For Real! (Ruben and the Jets album)


For Real! is the debut album of Ruben and the Jets. Released in 1973, the album was produced by Frank Zappa, who wrote the first track and played guitar on the second track.

Background

and the Mothers of Invention recorded a concept album called Cruising with Ruben & the Jets in 1968 which involved a fictitious Chicano doo-wop and rock and roll band called Ruben and the Jets. Subsequently, Zappa stated that the Mothers of Invention would record a second Ruben & the Jets album. However though, no sequel to Cruising with Ruben & the Jets was produced.
Zappa was later contacted by a band which consisted of Mexican-American musicians Ruben Guevara, Tony Duran, Robert "Frog" Camarena, Johnny Martinez, Robert "Buffalo" Roberts, Bill Wild, Bob Zamora and Mike Albert, who sought Zappa's permission to name their group Ruben and the Jets, in honor of the Mothers of Invention album. Zappa approved the group name, and agreed to produce their debut album, For Real!, which was released in 1973 on Mercury Records; Zappa also wrote the album's opening song, "If I Could Only Be Your Love Again", and played guitar on the second track, "Dedicated to the One I Love".

Track listing

;Side one
  1. "If I Could Only Be Your Love Again" — 3:34
  2. "Dedicated to the One I Love" — 5:45
  3. "Show Me the Way to Your Heart" — 5:04
  4. "Sparkie" — 4:30
  5. "Wedding Bells" — 2:58
;Side two
  1. "Almost Grown" — 2:20
  2. "Charlena" — 5:54
  3. "Mah Man Flash" — 2:38
  4. "Santa Kari" — 4:29
  5. "Spider Woman" — 3:58
  6. "All Night Long" — 2:22