''The **** of the Mothers'' is an out-of-print compilation album of early works by

The Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B ban ...

, an American rock band. The album features a

gatefold A gatefold cover or gatefold LP is a form of packaging for LP records that became popular in the mid-1960s. A gatefold cover, when folded, is the same size as a standard LP cover (i.e., a 12½ inch, or 32.7 centimetre square). The larger gatefo ...

featuring some of the contemporary band members such as Ian Underwood,

Art Tripp Arthur Dyer Tripp III (born September 10, 1944) is an American retired musician who is best known for his work as a percussionist with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band during the 1960s and 1970s. ...

, and

Motorhead Sherwood Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood (May 8, 1942 – December 25, 2011) was an American rock musician notable for playing soprano, tenor and baritone saxophone, tambourine, vocals and vocal sound effects in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. He appeare ...

. This was the first of numerous repackaged "Best Of" LPs put out by MGM that were not authorized by

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...

; ''

Mothermania ''Mothermania'' (1969), subtitled ''The Best of the Mothers'', is a compilation album by the Mothers of Invention. While the songs were previously released on ''Freak Out!'', '' Absolutely Free'' and '' We're Only in It for the Money'', it contain ...

'' is the only one that Zappa worked on and approved.

Track listing

Credits

– guitar, conductor, vocals * Jimmy Carl Black – percussion, drums, vocals * Ray Collins – harmonica, cymbals, sound effects, tambourine, vocals, finger cymbals *

Elliot Ingber Elliot Ingber (born August 24, 1941) is an American guitarist. In 1966, he joined Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention and was featured on their debut album ''Freak Out!'' After being fired from the band by Zappa following an incident onstage where h ...

– alternate lead and rhythm guitar *

Roy Estrada Roy Estrada (also known as "Roy Ralph Moleman Guacamole Guadalupe Hidalgo Estrada" and "Orejón"; born April 17, 1943) is an American former musician and convicted sex offender. He is best known for his bass guitar work with Frank Zappa and the ...

– bass, vocals, guitarron, soprano vocals *Gene Estes – percussion *Eugene Di Novi – piano * Neil Le Vang – guitar *John Rotella – clarinet, sax *Kurt Reher – cello *

Raymond Kelley Raymond "Ray" Kelley is an American cellist and record producer. He is one of the cellists on '' The Simpsons: Testify'' and '' Family Guy: Live in Vegas'', and Grammy Award winning ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull'' soundtrack album. Since 1956, ...

– cello *Paul Bergstrom – cello *Emmet Sargeant – cello *Joseph Saxon – cello *Edwin V. Beach – cello *Arthur Maebe – French horn, tuba *George Price – French horn *John Johnson – tuba *

Carol Kaye Carol Kaye (née Smith, born March 24, 1935) is an American musician. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 50 years. Kaye began pla ...

– 12-string guitar *Virgil Evans – trumpet *David Wells – trombone *Kenneth Watson – percussion *

Plas Johnson Plas John Johnson Jr. (born July 21, 1931) is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme". He also performs on alto and baritone sa ...

– sax, flute *

Roy Caton Roy Vernon Caton (January 28, 1927 – July 29, 2010) was an American trumpet player and session musician. Biography Caton was born to Vernon and Eleanor Reed Caton in Frackville, Pennsylvania. At the age of seven, he received a cornet from a fa ...

– copyist *Carl Franzoni – freak *

Vito Vito is an Italian name that is derived from the Latin word "''vita''", meaning " life". It is a modern form of the Latin name Vitus, meaning "life-giver," as in San Vito or Saint Vitus, the patron saint of dogs and a heroic figure in southern ...

– freak *

Kim Fowley Kim Vincent Fowley (July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015) was the American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed The Runaways in the 1970s. He has bee ...

– (featured on hypophone) *Benjamin Barrett – contractor *

David Anderle David Anderle (July 9, 1937 – September 1, 2014) was an American A&R man, record producer, and portrait artist. He is best known for his business associations with the Beach Boys during the production of the band's unfinished album ''Smile'' an ...

– noises *

Mac Rebennack Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...

– piano *

Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and band leader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his n ...

Les McCann Leslie Coleman McCann (born September 23, 1935) is an American jazz pianist and vocalist.Feather, Leonard, and Ira Gitler (2007), ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 448. Oxford University Press. Early life Les McCann was born in ...

– piano

Production

*Producer: Tom Wilson *Arranged and conducted by Frank Zappa *Art direction: Sid Maurer *Cover art: Abe Gurvin

References

External links

* http://www.collectable-records.ru/groups/zappa/mothers.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:**** of the Mothers 1968 greatest hits albums Albums arranged by Frank Zappa Albums conducted by Frank Zappa Frank Zappa compilation albums MGM Records compilation albums Verve Records compilation albums