being a member of the original version of Frank Zappa's band The Mothers of Invention during the late 1960s. He continued to work with Zappa during the early 1970s following the band's split.

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Tripp</span> American drummer

Arthur Dyer Tripp III is an American retired musician who is best known for his work as a percussionist with the original version of Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention during the 1960s and Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band during the 1970s. Thereafter, Tripp retired from music. He attended an accredited chiropractic college in Los Angeles from 1980 through 1983, graduating with his Doctor of Chiropractic degree and later practising in Gulfport, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama</span>

"My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama" is a song written by Frank Zappa and originally recorded by The Mothers of Invention in February 1969 at Criteria Studios (Miami), with overdubs recorded sometime between August and September 1969 at TTG Studios and Whitney Studios. This version was included on their 1970 album Weasels Ripped My Flesh, an LP that included various recordings by the band from 1967 to 1969. A second version was released as a single on the Bizarre and Reprise labels as "My Guitar." Despite the more conventional naming, "My Guitar" did not chart.

The Four Deuces were an American rhythm and blues vocal quartet, formed in the mid-1950s in Salinas, California. The band was started by lead singer Luther McDaniel, and recorded several songs before they broke up around 1957. While active, the Four Deuces had moderate but short-lived popularity, mainly along the West Coast, mostly due to the frequent radio airplay of their hit song, "W-P-L-J."

<i>Son of Cheep Thrills</i> 1999 compilation album by Frank Zappa

Son of Cheep Thrills is a compilation album by Frank Zappa, with material from previously released albums.

<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.

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>Ahead of Their Time</i> 1993 live album by The Mothers of Invention

Ahead of Their Time is a live album by The Mothers of Invention. It was recorded at the Royal Festival Hall, London, England, on October 25, 1968, and released in 1993 on CD by Barking Pumpkin. It was reissued on Rykodisc in 1995.

<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.

Charles "Buzz" Guarnera was an American trumpet and flugelhorn player. Under the name Buzz Gardner, he was a member of the original version of Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention during the 1960s alongside his brother Bunk Gardner.

<i>Finer Moments</i> 2012 posthumous album by Frank Zappa

Finer Moments is a compilation album by Frank Zappa. It was compiled and mastered by Zappa in 1972 and released posthumously in 2012.

References

  1. 1 2 Huey, Steve (2011). "Weasels Ripped My Flesh – The Mothers of Invention". AllMusic . Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 8, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Archived August 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "the big nOte files". United-mutations.com. April 2005. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
  5. Thorgerson, Storm; Powell, Aubrey (1999). 100 Best Album Covers: The Stories Behind the Sleeves. Dorling Kindersley. p. 152. ISBN   0-7513-0706-8.
  6. "Neon Park". Lambiek.net.
  7. Viva Zappa 1986 Chevalier, Dominique, p. 64
  8. In official album liner notes

Further reading