Uncle Meat: Encyclopedia - Uncle Meat

Uncle Meat

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Uncle Meat, released in 1969, is the soundtrack to Frank Zappa's long-delayed film of the same name.

Uncle Meat marked an evolution in Zappa's career, moving further into jazz and classical music—as Zappa saw them. It also contains elements of doo-wop, blues, rock and roll, and sound-bites from the movie. The expected Zappa weirdness is still present on the album; Suzy Creamcheese from Freak Out! is back, as are the biting, satirical lyrics. However, the album focuses more on instrumental music, as can best be seen in the epic, 18 minute long, jazz-rock fusion of "King Kong".

The CD version was released in 1995, and contained a new song, "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta", sung in Italian by Massimo Bassoli, with around 40 minutes' worth of sound-bites from the movie. However, many fans have resented these additions, since "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" was recorded in an entirely different time period, and the movie soundbites are considered by some to be rather superfluous to the listening tracks. Additionally, their additions force the reissue to use two discs, when the album in its original form could fit on just one disc. Many fans refer to these so-called bonuses as "penalty tracks."

Uncle Meat - Track listing

All tracks by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

Uncle Meat - Vinyl track listing

Side 1:

1. "Uncle Meat: Main Title Theme" – 1:56
2. "The Voice of Cheese" – 0:26
3. "Nine Types of Industrial Pollution" – 6:00
4. "Zolar Czakl" – 0:54
5. "Dog Breath, in the Year of the Plague" – 3:59
6. "The Legend of the Golden Arches" – 3:28
7. "Louie Louie (At the Royal Albert Hall in London)" (Richard Berry) – 2:19
8. "The Dog Breath Variations" – 1:48

Side 2:

1. "Sleeping in a Jar" – :50
2. "Our Bizarre Relationship" – 1:05
3. "The Uncle Meat Variations" – 4:46
4. "Electric Aunt Jemima" – 1:46
5. "Prelude to King Kong" – 3:38
6. "God Bless America" (Irving Berlin) – 1:10
7. "A Pound for a Brown on the Bus" – 1:29
8. "Ian Underwood Whips It Out" – 5:05

Side 3:

1. "Mr. Green Genes" – 3:14
2. "We Can Shoot You" – 2:03
3. "If We'd All Been Living in California..." – 1:14
4. "The Air" – 2:57
5. "Project X" – 4:48
6. "Cruisin' for Burgers" – 2:18

Side 4:

1. "King Kong Itself [Played by the Mothers]" – 0:49
2. "King Kong II [Interpreted by Tom Dewild]" – 1:21
3. "King Kong III [Motorhead Explains It]" – 1:44
4. "King Kong IV [Gardner Varieties]" – 6:17
5. "King Kong V" – 0:34
6. "King Kong VI" [Live at Miami Pop Festival] – 7:24

Uncle Meat - CD track listing

Disc 1:

1. "Uncle Meat: Main Title Theme" – 1:56
2. "The Voice of Cheese" – 0:26
3. "Nine Types of Industrial Pollution" – 6:00
4. "Zolar Czakl" – 0:54
5. "Dog Breath, in the Year of the Plague" – 3:59
6. "The Legend of the Golden Arches" – 3:28
7. "Louie Louie (At the Royal Albert Hall in London)" (Richard Berry) – 2:19
8. "The Dog Breath Variations" – 1:48
9. "Sleeping in a Jar" – :50
10. "Our Bizarre Relationship" – 1:05
11. "The Uncle Meat Variations" – 4:46
12. "Electric Aunt Jemima" – 1:46
13. "Prelude to King Kong" – 3:38
14. "God Bless America" (Irving Berlin) – 1:10
15. "A Pound for a Brown on the Bus" – 1:29
16. "Ian Underwood Whips It Out" – 5:05
17. "Mr. Green Genes" – 3:14
18. "We Can Shoot You" – 2:03
19. "If We'd All Been Living in California..." – 1:14
20. "The Air" – 2:57
21. "Project X" – 4:48
22. "Cruisin' for Burgers" – 2:18

Disc 2:

1. "Uncle Meat Film Excerpt, Pt. 1" – 37:34
2. "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" – 3:46
3. "Uncle Meat Film Excerpt, Pt. 2" – 3:50
4. "King Kong Itself [Played by the Mothers]" – 0:49
5. "King Kong II [Interpreted by Tom Dewild]" – 1:21
6. "King Kong III [Motorhead Explains It]" – 1:44
7. "King Kong IV [Gardner Varieties]" – 6:17
8. "King Kong V" – 0:34
9. "King Kong VI" [Live at Miami Pop Festival] – 7:24

Uncle Meat - Personnel

• Frank Zappa – guitar, percussion, keyboards, vocals
• Jimmy Carl Black – percussion, drums, poverty
• Ray Collins – guitar, vocals
• Aynsley Dunbar – guitar
• Roy Estrada – bass guitar, electric bass, vocals
• Bunk Gardner – clarinet, flute, bass clarinet, piccolo, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, wind
• Ruth Komanoff – percussion, marimba, keyboards
• Billy Mundi – drums, vocals
• Don Preston – bass, keyboards, electric piano
• Euclid James Sherwood – tenor saxophone, tambourine, voices
• Jim Sherwood – guitar, vocals, wind
• Art Tripp – percussion, chimes, drums, marimba, xylophone, bells, tympani, vibraphone, wood block
• Ian Underwood – organ, clarinet, flute, guitar, piano, celeste, harpsichord, keyboards, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, wind, electric organ
• Nelcy Walker – soprano vocals
• Pamela Zarubica as Suzy Creamcheese

• Frank Zappa – producer
• Jesper Hansen – engineer
• Euclid James Sherwood – equipment technician
• Art Tripp – advisor
• Cal Schenkel – package design
• Euclid James Sherwood – choreographer
• Roy Estrada – prop design
• Ian Underwood – copyist, public relations, special assistance

Uncle Meat - Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Uncle Meat - External link

• Lyrics and details
• Release history

Categories: 1969 albums | Film soundtracks | Frank Zappa albums | Double albums

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Uncle Meat", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki