200 Motels [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [50th Anniversary] [Red 2 LP]

by Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention

Overview

The soundtrack to Frank Zappa's strange early-'70s film 200 Motels was always doomed to be a peripheral entry in his discography. The movie's story was not easy to follow, and neither is the record (not that plot was ever a big focus of the production). It's typically wacky Zappa of the era, with unpredictable sharp turns between crunchy rock bombast, orchestration, and jazz/classical influences, as well as interjections of wacky spoken dialogue. Those who like his late-'60s/early-'70s work -- not as song-oriented as his first albums, in other words, but not as "serious" or as silly as his later records -- will probably like this fine, although it's not up to the level of Uncle Meat. It's funny in spots as well, especially the part where a disgruntled sideman gets tempted away from the band to do his own thing (a libretto that was, apparently, based on real-life incidents concerning Zappa sideman Jeff Simmons, who left during the project). On the other hand, there's a growing tendency to deploy the smutty, cheap humor that would soon dominate much of Zappa's work. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	12/17/2021
Label:	Zappa Records
UPC:	0602438384068
Rank:	61689

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Frank Zappa   Primary Artist,Bass,Guitar,Voices
The Mothers of Invention   Primary Artist
Howard Kaylan   Primary Artist,Vocals,Voices
The Mothers   Primary Artist
Mark Volman   Primary Artist,Vocals,Voices
Jim Pons   Primary Artist,Voices
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Orchestra
George Duke   Primary Artist,Voices,Trombone,Keyboards
Aynsley Dunbar   Primary Artist,Drums
Phyllis Altenhaus   Primary Artist
Jeff Simmons   Primary Artist,Voices
Ringo Starr   Primary Artist
Martin Lickert   Primary Artist,Bass
Dick Barber   Primary Artist,Voices
Tony Palmer   Primary Artist,Voices
Ian Underwood   Primary Artist,Voices,Woodwind,Keyboards
Gail Zappa   Primary Artist,Voices
Theodore Bikel   Primary Artist,Guest Artist
Jimmy Carl Black   Primary Artist,Vocals
Ruth Underwood   Drums
Elgar Howarth   Conductor
Top Score Singers   Choir/Chorus
Ruth Komanoff   Drums
David van Asch   Conductor,Choir Conductor

Technical Credits

Frank Zappa   Producer,Composer,Orchestration,Instrumentation
Bob Auger   Engineer
Jeff Simmons   Instrumentation
Howard Kaylan   Instrumentation
Mark Volman   Engineer,Recording,Photography,Instrumentation
Roy Estrada   Instrumentation
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra   Performer
George Duke   Instrumentation
Aynsley Dunbar   Instrumentation
Ian Underwood   Instrumentation
Gail Zappa   Engineer
Barry Keene   Overdubs,Remixing
Theodore Bikel   Narrator
Bunk Gardner   Instrumentation
Lowell George   Instrumentation
Jimmy Carl Black   Musician,Instrumentation
Art Tripp   Instrumentation
David McMacken   Design,Illustrations
Cal Schenkel   Design
Motorhead Sherwood   Instrumentation
Buzz Gardner   Instrumentation
Patrick Pending   Liner Notes
Simon Prentis   Interviewer