The Mothers in the 60s

[Firth]

Wow, very informative, the DVD I rented from Netflix:


Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention In The 1960s


‘Where the hell did that come from?’ was likely the response from many on hearing The Mothers of Invention’s debut album Freak Out upon its release in June 1966 – a time when music was changing, but to a degree that hadn’t yet hinted anything this bizarre was on the horizon. But once the freaks and the beautiful people had cottoned on to what Uncle Frank and his Merry Men were up to (despite the latter community often being the target for some of Zappa’s most hilarious lampooning), the scene was set for a fanbase of the most dedicated variety to emerge and a respect from critics, musicians, performers and the intelligentsia almost unparalleled in the history of pop culture.


This film reviews the true story of The Mothers of Invention and the music they made uring the first incarnation of the band. With group members Jimmy Carl Black, Bunk Gardner, Don Preston and Art Tripp taking up the tale and revealing – often for the first time – what the real Frank Zappa was all about; and with contributions from ‘scenesters‘ like LA wildman Kim Fowley, biographer Billy James, Zappa academic Ben Watson, music journalist Richie Unterberger and English writer and musician Alan Clayson –acclaimedbiographer of Edgar Varèse– this programme is the most detailed, informative and enjoyable documentary on Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Inventionyet toemerge.


Also features rare footage of Frank and The Mothers from throughout the 1960s, archive interviews, seldom seen live performances, and a host of other features.


Includes tracks such as; Who Are The Brain Police?, Hungry Freaks Daddy, Trouble Every Day, Brown Shoes Don’t Make It, America Drinks And Goes Home, Are You Hung Up?, Flower Punk, Love Of My Life, Dog Breath Variations, Willie The Pimp and many others.


‘EXTRAS’ include: Extended interviews, Digital Contributor Biographies and more.

[FrippWire]

An excellent DVD that sheds additional light on what it was like back then. Being the Zappa obsessive that I am, this was a must-own for me. I bought it the day it came out.

[happytheman]

Not sure if this is the same one I watched via Netflix streaming.. Jimmy Carl Black wasn't too kind to Frank in his spots as I recall..

[jupiter0rjapan]

Not sure if this is the same one I watched via Netflix streaming.. Jimmy Carl Black wasn't too kind to Frank in his spots as I recall..

I didn't see it listed in the streaming movies, but I have watched it. Really the most unkind thing I remember Jimmy Carl Black saying was that Frank wasn't much of a lead player back then, which I think is just true. I believe even Frank would have copped to that.

[Firth]

I didn't see it listed in the streaming movies, but I have watched it. Really the most unkind thing I remember Jimmy Carl Black saying was that Frank wasn't much of a lead player back then, which I think is just true. I believe even Frank would have copped to that.

Don't recall that, they did think of themselves as some of the best musicians in the world. Frank was the most creative guitar player and was known to make mistakes. The band was extremely well rehearsed, but Frank was so busy creating many of the parts that he didn't get as much time practicing his part. As much as Black grumps in this movie, he did get many gigs with Frank in the 70's.

[rcarlberg]

I take it this production was made without the cooperation (or knowledge?) of Gail? How'd they ever license the music?

[happytheman]

Don't recall that, they did think of themselves as some of the best musicians in the world. Frank was the most creative guitar player and was known to make mistakes. The band was extremely well rehearsed, but Frank was so busy creating many of the parts that he didn't get as much time practicing his part. As much as Black grumps in this movie, he did get many gigs with Frank in the 70's.

Yeah I looked yesterday to see if it was still available.. Netflix pulls and adds stuff all the time.. one part I seem to recall was the way Frank broke up the band.. Jimmy was visibly upset when they covered that part of the history... "We were a fucking tight band"... or something to that effect..

[Firth]

I take it this production was made without the cooperation (or knowledge?) of Gail? How'd they ever license the music?

A review:

The Charge

"It was a nice feeling to play in the best band in the world in the Sixties, and I'll always think that we were the best band in the world. Nobody will ever convince me otherwise."—Mothers drummer Jimmy Carl Black

The Case

The back of the package on this DVD reads "Not authorized by the estate or family of Frank Zappa," so it would be completely understandable for Zappa fans to steer clear of this DVD as fast as possible. Usually, "unauthorized" means that the DVD has no music by the profiled artist but does have plenty of useless interviews with fourth-rate press hacks and other nobodies cobbled together into a tedious and incoherent mess. For a perfect example, see Eagle Rock's Down the Tracks series. In this case, however, fans should reconsider. Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in the 1960s is astoundingly good, with contributions from several important members and collaborators from Zappa's original band, the Mothers of Invention. Even more amazingly, the DVD's producers have managed to license many crucial songs from both Zappa and his contemporaries. That this DVD is unauthorized only means there are no interviews with members of Zappa's family, but otherwise, it's of high enough quality to sit comfortably alongside any of Zappa's authorized DVDs.

The high quality of this DVD is matched only by the importance of the story it tells; …in the 1960s chronicles the early days of Zappa's career and the formation and breakup of his first major band, the Mothers (later known, at their record label's insistence, as the Mothers of Invention). It details the recording of their first six albums: Freak Out! (1966), Absolutely Free, We're Only In It for the Money (both 1967), Lumpy Gravy, Cruising With Ruben & the Jets (both 1968), and Uncle Meat (1969). These albums stand out as some of the most influential and significant of Zappa's lengthy career. In fact, they shaped the direction of Zappa's music so forcefully that one critic interviewed here opines, with some justification, that Zappa spent the rest of his musical career essentially rewriting and rerecording those early records. His music may have gotten more intricate, the technology more sophisticated, and his collaborators more accomplished, but in many ways he was never really able to improve on the ideas he pioneered in the '60s.

If all this DVD did was discuss those records, it would at least be worth a look. Most Zappa biographies put more emphasis on his commercially successful '70s records (particularly 1973's Over-Nite Sensation and 1974's '(Apostrophe)) while shortchanging this key period in his career. What makes this DVD so valuable is that it contains some amazing performance footage of the original Mothers performing music from this period. There are clips taken from Zappa's film Uncle Meat, clips of the original Mothers in New York in 1968, and even footage from a disastrous show in Germany in 1969 where members of the Weathermen attempted to start a riot when Zappa refused to champion their methods. Though, sadly, no song is included in its entirety, there's enough from each performance to get a very good idea of what it was like to attend an original Mothers concert of the era.

The interviews and narrative are also handled well. Original Mothers Jimmy Carl Black, Bunk Gardner, Don Preston, and Art Tripp all have some incredibly interesting stories about the founding of the Mothers and their life recording and touring. Several critics discuss the albums the band released during this period, and it's fascinating to see the differing perspectives, with some openly disdaining the more experimental music on these albums (such as "The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny" from We're Only In It for the Money) in favor of the more straightforward songs. This is one way in which this DVD being unauthorized actually benefits: there's no approved viewpoint on Zappa's music, and no effort to label everything as equally good. Another significant difference is that Zappa doesn't always come off well. Although the surviving Mothers give Zappa his due as a composer and bandleader, they don't always have complimentary things to say about his management of the band. Zappa's decision in 1970 to disband the original Mothers and go it alone is a particular bone of contention. Because it's impossible to get Zappa's perspective today (he died in 1993), it may be tempting to dismiss their complaints, but they don't come off as bitter or greedy, just disappointed. All of this is told in a well-written account that is dense with information yet so easy to follow that even viewers who are not overly familiar with Zappa's music will find it absorbing.

It also helps immeasurably that the DVD's producers decided to license so much of Zappa's music. It's hard to overstate how useful this is. In most unauthorized DVDs, when people discuss a particular song, viewers are forced to recall it from memory, if they're familiar with it. Here, the specific passage or piece is immediately available so that viewers can judge for themselves what any given interviewee is talking about. The DVD's producers also made a wise decision in licensing additional music from artists like the Jefferson Airplane, the Fugs, and Edgar Varese. These songs help put Zappa's music in the historical and artistic context it deserves.

Technically, the DVD is decent. The 4:3 full-screen transfer and PCM stereo mix are both decent, getting the job done adequately, even if some of the archival footage is less than great. The only extra of note, apart from some text bios, are some ten minutes of extended interviews which add a few minor tidbits but are otherwise not essential. The main feature is so comprehensive that it's hard to imagine what could be missing.

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in the 1960s is an absolute must for anyone, newcomer or longtime fan, who has any interest in Zappa's music. It's not absolutely free, but it is absolutely not guilty.

[rcarlberg]

I'm assuming any music licensing had to go through Gail so maybe she's lightened up a bit and is now okay with letting material be released that doesn't paint her late husband as some kind of god.

[Blah_Blah_Woof_Woof]

The 'first six' are where it's at, baby!

[chalkpie]

The 'first six' are where it's at, baby!

So are the "last" 6:

YCDTOSA Vol. 4
YCDOSTA Vol. 5
YCDTOSA Vol. 6
Playground Pyschotics
Ahead of their Time
The Yellow Shark
(+ Civilization Phaze III)

[jupiter0rjapan]

I watched it again to get a fresh take, as it has been a little while since I have seen it. Jimmy Carl Black is my favorite thing about it, and I understand why he was so upset at the end of things.

Both Jimmy Carl Black and that bozo the clown looking record reviewer said that the original Mothers of Invention were the best group FZ ever played with, and had the best material. I know it is a matter of opinion, but as groundbreaking as some of the stuff was, it pales in comparison to later works and later line-ups. You mean to tell me that Freak Out-Uncle Meat is the best material and the best band compared to any other? Not by a long shot! Now I rate some post M.O.I. material as sub-par in comparison, but very little of it. As far as the strength and tightness of the musicians, I can't think of one that would fall below the standard of the Mothers. Sorry, but those guys are just flat-out smoked by the bands that followed. Jimmy was a hell of a drummer, but he is biased, of course. The bozo dude is just smoking crack.

[Watanabe]

I watched it again to get a fresh take, as it has been a little while since I have seen it. Jimmy Carl Black is my favorite thing about it, and I understand why he was so upset at the end of things.

Both Jimmy Carl Black and that bozo the clown looking record reviewer said that the original Mothers of Invention were the best group FZ ever played with, and had the best material. I know it is a matter of opinion, but as groundbreaking as some of the stuff was, it pales in comparison to later works and later line-ups. You mean to tell me that Freak Out-Uncle Meat is the best material and the best band compared to any other? Not by a long shot! Now I rate some post M.O.I. material as sub-par in comparison, but very little of it. As far as the strength and tightness of the musicians, I can't think of one that would fall below the standard of the Mothers. Sorry, but those guys are just flat-out smoked by the bands that followed. Jimmy was a hell of a drummer, but he is biased, of course. The bozo dude is just smoking crack.

From a "chops of the individual players" perspective it would be the late 70s and 80s lineups that would come out on top, but i'm kind of sympathetic to the view of the mothers era being the best.All in all i dig nearly everything up to One size fits all(other than most of the live flo and eddie stuff), then have always felt the strength of the material dropped off a cliff.

[Mister Triscuits]

I'm assuming any music licensing had to go through Gail so maybe she's lightened up a bit and is now okay with letting material be released that doesn't paint her late husband as some kind of god.

My understanding, which may be totally wrong, is that this company's videos are 100% unauthorized, and they use only enough of the music clips as they can get away with under the fair use provision for "educational purposes."

[jupiter0rjapan]

From a "chops of the individual players" perspective it would be the late 70s and 80s lineups that would come out on top, but i'm kind of sympathetic to the view of the mothers era being the best.All in all i dig nearly everything up to One size fits all(other than most of the live flo and eddie stuff), then have always felt the strength of the material dropped off a cliff.

I strongly disagree. The Original Mothers albums have a few good songs per album, and a lot of racket. I don't mind experimental music, but a lot of the stuff just sounds aimless to me. The stuff that followed gets stronger and stronger. Hot Rats is the first Zappa album that I can enjoy front to back. I think that is when he found his footing as a writer and a guitar player, and he only got better after that give or take a few missteps.

[Blah_Blah_Woof_Woof]

Mothers in the 60's is the real Zappa for me. I played OS and OSFA to DEATH and saw those bands a few times- It was a lot of fun but not as significant. Beyond those I lost serious interest except for his mostly-instrumental work; the only things that I kept- Waka, Wazoo, Shut Up, Jazz, Francisco Zappa, and Orchestral Works . Can't Do That On Stage- I kept one of them plus a promo sampler. Even Yellow Shark and Civilization Phaze III were hard to penetrate for me.

What one called 'racket' I call 'ugly beauty.'

[Firth]

I strongly disagree. The Original Mothers albums have a few good songs per album, and a lot of racket. I don't mind experimental music, but a lot of the stuff just sounds aimless to me. The stuff that followed gets stronger and stronger. Hot Rats is the first Zappa album that I can enjoy front to back. I think that is when he found his footing as a writer and a guitar player, and he only got better after that give or take a few missteps.

You mean like RIO

[zombywoof]

1968-75 Zappa is where it's at for me. For studio work, the incredible quality of the first few MOI studio albums is legendary. Aside from Waka and Wazoo, the strength of the 72-75 era is in the live groups IMO (the original MOI wasn't that great live, at least not compared to the Duke / Nappy / Ruth era band). Post 75 is spotty, with some highlights here and there (Bongo Fury, Zoot Allures, Joe's Garage, Drowning Witch), but Frank's apparent disinterest in the rock band was really starting to become an issue. By 1984, his shows were pretty much all novelty songs and very little guitar playing; how disappointing. At least things got better by the 1988 tour (his second best touring lineup next to the Roxy group).

[mogrooves]

1968-75 Zappa is where it's at for me.

1966-1972 for me, omitting Lumpy Gravy, Cruisin', 200 Motels, and Just Another Band.