Cruising With Ruben & The Jets
Released: November 1968
Tracklist
- Cheap Thrills
- Love Of My Life
- How Could I Be Such A Fool
- Deseri
- I’m Not Satisfied
- Jerry Roll Gum Drop
- Anything
- Later That Night
- You Didn’t Try To Call Me
- Fountain Of Love
- “No. No. No.”
- Anyway The Wind Blows
- Stuff Up The Cracks
Line-up
Frank Zappa (low grumbles, oo-wah and lead guitar), Ray Collins (lead vocals), Roy Estrada (high weazlings, dwaedy-doop & 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 & tambourine), Bunk Gardner & Ian Underwood (tenor & alto sax) + Jay Anderson (1984 mix new string bass tracks), Arthur Barrow (1984 mix new bass tracks), Chad Wackerman (1984 mix new drum tracks)
Rate This Album
(38 votes, average: 5.34 out of 10) 
Loading ...
October 28th, 2003 at 2:42 pm
FZ’s do-wop tribute album of greasy teenage love songs of cretin simplicity. I prefer the original vinyl mix to the overdubbed and remixed cd.
April 5th, 2004 at 7:36 am
Yes, like the dreadful original Zappa records CD mix of WOIIFTM, poor old CWRATJ has suffered the indecencies of new drum and basss tracks. Not my fave album so I just flip on the original Verve LP, but the current Ryko CD release needs to be restored like they did with WOIIFTM.
Buy the original vinyl!
Feebles
April 14th, 2004 at 6:44 pm
I too hate the version featuring new drums and bass. It lost all it’s charm and integrity. Frank bowed to pressure to undo the same damage done to the “Money” album but for some reason wouldn’t do so with this one. Maybe that was because some of the original Mothers consider this one of their favorites…who knows? Frank really dissappointed me with this butchered new version. Maybe it made him happy which is his right but I hated it…and that’s my right. Collect the original version if you can ever find it anywhere.
October 23rd, 2004 at 3:51 am
OK, “Cruisin’ With Ruben and the Jets”. I am trying to get some words in on some of the Zappa albums I haven’t already reviewed on this website. I honestly first heard “Cruisin’ With Ruben and the Jets” on a 1/4″ reel to reel tape recorded off of the original album in my old college music department library. I also fell in love with the original Mothers Of Invention mix, which sounded much more authentic, dingy and appropriate. Like so many others, I never understood Zappa’s re-recording of the bass and drum tracks for this and WOITFTM, because he definitely had the means to remix or remaster the original mixes. This album was made with a lot of love, but I would have loved it more if Frank had written more new songs as opposed to re-arranging so many “Freak Out” tracks to fit the doo-wop style. When I first heard “Ruben…” I was a little put off by the consistently obnoxiously shrill falsettos and metallic “in your face” vocal style of the Mothers almost howling with their background vocal parts. Then, I caught up with listening to genuine recordings of original Doo-Wop R&B groups of the ’50’s like Frank grew up on. After that, I realized that Frank’s approach to these songs were ABSOLUTELY SPOT-ON, and he arranged them so perfectly, it was astounding. Frank obviously loved this style of music so dearly, and his little quip in the gatefold liner sleeve about “…if there’s anything left to still sit on.” still touches my heart deeply and emotionally. SOMEONE please lovingly remix and or remaster the original tracks for this beautiful gem. At least Arthur Barrow played upright bass for the remix on this as opposed to the electric he played on for “Money”. That’s no consolation, though. It’s probably too easy to not appreciate “Cruisin’ With Ruben and the Jets”, and that is a shame.
March 12th, 2005 at 4:09 am
I found it ironic that Wendy Carlos blasted Frank for redoing WOIIFTM and Jets with the new stuff. Listen to Carlos’ Switched On Bach. I bet you cant even recognize it from the original. She trashed it!
March 18th, 2005 at 4:40 am
Totally agree with those expressing dissapointment with CD version. Can’t stand to listen to it. Always play the LP.
This is one of the great records in all of rock. It’s subtle, and not everyone can appreciate the many layers built into it. Zappa told me that he was not attempting satire, but it does seem to have an element of it.
Incidently, for what it’s worth, Zappa also mentioned that he didn’t like Bach. One genius blind to another.
May 10th, 2005 at 9:00 pm
Cruising With Ruben & The Jets? Oh nooooo!!! Why, Frank? Why? This is the only bad album by Zappa! only Stuff Up The Cracks and Cheap Thrills are decent. The other songs are bad, a 4/10. Fortunatley the next album (Uncle Meat) is a masterpiece!!
July 26th, 2005 at 5:31 pm
How could I be such a fool???? I like this album. I listened to it carefully, and I think it’s not as bad as was I thought… I think that that cool guitar solos on “You Didn’t Try To Call Me”, those very cheesy (and amazing vocals) on “Jelly Roll Gum Drop” and “Deseri” deserve your attenction! A 8/10
(Best song: Stuff Up The Cracks)
November 14th, 2005 at 6:47 am
“Cruising with Ruben and the Jets” is one of the greatest records of all time. FZ unfortunately desecrated it with his remix before he died and denied the world his true masterpiece. Ray Collins’ vocal work is superb, and Zappa, while typically satirical, pays fine tribute to his doo wop roots. Listen to “I’m Not Satisfied” and I guarantee you will encounter the human condition in all its mottled glory. Then listen to “Anything” with its sweet sax solo, and see if you’re not moved to what tears you have left.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Unfortunately, according to FZ’s notes in the “Old Masters” box one set, the original master tapes were damaged, and he was “forced” to add bass & drum overdubs. My objection to this is that the sound of the drums & bass is so dissimilar to the sound of the drums & bass on the original that it no longer has that “authentic” 1950’s doo wop sound. I think someone in the world must have a pristine copy of the vinyl who could let the ZFT use it to make a more authentic RUBEN CD. I’ll buy one!
And I agree that “Stuff Up The Cracks” is really fantastic. I’m pretty sure the guitar solo at the end is the first released FZ guitar solo that really hinted at how great a guitarist he really was!