THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION: CRUISING WITH RUBEN & THE JETS

1.7/5.0 Yet another satire from Frank Zappa. Now it's a Doo Wop parody... Absolutely nothing really progressive there. That said, it's not a bad album, but it's more of a joke than anything else. I'd probably give a lower rating if I wasn't convinced that is must be great in a funny way. It's difficult to rate a Zappa album, even more when you're guessing "is he joking or is this real?". Well, don't waste your money on this one if you are new to Zappa. Try to get his other albums first.1.7/5.0

Cruising with Ruben & The Jets is a very different Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention album. Released in 1968 the same year as the groundbreaking We´re Only in It for the Money you should expect more of the same from The Mothers of Invention. If this was your expectation you would be fooled though, as Cruising With Ruben & The Jets are The Mothers of Invention playing fifties Doo Woop and R´n´B. Some fans were probably pretty upset with this album, but seeing this in retrospect I think it´s a brilliant idea. Zappa always did what he felt for in the moment. On the first couple of Mothers of Invention albums you could also clearly hear the influence from the fifties Doo Woop and R´n´B scene, but the style was mixed with more regular sixties rock, blues and avant garde moments. Here there are only Doo Woop and R´n´B songs.

There are a couple of songs from The Mothers Of Invention´s debut album Freak Out which they have re-arranged and re-recorded, but the rest are new songs. There isn´t much to say about the structure of the songs or their innovative nature because the songs are very simple as it generally is in this style. It´s all done with the classic Zappa gleam in the eye though and you sense a certain humour involved. Songs like Cheap Thrills, Jerry Roll Gum Drop and especially the hilarious lyrics to Stuff Up the Cracks are good examples of this.

The instrumentation is very simple and the vocalists steal the picture here. Frank Zappa with his deep bass vocals, Roy Estrada with his high pitched voice and especially Ray Collins with his smooth and pleasant voice.

This is one of the Zappa albums you got to have on LP as the CD version has re-recorded drums done by Chad Wackermann in the eighties. Even though this was Zappa´s wish it´s a horror, so go find the original LP at any cost, don´t waste your money on the CD version. The sound quality on the original LP is good. A typical Zappa production.

This might not be one of my favorite Zappa albums but I think it is enjoyable and allthough not very proggy this deserves 3 stars in my book.

In Cruising with Ruben and the Jets , Zappa wanted to tribute all those doo wop and R n' b groups he was a fan in the 50's. This is a parody album and it has no progressive content at all , but it's good to listen once in a while. The melodies are addictive and the vocals hilarious , typical Zappa humour.

Some of the tunes on the album are re works of Freak Out songs such as Love of My Life , How could I be such a fool , Any way the wind blows and other numbers. It's funny to listen to the contrast between Roy Estrada's vocals and Frank's low pitched ones that often are used as a chorus like in Love of My Life.

Some reviewers have complained about the fact that the drum tracks were re recorded in the 80's for the cd version. But I don't own the LP so I can't make a fair comparation. Overall , this release may be fun to listen a couple of times but I don't think it will be worthy of your money. You should get some serious Zappa records instead.

2.5 stars

Frank Zappa's curious retro-rock album was an oddity even for such a famously idiosyncratic talent. It was originally released in 1968, but looked back almost a decade earlier to an already outdated style of popular music, long out of fashion at the politically charged end of the swinging '60s.

In retrospect the album offers a revealing glimpse of Zappa's doo-wop adolescence, always at the core of even his most subversive musical experiments. Remove the Dada cutups, the juvenile humor, the biting social commentary, and the screaming guitar solos, and this might be the skeleton left behind: rock 'n' roll from an earlier, more innocent age, the perfect soundtrack to a high school sock hop, or for necking in the back seat of your Dad's Chevy.

It's easy to see why Zappa would be drawn to such simple sentiments (first love, first heartbreak), besides the obvious nostalgia value to someone who came of age in Southern California during the late 1950s. The music evokes a return to an uncorrupted Golden Age of Rock, before it became part of a tightly controlled consumer industry (and before the industry became a thorn in the side of such a creative nonconformist).

But listen closer, and you might hear something more than just an affectionate parody or a tongue-n-cheek tribute (take your pick). The relentless, unvarying grove of "Cheap Thrills" (continuing even into the fadeout) combines pure pop nostalgia with a repetitive minimalism worthy of John Cage. And the song "No.No.No." includes some convoluted vocal harmonies not far removed from a GENTLE GIANT madrigal.

In short, all fun stuff, but played seriously...or maybe it's the other way around? Only the cartoon cover art hints at the rock 'n' roll mockery more typical of the Mothers of Invention.

A final note: what might seem like a stingy two-star rating is hardly a measure of the album's quality, but merely an acknowledgement that it would only make sense to an already confirmed Frank Zappa aficionado. Join the Club, and hear what you've been missing.

In a move that I'm betting Frank had fully planned out even before the band began recording Freak Out!, Cruising with Ruben & The Jets is The Mothers pulling a practical joke on the world by doing what seems to be a straight-up, completely earnest 50's-rock and doo-wop tribute album. Sure, the band had done doo-wop before, but where the doo-wop on Freak Out! had all sorts of bizarre tweaks that made it anything but conventional, Cruising doesn't have any overtly obvious signs of parody. If you didn't know who recorded this, or if your first exposure to the image of Frank Zappa was the picture on the back of the CD reissue (which, for those who are familiar with Frank, is absolutely freaking hilarious), I'm pretty willing to bet you wouldn't be able to tell that this was recorded by one of the most avant-garde collections of musicians in the history of rock music. My goodness, they even re-recorded four of the Freak Out! songs in the form of completely normal doo-wop tracks, and they blend in so well here with the other numbers that I had to check back at the Freak Out! tracklisting the first couple of times I listened to this to remember which ones were the ones taken from there.

So, ok, it's a pretty funny joke on an overall level, but the most important question is whether or not the album itself is enjoyable to listen to. The answer is ... sorta yes. The most important matter along these lines is the fact that the band members (ok, maybe just Frank, I don't actually know how the other people in the group felt about this joke) didn't actually try to create an "enjoyable" (in the proper sense of the word) listening experience with this album (which he refers to, in the liner notes no less, as "an album of greasy love songs and cretin simplicity"). While it is true that Frank grew up largely loving doo-wop, he also loved it despite a perfect awareness of the limitations and ridiculousnesses of the genre, and he sure doesn't try to write around those traits here. Hence, some of the tracks just can't help but be completely unlistenable even after the nature of the joke has been taken into consideration, at least not if you've been weaned primarily on post-50's music.

On the other hand, though, some of the cariactures within these songs are really truly funny, and they help boost this album's rating a long way. Am I the only person who finds the concept of a 50's pop song about "cheap thrills in the back of my car" hilarious? Or who nearly falls over laughing at the sound of Frank's low-pitched backing vocals in "Later That Night?" Or who can barely contain himself when hearing some of the ridiculous spoken monologues on here? The point is, there are a lot of little points within these songs that manage to give the album much more replay value than it theoretically should have. Heck, the closing number goes out with a completely incongruous (and great) Zappa guitar solo, and that's not something you'll find on most 50's tribute albums.

Still, this is an album where you need the full context of Zappa's early career to properly appreciate it. This isn't a bad album by any means, but when you're building a Mothers of Invention collection, this should definitely be your last stop.

Fifth (I think) album from frank's Mothers, this album is somewhat poorer than most its predecessors, mainly because it seems obsessed with the 50's early rock and doo-wop music. This was and will be always a staple of Frank's works, but here it's a little over the top, as the title of the album indicates. Of course, Zappa's core of his sardonic and caustic humour is hidden in those Doo-wop songs, but the whole point is that generally the humour (not necessarily filled with finesse) quickly wears off after a few listens! In most of Zappa's works, this isn't that dramatic, because the music is deep in surprises and starts unravelling its secrets and mysteries by the time the humour is irritating, but in "Cruising With?", it simply isn't the case, cos the music lacks the usual depth, and the Doo-wop and 50's feel is simply constant, unrelenting and downright wearisome (if it was soporific, I wouldn't complain this much ;o))))) This doesn't mean that all is bad in this album, because the vocals are extremely well carried out, sometimes complex ala Gentle Giant, but this is not enough for progheads to get interested in it until he/she has gotten to the completionist stage. Best avoided, at least in the early stages of your Zappa-ian investigations.

I understand that Frank Zappa loved doo-wop music. He certainly had enough doo-wop tracks on his regular albums. But to create an entire album of the music? I'm not sure it was a good idea. And I know Zappa claimed that this was a sincere tribute to the music he loved, but far too often, there seems to be a sneer or snicker behind the vocals. I wonder if The Mothers were editorializing and Frank didn't notice.

Four of the tracks, How Could Be Such A Fool, I'm Not Satisfied, You Didn't Try To Call me, and Any Way The Wind Blows were originally on the first LP of "Freak Out", and all sounded better there. How Could I Be Such A Fool fares the worst, as the original waltz tempo has been rearranged into an awkward 4/4.

There are some cool FZ guitar solos, but the prog rating on this album os absolutely zero.

As he did on the CD pairing "We're Only In It For The Money" and "Lumpy Gravy", Frank, for some reason thought it was a good idea to re-record the drums and bass for the original Ryko CD release (except for Stuff Up The Cracks, who knows why?). Because the album does not have the historical importance that the others did, it's not the abomination that it was on "Money" and "Gravy". So I would give the same rating to either release.

No one can accuse Maestro Zappa and The Mothers of Invention of being afraid to try ANYTHING, because Cruising with Ruben and the Jets is an album of 50's Doo-Wop styled pieces, all original compositions by Zappa with the odd credit going to vocalist Ray Collins. Doo-Wop is NOT Prog (duh), but that's not to degrade this release ; I don't think Zappa and his Mothers intended to set the world ablaze with this project, or to 'get their cruddy music on the radio' (as the voice-bubble states on the amusing cover) . It's definately a well done excercise in reverence to a musical style the boys in the band grew up with and genuinely enjoyed. The melodies are infectious, the vocal arrangements are faithful, even a tad humourous, given the heavy emphasis on falsettos and the backing, low register dooby-doo's (courtesy of Frank) and occasional tweaking of pitch, exemplified by the opening cut 'Cheap Thrills'. The 'redundant piano triplets' are so catchy and effective, Roy Estrada's bass has this twangy edge to it - so 50's really. I truly love this work by the band, even if it was retro already in 1968. Top marks go to 'Deseri' (Collins' voice is superb along with the simple but effective melody), although 'Love of my Life', 'How Could I Be Such A Fool', 'I'm Not Satisfied', 'Later That Night' and 'Fountain of Love' are all really, really good too. Album closer, 'Stuff Up The Cracks' features a cool, wah-wah guitar solo from the man, which stands out from all the other guitar parts on the album. Push this one to 3 and a half stars.

The followup to We're Only In It For the Money is likely to only be of interest to those who particularly like doo-wop music in general, or at least are sufficiently fond of the Mothers' occasional experiments with it (as seen on a few songs on Freak Out!, Uncle Meat and Burnt Weeny Sandwich) to want a whole album in the same vein.

The joke surrounding the album (which might or might not have a grain of truth to it) was that the Mothers, sick of their lack of commercial success, were having a stab at doing something radio friendly. Whilst Zappa's experimental edge is still present - there's a few very subtle Stravinsky references here and there in the music - by and large they attempt to play it straight. But there are cracks in the facade here and there; a cynical sneer occasionally creeps into the vocals, and the lyrics to I'm Not Satisfied could be about a band's irritation at the fickle record-buying public rather than being addressed from a boy to a girl.

To be honest, I'm not sure this particular experiment works. The thing about this sort of cheesy doo-wop music is that it requires a certain sincerity to work; if the performers really believe in the song and get into it, it can be extremely emotionally powerful (as the Mothers had successfully demonstrated on other occasions, such as the unexpectedly beautiful cover of Valerie on Burnt Weeny Sandwich). But if you don't have that sincerity behind the music it just ends up as soulless pop. I'm not sorry to have Cruising with Ruben and the Jets around to listen to now and again but I'd never get into it to the extent I would any of the other Zappa albums and I think its deliberate shallowness and lack of sincerity hampers it from really being the effective doo-wop tribute it wants to be. Still, I have to admit that Cheap Thrills is one hell of a catchy tune.

The version to get, unless you have a vinyl issue with the original mix, is the one on the Greasy Love Songs compilation, which is the only time the original mix got released on CD. All CD issues under the album's original name had a remix which to my ears doesn't do the songs any favours, adding a certain confrontational atmosphere which adds to the sense the band are sneering at their own material rather than being sincere about it.

Believe it or not, this is a concept album. Frank Zappa created the fictional band....the band consisted of a bunch of teenagers that an old man (Uncle Meat) turned into "dog snout" people under the lead of singer Ruben Sano. The album itself belongs to the "No Commercial Potential" project. The other albums that belong to that project are "We're Only in it For the Money", the revised version of "Lumpy Gravy" and "Uncle Meat". FZ said that the song order from these 4 albums could be cut apart with a razor blade and reassembled in any order and it would still make one piece of music that you could listen to and then cut them apart again and assemble them in another order and still listen to it.

This is Frank Zappa's funny yet loving tribute to the 50s style doo wop the he loved so much. Yes he loved it. This album has both new and re-vamped songs on it, all written in the doo-wop style. There is no prog here, but out of all the FZ doo-wop collections, this one is the best, so in a way it is essential if you want to understand and appreciate the artist. FZ always did what he wanted, even though most of the time, he wanted to be recognized for his serious jazz/classical music, and he used popular music to get more people to listen to his serious music.

On the surface, the music here sounds really simple. Apparently, it was a really easy album to record. However, FZ still adds some strange harmonies, some winks to one of his favorite composers, Igor Stravinski. There are some odd key changes throughout the album and even a few weird meter changes. That was FZ adding his touch so that listeners that were listening would know that it really was him. But for the most part, don't expect to find much other than doo wop music, somewhat enjoyable and entertaining for the most part. No guitar solos here except for on the last track, and it is kind of out of place, but still good. Some of the songs are better than others, but on the whole, it's a fun record and a novelty to own the vinyl.

Strangely enough, a 2nd Ruben and the Jets album was recorded by an actual band by the same name. The album name was "For Real" and it was produced by none other than Frank Zappa. Good luck finding that one. Nothing prog here, but essential for those interested in FZ, so I'll call it a 3 star album.

This early Zappa release, performed entirely in the doo-wop style, and almost entirely with a straight-face, is to me sort of from the Island of Misfit records. There's a lot of Zappa style to enjoy here, but I found myself waiting for the punch- line. Frank himself utilized this style sprinkled throughout his library, but always in snippets and with a wry or biting tone. Cruising With Ruben doesn't have that acerbic humor which I really dug in other releases from this time period. If you're going in to this one blind, be prepared for thirteen tunes that aren't quite doo-wop, and aren't quite fully "Zappa-esque." If you're like me you'll be scratching your head a bit, even if you kinda sorta like what you hear. If Zappa were reading this he'd probably encourage me to listen more deeply (and then flip me off or call me a product of the pretentious anglo-centric prog-rock movement), but the fact remains that Cruising With Ruben strikes me as a tertiary album in Zappa's lineup, to be enjoyed in sessions well after you've spun the man's key albums first. Good for fans, not for starters.

Songwriting: 2 - Instrumental Performances: 2 - Lyrics/Vocals: 2 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 3

The year 1968 was a pivotal year in American history as the USA was shaken to its core with assassinations, riots and political scandals but on the positive side the world got three albums in this calendar year from FRANK ZAPPA AND THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION! That's right, FZ & his boyz in this year began releasing at least two albums a year with a whopping three coming out in 1968. This came about from what was a project called "No Commercial Potential" which produced enough material for four albums. The first released was "Lumpy Gravy" which technically emerged in 67 but for most it was delayed until early 68 followed by "We're Only In It For The Money" followed by this experimental pop and doo-wop soaked release CRUISING WITH RUBEN & THE JETS. The fourth, "Uncle Meat" wouldn't come out until 1969.

While the other three albums were exercises in avant-guard experimentalism laced with political protest and societal satire, CRUISING WITH RUBEN & THE JETS was the oddball of the pack and looked back to the previous decade and served more as a tribute album to the R&B, soul and doo-wop sounds that kept malt shops in America the coolest hippest places of the era. Believe it or not, this album is a concept album that deals with a fictitious Chicano doo-wop band called, you guessed it - RUBEN & THE JETS! However if you're like me you own this and have it sit and the shelf and haven't listened to it enough to figure that out! Inspired by artists like the Four Aces, the Four Freshmen, Frankie Lane, Frank Sinatra and Jesse Baldwin, this is one of those albums that an artist just has to get out of his system before he can move on. Thank the creator that mr ZAPPA did!

After several experimental albums steeped with irreverence towards social norms and pretentious fads, this one seems woefully out of place in the MOTHERS canon as it is the most normal rated G album of the entire ZAPPA universe! There are no digs at power structures, no calling out phony baloney societal nonsense and no freaky sound experiments. None! This is on the other hand a fairly faithful representation of the malt shop music of ZAPPA's youth and honestly not a very good one at that. Ironically radio stations picked up on this one as some sort of long lost doo-wop classic that somehow got overlooked during the 50s and many of the tracks received steady airplay although they were actually referred to as being performed by RUBEN & THE JETS instead of the MOTHERS themselves. ZAPPA sure had a way of playing practical jokes in ways even he couldn't have anticipated!

What we get on this one is basically 13 tracks of doo-wop and 50s soul and R&B with authentic themes and even more convincing sounds however everything is just too faithful to really be of any interest. Another interesting fact is that four years later ZAPPA gave permission for Ruben Guevara to use the name RUBEN & THE JETS for a real band who released two albums. Honestly, if i want to listen to 50s music which i actually do love, i'd rather go straight to the source than hearing THE MOTHERS do a decent but rather unflattering attempt at recreating it. There is nothing inherently bad about this album but seriously if i'm in the mood to hear malt shop music than i'll throw on some Coasters, Flamingos or perhaps Frankie Valli! Grease is the word ya know ;)