December 23, 2014 Playlist

Happy Zappa Day!
Frank Vincent Zappa (1940-1993)
The "modern day composer" was born Dec 21st, 1940
 
"We're Only In It For The Money" by The Mothers Of Invention (1968)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
The Mothers Of Invention  "We're Only In It For The Money"  1968 (USA)
Happy Zappa Day! December 21 would have been the modern day composer's 74th birthday, so this year our Z-Day classic album is one of Zappa's masterpieces. A minor hit upon it's release in 1968 (reaching #30 on the album charts, the highest showing for any of the original Mothers albums), Money has always been primarily characterized as a satire of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album and the counterculture more generally. While it is both those things - the intended original album cover is a straight-up parody of Pepper but it was moved to the inside gatefold and the band photo (with the group in dresses) went on the cover instead --  it is also much more than that. Thematically, while it does poke a lot of fun at the expense of hippies, it also takes shots at the "straight culture" -- the "parody" reading misses this  because straight-bashing songs like "Mom And Dad" (arguably the most emotional song in Zappa's entire discography) and the closing instrumental "The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny" are not funny at all, but quite serious. Musically, this album is actually far more advanced than the Beatle record it is compared to, consisting of about 20 short songs with connecting themes stitched into a suite on each side of the album (proto-prog style) -- while Pepper is really just a dozen separate songs with segues between the tracks.
(N) = New Release
Artist Song Album Year (label) Country
Bill Frisell Turn Turn Turn (trad./Pete Seeger/The Byrds)Guitar In The Space Age! (N)2014 (Okeh)USA
The Bombay Royale Tere BinaThe Island Of Dr. Electrico (N)2014 (HopeStreet)Australia/India
Cem Karaca Namus BelasiNem Kaldi? (N)1975 (2014 Pharaway Sounds)Turkey
The Budos Band Tomahawk
Burnt Offering (N)2014 (Daptone)USA
Laetitia Sadier Echo PortSomething Shines (N)2014 (Drag City)France
 
  
The Growlers Chinese FountainChinese Fountain (N)2014 (Everloving)USA
Scott Walker'Til The Band Comes In'Til The Band Comes In 1970
USA/UK
Scott Walker & Sunn O))) LullabySoused (N)2014 (4AD)USA/UK
 
  
Patrick GleesonStar Wars (Luke's Theme) (John Williams)Patrick Gleeson's Star Wars 1977
USA
Rotary ConnectionSilent Night (trad.)Peace 1968
USA
James BrownLet's Unite The Whole World At Christmas TimeSoulful Christmas1968
USA
 
  
The Mothers Of InventionNasal Retentive Calliope Music
   / Let's Make The Water Turn Black
   / The Idiot Bastard Son
   / Lonely Little Girl
   / Take Your Clothes Of When You Dance
   / What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? (reprise)
   / Mother People		We're Only In It For The Money
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK 		1968
USA
The Mothers Of InventionUncle Bernie's FarmAbsolutely Free 1967
USA
The Fraternity Of Man
(with Elliot Ingber from the Mothers) 		Oh No I Don't Believe It (Frank Zappa)
 		The Fraternity Of Man 1968
USA
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band
 		Sun Zoom SparkClear Spot 1972
USA
 
  
Ariel Pink Sexual Athletics
   / Jell-O
   / Black Ballerina		Pom Pom (N)2014 (4AD)USA
Deerhoof Paradise GirlsLa Isla Bonita (N)2014 (Polyvinyl)USA/Japan
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Am I In Heaven?I'm In Your Mind Fuzz (N)2014 (Castleface)Australia
 
  
The Nels Cline Singers Hairy MotherMacroscope (N)2014 (Cryptogrammophone)USA
Stephen Malkmus & The JicksHopscotch WillieReal Emotional Trash2008
USA
5-Track Speaking Through YouElectrostagmalites & Leafy Transmissions (N)2014 (Cosmic Primitive)USA
Guru Guru
Chicken Rock
 		Mani Und Seine Freunde
1975
Germany
Charlies Don't Catch A ColdMusiikkia Elokuvasta Julisteiden Liimaajat (N - reissue)1970 (2014 Light In The Attic)Finland
 
  
Christmas
Just Suppose
 		Christmas 1970
Canada
The Guess Who
Friends Of Mine
 		Wheatfield Soul1969
Canada
Babe Ruth
King Kong (Frank Zappa)
 		First Base
1973
UK
 
 
James BrownChristmas Is LoveHey America1970
USA
                 
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