Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention

Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention is a 1985 album by Frank Zappa. The album was originally released in two slightly different versions in the US and Europe.

Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention
Studio album by
Frank Zappa
ReleasedNovember 21, 1985
RecordedNovember 1981–September 1985
at UMRK
Length36:12
47:17 (1995 reissue)
LabelBarking Pumpkin
ProducerFrank Zappa
Frank Zappa chronology
The Old Masters Box I
(1985)		 Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention
(1985)		 Does Humor Belong in Music?
(1986)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]

The album's title is a reference to the lobby group, the PMRC, who were campaigning to require record companies to put warning stickers on albums they considered offensive, and to Zappa's former band, the Mothers of Invention.

Release

Following distribution problems with Zappa's album Thing-Fish, which former Barking Pumpkin distributor MCA Records refused to distribute,[2] Zappa made a deal with EMI Records, which would allow Them or Us and Thing-Fish to be distributed by Capitol Records in the United States.[2] Zappa wrote a "warning" which appeared on the inner sleeves of these albums, as well as Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention, which stated that the albums contained content "which a truly free society would neither fear nor suppress", and a "guarantee" which stated that the lyrics would not "cause eternal torment in the place where the guy with the horns and pointed stick conducts his business."[2] The liner notes also contained a quote from Senator Ernest Hollings, who testified during the PMRC hearings: "…if I could find some way constitutionally to do away with it [foul language in music], I would", as well as Zappa's oft-repeated liner notes request for his fans to register to vote.

The original US version of the album contains the track "Porn Wars" – a sound collage featuring excerpts from PMRC hearings. This track was omitted from non-US versions, and replaced with three other pieces: "I Don't Even Care", co-written by Zappa and Johnny "Guitar" Watson, and two instrumental tracks – "One Man, One Vote" (a Synclavier composition) and "H.R. 2911", which collates some of the backing music from "Porn Wars", without the PMRC hearing excerpts and other dialogue. The initial EMI CDs only included the European Version. The original Rykodisc CDs added two of the three European tracks and shuffled around the running order. The 1995 Rykodisc remaster added the third European track after the same shuffled order.

Track listing

All tracks written by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."We're Turning Again"4:55
2."Alien Orifice"4:03
3."Yo Cats" (Zappa, Tommy Mars)3:31
4."What's New in Baltimore?"5:21
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."Little Beige Sambo"3:02
6."Porn Wars"12:04
7."Aerobics in Bondage"3:16
1995 CD reissue
No.TitleLength
1."I Don't Even Care" (Zappa, Johnny "Guitar" Watson)4:39
2."One Man, One Vote"2:35
3."Little Beige Sambo"3:02
4."Aerobics in Bondage"3:16
5."We're Turning Again"4:55
6."Alien Orifice"4:10
7."Yo Cats" (Zappa, Tommy Mars)3:33
8."What's New in Baltimore?"5:20
9."Porn Wars"12:03
10."H.R. 2911"3:35

Personnel

Charts

Album - Billboard (United States)

Year Chart Position
1986 Billboard 200 153[3]

References
  1. Couture, F. (2011). "Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention - Frank Zappa | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  2. Zappa, Frank with Occhiogrosso, Peter (1989). The Real Frank Zappa Book. New York: Poseidon Press. pp. 278–279. ISBN 0-671-63870-X.
  3. "Charts and Awards for The Man from Utopia". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
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