STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION - CRUISING WITH RUBEN & THE JETS

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Good morning record enthusiasts and welcome back to the Friday edition of Stuck In The Vinyl Again. It was on this very day, December 2, 1968 that Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention released their fourth studio album, Cruising With Ruben & The Jets. They released it incognito under the alias Ruben And The Jets. It is a concept album in the genre of doo wop and experimental pop. It  tells the story of of singer Ruben Sano and his Chicago based band, represented as 'dog men' on the front cover drawn by Cal Schenkel . The Frank Zappa produced LP was released on the Verve and reached # 110 on the Billboard 200 and gave birth to two singles ;  "Deseri" and "Anyway The Wind Blows". Neither single charted. Afterwards the name of the band continued, led by Rubén Guevara Jr, who recorded two albums, with the second one produced by Zappa. We have two copies of this record, but with a little cover damage, but the wax sounds great. 

1. "Cheap Thrills" 2:23

2. "Love of My Life" 3:10

3. "How Could I Be Such a Fool" 3:35

4. "Deseri" Collins, Paul Buff 2:07

5. "I'm Not Satisfied" 4:03

6. "Jelly Roll Gum Drop" 2:20

7. "Anything" Collins 3:04

Side two

8. "Later That Night" 3:06

9. "You Didn't Try to Call Me" 3:57

10. "Fountain of Love" Zappa, Collins 3:01

11. "No No No" 2:29

12. "Anyway the Wind Blows" 2:58

13. "Stuff Up the Cracks" 4:35

Ray Collins – lead vocals

Frank Zappa – low grumbles, oo-wah and lead guitar (also drums, piano, bass)

Roy Estrada – high weazlings, dwaedy-doop and electric bass

Jimmy Carl Black and/or Arthur Dyer Tripp III – lewd pulsating rhythm

Ian Underwood or Don Preston – redundant piano triplets

Motorhead Sherwood – baritone sax and tambourine

Bunk Gardner and Ian Underwood – tenor and alto saxes

Production

Producer: Frank Zappa

Engineer: Dick Kunc

Cover Art: Cal Schenkel

Cover Design: Cal Schenkel

Artwork: Cal Schenkel