FRANK ZAPPA — Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (The Mothers Of Invention) (review)

FRANK ZAPPA — Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (The Mothers Of Invention) album cover Album · 1968 · RnB Buy this album from MMA partners
1.5/5 ·
Warthur
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. One and a half stars.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

String Quartet #1 Third Stream
JOEL HARRISON
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Middle of Everywhere : Guitar Solos Vol. I Jazz Related Improv/Composition
10000 VARIOUS ARTISTS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Spell Is Broken Post Bop
HANS LUCHS
Buy this album from MMA partners
La Grande Odyssée Third Stream
THE WATERCOLORS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Port’Inglês World Fusion
CARMEN SOUZA
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

No More X
SIMÓN WILLSON
js· 8 hours ago
Dance of the Cranes
THE WATERCOLORS
js· 8 hours ago
Daniel Villarreal featuring Jeff Parker and Anna Butterss - Lados B (Full Album)
DANIEL VILLARREAL
js· 8 hours ago
Badju Mandadu
CARMEN SOUZA
js· 19 hours ago
Lizards in the Reeds
TAMANDUA
js· 19 hours ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed