Artist: FRANK ZAPPA
Album: MEETS THE MOTHER OF PREVENTION RE-ISSUE (CD)

Release date: 1985/ 2016
EAN/UPS: 0824302387320
Media type: CD

Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention is a 1985 album by Frank Zappa. It was originally released in two slightly different versions in the US and Europe.

The album's title is a reference to the lobby group, the PMRC, who were campaigning to require record companies to put warning stickers on albums they considered offensive, and to Zappa's former band, the Mothers of Invention. This is Official Release #44.

Following distribution problems with Zappa's album Thing-Fish, which former Barking Pumpkin distributor MCA Records refused to distribute, Zappa made a deal with EMI Records, which would allow Them or Us and Thing-Fish to be distributed by Capitol Records in the United States. Zappa wrote a "warning" which appeared on the inner sleeves of these albums, as well as Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention, which stated that the albums contained content "which a truly free society would neither fear nor suppress", and a "guarantee" which stated that the lyrics would not "cause eternal torment in the place where the guy with the horns and pointed stick conducts his business." The liner notes also contained a quote from Senator Ernest Hollings, who testified during the PRMC hearings: "…if I could find some way constitutionally to do away with it [foul language in music], I would," as well as Zappa's oft-repeated liner notes request for his fans to register to vote.

The original US version of the album contains the track, "Porn Wars" — a sound collage featuring excerpts from PMRC hearings. This track was omitted from non-US versions, and replaced with three other pieces: "I Don't Even Care", co-written by Zappa and Johnny "Guitar" Watson, and two instrumental tracks — "One Man, One Vote" (a Synclavier composition) and "H.R. 2911", which collates some of the backing music from "Porn Wars", without the PMRC hearing excerpts and other dialogue. A later reissue by Rykodisc compiled both versions of the album onto one disc.

TRACKLIST:

1.     "I Don't Even Care" (Zappa, Johnny "Guitar" Watson)     4:39
2.     "One Man, One Vote"       2:35
3.     "Little Beige Sambo"       3:02
4.     "Aerobics in Bondage"       3:16
5.     "We're Turning Again"       4:55
6.     "Alien Orifice"       4:10
7.     "Yo Cats" (Zappa, Tommy Mars)     3:33
8.     "What's New in Baltimore?"       5:20
9.     "Porn Wars"       12:03
10.     "H.R. 2911"       3:35

LINE-UP:

    Frank Zappa – vocals, guitar, Synclavier, producer
    Johnny "Guitar" Watson – vocals, guitar on "I Don't Even Care"
    Ike Willis – vocals, guitar
    Ray White – vocals, guitar
    Bobby Martin – vocals, keyboards
    Steve Vai – guitar
    Tommy Mars – keyboards
    Scott Thunes – bass
    Chad Wackerman – drums
    Ed Mann – percussion
    Moon Zappa – vocals
    Dweezil Zappa – vocals
    John Danforth – voice excerpts on "Porn Wars"
    Ernest Hollings – voice excerpts on "Porn Wars"
    Paul S. Trible, Jr. – voice excerpts on "Porn Wars"
    Paula Hawkins – voice excerpts on "Porn Wars"
    J. James Exon – voice excerpts on "Porn Wars"
    Al Gore – voice excerpts on "Porn Wars"
    Tipper Gore – voice excerpts on "Porn Wars"
    Bob Stone – engineer