Cruising with Ruben & The Jets [Original recording remastered]

Frank Zappa, Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, The Mothers of Invention | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Zappa Records
• ASIN: B0000009S0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,984 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #59 in Music > Miscellaneous > Comedy > Comedic Music > Comedy Rock
  • #95 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > Progressive

Track Listings

1. Cheap Thrills

2. Love of My Life

3. How Could I Be Such a Fool?

4. Deseri

5. I'm Not Satisfied

6. Jelly Roll Gum Drop

7. Anything

8. Later That Night

9. You Didn't Try to Call Me

10. Fountain of Love

11. No. No. No.

12. Any Way the Wind Blows

13. Stuff Up the Cracks

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Doo-Wop Mothers Album (Revised), January 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Cruising with Ruben & The Jets (Audio CD)

"I conceived that album along the same lines as the compositions in Stravinsky's Neoclassical period. If he could take the forms and cliches of classical era and pervert them, why not do the same with rules and regulations applied to Doo-Wop in the 50s?" - FZ

This album is often written-off unfairly, even by fans of the original Mothers lineup, as just a Doo-Wop spoof album. However, Cruisin' isn't just a joke side-project that FZ dreamed up one night, and it deserves its rightful place as an MOI album proper. FZ loved Doo-Wop, and here's his tongue-in-cheek homage to it. Of course, like all of Zappa's musical apings, his version of Doo-Wop is much more musically involved. On this album, FZ uses chord progressions that are considerably more advanced than traditional Doo-Wop songs, but is careful not to lose the charming simplicity of the music.

When listening to Ruben today, on CD, one also has to be aware of something else: this album, more than any other, was completely overhauled in digital remix. When FZ got the master tapes, (he claims) they were in disastrous condition, and, never being satisfied with the musicianship to begin with, he decided to re-record the bass and drum tracks in addition to new edits. A reluctant Arthur Barrow provides a new (funk!) bass, and I believe its either Wackerman or Logeman on drums. The result? The album sounds fuller, richer, and much more polished for sure. But its lost the charm of the original Mothers sound completely. There are merits in both versions, should you ever be able to track down an original vinyl to hear it. Regardless, it looks like this version is the one posterity will have to get to know.

The most noticable (and best) change on the album is the opener, CHEAP THRILLS, which now has the energy to really kickstart this album. A reocurring Zappa classic, LOVE OF MY LIFE, follows, along with a Freak Out! remake (one of four on the album) of HOW COULD I BE SUCH A FOOL? For the most part, I like the versions of these songs on this album more than the original Freak Out! ones. One of the real reasons to get this album is for the Ray Collins's hilarious monologues, like DESERI. Never is Zappa's relentless assault on love lyrics more subtly delicious as it is here. My personal favorite, and perhaps my favorite track on the album, is on LATER THAT NIGHT. Another great tongue-in-cheek shot is FOUNTAIN OF LOVE, which manages to make me laugh every time I hear it. And, yes, there is a little guitar playing on this album. The rapidly maturing Zappa provides a little gem of a solo on the morbid STUFF UP THE CRACKS (a song about an abandoned lover who vows to "stuff up the cracks and turn on the gas" to take his life).

In general, I'm not a huge fan of FZ's humor. But this album is so scathing and subtle in its satire, that for once the humor aids the music. The music, by the way, is nothing to be scoffed at. Besides containing some of the early Mothers's best material, the vocal arrangements on this album are absolutely incredible.

I tend to give this album more credit than a lot of Zappa fans, and its on regular rotation in my CD player, at least. Great early Zappa, with a few reservations.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Discerning Listeners Only, November 11, 2000

By 

Douglas H. Watts (Augusta, ME United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cruising with Ruben & The Jets (Audio CD)

This is one of my favorite records by any artist and one of my favorites by the Mothers and Frank Zappa.

I like it probly for the same reason some Frank Zappa fans don't like it -- because it's rather simple, silly and in someways quite heartfelt, a rarity for Frank Zappa. I find myself humming and singing these songs out of nowhere even after I haven't heard the album for months.

It is also the best existing showcase for Ray Collins' pure R&B vocals. He is really an excellent singer and this record shows it. This record is Ray's even more than it is Zappa's.

The cover art for the album (a cartoon showing all the musicians with stupid dog faces) is also a riot.

What I find most amusing about Cruising With Ruben and The Jets is that Frank Zappa wrote and released it almost a decade after this music went completely out of style. The idea of recording and releasing this ridiculously cheesy doo-wop music at the height of the "acid rock and Clapton is God" era makes this record as subversive and bizarre as any of the records Frank did which were bizarre.

If you can't enjoy and sing and laugh along with this stuff (especially "Fountain of Love") then you have serious emotional problems.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Cruise Control Would Have Improved Ruben's Ride, May 26, 2006

By 

El Lagarto (Sandown, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cruising with Ruben & The Jets (Audio CD)

"The moving finger writes and having writ moves on." In this case, it would have been better if the finger had not returned to the scene of the crime. Few artists burned with creative energy like Zappa; frequently brilliant, he was also no stranger to crimes of self-indulgence and crackpot dementia. One can state unequivocally that he never took advice, freeing him to visit whatever extreme he desired. This made for art that always "dared to be different." Unfortunately, it also freed him to make catastrophic mistakes. The demise of Ruben & The Jets is a classic example.

This was always one of my favorite Mothers LPs. The balance between ironic, dark lyrics and straight-ahead - almost touching - musicality was perfect. The sax break on Anything was heaven itself. The reprise of I'm Not Satisfied, which appeared first on Freak Out, had real emotional appeal and was beautifully executed. Throughout, the simplicity of the arrangements made for a wonderful tribute album, Zappa paying homage to the doo-wop sound that is never far away throughout his music, (check 200 Motels).

I do not know what possessed him to go under the hood and remix this jewel, but it was an idiotic decision. Others have pointed out that he stripped away the original bass and drum tracks and replaced them with out-of-context modern equivalents. But the damage is far more extensive than that. This music lives or dies in the vocals and he tinkered with them considerably, to ill effect. Back-up instruments like horns have also been chopped up. In short, Zappa took "Crows On A Wheatfield" and painted some dogs playing poker on it. Hopefully his estate will find a suitable receptacle for this yellow snow and reissue the original, which is a treasure. Poor Ruben.