Ahead of Their Time
Encyclopedia
Ahead of Their Time is a live album by The Mothers of Invention
. It was recorded at the Royal Festival Hall
, London
, England
on October 25, 1968 (although the notes say 28), and released in 1993 on CD by Barking Pumpkin. It was subsequently reissued on Rykodisc
in 1995.
The first part of the set is a one-off performance of a musical play retrospectively entitled Progress?, and featuring members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
. Portions of this performance originally found their way on to the Mystery Disc
contained on the second box of The Old Masters
and the Honker Home Video release of Uncle Meat
. Much of the humor and storyline of the play is lost to the casual listener due to primitive recording techniques and the visual nature of some of the performance, necessitating extensive liner notes by Zappa. The remainder of the set is "A fair – not outstanding – 1968 Mothers of Invention rock
concert performance" (Frank Zappa – Ahead of Their Time liner notes). Different edits of snatches from the second part of the performance ("The Orange County Lumber Truck" and "Prelude To The Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask") were originally released on Weasels Ripped My Flesh
.
The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention were an American band active from 1964 to 1969, and again from 1970 to 1975.They mainly performed works by, and were the original recording group of, US composer and guitarist Frank Zappa , although other members have had the occasional writing credit...
. It was recorded at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on October 25, 1968 (although the notes say 28), and released in 1993 on CD by Barking Pumpkin. It was subsequently reissued on Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
in 1995.
The first part of the set is a one-off performance of a musical play retrospectively entitled Progress?, and featuring members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
. Portions of this performance originally found their way on to the Mystery Disc
Mystery Disc
Mystery Disc is a compilation album by Frank Zappa. It was released on CD in 1998, compiling tracks that were originally released on two separate vinyl records and included in the mail order Old Masters box sets, which were released in three volumes between 1985 and 1987...
contained on the second box of The Old Masters
The Old Masters
The Old Masters is an album box set series by Frank Zappa. Originally four box sets were planned, but only three were issued. Contrary to the box set series' name, the sets featured remixes that were vastly different from the original albums...
and the Honker Home Video release of Uncle Meat
Uncle Meat
Uncle Meat is the fifth studio album by the Mothers of Invention, released in 1969. It is billed as a supposed "soundtrack" to a film by The Mothers of Invention which was, in the end, never made. The front cover, designed by Cal Schenkel, included the words ""...
. Much of the humor and storyline of the play is lost to the casual listener due to primitive recording techniques and the visual nature of some of the performance, necessitating extensive liner notes by Zappa. The remainder of the set is "A fair – not outstanding – 1968 Mothers of Invention rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
concert performance" (Frank Zappa – Ahead of Their Time liner notes). Different edits of snatches from the second part of the performance ("The Orange County Lumber Truck" and "Prelude To The Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask") were originally released on Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Weasels Ripped My Flesh is an album by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, released in 1970.Given Zappa's already stated penchant for expressing his music in "phases"—We're Only in It for the Money was written up as "phase one of Lumpy Gravy"—conceptually, Zappa fans occasionally label this...
.
Track listing
- "Prologue" – 3:07
- "Progress?" – 4:44
- "Like It or Not" – 2:21
- "The Jimmy Carl Black Philosophy Lesson " – 2:01
- "Holding The Group Back" – 2:00
- "Holiday in Berlin" – 0:56
- "The Rejected Mexican Pope Leaves the Stage" – 2:55
- "Undaunted, the Band Plays On" – 4:34
- "Agency Man" – 3:17
- "Epilogue" – 1:52
- "King Kong" – 8:13
- "Help, I'm a Rock" – 1:38
- "Transylvania Boogie" – 3:07
- "Pound for a Brown" – 6:50
- "Sleeping in a Jar" – 2:24
- "Let's Make the Water Turn Black" – 1:51
- "Harry, You're a Beast" – 0:53
- "The Orange County Lumber Truck (Part I)" – 0:46
- "Oh No" – 3:22
- "The Orange County Lumber Truck (Part II)" – 10:36
Personnel
- Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
- Ian UnderwoodIan UnderwoodIan Robertson Underwood is a woodwind and keyboards player. He began his career by playing San Francisco Bay Area coffeehouses and bars with his improvisational group the Jazz Mice in the mid 1960s before he became a member of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in 1967 for their third studio...
- Bunk Gardner
- Roy EstradaRoy EstradaRoy Estrada is an American musician and backing vocalist, best known for his bass guitar work with Frank Zappa and for co-founding Little Feat.-Biography:With drummer Jimmy Carl Black and Ray Collins, Estrada was an original member of Frank Zappa's...
- Euclid James "Motorhead" SherwoodEuclid James SherwoodJim "Motorhead" Sherwood is an American rock musician notable for playing soprano, tenor and baritone saxophone, tambourine, vocals and vocal sound effects in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention...
- Don PrestonDon PrestonDonald Ward Preston also known as Dom DeWilde or Biff Debrie born September 21, 1932 in Flint, Michigan. Preston is an American jazz and rock and roll musician.-Biography:Preston was born into a family of musicians and began studying music at an early age...
- Arthur Dyer Tripp IIIArt TrippArthur Dyer Tripp III is a chiropractor and former musician best known for his work as a percussionist with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band.-Early career:Tripp grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and started playing drums in...
- Jimmy Carl BlackJimmy Carl BlackJimmy Carl Black , born James Inkanish, Jr., was a drummer and vocalist for The Mothers of Invention.-Career: 1960s-1990s:Born in El Paso, Texas, Black was of Cheyenne heritage...
- Members of the BBC Symphony OrchestraBBC Symphony OrchestraThe BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...