8.10.2007

Frank Zappa - Weasels Ripped My Flesh


A few years ago I had my first taste of Zappa's music after borrowing Weasels Ripped My Flesh from a dorm friend. The album is a collection of songs by Zappa's Mothers of Invention band, released after they separated. Most of the songs are loose, bizarre compositions inspired by avant-garde jazz.

The album's cover managed to cause a controversy with Zappa's label (at the time, Warner Brothers. According to what I read here, Warner thought it wasn't up to their standards, the printer was offended by it and his assistant refused to touch the painting.


Zappa paid $250 to an illustrator/designer named Neon Park to to the painting. He had asked for an image inspired by the cover of a men's magazine, shown below. For some reason the German version of the album has completely different artwork showing a metallic baby in a mousetrap, unapproved by Zappa.

Neon Park also work on covers for a few other bands, most notably a group called Little Feet. There is a book of his work, including all of his album covers, published by Last Gasp.

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