'(Was Mothers) Just Another Band From L.A.'
Say the name Frank Zappa to anyone of a certain age and they have their own mental image of a man and a time. On this album (1972) we're at a live concert in 1971 and the whole first side is taken up with "Billy the Mountain" .. a 25 minute freeform song improvised as the band toured different towns. Written as a parody of song/story style it's about a mountain (Billy) and his wife Ethel.
"Billy was a mountain
Ethel was a tree
Growing off of his shoulder"
I'm not saying you SHOULD .. but if you were to listen to this album with the addition of certain substances it would probably make a lot more sense. Although only one record, this was originally planned as a double album and the sleeve is a good old 70s gatefold.
Apart from the music, Zappa is remembered for a couple of other things. Firstly, the names of his children, the eldest being 'Moon Unit'. Secondly, in 1971 the Mothers were playing the Montreux Casino when someone set off a flare gun. The resulting fire destroyed the entire casino complex, along with all the Mothers' equipment. Deep Purple were also there to use the Rolling Stones mobile studio. From out of the ashes rose Deep Purples classic song "Smoke on the Water".
Verdict: If you need a Zappa album for your collection, I would respectfully suggest, it probably should NOT be this one.
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