History Music / LumpyGravy

* RepurposedPopSong: The little piece of surf guitar music after the line: "A bit of nostalgia for the old folks" was taken from the track "Hurricane" by Conrad & the Hurricane Strings, a group who Zappa produced in his studio Cucamonga years in 1963. Similarly "Oh No" was a theme Zappa originally composed for the B-movie ''Film/TheWorldsGreatestSinner'' (1962). The song "Merry-Go-Round" at the start of "White Ugliness" was the SignatureSong of Wild Man Fischer, whose debut album ''An Evening with Wild Man Fischer'' (1968) was produced by Zappa.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Zappa's album ''Music/CivilizationPhazeIII'' (1994) was a double album following the same format as ''Lumpy Gravy''. Once again people said surreal things to each other, recorded underneath a piano wing with their voices vibrating against the piano snares, intercut with instrumental compositions. Some of the dialogue is identical to dialogue appearing on the album; others were additional recordings from the same sessions that weren't used on the original album; others still were new, recorded in the '90s.

''Lumpy Gravy'' is a 1968 music album by Music/FrankZappa. It was his personal debut album as a solo artist, recorded as a SoloSideProject without involvement of the Mothers of Invention as a group. His next solo album would be ''Music/HotRats'' (1969), after which all of Zappa's releases, with or without the Mothers of Invention mentioned on the album cover, would be branded as his own work. Nowadays distinctions between his solo work and his work with the Mothers are no longer made: it's all part of the same canon and back catalogue. ''Lumpy Gravy'' was recorded for Creator/CapitolRecords, while Zappa's work with the Mothers was released by Creator/VerveRecords at the time. Verve's corporate parent Creator/MGMRecords sued Capitol claiming that Zappa was not allowed to record for them because he was signed to Verve Records, even though his contract stated that he was allowed to work on outside projects in which he did not ''perform'', and all of the music on the album was performed by an orchestra. As a result the album was delayed from release for over a year. However, this ExecutiveMeddling didn't turn out too badly, because Zappa ended up reediting the original album into a longer and more avant-garde album released by Verve in 1968, containing dadaist improvised spoken word pieces and orchestral compositions, turning it into one of Zappa's most acclaimed albums. He himself once named it his personal favorite.

''''

* {{Corpsing}}: Musicians break into laughter near the end of "I Don't Know If I Can Go Through This Again". During "White Ugliness" Louis Cuneo keeps cracking up as well.

''Lumpy Gravy'' is a 1968 music album by Music/FrankZappa. It was his personal debut album as a solo artist, recorded as a SoloSideProject without involvement of the Mothers of Invention as a group. His next solo album would be ''Music/HotRats'' (1969), after which all of Zappa's releases, with or without the Mothers of Invention mentioned on the album cover, would be branded as his own work. Nowadays distinctions between his solo work and his work with the Mothers are no longer made: it's all part of the same canon and back catalogue. ''Lumpy Gravy'' was recorded for Capitol Records, while Zappa's work with the Mothers was released by Verve Records at the time. MGM sued Capitol claiming that Zappa was not allowed to record for them because he was signed to Verve Records, even though his contract stated that he was allowed to work on outside projects in which he did not ''perform'', and all of the music on the album was performed by an orchestra. As a result the album was delayed from release for over a year. This ExecutiveMeddling didn't turn out too bad, though, because Zappa ended up reediting the original album into a longer and more avant-garde album released by Verve in 1968, containing dadaist improvised spoken word pieces and orchestral compositions, turning it into one of Zappa's most acclaimed albums. He himself once named it his personal favorite.

'''Personnel'''

[[AC: Side One]]

'''Lumpy Gravy Part One (15:51)'''

[[AC:Side Two]]

'''Lumpy Gravy Part Two (15:51)'''

* {{Malapropism}}:

''Lumpy Gravy'' is also a ConceptAlbum build around a vague and surreal storyline where people hide inside a piano, because of horrible ''pigs'', ''ponies'' and ''kangaroos'' who terrorize the outside world. It featured the first appearance of compositions like ''Oh No'', ''King Kong'' and ''Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance''.

# "The Way I See It Barry" (0:06)

# "Bit Of Nostalgia" (1:35)
# "It's From Kansas" (0:29)

# "At The Gas Station" (2:41)

# "Envelops The Bath Tub" (3:42)
# "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance|Take Your Clothes Off" (1:52)

** On the back cover of ''Lumpy Gravy'' Zappa asks: ''Is this phase two of "We're Only In It For The Money"?'' In the album sleeve of ''Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney (1968)'' he asks: ''Is this phase one of "Lumpy Gravy"?''

** The line "As soon as the pony's mane starts to get good in the back" is reminscent of the line "Oh, my hair is getting good in the back" during "Who Needs The Peace Corps?" on ''Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney'' and the line "I can't wait 'til my 'fro is full grown" in "Uncle Remus" from ''Music/{{Apostrophe}} (1974)''.

** The line "so that it envelops the bathtub" would later reappear during the track ''Flowing Inside-Out'' on ''Music/CivilizationPhazeIII'' (1994).
** The line "Because it was pretty good bread. I was making $2.71 an hour" during ''Almost Chinese'' later reappears during ''At The Gas Station''.
** During ''At The Gas Station'' somebody garbles "Louie Louie", a song that Zappa would frequently quote in his songs. The monologue discusses cars, another conceptual continuity item in Zappa's work. In ''Switching Girls'' this car concept is continued and during ''White Ugliness'' Spider advises: "The thing is to put a motor in yourself." Also, ''At The Gas Station'' talked about "another pickup", while ''White Ugliness'' mentioned the game ''pick-up sticks''.
** During ''Very Distraughtening'' Spider explains a concept revolved around the Big Note, where he basically voices Zappa's opinion, who felt that all his albums were in fact one musical work. It would be worked out later again on ''Music/CivilizationPhazeIII'' (1994).
** In ''White Ugliness'' dog sounds are imitated, leading to the first use of the dog bark ''Arf!'' in Zappa's lyrics.
** Pigs and ponies would reappear in Zappa's later works too, from Greggery Peccary in ''The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary'' on ''Music/StudioTan'' (1978) and ''Music/{{Lather}}'' (1996) to the pygmy pony in ''Montana'' from ''Music/OverNiteSensation'' (1973). References to noses, cigars and the Pope in ''White Ugliness'' would also return in Zappa's work.
** Louis Cuneo's laughter can be heard briefly during ''Whatever Happened To All The Fun In The World'' on ''Music/SheikYerbouti'' (1979).
** Similar dialogue recorded from inside a piano would reappear on ''Music/FrankZappaMeetsTheMothersOfPrevention'' (1986) and ''Civilization Phaze III'' (1993). The lyrics of ''Evelyne, A Modified Dog'' on ''Music/OneSizeFitsAll'' (1975) also refer to recordings inside a Steinway piano.

* {{Corpsing}}: Musicians break into laughter near the end of "I Don't Know I Can Go Through This Again". During "White Ugliness" Louis Cuneo keeps cracking up as well.

* GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion: At the same time as the infamous ''We're Only In It For the Money'' remix, however Zappa was talked out of releasing it. While a snippet appears on a sampler for the ''Old Masters'' set, it was released in its entirely for the first time on ''Lumpy Money'' alongside the original Capitol Records version.
* GrowingWings: "A Pig With Wings".

* [[ViewersAreGeniuses Listeners Are Geniuses]]: The track "Duodenum" refers to part of the digestive system, which connects the stomach to the small intestine. The very unintelligible title "Bored Out 90 Over", to which Jim Motorhead Sherwood adds: "Bored out .90 over with 3 Stromberg 97s" received something of a CrypticallyUnhelpfulAnswer in Zappa's text ''Data For Sensitive or Critical-sensitive Position'' from his ''United Mutations Folio'' (1968). As an answer to the question "Most enlightening revelation brought about through highest level of education" he answered: "Bored out 90/over". When asked: "Most enlightening regulation maintained by educational facility" Zappa wrote down: "With three Stromberg 97's".

* NudeNatureDance: "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance".

* OneSceneTwoMonologues: ''At The Gas Station'' features Jim Motorhead Sherwood talking about his car, while another unrelated conversation between several people starts up and intermixes.

* OutOfClothesExperience: "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance".

* RepurposedPopSong: The little piece of surf guitar music after the line: "A bit of nostalgia for the old folks" was taken from the track "Hurricane" by Conrad & the Hurricane Strings, a group who Zappa produced in his studio Cucamonga years in 1963. Similarly ''Oh No'' was a theme Zappa originally composed for the B-movie ''Film/TheWorldsGreatestSinner'' (1962). The song "Merry-Go-Round" at the start of "White Ugliness" was the SignatureSong of Wild Man Fischer, whose debut album ''An Evening With Wild Man Fischer'' (1968) was produced by Zappa.

** The song ''Merry Go Round'' during "White Ugliness" is a shout-out to the song "Merry-Go-Round" by Wild Man Fischer from his debut album ''An Evening With Wild Man Fischer'' (1968), which was produced by Zappa.

** "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance" was covered literally note for note by the Dutch rock group Gruppo Sportivo on their album ''10 Mistakes'' (1978) as ''Superman''. Band member Hans Vandenburg later went solo and started a new group "Dierenpark". Their album "Slip Tong" (2002) has a track "Hoe je psychiater speld" with a sample of ''[[Music/{{HotRats}} Peaches En Regalia]]''.

** The track ''Friar Fuck'' from King Kooba's album ''Enter The Throne Room'' (2001) samples dialogue from the track ''It's From Kansas''.

* SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer: Despite Zappa being shown and announced on both the front and back cover he is not heard speaking on any of the tracks.
* SoloSideProject: This was Zappa first and only solo album recorded while still being a part of the original Mothers of Invention. On this record none of the band members appear on it as a group, though a few of them (Jimmy Carl Black, Roy Estrada, Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood and Bunk Gardner) have guest appearances, but only in speaking parts. All music on the record is instrumental and recorded with an orchestra. Zappa's next solo album, ''Music/HotRats'' (1969) was released when he had already disbanded the Mothers.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Zappa's album ''Music/CivilizationPhazeIII'' (1994) was a double album following the same format as ''Lumpy Gravy''. Once again people said surreal things to each other, recorded underneath a piano wing with their voices vibrating against the piano snares, intercut with instrumental compositions. Some of the dialogue was recycled from the original ''Lumpy Gravy'' tapes, but others were new.

* VerbalTicName: Louie Cuneo makes an appearance on this album. He was a friend of Zappa who had a very peculiar laugh, much like a turkey, therefore his nickname: ''"Louie the Turkey"''.
* ViciousCycle: "Vicious Circle". Also note that at one point a song called ''Merry-Go Round'' is sang and before the closing track set in Cal Schenkel says: "'Cause round things are... are boring."

'''Lumpy Gravy''' is a 1968 music album by Music/FrankZappa. It was his personal debut album as a solo artist, recorded as a SoloSideProject without involvement of the Mothers of Invention as a group. His next solo album would be ''Music/HotRats'' (1969), after which all of Zappa's releases, with or without the Mothers of Invention mentioned on the album cover, would be branded as his own work. Nowadays distinctions between his solo work and his work with the Mothers are no longer made: it's all part of the same canon and back catalogue. ''Lumpy Gravy'' was recorded for Capitol Records, while Zappa's work with the Mothers was released by Verve Records at the time. MGM sued Capitol claiming that Zappa was not allowed to record for them because he was signed to Verve Records, even though his contract stated that he was allowed to work on outside projects in which he did not ''perform'', and all of the music on the album was performed by an orchestra. As a result the album was delayed from release for over a year. This ExecutiveMeddling didn't turn out too bad, though, because Zappa ended up reediting the original album into a longer and more avant-garde album released by Verve in 1968, containing dadaist improvised spoken word pieces and orchestral compositions, turning it into one of Zappa's most acclaimed albums. He himself once named it his personal favorite.

** The line "so that it envelops the bathtub" would later reappear during the track ''Flowing Inside-Out'' on ''Civilization Phase III'' (1993).

** During ''Very Distraughtening'' Spider explains a concept revolved around the Big Note, where he basically voices Zappa's opinion, who felt that all his albums were in fact one musical work. It would be worked out later again on ''Civilization Phase III'' (1993).

* GrowingWings: ''A Pig With Wings''.

* [[ViewersAreGeniuses Listeners Are Geniuses]]: The track ''Duodenum'' refers to part of the digestive system, which connects the stomach to the small intestine. The very unintelligible title ''Bored Out 90 Over'', to which Jim Motorhead Sherwood adds: "Bored out .90 over with 3 Stromberg 97s" received something of a CrypticallyUnhelpfulAnswer in Zappa's text ''Data For Sensitive or Critical-sensitive Position'' from his ''United Mutations Folio'' (1968). As an answer to the question "Most enlightening revelation brought about through highest level of education" he answered: "Bored out 90/over". When asked: "Most enlightening regulation maintained by educational facility" Zappa wrote down: "With three Stromberg 97's".

* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: In ''Just One More Time'' Zappa provides a TakeThat towards the traditional morning flag salute in American schools.

* NonAppearingTitle: The words ''Lumpy Gravy'' never appear on the album.

* NowILayMeDownToSleep: A literal line near the end of ''White Ugliness''.
* NudeNatureDance: ''Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance''.

* OutOfClothesExperience: ''Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance".

* RepurposedPopSong: The little piece of surf guitar music after the line: "A bit of nostalgia for the old folks" was taken from the track "Hurricane" by Conrad & the Hurricane Strings, a group who Zappa produced in his studio Cucamonga years in 1963. Similarly ''Oh No'' was a theme Zappa originally composed for the B-movie ''Film/TheWorldsGreatestSinner'' (1962). The song ''Merry-Go-Round'' at the start of ''White Ugliness'' was the SignatureSong of Wild Man Fischer, whose debut album ''An Evening With Wild Man Fischer'' (1968) was produced by Zappa.

** On the album cover Zappa wears a T-shirt that advertises ''Pipco'', a Santa Barbara pipe company.
** The song ''Merry Go Round'' during ''White Ugliness'' is a shout-out to the song ''Merry-Go-Round'' by Wild Man Fischer from his debut album ''An Evening With Wild Man Fischer'' (1968), which was produced by Zappa.
** ''King Kong'' is a shout-out to ''Film/KingKong''.
** ''Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance'' was covered literally note for note by the Dutch rock group Gruppo Sportivo on their album ''10 Mistakes'' (1978) as ''Superman''. Band member Hans Vandenburg later went solo and started a new group "Dierenpark". Their album "Slip Tong" (2002) has a track "Hoe je psychiater speld" with a sample of ''[[Music/{{HotRats}} Peaches En Regalia]]''.
** The end credits of every episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}'' closed off with the sound of Louis Cuneo's ''turkey'' SignatureLaugh.

** ''Very Distraughtening'' was sampled by Madvillain (consisting of Music/MFDoom and Madlib) on their single "Avalanche/Victory Lap" (2001).

* SpiritualSuccessor: Zappa's album ''Civilization Phaze III'' (1993) was a double album following the same format as ''Lumpy Gravy''. Once again people said surreal things to each other, recorded underneath a piano wing with their voices vibrating against the piano snares, intercut with instrumental compositions. Some of the dialogue was recycled from the original ''Lumpy Gravy'' tapes, but others were new.

* SuddenlyFluentInGibberish: Most dialogues are like this, but the dialogue between Roy and Louis in ''White Ugliness'' really cuts the cake. They stumble over each other's sentences, stutter uncontrollably, forget halfway what they were going to say and abruptly change subjects too.

* ViciousCycle: ''Vicious Circle''. Also note that at one point a song called ''Merry-Go Round'' is sang and before the closing track set in Cal Schenkel says: "'Cause round things are... are boring."

* BizarroUniverse: In ''Very Distraughtening'' Spider tells a theory about how the universe is made of one Big Note. He is actually voicing Zappa's own opinion about his music, where he viewed his entire oeuvre as one musical composition.

** On the back cover of ''Lumpy Gravy'' Zappa asks: ''Is this phase two of "We're Only In It For The Money"?'' In the album sleeve of ''Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney'' he asks: ''Is this phase one of "Lumpy Gravy"?''

** The line "As soon as the pony's mane starts to get good in the back" is reminscent of the line "Oh, my hair is getting good in the back" during "Who Needs The Peace Corps?" on ''Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney'' and the line "I can't wait 'til my 'fro is full grown" in "Uncle Remus" from ''Music/{{Apostrophe}}''.
** A classical piece heard on this album can also be heard during "Mother People" on ''Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney''.
** ''Oh No'' is heard here in its original orchestral version. On ''Music/WeaselsRippedMyFlesh'' the melody would receive lyrics. The same goes for ''Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance'', which got lyrics on ''Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney''.

** The line "Cause round things are boring" would later reappear in the circle around the star map on the back cover of ''Music/OneSizeFitsAll''.

** Pigs and ponies would reappear in Zappa's later works too, from Greggery Peccary in ''The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary'' on ''Music/StudioTan'' (1978) and ''Music/{{Lather}}'' (1993) to the pygmy pony in ''Montana'' from ''Music/OverNiteSensation'' (1973). References to noses, cigars and the Pope in ''White Ugliness'' would also return in Zappa's work.

** Similar dialogue recorded from inside a piano would reappear on ''Music/FrankZappaMeetsTheMothersOfPrevention'' (1986) and ''Civilization Phase III'' (1993). The lyrics of ''Evelyne, A Modified Dog'' on ''Music/OneSizeFitsAll'' (1975) also refer to recordings inside a Steinway piano.

--> "That's very ''distraughtening''".
--> "I ''fought so back, hard back'', and it was..."
--> "So that it ''envelops'' the bath tub..."

** Pigs and ponies would reappear in Zappa's later works too, from Greggery Peccary in ''The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary'' on ''Studio Tan'' (1978) and ''Music/{{Lather}}'' (1993) to the pygmy pony in ''Montana'' from ''Music/OverNiteSensation'' (1973). References to noses, cigars and the Pope in ''White Ugliness'' would also return in Zappa's work.

** Similar dialogue recorded from inside a piano would reappear on ''Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention'' (1986) and ''Civilization Phase III'' (1993). The lyrics of ''Evelyne, A Modified Dog'' on ''Music/OneSizeFitsAll'' (1975) also refer to recordings inside a Steinway piano.

'''Lumpy Gravy''' is a 1968 music album by Music/FrankZappa. It was his personal debut album as a solo artist, recorded without involvement of the Mothers of Invention as a group. His next solo album would be ''Music/HotRats'' (1969), after which all of Zappa's releases, with or without the Mothers of Invention mentioned on the album cover, would be branded as his own work. Nowadays distinctions between his solo work and his work with the Mothers are no longer made: it's all part of the same canon and back catalogue. ''Lumpy Gravy'' was recorded for Capitol Records, while Zappa's work with the Mothers was released by Verve Records at the time. MGM sued Capitol claiming that Zappa was not allowed to record for them because he was signed to Verve Records, even though his contract stated that he was allowed to work on outside projects in which he did not ''perform'', and all of the music on the album was performed by an orchestra. As a result the album was delayed from release for over a year. This ExecutiveMeddling didn't turn out too bad, though, because Zappa ended up reediting the original album into a longer and more avant-garde album released by Verve in 1968, containing dadaist improvised spoken word pieces and orchestral compositions, turning it into one of Zappa's most acclaimed albums. He himself once named it his personal favorite.

* BizarroUniverse: In ''Very Distraughtning'' Spider tells a theory about how the universe is made of one Big Note. He is actually voicing Zappa's own opinion about his music, where he viewed his entire oeuvre as one musical composition.

!! The way I see it, Barry, this should be some very dynamite tropes:

--> "And it was two, it was two boogey-men that were on the side and , we were . . . already blocked the entrance, so I had to . . . I had to kick, I had to fight to f-four or five boogey-men in front of me . . ."

** Pigs and ponies would reappear in Zappa's later works too, from Greggery Peccary in ''The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary'' on ''Studio Tan'' (1978) and ''Läther'' (1993) to the pygmy pony in ''Montana'' from ''Music/OverNiteSensation'' (1973). References to noses, cigars and the Pope in ''White Ugliness'' would also return in Zappa's work.

* RepurposedPopSong: The little piece of surf guitar music after the line: "A bit of nostalgia for the old folks" was taken from the track "Hurricane" by Conrad & the Hurricane Strings, a group who Zappa produced in his studio Cucamonga years in 1963. Similarly ''Oh No'' was a theme Zappa originally composed for the B-movie ''Film/TheWorldsGreatestSinner''. The song ''Merry-Go-Round'' at the start of ''White Ugliness'' was the SignatureSong of Wild Man Fischer, whose debut album ''An Evening With Wild Man Fischer'' (1968) was produced by Zappa.

** The track ''Friar Fuck'' from King Kooba's album ''Enter The Throne Room'' samples dialogue from the track ''It's From Kansas''.

** The opening theme of ''Duodenum'' would return with lyrics as "Bwana Dik" on ''Fillmore East, June 1971'' (1971).

* LampshadeHanging and LeaveTheCameraRunning: After a particularly avantgardistic piece one of the musicians is heard muttering: "Oh man, I don't believe I can't go through this again."

* BizarroUniverse: ''Everything in the universe is . . . is . . . is made of one element, which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations, you know, which are extensions of THE BIG NOTE, everything's one note.''

** During ''Very Distraughtening'' Spider explains a concept revolved around the Big Note, which is WordOfGod for Zappa, who felt that all his albums were in fact one musical work. It would be worked out later again on ''Civilization Phase III'' (1993).

* WordOfGod: In ''Very Distraughtning'' Spider tells a theory about how the universe is made of one Big Note. He is actually voicing Zappa's own opinion about his music, where he viewed his entire oeuvre as one musical composition.
--> '''Spider''': ''Everything in the universe is . . . is . . . is made of one element, which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations, you know, which are extensions of THE BIG NOTE, everything's one note. Everything, even the ponies. The note, however, is the ultimate power, but see, the pigs don't know that, the ponies don't know that. Right?''
--> '''Monica''': ''You mean just we know that?''
--> '''Spider''': ''Right!''
---

--> ''Cause round things... are boring.''

** Similar dialogue recorded from inside a piano would reappear on ''Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention'' (1986) and ''Civilization Phase III'' (1993). The track ''Evelyne, A Modified Dog''

** On the back cover of ''Lumpy Gravy'' Zappa asks: ''Is this phase two of ''We're Only In It For The Money''?'' In the album sleeve of ''Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney'' he asks: ''Is this phase one of ''Lumpy Gravy''?''
** The opening theme of ''Duodenum'' would return with lyrics as ''Bwana Dik'' on ''Fillmore East, June 1971'' (1981).
** The line "As soon as the pony's mane starts to get good in the back" is reminscent of the line "Oh, my hair is getting good in the back" during "Who Needs The Peace Corps?" on ''Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney'' and the line "I can't wait 'til my 'fro is full grown" in "Uncle Remus" from Music/{{Apostrophe}}.
** A classical piece heard on this album can also be heard during "Mother People" on Music/WereOnlyInItForTheMoney.

--> '''Monica''': You mean just we know that?
--> '''Spider''': Right!

''Cause round things... are boring.''