Mothermania

Mothermania
Greatest hits album by The Mothers of Invention
Released	March 24, 1969
Recorded	1966—1968
Genre	Experimental rock, progressive rock
Length	40:34
Label	Verve/Bizarre
Producer	Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa chronology
Uncle Meat (1969) Mothermania (1969) Hot Rats (1969)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Mothermania (1969), subtitled The Best of the Mothers, is a compilation album by The Mothers of Invention, led by Frank Zappa. It contains tracks personally chosen by Zappa (it is the only Mothers compilation authorized by him) that were previously released on Freak Out!, Absolutely Free and We're Only in It for the Money. Certain tracks on this release are in unique mixes or edits done specifically for this compilation. This was the final Zappa/Mothers album issued on Verve/MGM Records as Zappa had already moved over to Reprise Records.

Mothermania has never been officially released on compact disc.^[2] In 2009, the compilation was officially reissued as a digital download.^[3]

Track listing

All songs by Frank Zappa.

Side one

1. "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" – 7:26
2. "Mother People" – 1:41
3. "Duke of Prunes" – 5:09
4. "Call Any Vegetable" – 4:31
5. "The Idiot Bastard Son" – 2:26

The track 'Call Any Vegetable' consists of the take from Absolutely Free, 'Soft-Sell Conclusion' from the same album, and some filling material. "The Idiot Bastard Son" is a very different version than the one on "We're Only in it for the Money".

Side two

1. "It Can't Happen Here" – 3:13
2. "You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here" – 3:37
3. "Who Are The Brain Police?" – 3:22
4. "Plastic People" – 3:40
5. "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" – 3:27
6. "America Drinks and Goes Home" – 2:43

'It Can't Happen Here' is a different edit than on the Freak Out! album; this version also appears on The MOFO Project/Object.

Personnel

• Frank Zappa – guitar, conductor, piano, vocals
• Jimmy Carl Black – percussion, drums
• Roy Estrada – bass, vocals
• Bunk Gardner – wind
• Don Preston – bass, keyboards
• Euclid James Sherwood – guitar, vocals, wind
• Arthur Tripp
• Ian Underwood

(Note: On the album cover it indicates that these are the "Mothers Today")

Production

• Producers: Frank Zappa, Tom Wilson
• Director of engineering: Val Valentine
• Engineer: Ami Hadani, Tom Hidley, Gary Kelgren and Dick Kunc.
• Arranger: Frank Zappa
• Cover design: Cal Schenkel

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ "Release info for Mothermania". The Zappa Patio. http://www.lukpac.org/~handmade/patio/vinylvscds/mothermania.html. Retrieved 2009-05-17. 
3. ^ "Product information for Mothermania". Barfko-Swill. http://barfkoswill.shop.musictoday.com/Dept.aspx?cp=971_9233. Retrieved 2009-05-17.