The first shipping confirmation emails from Musictoday were received on April 17th 2010.
Cruising With Ruben & The Jets Original 1968 Vinyl Stereo Mix:
- Cheap Thrills (2:23)
- Love Of My Life (3:10)
- How Could I Be Such A Fool (3:35)
- Deseri (2:07)
- I’m Not Satisfied (4:03)
- Jelly Roll Gum Drop (2:20)
- Anything (3:04)
- Later That Night (3:06)
- You Didn’t Try To Call Me (3:57)
- Fountain Of Love (3:01)
- “No. No. No.” (2:29)
- Anyway The Wind Blows (2:58)
- Stuff Up The Cracks (4:35)
Bonus tracks
- Jelly Roll Gum Drop (2:18) – alternate mono mix
- “No. No. No.” (3:06) – long version
- Stuff Up The Cracks (6:05) – alternate mix
- “Serious Fan Mail” (5:11) – segment from FZ’s 2/21/69 lecture
- Valerie [sic] (3:03) – mono mix, out-take from the We’re Only In It For The Money sessions
- Jelly Roll Gum Drop (2:24) – single version
- “Secret Greasing” (3:36) – FZ on KPPC, Pasadena, 11/27/68
- Love Of My Life (2:06) – Cucamonga recording circa 1962-1964
See also Zappa Wiki Jawaka’s entry.
The crisp audio quality of this original mix brings forth it’s musical subtleties that an audio vinyl rip just doesn’t do. For that reason, itself, this release is worth picking up, especially if you are a fan of the original Mothers. I wouldn’t linger too long on the liner notes, though (the usual ZFT revisionism is at work. To their thinking, FZ created everything, conducted everything, and performed everything. The contribution of the original Mothers is kept very low key, if mentioned at all).
This was never on my list of “must have” albums but I have to admit, I LOVE this version! And any album that has “Anything” on it deserves a good review, ok? Even if you don’t like do-wop,or do what or do whatever.. just listen… it’s very greasy and it may just grow on you. Just have a comb handy.
OK–My humble opinion is that we should all be rather grateful for this one. When you actually get down to thinking about it, I am surprised that there aren’t already tons of appreciative comments posted concerning the long-awaited importance of this release. Ever since the release of the 1st “Old Masters” box in 1985, fans have been begging for a remaster of the original vinyl mix of “Crusin’ With Ruben…” And here is now is. It sounds wonderful, has some nice extras, and yet I sense a kind of “ho-hum” reaction in general. Maybe when one finally gets what one has been yearning for years to posess, there is some inevitable letdown. As for me, I am going to keep spinning this one, and loving every minute of it! Needless to say, if you don’t like or want to understand the love Frank put into this album, you probably don’t appreciate a lot of his musical tastes, loves and influences. An essential Zappa release, to be sure.
Expensive. That’s the first consideration about this release. Still, I forked out the readies and prayed that this CD version wouldn’t include all the suffocating compression that is all over the vinyl. Of course it does – it’s the original version after all! Nice to have Ruben on CD, though I don’t feel it is the most essential of Zappa albums.
The extras are a mixed bunch to be sure – don’t go looking for any Lumpy Money revelations here. It surprised me just how fun the 2 alternate versions of “Jelly Roll Gum Drop†actually are; “Valerie†is even more histrionic than the original by Jackie and the Starlites – though it sounds more like a rehearsal than a proper stab at a recording; and it’s always nice to hear “Love of my Lifeâ€.
The interview takes are quite interesting, fairly amusing (after all, this is Frank Zappa talking, so bound to be something worthwhile in there)….but an extended version of “No.No.No.†– it’s not going to light up anybody’s world, that’s for sure. Likewise the unedited guitar solo on “Stuff Up The Cracksâ€, clearly showing that Frank edited things for very good reasons (at least most of the time) – it meanders on and on without really going anywhere, and when it finally begins to say something interesting, you realise it’s the parts that you already know from the final edit!
So, it’s a nice release, but don’t fork out expecting another Lumpy Money.
I grew up blasting the original “Rubin & The Jets” when it first came out on vinyl during my high school years (69-72). Went to the Filmore in 1970 and I was dissappointewd to see Zappa had replaced the original Mothers with Flo & Eddie, etc. Have always been a little mad at him about that. I loved those guys. When Zappa released the CD he completely butchered my teenage high school memories by remixing new crap over the original “sharp” tunes. Finally these tunes are back in pristine form. Great bonuses. Over the years I have become a huge collector of doo wop (thanks to Zappa). Have 5500 tunes in my iTunes library (plus actual 78s & 45s). The great treat on “Greasy Love Songs” is Zappa’s personal vocal rendition of “Valerie,” where he tops Jackie & The Starlites in screams and sobs.
Anybody know who is singing on that Cucamonga version of “Love of My Life”? Is it credited to Ray Collins and the Heartbreakers who did “Cradle Rock” and “Every Time I See You” in ’63? Is that a female voice I hear? Who is it? It’s great. It’s all great. Thanks Zappa family.