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37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Censored? Not really., August 19, 2005
This isn't really a review so much as a response to Zappafreak's claim that this CD is censored. Having just listened to it, I can assure readers that this disc is identical to the original 1968 LP. I'm guessing that Zappafreak is referring to the omission of a few bits that were restored on the heavily remixed and overdubbed version of We're Only In It For The Money that was released in the '80s on a disc paired with Lumpy Gravy. While I agree that it would have been nice to hear these censored portions included (particularly in the album's original mix), I believe that MFSL's primary goal is to restore--to the best of their ability--the *original* album. Therefore, I think it's pretty unfair to accuse these guys of bastardizing Frank's work. In fact, this CD has the same content as the "FZ approved" edition that Ryko released in 1995. And say, I just noticed that the front cover of this version actually has all the black bars removed from the people's faces. How 'bout that?
As for the sound quality, MFSL did pretty good job given the source material. While there is still some noticeable distortion and fuzz here and there, the album certainly sounds crisper and cleaner than the current Ryko version. Whether or not it's worth the upgrade mainly depends on how much of an audiophile you are. The sound quality most likely won't blow you away, but I can't imagine this album sounding any better. I definitely won't be needing my old CD anymore.
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60 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Zappa hits the target, July 5, 2001
This review is from: We're Only in It for the Money (Audio CD)
Zappa's mocking attack of the "summer of love" and its adherents' bloated self-importance might seem dated to some (I still find it very funny), but the satire of "We're Only in it for the Money" isn't really the point. Its strength lies in Zappa's command in the studio and his ability to piece together a huge patchwork of sounds into one wonderfully varied 39-minute work. The 1968 release was Zappa's answer to the Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," which he lampoons on the cover. The Beatles' work had in turn been inspired by the Mothers' "Freak Out." Whatever the difference between "Money" and the Lennon and McCartney's work, though, the two albums share one similarity: they both surprise with sound. Zappa's work includes patches of melody played backward, spoken words, doo-wop, surf music, hard-edged guitar, and a note held at the end of the tone poem "The Chrome-Plated Megaphone of Destiny," which ends the album and provides Zappa's final comment to the closer of "Sergeant Pepper's," the then-spooky "Day in the Life." The album nearly unrelentingly taunts the "flower power" generation, but its tones run deep. There is anger at the police, real insight into the gaps between parents and kids, and Zappa's ever-present love of plain absurdity. With the "Chrome-Plated Megaphone of Destiny," he reveals his orchestral sense and his willingness to challenge his audience with a thoroughly free work. Zappa never condescended to his audience. Zappa's music was always a great leavening agent to the reigning pomposities of the day. "We're Only in it for the Money" sears with satire but also amazes with the sound of surprise.
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Think It's Your Mind, January 4, 2002
This review is from: We're Only in It for the Money (Audio CD)
How can a record be bad when it implores you to "Take our Clothes Off When You Dance" ? At the ripe young age of 12, this collection seemingly peeled back the protective skin on my forehead and injected my brain with the fresh breath of reality. It didn't just offend the hippies that thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread - it attacked nearly every segment of 60's culture and asked us "Are You Hung Up"? I think Frank Zappa was a very misunderstood artist, which relegated him to the status of a cult legend. But people are still listening and some are learning that he was one of the great musical geniouses of the last century. This disc might not be the most accessible place to start, but if you are looking to expand back into the early part of the catalog, you must find a place for this disc in your collection, if only to find different ways to look at yourself. As Frank said: "What's the ugliest part of your body?
Some say your nose, some say your toes
But I think it's your mind."
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