This is probably Frank's most demented album. Also his most controversial. Also the most 'dated' in sound, in a good way; I mean, it sounds like I just jumped right into the middle of 1967, with The Monkees playing in the background, but this is much more interesting music than your average 60s band. The album makes fun of the hippie generation, ironically, as the main audience of The Mothers in the 60s was those same people Frank was mocking.
If Frank were around now, I feel like he would make a similarly themed album, lyrically, and instead of hippies, it would be hipsters, millennials, etc... but who knows... However, Frank calls out hippies, parents, San Francisco (how relevant today), cops; remember, there was a lot of turmoil during the Summer of Love in 1967. Sounds a lot like social issues we face today.
WOIIFTM is the first album in Frank's career that really came off like a big middle finger towards establishment, culture, society, or whatever the anger, contempt, and frustration was directed towards. This is one of the funnier FZ albums, but the album has some really powerful music in Mom and Dad, a rare serious topic for Zappa. This is essential Zappa listening, and for newbies, may take some time to appreciate. But when this came out, like Freak Out!, it was probably mind-blowing for the LSD kids. This is an album to listen to on headphones, too. Lot of sound manipulation, and panning, going on. For me, though, this one JUST misses the masterpiece status for me. Not too sure why, maybe because the next album, Uncle Meat, goes further than this album, and is more adventurous. But this album i crazy!
Besides Frank and The Mothers, Frank's wife, the late Gail, as well as Jimi Hendrix are on the cover. The 2012 reissues of this album reinstated the original artwork.
Oh yea, "Mother People" at the end. Total reprise of a section from Lumpy Gravy. Makes so much more sense.