or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
Sell Us Your Item
For up to a $1.20 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

We're Only in It for the Money [Original recording remastered]

Frank Zappa, Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, The Mothers of InventionAudio CD
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (130 customer reviews)

Price: $39.99 & FREE Shipping. Details
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Only 6 left in stock.
Sold by CAC Media and Fulfilled by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
Want it tomorrow, June 21? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
MP3 Music, 19 Songs, 2012 $9.49  
Audio CD, 2012 $9.99  
Audio CD, Original recording remastered, 1995 $39.99  
Vinyl --  

Amazon Artist Stores

All the music, full streaming songs, photos, videos, biographies, discussions, and more.
.

Frequently Bought Together

We're Only in It for the Money + Freak Out + Absolutely Free
Price for all three: $59.97

Buy the selected items together
  • Freak Out $9.99
  • Absolutely Free $9.99


Product Details

  • Audio CD (April 18, 1995)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Format: Original recording remastered
  • Label: Zappa Records
  • ASIN: B0000009RX
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (130 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,988 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

1. Are You Hung Up?
2. Who Needs The Peace Corps?
3. Concentration Moon
4. Mom & Dad
5. Telephone Conversation
6. Bow Tie Daddy
7. Harry, You Are A Beast
8. What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?
9. Absolutely Free
10. Flower Punk
11. Hot Poop
12. Nasal Retentive Calliope Music
13. Let's Make The Water Turn Black
14. The Idiot Bastard Son
15. Lonely Little Girl
16. Take Your Clothes Off When you Dance
17. What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? (Reprise)
18. Mother People
19. The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Mothers of Invention answer the sentiments of the suits, the suburb dwellers, and flower children of the 60's with a big fat raspberry. Considered by many to be the Mothers' (and some would say Zappa's) best album, We're Only in it for the Money deals with harsh subject matter in a seemingly glib and light-hearted fashion (eventually a Zappa trademark), sparing no targets with catchy melodies and high-pitched vocals. Zappa applies the same aggressive studio techniques he did on Lumpy Gravy, creating a jarring collage of sound that still sounds avant-garde today. Highlights from this flawless album are numerous and include the hippie bashing "Who Needs thePeace Corps," the bedroom science of "Let's Make the Water Turn Black," the anthematic "Mother People," and the perfect payoff of "What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?" Quite simply one of the best rock albums of all time. --Andrew Boscardin

Product Description

1995 1 cd 19 track album produced by Frank Zappa and featuring Mothers of Invention. Full jewel case p/s

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 56 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Censored? Not really. August 19, 2005
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
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 fussy you are over some minute quality variations. 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.
Was this review helpful to you?
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I Think It's Your Mind January 4, 2002
By Mad Dog
Format: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."

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
65 of 73 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Zappa hits the target July 5, 2001
Format: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.

Was this review helpful to you?
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars The Crazy Re-done versions May 28, 2003
Format:Audio CD
Okay, so the story is, the Ryko 2-fer of these albums is rather odd. Lumpy Gravy is fine-sounding, but is only two tracks, making finding your favorite section rather difficult. The newer, single-disc version is the better choice.

But We're Only In It For The Money is really odd. Zappa chose to re-record the drums and bass for the entire album, and then remix it. The plus side is that the sound is rather clean, and all the previously censored bits are all back in force.

The negative is that, while the drums aren't too bad, the bass is ridiculous. It sounds NOTHING like a 1967 bass should, either tonally or melodically. ANd it just clashes with everything else. The drums have their own problems, sometimes sounding too 80's like, and sometimes just not mathing the rhythms of the music.

Luckily, the original version has been re-issued as a single disc from Ryko. This 2-fer version is interesting, but not really how most fans originally heard this album.

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars if you were there - but what if you weren't?
Ah yes, spring of 1968, mid-way through high school. Riding with my peers in our minister's van to the Methodist Youth Fellowship convocation in Ocean City, NJ, me and my best... Read more
Published 25 days ago by jaman57
5.0 out of 5 stars ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING
This review is for the 2005 Original Master Recording of ONLY MONEY:I was not aware of this release until recently,and was hesitant to buy it as what I read in reviews gave me the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by SATURN2
4.0 out of 5 stars Great but I wish FVZ hadn't changed it from the original
Being a 'Zappa NUT' I must admit that I LOVE this CD and play it in the car repeatedly

BUT

There are changes from what I remember from having listened to the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Ficus
1.0 out of 5 stars Amazon doesn't provide all the info
This review is about all the new reissues, not just this one. It would be great if Amazon would provide essential info about the source of the music used for these CD reissues. Read more
Published 7 months ago by John Griffin
5.0 out of 5 stars Plastic Mom and Dad
Although I grew up in the 70's, my parents were nearly in their forties when I was born. In fact they were of the Madison Avenue Lifestyle generation. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Scott W. Larson
5.0 out of 5 stars True, weird, fun, and rock n' roll. this is my type of album
Frank Zappa was a master at creating great and complex music and most of his albums prove the fact that he truly is a master at music. This is one of those albums. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Victor Torres
5.0 out of 5 stars Are You Hung Up?
I was reading the bad reviews of this album and getting pissed off but then I realized there are over 100 positive reviews and only 8 under three stars. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Egebamyasi
1.0 out of 5 stars Smug, Childish, Dorky, Rinky-Dink Sesame Street Musical Crap
The Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa - We're Only In It for the Money (1968)

I simply cannot believe how highly regarded this album is. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Rich Latta
5.0 out of 5 stars what is the ugliest part of your body?
I don't know why I was so worried about Paul being dead because this album is better than Sgt Peppers Lonely hearts club band. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mitchell Poor
1.0 out of 5 stars Joke: "A caveman wanders into a studio..."
I don't get weird for the sake of weird, I don't get people who hate the Beatles for being too good at what they did, and apparently I don't get Zappa. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Nathan J. Belville
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Forums

Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions

Topic From this Discussion
Jim Black, the "Indian of the group..."
Definetly will. At least he had his chance to make a difference and will be remembered.
Mar 12, 2009 by S. Payne |  See all 5 posts
The longest drum solos on record? Be the first to reply
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 




So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?



Look for Similar Items by Category

CAC Media Privacy Statement CAC Media Shipping Information CAC Media Returns & Exchanges