As an enduring work,
Fillmore East: June 1971 is a mixed bag, but it does represent the peak of the
Flo & Eddie edition of the Mothers. Most of the songs are essentially comedy routines set to music, often dealing with the life of a touring rock musician and, of course, the various opportunities for sexual adventure therein; in one scenario, Mark Volman and
Howard Kaylan reprise their
Turtles hit "Happy Together" in exchange for sexual favors. The humor is often glib and juvenile, marking the beginnings of
Frank Zappa's tactic of making complex music more accessible with half-sardonic arena-frontman antics and crowd-pleasing dirty jokes. Whether one considers the results funny and parodic or crass and pandering, the band is undeniably good, especially as showcased on "Little House I Used to Live In," "Willie the Pimp, Pt. 1," and "Peaches en Regalia." ~ Steve Huey