when ubuntu doesn't "Just work"

After extolling the ease of linux (ubuntu in particular) i've hit my first time that it "didn't just work."
So here i am, about to rip my brand new copy of "For Your Own Special Sweetheart" (jawbox's third and arguably BEST album) in SoundJuicer and of course i want it in MP3 format, Not ogg, flac, aac or speex dammit!
ah well.. go to settings and select forma....
what the fuck? MP3 is already there as a profile... but. i .. can't.. select... it...
waaaaaaaaaah?
apparently it's a common problem with feisty installs (even clean ones)... it looks like some dependency just didn't make it into the final version of gstreamer... anyway..
to fix it
go into synaptic and install the gstreamer bad multiverse package.
it'll fix it.
cheers!