Absolutely Free, is Frank Zappa's second release with the Mothers of Invention and it certainly shows what is to come and really portrays Frank's adaptability and penchant for weirdness, mortalised with insane vocals.
The album is constructed in a clever way, so that each song blows the ... Read review
Advantages: Crazy, humourous, artistic Disadvantages: The artwork has been printed poorly.
Absolutely Free, is Frank Zappa's second release with the Mothers of Invention and it certainly shows what is to come and really portrays Frank's adaptability and penchant for weirdness, mortalised with insane vocals.
The album is constructed in a clever way, so that each song blows the previous one away with a different and crazy style yet still as an album still works as one big powerful block still. A mixture of psychedelic rock, ... ...superb album that confronts conformity, sexual repression and pop music with humour.
We can get carried away with the craziness of it all without giving time to praise the musicians who never put a foot wrong in this bombardment of tunes. Throughout the album, there is a mention of fruit and veg.
Call any Vegetable is my personal fave but Brown Shoes Don't Make it is a musical and lyrical masterpiece, detailing Old ... more
Absolutely Free, is Frank Zappa's second release with the Mothers of Invention and it certainly shows what is to come and really portrays Frank's adaptability and penchant for weirdness, mortalised with insane vocals.
The album is constructed in a clever way, so that each song blows the previous one away with a different and crazy style yet still as an album still works as one big powerful block still. A mixture of psychedelic rock, jazz from satan's armpit and opera.. this really is a superb album that confronts conformity, sexual repression and pop music with humour.
We can get carried away with the craziness of it all without giving time to praise the musicians who never put a foot wrong in this bombardment of tunes. Throughout the album, there is a mention of fruit and veg.
Call any Vegetable is my personal fave but Brown Shoes Don't Make it is a musical and lyrical masterpiece, detailing Old City hall Fred and his fondness for bedding a 13 year old girl who:
And he loves it, he loves it It curls up his toes She wipes his fat neck And it lights up his nose But he cannot be fooled Old City Hall Fred She's nasty, she's nasty She digs it in bed That's right
It may well be Old City Hall Fred's daughter as he says he would:
Smother my daughter in chocolate syrup And strap her on again, oh baby
and also "make her do a nasty on the White House lawn"
This is then topped off with the final track "American Drinks and Goes Home" including bar noise and patter.
This album has an incredible range of music on and is most definitely worth a listen. You might not get it but you won't regret it.
Product Information for "Absolutely Free - Frank Zappa" »
Product details
Title
Absolutely Free
Performer
Frank Zappa
Genre
Rock & Pop
Sub Genre
Experimental Rock
Release Date
25/10/1999, 24/06/2002
Recomended Retail Price
14.99 GBP
Original Release Year
1967
Label / Distributor
Rykodisc / ADA/Cinram Logistics, Rykodisc Japan / F-Minor
Guest Artist(s)
Zappa, Frank & The Mothers Of Invention
Producer
Tom Wilson
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
14431050220, 4988112412606
Catalogue Number
RCD 10502
SPAR code
AAD
Additional notes
Album Notes
Full performer name: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention. Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention: Frank Zappa (guitar, vocals); Ray Collins (vocals); Bunk Gardner (saxophone); Don Preston (keyboards, vocals); Roy Estrada (bass, vocals); Jimmy Carl Black, Billy Mundi (drums, percussion, vocals). This package contains the complete libretto (clean American version), plus two additional tracks not included on the original release. Before becoming obsessed with sex, politics and the Synclavier, Frank Zappa was a performer of great whimsy, who here, on his second album, was singing about such topics as fruits and vegetables while also displaying a developing critical attitude toward American social mores. Dense with musical references from "Louie Louie" to Holst's "The Planets," ABSOLUTELY FREE is a testament to the young Zappa's awesome musical breadth. These Mothers of Invention lack the precision of Zappa's later combos, but give a firm R&B grounding to his experimentation. ABSOLUTELY FREE includes the classic "Brown Shoes Don't Make It," a biting parody of suburban American values, along with forgotten masterpieces like "Call Any Vegetable," a tune pointing out the ease with which we can become in tune with our little green buddies.
Album Reviews
Q (8/95, pp.150-151) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "A pair of side-long 'underground oratorios' crystallising Zappa's life themes--the corruptions of materialism, the vacuity of modern culture, the value of vegetables--and his technique, montaging ham-fisted mock opera with puerile bubblegum and a jazz-rock that writhes with exhilaration..." Option - Recommended Down Beat - 3 Stars - Good
Titles on disc 1
1.
Plastic People
2.
Duke Of Prunes
3.
Amnesia Vivace
4.
Duke Regains His Chops
5.
Call Any Vegetable
6.
Invocation And Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin
7.
Soft Sell Conclusion
8.
Big Leg Emma (bonus track)
9.
Why Don'tcha Do Me Right (bonus track)
10.
America Drinks
11.
Status Back Baby
12.
Uncle Bernie's Farm
13.
Son Of Suzy Creamcheese
14.
Brown Shoes Don't Make It
15.
America Drinks And Goes Home
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since
29/05/2002
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