Frank Zappa - 1966 - I'm Not Satisfied - Fillmore, San Francisco.

This is the earliest Mothers of Invention concert in the Vault archives. It was recorded at the Fillmore Auditorium on an evening when The Mothers opened for comedian Lenny Bruce.

Even at this early stage, Zappa was surrounding himself with musicians that would later become key figures in other bands. This recording is a fascinating glimpse of the earliest stages of Zappa's self-described "conceptual continuity," already well underway before the release of the groundbreaking first Mothers of Invention album, Freak Out.

"I'm Not Satisfied," which begins the social commentary Zappa would continue to explore throughout his career. This track also features relatively complex vocal arrangements that showcase the voices of front man Ray Collins, bassist Roy Estrada (later a founding member of Little Feat), and Zappa himself.

The MOI:

Jimmy Carl Black - drums, vocals
Ray Collins - vocals
Roy Estrada - bass, vocals
Elliot Ingber - guitar
Frank Zappa - guitar, vocals

[jameskennedy]

An example of Zappa's creativity is how he completly rewrote the melody for the parody album RUBEN, while keeping the self pitying lyric . This is a great glimpse of the band's lean underground days .