''Mothermania'' (1969), subtitled ''The Best of the Mothers'', is a compilation album 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 band ...

. While the songs were previously released on ''

Freak Out! ''Freak Out!'' is the debut studio album by American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on June 27, 1966, by Verve Records. Often cited as one of rock music's first concept albums, it is a satirical expression of frontman Frank Zappa ...

'', '' Absolutely Free'' and ''

We're Only in It for the Money ''We're Only in It for the Money'' is the third studio album by American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on March 4, 1968, by Verve Records. As with the band's first two efforts, it is a concept album, and satirizes left- and righ ...

'', it contains unique mixes or edits made specifically for this compilation.

Background

After

's contract with

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

and

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, ...

expired,

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

and

Herb Cohen Herbert Cohen (December 30, 1932 – March 16, 2010) was an American personal manager, record company executive, and music publisher, best known as the manager of Judy Henske, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, Odetta, Tom Waits, Geor ...

negotiated to form a semi-independent record label

Bizarre Records Bizarre Records, self-identified simply as Bizarre, was a production company and record label formed for artists discovered by rock musician Frank Zappa and his business partner/manager Herb Cohen. History Bizarre was originally formed as a produ ...

, with Verve releasing three Bizarre releases with distribution by MGM: a new Mothers of Invention album, '' Cruising with Ruben & the Jets'', the compilation ''Mothermania'', and an album by Sandy Hurvitz, ''Sandy's Album is Here at Last''. ''Mothermania'' was prepared in order to recoup money which Verve felt it lost funding the Mothers of Invention albums ''

'', '' Absolutely Free'' and ''

''.

prepared the masters for the release, remixing and sequencing the track listing, as well as overseeing its packaging. The compilation was notable for featuring unique mixes or edits of the songs compiled for its release, including an uncensored version of "Mother People", which previously appeared on ''We're Only in It for the Money'' in a censored version, and a radically different mix of "The Idiot Bastard Son".

Release, reception and aftermath

''Mothermania'' was released shortly before the release of the Mothers of Invention's fifth studio album, ''

Uncle Meat ''Uncle Meat'' is the fifth studio album by the Mothers of Invention, released as a double album in 1969. ''Uncle Meat'' was originally developed as a part of ''No Commercial Potential'', a project which spawned three other albums sharing a con ...

'', a releasing tactic that Frank Zappa felt was intentional on the behalf of Verve. Zappa subsequently disowned the compilation following its release.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer William Ruhlmann described the compilation as being "redundant", giving it three out of five stars. Verve would go on to produce further compilations, beginning with ''

The **** of the Mothers ''The **** of the Mothers'' is an out-of-print compilation album of early works by The Mothers of Invention, an American rock band. The album features a gatefold featuring some of the contemporary band members such as Ian Underwood, Art Tripp, an ...

'' which was released in the fall of 1969, without Zappa's involvement. The album was unavailable for a long time, but has since been officially reissued as a digital download in 2009 and on CD in 2012. Reissued on Zappa Records in 2019

Track listing

Personnel

Jimmy Carl Black James Carl Inkanish, Jr. (February 1, 1938 – November 1, 2008), known professionally as Jimmy Carl Black, was a drummer and vocalist for The Mothers of Invention. Background and early career: 1960s–1990s Born in El Paso, Texas, Black was o ...

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 M ...

* Ray Collins *

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 ...

Billy Mundi Billy Mundi (born Antonio Salas, September 25, 1942 in San Francisco – March 29, 2014) was an American drummer best known as a member of The Mothers of Invention and Rhinoceros. He also worked as a session musician. He sometimes used the name To ...

Don Preston Donald Ward Preston (born September 21, 1932) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist. He is known for working with Frank Zappa from the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s. Biography Preston was born into a family of musicians in Detroit and began st ...

Bunk Gardner Bunk Gardner (born John Leon Guarnera; May 2, 1933 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American musician who most notably played for the original version of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention until the group disbanded in 1969. He plays woodwinds and tenor ...

Jim Fielder Jim Fielder (born October 4, 1947 in Denton, Texas) is an American bassist, best known for his work as an original member of Blood, Sweat & Tears. Fielder attended Loara High School in Anaheim, California. While at Loara, the young Fielder befrie ...

Ian Underwood Ian Robertson Underwood (born May 22, 1939) is a woodwind and keyboards player, known for his work with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Biography Underwood graduated from The Choate School in 1957 and Yale University with a bachelor' ...

* Euclid James "Motorhead" Sherwood

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. ...

appears in the album cover but he didn't play on any of the songs (''Freak Out!'', ''Absolutely Free'' and ''We're Only in it for the Money'' were recorded before he joined the band).

Production

* Producers:

, Tom Wilson * Director of engineering:

Val Valentin Luis Pastor "Val" Valentin (January 6, 1920 – March 24, 1999) was an American recording engineer with six decades of work in the music industry. Much of his work was done for MGM Records and Verve Records. His large discography includes Jazz ...

* Engineer:

Ami Hadani AMI or Ami may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media *AMI-tv, a Canadian TV channel **AMI-télé, the French-language version * AMI-audio, a Canadian audio broadcast TV service *''Ami Magazine'', an Orthodox Jewish news magazine Businesses ...

Tom Hidley Tom Hidley (born 27 May 1931) is an American recording studio designer and audio engineer whose companies have been responsible for the design of hundreds of professional studios worldwide since 1965. Hidley coined the term "bass trap", and is cr ...

, Gary Kelgren and Dick Kunc. * Arranger:

* Cover design:

Cal Schenkel Calvin "Cal" Schenkel (born January 27, 1947, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania) is an American illustrator, graphic designer, animator and comics artist, specializing in album cover design. He was the main graphic arts collaborator for rock musician F ...

References

{{Authority control 1969 compilation albums Albums conducted by Frank Zappa Bizarre Records compilation albums Frank Zappa compilation albums The Mothers of Invention albums Verve Records compilation albums Albums produced by Frank Zappa Albums produced by Tom Wilson (record producer)