The Mothers of Invention: “We’re Only in It for the Money” (1968) Verve (currently available on Rykodisc)

Although this was released as a Mothers of Invention album, legend has it that bandleader Frank Zappa recorded almost all of this inspired satire by himself. Never one to flow with the fads of the day, he mocked the “Sgt. Pepper’s” album cover (an act that was something of a sacrilege at the time), savaged the psychedelic standard “Hey Joe” (“hey, punk, where you going with that flower in your hand?”) and landed like a giant pie in the face of ‘60s youth culture. Not that the “enemy” was spared: Jocular jibes at cops, the Establishment and American society in general make this album a mercilessly equal opportunity lampoon. Perhaps most forceful, though, are the interludes when Zappa drops the n’yuk n’yuks and lets loose with straight-faced indictments of plastic parenthood (“ . . . all your children are poor unfortunate victims of lies you believe . . .”). Brilliant in their unvarnished rage, these moments of indignation are balanced by such wonderful bits of pure silliness as “What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body” and “Let’s Make the Water Turn Black.” Unfortunately, the master tapes from these sessions were damaged by time, so for the CD release (which includes the “Lumpy Gravy” album), Zappa recorded over much of the original music. The sullying modernization of this genuine (if dated) classic makes it best to search out an original copy on vinyl.