Frank Zappa - Cruising with Ruben & The Jets
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Free Music Notes for Cruising with Ruben & The Jets
Free Music Review: In 65', this 50's album was ahead of it's time
Hit: 4 Stars
Could this be a collection of 50's rock and Doo-wop favorites? The Dixie Cups, Shirelles, Bobby Darin, Gene Chandler, Five Satins, Chordettes, Little Anthony, you can sense all these influnces on this CD. Although "FZ" is on the label, don't expect vintage Mothers or ripping FZ satire. This has to be a tribute to the music that spiked the hormones of a youth in the 50's and "chezzy teenage love".I first heard this album after long exposure to the zany antics found in the likes of "Apostrophe", "Roxy" and the "Flo & Eddie" albums. Then reverting to the early Mother's music that passed me by, "Rubin" was like a brick wall. Where did this come from? This ain't Mothers (ala' FZ). A couple of listenings and it was gathering dust. However as I approached 40 and became nostalgic for the "good old days", the dust was blown away (actually replaced with the CD) and it got (and continues to get) regular airplay.
Yes, some tunes are flavored with his cretinous lyrics but still this is really a good collection of "50's tunes no one has ever heard". Hardcore FZ fans will love it for what it is (historical value if nothing else). Pedestrian FZ fans may have a hard time warming up to it. But if your a Doo-wap/50's rock fan (you don't even have to like FZ) or your looking for a source of cover tunes for that "old timers" band you've been thinking of starting up, this is the CD for you.
Free Music Review: charming singalong oddity
Hit: 4 Stars
Whilst this is most likely the least necessary of the 60s Zappa output, & that's only because everything else is utterly astounding, unprecedented & legendary, Ruben is a very fulfilling bit of music. People forget that FZ could write a very good pops song when he wanted, & most of these are great, he even lets go of the ginormous ego for a minute & 2 tunes penned [or co-penned] by Ray Collins are here, Deseri & Anything, the latter of which really could fool the listener into thinking it's not the Mothers in disguise. 4 of the tunes here are recycled from FREAK OUT!, I'm Not Satisified which was a stomping garage depression type tune becomes a gloriously miserable [yes] piece of falsetto doowop delight. You Didn't Try To Call Me is perfect. The other 2 don't fare so well. Of the other tunes, definite highlights are Jelly Roll Gum Drop, & the exaggeratedly suicidal finale Stuff Up the Cracks. "No. No. No." is probably the most strange & avant-garde tune of the album. The 2 tunes that open it up, Cheap thrills & Love of My Life are completely inane but somehow appealing. So basically if you want some unfashionable old folk's boogie, this is the stuff! [if you need more FZ doowop get Burnt Weeny Sandwich for the bookends then be thrilled & overwhelmed by the magnificent instrumental action inbetween & there's several others, some good, some bad]. Of course Cal Schenkel's cover artwork is classic too & the liner notes highly amusing.Free Music Review: Excellent and underrated
Hit: 4 Stars
Like everyone else has pretty much stated, this is one great album so I won't comment on that. The one thing I will mention is that I highly recommend picking up both this version AND the vinyl version. The vinyl version is definitely the superior version to these ears. It has a much more organic feel without all that cheesy reverb that was all the rage in 80's mixes. Sure this cd version sounds more polished but that most definitely does not make it better. The new drums and bass sound very out of place when compared to the age of the recording. Seeing as how the original playing was fine to begin with I just don't understand what FZ was thinking when he snubbed those particular musicians instrument tracks in favor of a new drum and bass sound by newer, different musicians who were just little kids when this was originally recorded.. Yes, of course technology was limited back then but does that mean all albums from that period should be re-recorded just because recording is more technologically advanced now? Like I said, this is still worth owning, BOTH should be owned imo as they are both very different sounding. I personally like to hear the original band playing the original version of this record. As great as they are, I don't want to hear Chad Wackerman or Arthur Barrow playing on an album from 1968. I want to hear Jimmy Carl Black, Arthur Tripp and Roy Estrada, the guys who originally recorded this underrated gem.Free Music Review: Zappa's Doo Wop Album Has 4 Classics....Another FZ Treasure!!
Hit: 4 Stars
Frank Zappa recorded a variety of musical genres throughout his career and Doo Wop was one of them. This album mixes new songs, older songs FZ recorded years before in his earlier bands pre Mothers of Invention and Doo Wop versions of songs previously released on "Freak Out."
I enjoyed practically all of the doo wop versions of the Freak Out songs: "You didn't try to call me", "Anyway the wind blows", and "How could I be such a fool?" but none of these three songs were better than or even as good as the original "Freak Out" versions.
The older songs "Love of my life", "Anything", "Later that night", and "Fountain of love" are slow doo wop melodies that are entertaining for those who like that kind of music.
The 4 classics that make this album are: "Cheap thrills", Deseri", "Jelly roll gum drop", and "No no no". They will put a smile on your face when you are feeling in the worst of moods. Very fast toe-tappers that you'll never forget.
* Ruben Sano's band is "Ruben & The Jets" and one of his 3 dogs is named Benny. Now I wonder where Elton John got the name for his #1 hit single......coincidence? I think not! Is Elton a closet Zappa fan?
All in all, this is a wonderful tribute to Doo Wop that is oozing with pleasant nostalgia.
Free Music Review: Good for those who enjoy doo-wop
Hit: 4 Stars
This is the only Zappa album to concentrate entirely on doo-wop. As he explains in the liner notes, he and the Mothers made this album simply because they liked that style of music (it certainly wasn't fashionable). Of all the records Zappa released in the 60s, this would have to be the least groundbreaking. It doesn't stray from the typical structures of the simple (but catchy) doo-wop idiom. That said, this is a fun album. The tunes are good, the melodies stay in the listener's head (for good or ill), and there's even some of the trademark Zappa sarcasm going around ('Stuff Up the Cracks'). One thing needs to be mentioned: strictly speaking, this is not the same music that was on the original 1968 vinyl release. When Zappa remastered the album in the 80s, he took the liberty of recording new bass and drum tracks as well as a variety of other edits. As a result, some fans consider this CD to be a phony. (The same thing was done to WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY, but that album has since reverted back to its original form). I suppose each potential buyer will have to determine for himself/herself whether this release is heresy or not. It still sounds quite good. If you enjoy the doo-wop numbers on the Mothers' other albums, this could be right up your alley.