Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Release Info

Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Released August 10, 1970.

Tracks

1. Didja Get Any Onya? (06:52)
2. Directly From My Heart To You (05:17)
3. Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Sexually Aroused Gas Mask (03:48)
4. Toads Of The Short Forest (04:48)
5. Get A Little (02:31)
6. Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue (06:53)
7. Dwarf Nebula Professional March & Dwarf Nebula (02:12)
8. My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama (03:32)
9. Oh No (01:46)
10. The Orange County Lumber Truck (03:22)
11. Weasels Ripped My Flesh (02:08)

Players

• FZ: lead guitar, vocals
• Ray Collins: vocals
• Lowell George: rhythm guitar, vocals
• Don "Sugarcane" Harris: electric violin
• Ian Underwood: alto saxophone
• Bunk Gardner: tenor saxophone
• Motorhead Sherwood: baritone saxophone
• Buzz Gardner: trumpet, flugelhorn
• Roy Estrada: bass guitar, vocals
• Don Preston: keyboards, electronics
• Jimmy Carl Black: drums

Background

After Zappa broke up The Mothers in the autumn of 1969, he mentioned a twelve-record set tentatively titled The History And Collected Improvisations Of The Mothers Of Invention. What emerged instead were Burnt Weeny Sandwich and, in the summer of 1970, Weasels. Both were amalgams of material extracted from various 1968 and ‘69 shows and studio tapes.

The album’s title and cover came from a 1956 Man’s Life magazine which Zappa had shown to Neon Park

Man's Life 1956

. who recalled:

Shaver Advert

The cover story was *Weasels Ripped My Flesh* and it was the adventure of a guy, naked to the waist, who was in water. The water was swarming with weasels, and they were all kind of climbing on him and biting him. So Frank said, "This is it. What can you do that's worse than this?"

German "Doll" Cover

German "Doll" Cover created by Dieter Boé

Frank Zappa on first seeing the German cover:

"This ... actually, in terms of graphics it's not bad. The thing I resent most about this album cover is that it's not the way I wanted it to come out. I wanted it to look like that one. That one is ugly enough. I don't need this one.

Versions

ZFT #	Mix	# discs	Format	Catalog #	Release	EAN.UCC-13 (barcode)	Artwork	Comment
10	Stereo vinyl	1	LP			None
	?	1	LP	Barking Pumpkin BPR 8888-4	November 25 1986			Included in The Old Masters, Box II set.
	Remastered	1	CD	Rykodisc RCD 10163	May 1990	0014431016325		US edition
		1	CD	VideoArts VACK 5028	October 26 1994	4988112405301		Japanese edition
		1	CD	Rykodisc RCD 10510	May 2 1995	0014431051029		US edition. Matrix # IFPI 2U3Q WEA mfg. OLYPHANT ifpi L902 X11970 A4 P2 310510-2 02 M1S1
		1	CD	VideoArts VACK 5119	October 25 1995	4988112407794		Japanese edition
		1	CD	VideoArts VACK 5254	May 30 1996	4988112408548		Japanese edition
		1	CD	VideoArts VACK 1211	September 21 2001	4988112412675		Japanese edition, mini-album papersleeve
	Unknown	1	CD	Rykodisc RCD 10599	0014431059926	August 16 2005		Mini-album papersleeve