Joe’s Corsage

thumbnail unavailable

  1. “pretty pat”
  2. Motherly Love
  3. Plastic People
  4. Any Way The Wind Blows
  5. I Ain’t Got No Heart
  6. The Phone Call
  7. My Babe
  8. Wedding Dress Song/Handsome Cabin Boy
  9. Hitch Hike

Line-up:
“Motherly Love” onto “I Ain’t Got No Heart”: Mothers 1965 demos: FZ (guitar, vocals), Ray Collins (vocals, tambourine), Henry Vestine (guitar), Roy Estrada (bass), Jimmy Black (drums)
“My Babe” onto “Hitch Hike”: bar circuit original Mothers: FZ (guitar, vocals), Ray Collins (vocals, tambourine), Roy Estrada (bass), Jimmy Black (drums)

6 thoughts on “Joe’s Corsage”

  1. An interesting compilation of the original Mothers of Invention early demos and bar band rhythm and blues material. I enjoyed listening to it and it can be considered worthwhile from a historical point of view, but unless you’re an obsessive completist (like me), it isn’t essential. “I’m So Happy I Could Cry” is an early version of “Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance” with completely different lyrics. “Motherly Love” is also very different from the “Freak Out” version of that song.FZ himself, according to the cd booklet notes, remixed the first four cuts, for some unfinished project I guess. This is a nice artifact for fans, but go get “Freak-Out” first if you haven’t gotten it already.

  2. The performances are good and, to my ear, the mix is excellent!

    Hear it for yourself at the Chrome Dinette. Its the CD of the month for August.

  3. Not must-have, unless you’re a completist (like me) or are really sold on the R&B music of the very early Mothers. I actually preferred some of these versions over the originals on Freak Out and We’re Only In It For The Money. FYI: “I’m so Happy I Could Cry” is actually an alternate lyric to “Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance.”

  4. This didn’t really cut it for me. It includes what i think are the weakest tracks on Freak out (there’s no brain police, no hungry freaks, no you’re probably wondering…etc). In short, a lot of average standard, down-tempo love song fare, and lacklustre performaces, especially the vocals. Compared to the released versions, they often sound half asleep here.

    Apart from Plastic people, there’s very little characteristic Zappa bite or freakiness. were it not for the interest of the ‘Take your clothes off’ original lyrics, I’d say steer clear as 99% of this material is done better on other FZ releases.

  5. There are FZ albums you will play all the time, others you will play once in a while and yet still others which will get a single play and forgotten about forever. Corsage is falls into the latter category. Yes, it’s interesting to hear these moments, but they weren’t interesting enough to make it onto YCDTOSA or Lost Episodes. One for hardcore fans only I think.

  6. I know a lot of people were angry when this release came out because it’s only 35 minutes and it’s just the r&b Muthers. I’m a big fan of early Zappa, yeah I like the later Zappa but the early Zappa just had this ‘feel’ to it, call it camraderie amongst the band, call it terrible recording conditions, I just like early Zappa.
    Corsage is a very poppy album, you can play this around anyone who has even a mild interest in music (read: Mom and Dad) and it’ll go over well. While listening to the studio demos (trks 2-5 + 9-11) you understand why they got a record contract, it’s just very enjoyable music. Sure, most of these are songs off the first two albums but the arrangements are differing to an extent that’s worth checking out.
    For me, the highlight is the live set, it’s a high quality recording of blues standards with Ray Collins’ swell vocals.
    All in all, this is a great listen, a great buy? Not at 35 minutes. If you enjoyed MoFo to its furthest extent (the 2 AND 4cd versions) and you’re a millionaire like Gail, go online and buy it, otherwise there are other means of obtaining a copy…

Comments are closed.