We're Only in It for the Money

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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Steve Huey
From the beginning, Frank Zappa cultivated a role as voice of the freaks -- imaginative outsiders who didn't fit comfortably into any group. We're Only in It for the Money is the ultimate expression of that sensibility, a satirical masterpiece that simultaneously skewered the hippies and the straights as prisoners of the same narrow-minded, superficial phoniness. Zappa's barbs were vicious and perceptive, and not just humorously so: his seemingly paranoid vision of authoritarian violence against the counterculture was borne out two years later by the Kent State killings. Like Freak Out, We're Only in It for the Money essentially devotes its first half to satire, and its ...
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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Steve Huey
From the beginning, Frank Zappa cultivated a role as voice of the freaks -- imaginative outsiders who didn't fit comfortably into any group. We're Only in It for the Money is the ultimate expression of that sensibility, a satirical masterpiece that simultaneously skewered the hippies and the straights as prisoners of the same narrow-minded, superficial phoniness. Zappa's barbs were vicious and perceptive, and not just humorously so: his seemingly paranoid vision of authoritarian violence against the counterculture was borne out two years later by the Kent State killings. Like Freak Out, We're Only in It for the Money essentially devotes its first half to satire, and its second half to presenting alternatives. Despite some specific references, the first-half suite is still wickedly funny, since its targets remain immediately recognizable. The second half shows where his sympathies lie, with character sketches of Zappa's real-life freak acquaintances, a carefree utopia in "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance," and the strident, unironic protest "Mother People." Regardless of how dark the subject matter, there's a pervasively surreal, whimsical flavor to the music, sort of like Sgt. Pepper as a creepy nightmare. Some of the instruments and most of the vocals have been manipulated to produce odd textures and cartoonish voices; most songs are abbreviated, segue into others through edited snippets of music and dialogue, or are broken into fragments by more snippets, consistently interrupting the album's continuity. Compositionally, though, the music reveals itself as exceptionally strong, and Zappa's politics and satirical instinct have rarely been so focused and relevant, making We're Only in It for the Money quite probably his greatest achievement. [Rykodisc's 1987 reissue restored passages censored on the LP, but included re-recorded rhythm tracks and sounded quite different. Their 1995 re-reissue contained both the original music and content edits.]
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 7/31/2012
  • Label: Zappa Records
  • UPC: 824302383728
  • Catalog Number: 3837
  • Sales rank: 35,150

Album Credits

Performance Credits
The Mothers of Invention Primary Artist
Frank Zappa Indexed Contributor, Conductor
Jimmy Carl Black Trumpet, Drums, Vocals
Roy Estrada Electric Bass, Vocals
Bunk Gardner Woodwind
Billy Mundi Drums, Vocals
Ian Underwood Piano, Woodwind
Euclid James Sherwood Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone
Technical Credits
Frank Zappa Arranger, Composer, Producer, Orchestration, Concept, Execution
Dick Kunc Engineer, Remixing
Cal Schenkel Artwork
Tom Wilson Executive Producer
Gary Kellgren Engineer
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