Freak Out!

I thought Frank Zappa was cool when I was younger, but I always thought I would grow in my appreciation for him, and that hasn't really happened. I still like him, but I like him the same amount and in the same way that I liked him when I was younger. This album is fine, and there are lots of cool things about it, but it's also hard to say that I like it. However, I like it a hell of a lot more than Capt Beefhart, which I find very comparable to this. 4/5, but I have no idea why

Wonderful and chock with irreverence!

I've generally found that listening to Zappa is more an experience than simply listening to music. For better AND for worse. Bonkers that this is 66. Thoroughly confusing record. I frequently forget I'm listening to satire, given how well certain songs just straight up do the merseybeat sound or doo-wop or whatever perfect. And then something like "you're probably wondering why I'm here" comes on. And then Trouble Every Day is straight ahead great. And then the record vomits up it's skeleton and all pretense is dropped. Turns out I really enjoyed Hot Rats and I really enjoyed in it for the money. So I guess I like Zappa.

I did not expect to like this, but in the end the wackiness and sarcastic comments on the dark side of American society won me over. I need to listen to more Zappa I guess.

More approachable than I expected. Found "Motherly Love" kind of cringe. But generally enjoyed having this on in the background. Just "out" enough to elicit "what are you LISTENING to" comments from the family but not so far out that they demanded I turn it off.

"Hey you know something people I'm not black But there's a whole lots a times I wish I could say..." FRANK "...I'm not white" oh ok

very 60's frank. use occasionally or unseen effects may occur

The birth of a sneering, cynical, doo-wop loving countercultural genius.

I’m a sucker for early Zappa, and I still can’t believe they were doing this in ‘65.

i like to have fun and listen to music 🙂

Kinda cool progrock album!

Frank Zappa is en blijft een legende. Hoewel ik The Mothers of Invention minder vind dan zijn solowerk, is dit wel een 'freaky', maar wijs album. 3.6

All over the place. The best part is probably the diversity of instruments and arrangements. Sometimes the joke bits feel a bit strained. Sometimes ('Somebody Else's Shoulder') they work. 'Wowie Zowie' and 'You're Probably Wondering' were pretty good too. I’m rating this a 4 because I like stupid things. I do want to make it clear that this is stupid and not genius.

The musical arrangements are super interesting - so varied and eclectic but really well crafted. Hungry Freaks, Daddy is a typical rocker with some great guitar riffs. Meanwhile Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder is a do-wapper that is just as bubblegum fun as any standard teeny bopper but with such clever, sarcastic lyrics. If you didn't pay attention to the lyrics, you'd probably think these guys are talented but can't figure out what genre they want to be in. But when you listen to the lyrics and the vocal delivery, you realize how much eye rolling they're doing at the various genres and pop culture at the time. Satirical genius. Trouble Every Day is satirical but also very on point - perhaps intended to be a faux psychedelic song but in fact a masterclass. But man oh man, Frank Zappa has an awful voice. The rest of the band, who take turns in the lead, are really no better...except when they feign reverence to do wap. Also notable how this was only the second double album (really?) with the second disc (sides three and four) containing a couple prog rock stylings, Help I'm a Rock and The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet. That doesn't quite bump it up to a 5 for me, but it sure makes it a very solid 4. You have to listen to this album with ears and mind wide open. If you don't, you won't get it. But if you do, it is a hell of a ride.

I enjoyed how this started as a fairly straightforward 60s psych rock thing and descended into madness.

Very surprised with this album after really not enjoying the "We're Only in Tt for the Money" one. But this one is so fun and wonky while still keeping great melodies and mixing in a bunch of different musical styles. Wouldn't mind coming back to it. 7/10

I can understand how this album would be revered from certain people at the time for challenging so many things so early in music history/development. At this time, however, it is only just okay and fine, to me. I'd probably give it 3 stars for my own personal enjoyment, but I do think that the listener has to remember it is from 1966, and that is very early for the way it is playing with musical convention and listener expectations. Therefore, I bumped it up to a 4 to take into account the influence and impact.

I'd wager a guess that Ween or Frank Zappa take inspiration from this.

Weird but I liked it. I’ve heard of Frank Zappa but pretty sure I’ve never heard any of his songs

Some really nice music. A handful of songs had really cringe lyrics though

Refreshing different to Beatles, Zombies etc.

Took me a few songs to get into it, but once I did, it became very good.

Brilliant

I dig this one a lot. In a way, it feels like a prelude to punk with their feelings of consternation and irreverent disrespect for everything people seemed to hold sacred in the 60s. The big difference is that they have the talent and creativity of Frank Zappa which makes this a lot more enjoyable than a lot of punk and post punk music for me. Great counter culture album that doesn't forget tot focus on the music.

I'm glad I finally listened to this one. I'm not super familiar with Zappa's discography, but I do love Hot Rats. This isn't exactly similar to that one, but it was very ahead of it's time - I actually had to double check the date. Kind of mind blowing that something like this came out in 1966, pre Sgt Peppers even! I appreciate what they were going for with the satirical songs in the first half, but I find them a bit boring. Probably because I find the musical styles that most of them imitate a bit hackneyed. It starts to get really interesting from around "Trouble Every Day" though, from then on I loved it. So, bit of a mixed bag, but I'll give an extra star for the sheer creativity and innovation.

This is satire people. Zappa made a career lampooning music and the music industry. This is the birth of brilliance

I have a lot of feelings about this. Most of them are good. I think there's no dispute about this album falling under the Experimental Rock genre because there were a lot of moments where I thought to myself "what the fuck is going on". But whatever was going on was fucking cool as. I really liked Hungry Freaks Daddy and Any Way the Wind Blows, very catchy indeed. Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder sounded like a young Donald Trump who tried to be a backing singer for a jazz band but failed so he went into his daddy's business instead. I really liked the album in its entirety, but I really did have to be in the mood for this one.

Weird but not overly bizarre

8/10. :) It's a brilliant record. Although, it did get somewhat dull over time. :)

Zapppappapapaaaaa! Onhan tämä sellaista vekkulia musaa. Hyvälle mielelle tulee ja homma toimii! 4/5

My dumb ass almost wrote some shit about how this reminded me of Zappa, completely unaware until looking it up that of course it does he is literally there. That’s what I get for having only listened to Joe’s Garage. Anyway, great album, much like Joe’s Garage.

Challenging, diverse, thought-provoking and quite pleased with itself

This album is an all time classic, and quite important, due mostly to the time it was released. It wasn't until 1967 that psychedelic rock was firmly cemented in the public consciousness, by way of records like Hendrix's 'Are You Experienced' and Jefferson Airplane's 'Surrealistic Pillow'. Well really, this album is more of a mix between total experimentation with the rock genre, psychedelic rock (which would become more popular soon after its release), and parody/satire based on the pop music of the 50s and early 60s. None of which really fall flat.

Classic frank.

Generally a huge Zappa fan, but this early material is a bit weird just for the sake of being weird... trying to freak out the squares, which is fine, but it could be more interesting musically.

Batcrap crazy and lots of fun

Yeah it's pretty weird

Ok, so I kind of liked this. It's weird as shit. Almost like some of the tracks came off a Muppets album. "Cream Cheese! Cream Cheese! Cream Cheese!" But other tracks have a really good sound and keep the weirdness to a minimum. It's worth the listen, but alter your state to a higher plane if you want to fully enjoy it.

Legendary and highly influential album by one of the most creative musicians ever. Freak Out! is not quite as provocative and extreme as it would have been in ‘66 - remember that this was just the second rock double album to be released; almost immediately after Blonde On Blonde. Today it is still fun, exciting and way, way ahead of its time - but it’s important criticism is not as relevant.

I never spent much time with Zappa before today. I always operated under the misconception that he and the Mothers were talented musicians being weird for weird’s sake. I really enjoy the satire on this album. Definitely need to give him props as one of the founding fathers of punk.

Don't know why but I like it

This was weird. It's both hard and not hard to believe this was made in the 60s. I ended up feeling confused after listening to it, maybe that's the point? I have no idea, but I dig it...I think

My heart sank at more Mothers, but actually this one has clearly been through some sort of editing process, or they were on different drugs that meant they could actually hear what the audience might hear. Much more in the enjoyable end of the psychedelic spectrum.

Yeah, you better Freak Out

It gets bonus points for sounding so ahead of it's time for 1966, especially that insane 12 minute long closing track, just complete weirdo shit. There's some great tunes amongst the rest of it too, but the silliness of it does wear it out for me after a while. Much prefer Zappa when he starts trying harder to make interesting experimental in his jazz fusion era a few years later, but this is still a nice change from the more mundane stuff on the list.

Ok I'm not a Zappa fan and I think this is historically significant but what an absolute mind fuck thus would have been in 1966. I think that it is an epic chunk of avant-rock. Take your 4.

I can't believe this was 1966

Good stuff, bunch of nonsense at the end.

Wild, satirical and silly, a full 60’s music experience. I liked go cry on somebody else’s shoulder and Trouble Every day. A great listen, but a one off!

This album was rad!

Zappa got off to a great start. Whatever deficiencies there are, it's futile to point them out, as it's never clear whether they're planted deliberately to invite criticism that can then be contemptuously deflected. The man was a genius.

Wonderfully unique

I listened to this a couple times in high school because a friend went through a Zappa period. I largely wrote it off as "dumb" (or some other eloquent turn of phrase that only 16 year olds can utter), but I'm liking it now much more than I remember.

Old school

Frank Zappa is a treasure and his legacy needs to be protected at all costs.

It's like they heard garage rock and doo wop of the time and made their own demented, LSD-soaked version of it back as an anti-establishment flag wave. Not only anti-societal norms, but this album feels like a statement to the rest of their contemporaries in the music business that "I'm smarter and trippier than you-- and I'm not high". Zappa didn't appreciate the excessive drug and psychedlics usage around him in the 1960's but he had no issue outpacing them with his own natural abstract nature. Part of the enjoyment of this album feels attached to enjoying that sense of snark or righteousness and the other, more universal part, is the massive amount of talent for making songs that work on multiple levels.

I had never heard of this band or album, so I was intrigued. Reading further into the band there is lots to look into here with Zappa coming in an multiple members leaving. I am looking forward to learning more! Im giving this a 4. I will be listening to this again Favourite song: Im not satisfied Least favourite: they are all worth a listen Album artwork: Great cover

Freak of a classic

honestly this fucked

zappa zappa zappa

Time warlocks. Look at that guy in the bottom right out here looking like Fred Durst in 1966. The Earth is dodecahedron-shaped, wake up sheeple. Insanely good Side A and Side B, before getting infected by The Fungus on Side C and slowly fizzling out in a mostly "too weird for its own sake"-kind of way. Although this is just more proof that Zappa was a genius, man. Genuinely one of the best musicians of all time once you look past his "haha eskimo pee"-era. How do you even write this in '66? That's before "Revolver" and "The Velvet Underground"! Moral of the story: Apostrophe(') fucking sucks.

Frank Zappa is an odd duck. Do you thing man! A lot of this music passed me by like a parade of fun chaotic noise and sass. I connected with You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here, Trouble Every Day and It Can't Happen Here. I did not like Who Are the Brain Police and Wowie Zowie most. Odd that the first album almost lost me but the second album brought me back, that's a new one.

Borderline craxy genius It flits from one to the other so much but wow

Delightfully weird and way ahead of its time. Is it the best album ever made? No, probably not. I can’t give it 5 stars because some songs are just not enjoyable to me. That said you have to respect a band putting out a song like Trouble Every Day in 1966 United States: it’s a great jam and tackles the racial issues at the time very directly. The opener Hungry Freaks, Daddy is another great track, and from there the album is quite a journey. God bless you Frank you weird and wonderful bastard.

zappa is a wierdo :)

Fair play, the pastiches of a dozen different 50s and 60s musical styles - some of which can't have even fully evolved by this point - are absolutely on point. Creating a great parody isn't as clever as creating a great original (I mean, I’m assuming everything on here is tongue-in-cheek; I could be wrong), but this is genuinely very listenable in its own right, even after the jokes have worn off. That’s why I’m putting it above We’re Only In It For The Money as my favourite Zappa-affiliated album I’ve heard so far.

A fun, strange, quirky, and weird listen. It’s hard to believe this was made in 1966. Pretty good album!

Loved. Fun mix of genres, fun orchestration. Just fun

A proper head trip and descent into madness

Zappa!! Like later work, the musical brilliance just pops out from behind the sardonic wit, both of which will only get better and better. Yeah, I'm a fan.

It's fun to see the wacky origins of Frank Zappa. This album, surprisingly, delivered some pretty great stuff. The out-of-sync vocal harmonies, kazoos, and "yuueah"-ing (see: You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here) firmly root this album in the mid/late 60s, but there's also some serious inventiveness that places elements of the music well ahead of their time. But, as interesting and risky (for the 60s) tracks like The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet and Help I'm A Rock may be, they're just a little too "out there" for my taste. Important to musical evolution, maybe, but that doesn't mean I have to necessarily enjoy their free-jazz-esque noises. The former (The Return...) is like a slightly more musically coherent Revolution 9 – though that isn't saying much, given Revolution 9's generally accepted status as the worst Beatles track. But what the album does well, it really nails. Really solid, fun pop bops with a lot of musical coolness to hone in on – especially on the album's first disk. I love the vocals, which parallel those of British Invasion bands. Great, clear bass playing too. I guess this is an early concept album, in the sense that there's a distinctive yet gradual shift in tone throughout the album, from bright and collected psychedelia to dark, crazed, ...uh, psychedelia. 4/5 Key tracks: Trouble Every Day, Hungry Freaks Daddy, I Ain't Got No Heart, Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder

Help I'm a rock

The project developed some good songs under Zappa’s guidance. Very strong record that also does not take itself serious. 4/5

Zappa never fails to make something interesting. The album absolutely goes off the rail after Trouble Every Day. Favorite songs were Hungry Freaks, Daddy, How Could I Be Such A Fool, I’m Not Satisfied, and Trouble Every Day.

I liked a bunch of these songs. I feel like it kind of influenced things like TMBG, took some influence from The Smiths. The lyrics can be a little silly, but they're fun and the music is good so it makes up for it. It was a fun ride.

The Mothers of Invention - Absolutely Free The goofiness is something I don't care for. The rock opera start stop stuff is something I don't care for. The “wacky psychedelic” stuff I don't like. The jazzy rocking out I do like. When they are moving forward it's usually really good.-----So, I've been listening to the wrong album. I've been listening to Absolutely Free, which is the one that follows Freak Out. — So I’ve been listening to Freak Out and I like it quite a bit more than the one that follows. They have the goofy vocals here, but really double down on that for the next record. This one is more straightforward and the musicianship is top notch. A lot of sarcasm and political stuff here. Weird mix of Doo Wop and Garage rock …psychedelic 1966 style. Sounds ahead of its time and a little bit dated all at once. It's experimental too… I’ve tried Zappa over the years but get turned off by the vocals. I’m glad I tried harder with this one. It’s pretty dang good.

The world wasn’t ready for this in 1966. Killer stuff

Hungry Freaks, Daddy 4 I Ain't Got No Heart 4.1 Who Are The Brain Police? 3 Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder 4 Motherly Love 4.2 How Could I Be Such a Fool 4 Wowie Zowie 4 You Didn't Try to Call Me 4 Any Way the Wind Blows 4 I'm Not Satisfied 4.1 You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here 3.8 Trouble Every Day 4.5 Help, I'm a Rock 3.2 It Can't Happen Here 2.8 The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet 2 Score: 3.713333333

About as out there as you can get. I've never done. Such a 180 on an album before.

Great, but there's some room for improvement. He's not the best singer and side 3 and 4 are too much. Also the weird stereo image, but they probably didn’t have the equipment yet to do it properly. Favorite song: Motherly Love.

Much more 'straight forward' than i thought it was going to be. All in all though, it's Zappa...it's pretty great

Frank’s not fully formed yet, but still awesome. Lots of good stuff here. 4/5

The Mothers of Invention try on musical genres as if they're Halloween costumes. The songs are big and exaggerated and they always sound as if the band is at least half kidding. But the thing is, they're actually good songs too. "Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder" is a legitimately good soul ballad. The vocals are over-the-top and poke fun at the cheesiness of the music but the songwriting is still solid. Opening track "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" rips off the Stones' "(I Cant Get No) Satisfaction" but builds the song into something new: a counterculture anthem about American brainwashing that features -- am I hearing this correctly?-- a kazoo? “Wowie Zowie” is another one that feels tongue-in-cheek but is also just plain fun. I love how they steal the melody of “Sherry Baby” at the end. A lot of these songs blur the line between pastiche and parody. Wow, the lyrics on “Trouble Every Day” feel just as relevant to the 2020s as the 1960s. Oh man, the album is getting into wild, avant-grade territory with “Help, I’m a Rock.” Honestly, I’m really jamming to this right now. Same with the delirious 12-minute epic “The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet.” I’m mesmerized by it. The first half of this album is clever and charming. The second half is bonkers and brilliant.

Imagine being on the cutting edge of music production and song writing. Zappa and the Mother's drop a heavy hitter album just 5 days after the bluesbreakers album, ripe with blues influence and hard rock inspiration for the future. Zappa would only ascend to a higher creative plane as time moved on from the release of this album. But, this album captures the iconic original essence of the band. I love this album, a certified taste maker selection.

most definitely the weirdest album i’ve listened to from this list but i loved most of it! not a single song that i’ll listen to again but really enjoyed the listen overall. every song sounded like an inside joke for the band

I read other reviews that said that this doesn't sound like it's time. But I have to firmly disagree, because this is the most 60 sounding album of come across. I realized it from some respects. Lampooning it, but to be honest in a lot of ways it did it better. This was a pretty entertaining album.

I love this album like America loves cream cheese.

Not for everyone

Crazy, hilarious, cacaphonic, lol fi, fuzzy, fun, wild

This is one of Zappas most approachable records and it still is way out there. I think its genius.

Oooooooo yeeaaaah

Beetje experimenteel, beetje rockend, veel leuke nummers en wat rare.

Unos músicos fantásticos.

Well this is an old favourite of mine. $27,000 in 1965 to record a bunch of dive bar R&B wannabes. Tom Wilson signed them after seeing them at the Whisky on the Strip, he had also signed Simon and Garfunkel, and produced Bob Dylan. So he must have known what he was doing. Turns out he had no idea in this case. Freak Out is an early double gatefold album and an early concept album, though what precisely the concept is might be hard to tell. The high quality Warner Bros production sounds incredible for the mid 60s especially since there is so much going on. The satire isn't as biting as you might expect, we've already got comedy songs which put a lot of people off Zappa, see also the self indulgent and pointless sound collage at the end. But it does feature real social commentary on 'More trouble everyday' and 'Hungry Freaks Daddy' There's a lot of sardonic doo-wop and the album title is done in the same type face as that year's 'Pet Sounds' album by the Beach Boys, probably Frank poking fun at how via the continued success of the Beach Boys Doo-wop and surf music were somehow still top of the charts in spite of everything. Most of the songs are silly, poppy and feature some early blistering guitar work fom the man with the moustache (OK they all had moustaches) and it apparently influenced Hendrix, Clapton, The Who and The Beatles. Not a bad start. 'Who are the brain police', 'Help I'm a rock' and 'It can't happen here' really set the tempo for The Mothers more discordant, paranoid and counter-cultural work to follow. Not for everyone, but a real milestone in expansive album production, psychedelia (despite Zppas strongest drug choices being coffee and beer) and anti-establishment culture.

This is such a weird album. I couldn't listen to it a lot, but it's really fascinating how they are exploring music.

Maybe I didn't understand it completely yet, but this last song caught me in a way that maybe I finally started to get it.

I don't really like Zappa, but this one holds a special place for me. Listened to it a lot in college. Tried to make oddball music with friends and the goofier stuff on here was a big inspiration. The not so goofy stuff is just pretty solid pop music. Docked a point for being a double album.

9/10

3.75

So weird but strangely enjoyable

Un disco nacido del happy flower. Un disco groovy y que en mi opinión usa sonidos y melodías, en ocasiones, de forma un tanto cómica y en otras de forma cacofónica. No soy fan de who are the brain police. Go cry on somebody else's shoulder me parece una parodia de las canciones de Elvis. A partir de Help, I'm a Rock, las canciones se vuelven cada vez más locas y absurdas.

Very very weird in a good way, it's like a bipolar album. Not every song is enjoyable, but the whole thing is pure creativity.

An extremely revolutionary album for music as a whole, and still sounds great. Experimental as usual from Zappa, but definitely one of his most grounded works, as it is still early in his career.

The foundation of the songs are fairly standard bluesy pop rock structures gussied up with Zappa's signature baroque doo-wop and jazz approach to composition, zany arrangements and instrumentation, and his satirical view on both the 60s mono-culture and emerging counter culture. Like lots of Zappa stuff, this plays with the boundary between novelty songs and real rock. He's at once one of the most serious, curious, and experimental composers in the rock cannon and one of the goofiest exponents of musical and lyrical silliness. It means his work both rewards careful attention and relistening, but also becomes more tiresome and less exciting the more you hear it. 'Trouble Every Day' for instance is a perfect execution of the California psych blues-rock genre but also demonstrates Zappa's boredom with and scepticism of the scene surrounding it. 'Help I'm a Rock' takes this even further with a Kafkaesque premise for a dissociative freak out anchored in a trance-inducing bass phrase - it's ludicrous but extremely good.

Wild album. Not every song hit but when they did they did. Appears to be a very early American rock album and I hadn’t heard of it prior so this was great. The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet was particularly memorable.

The timing to get this album is perfect, just the other day when we had the White Album I was doing some lore research and learned that Sgt. Peppers may have been part of the Beach Boys rivalry but really was an attempt to meet or match this album, which is a cohesive, avant-garde rock concept album (so perhaps the first in that vein). Zappa is a mad scientist, genius of a man. Hot Rats was awesome, and I know we're gonna get Trout Mask Replica at some point too. This one's really great as well, lots of pointed songs teasing the American (or human) experience at the time. "Trouble Every Day" is a perfect example, I love how much people talked about TVs as the greatest evil facing the world, can't exactly say they were wrong but imagine how they'd view the internet or social media. Underlying the fun, satirical stuff here is some great music, which I'm coming to learn is part of the Zappa package deal. A lot more whimsical than Hot Rats, but it fits with the concept. This is an excellent album. Favorite tracks: Hungry Freaks Daddy, Trouble Every Day, You're Probably Wondering Why, It Can't Happen Here, Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder, Motherly Love, Any Way the Wind Blows. Album art: This one's awesome. Had not seen it prior to looking at albums on this list, but I love it. The heat-map colorization is so cool, not sure if that's the vibe they were aiming for but it just looks so good. The blue and yellow and pink is a perfect combo, and on top of all that the framing and text and everything pops, it's fantastic. Meanwhile, at its heart it's a band photo, but I don't know how many band photo covers are on or near this level. 4.5/5

Funky, trippy, wacky. Introspective and self-aware sound. Topics of life, death, society and politics. Very unique listen.

some good songs. Different to what I normally listen too but will probably listen to them some more.

I’m surprised how much I liked this. Worth a revisit.

My takeaway from the last Mothers of Invention (We’re Only In It For the Money) was that a lot of the humour and satire didn’t land for me- save some lines like “I will love everyone / I will love the police as they kick the shit out of me on the street” which made the more abrasive, experimental elements all the more unpleasant. So far, Freak Out! is more conventional but less irritating, although I’ve just finished the first disc. UPDaTE: finished the 2nd disc Saved the best for last! Really though, either I have a thicker skin against the Zappa-isms in tracks like “It Can’t Happen Here”, or the broader, more surreal humour of this album aged better. The deadpan pastiches of bygone 50s/60s pop are good as standalone tracks, while “Who Are the Brain Police?” reminds you of the terrors/delights to come January 3, 2024

Listened Before? Yes Zappa at the helm yet again. It's been a while since I listened to this one... Album opens on a classic rock stomp in a familiar flavor of the time. Immediately this goes into Zappa's campy realm with some caricatured kazoo-like interludes, unique vocal delivery, and lyrics poking fun at social elements of the time. Some sick guitar noodling very backgrounded. I Ain't Got No Heart pulls once again toward middle-of-the-road rock and roll, but diverges into chaos as it closes out. Who Are the Brain Police? is a delightfully demented exploration that sounds like a soundtrack for a bad trip. Lots of interesting layering and experimentation with effects; and we welcome the kazoo back for a solo at the finale. Gears switch completely with Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder, which impersonates an earnest 50s slow-rock song. One of the most quotable and memorable songs so far. Trouble Every Day is an obvious standout. Straight, classic Zappa on display. Incisive, quotable lyrics with a shotgun delivery about American inequalities. Particularly enjoy "I'm not black, but there's a whole lots a times I wish I could say I'm not white." The closing run from Help, I'm A Rock to Return is a slow unrelenting descent into madness. I enjoy the inanity of it all. This isn't my favorite of Zappa (I'm preferential to the blistering jazz/prog work of the late 60s thru mid 70s), but it is a delightfully kooky affair that is equally socially conscious and bizarre while appealing (at times) to traditional musical values. I can understand why this became something for the counter culture to rally and really shows that Zappa was a werido from day one. Not perfect, but plenty here to keep things interesting. 4 / 5 Added to Library? Yes

Another Zappa album, another hour long rollercoaster for me. Just an absolutely terrifying album with so much unexpected stuff happening. I love the random ass instruments like the cazoo that comes out of nowhere. Ending with Suzy Cream Cheese having a 12 minute long terrible acid trip just makes sense. I wouldn't seek out to listen to any of Zappa's albums, but i hope this list has 5 or 6 more.

Klassiker

Favorite Tracks: Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder Trouble Every Day Hungry Freaks, Daddy

ZAPPA TIME!!! Someone else who I have not really dove into at all and have been meaning to for a long time. I think I've heard Captain Beefheart like once, and I know the Phish cover of Peaches en Regalia (lol), but have always been a little intimidated to actually dive in. So let's do it!!! Rapid thoughts: "Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder" -- hilarious pastiche of doo-wop. "I gave you my high school ring at the root beer stand" "It can't happen here" - wow this is just phish The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet - what lmao. hell yes. I will say the album was a lot more "Normal" than I thought it would be, given Zappa's reputation, at least until those last few tracks when it really went into the deep out of sound collage spoken word chaos -- which I thought was actually really cool, even though I don't think it will be something I'm throwing on too often. All of the classic 60s psychedelic garage rock sounding stuff I thought was really well done, even when his lyrics are kind of satirizing the whole scene, you can tell Zappa still appreciates the stuff he's satirizing at the same time. But even stuff like "Who Are the Brain Police?", while not especially weird by todays standards, it's insane to think of being recorded in 1966! "I think I'm going to die" repeating freakouts, definitely must have been a bad vibe for any poor hippie who took a tab of acid and dropped the needle on this one. Leaning towards a high 4 stars, both for personal enjoyment and obvious historical importance.

Frank Zappa is great

Very interesting album. Frank zappa and company made a huge statement critiquing and spoofing 60s culture. Their parody songs mimicked the genre tropes incredibly well while still delivering a heavy dose of disdain. The album sags a bit in the middle until the songs directly criticizing the ignorance of middle Americans come up. The album becomes an experimental journey and ode to rebellion that is a trip and a joy to listen to.

Okay I liked this a lot lol Except the last two tracks

Yup

Best song - How Could I Be Such A Fool

I’m never gonna be a big Zappa fan, but this was weird and wonderful. So all over the place - in a good way. Loved the doo wop and just genuinely enjoyed the whole thing. Can’t wait to a grab copy on vinyl

3.5 zappa is an outstanding musician (dare I say guitar virtuoso) and this album is brilliant satire of the music of the time. But singing about unshaven armpits doesn't hit the same in 2023 when we talkin bout WAP

A psychedelic swirl of sardonic social commentary so potent it’ll have you checking your pupils just a few tracks in.

The man standing way at the back on the album cover is Jimmy Carl Black, and he's the Indian in the group.

Well that was trippy, imagine the amount of drugs taken during the writing of this makes the doors look like the beach boys. I enjoyed a lot of it, reminded me of cream sometimes and Beatles at others. Felt like it might fall apart at any moment and kind of did towards the end. Not enough stand out songs for a 5 but still very strong.

Really good fun, definitely sounds revolutionary. I agree wholeheartedly that the back falls off the album towards the end though. Classy riffs in quite a few tracks. Go Cry On Someone Else's Shoulder was brilliant.

Gets more odd the longer you listen to it :D I listened mostly to Joe's Garage from Zappa, plus a few more popular songs here and there - I don't see myself listening to music such as this album as often, but I understand its significance.

10 songs in, there was no mistaking what the group had set out to do. Satirically emulating pop music, and by extension the industry and the cultural mindset that makes it possible, is a risky bit for a debut album. Diogenes would have been proud! Then the track 'Trouble Every Day', drops the pretense and the Mothers show you a bit of what they truly are. An adept psych-blues band with a penchant for laser focused social commentary. The remainder of the album slips and descends slowly into chaos, culminating in a true freak out of a track with 'The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet.' I guess they needed to fill the 2nd record with something. A wild ride, indeed.

This album was recorded in March 1966! This was not only before the White Album and the Velvet Underground's first album were released but also before  even Revolver was released. Frank clearly wasn't influenced by Michelle and Norwegian Wood. He was on his own trailblazing.  It is a wild album. Some of it is a little tough to get into these days but it set the table for a lot of wacky stuff that FZ delivered over the following decades.

I think mercury tastes alright

Such a rediculous debut album. Wonder what people thought first listening to this in 1966. 100% an album you need to listen to before you die. Won’t be for everyone, and some of it is just a bit too strange that it’s not quiet a masterpiece in my eyes.

A weird and brilliantly innovative record. Music was certainly evolving at a real pace at this time in the sixties.

Zappa has always been a difficult bridge for me to cross (except for a track here or there), and this is the first album of his I’ve actually listened through. I’m pleasantly surprised! Yeah it’s goofy as hell and my gripes tend to lie with when it gets too goofy, but when it stays musical I actually LOVE this! Lots of different subgenres and influences get brought in and played with, I really had no idea what to expect from track-to-track. Lots of very cool interpretations of early hard rock and early psychedelia. Points just get deducted for the occasional points (Wondering Why I’m Here, or It Can’t Happen Here for instance) that are a mere step above cartoon sound effects. I know the ending epic noise experiment will be polarizing, but I think it’s kind of cool even though it goes on way too long. Special shout outs: Hungry Freaks, Brain Police, Trouble Every Day, Help I’m A Rock

I loved this, it’s just a whole album of Pull my Strings by the Kennedy’s, but written when the Beatles were writing revolver

i’m always interested in 60s psychedelia, especially if it’s experimental like this album is. this fell a little flat for me, mostly because of the lyrics, but was still a fun listen

wowie zowie

The Mothers taking on various genres and musical influences in their typical tongue-in-cheek kind of way. I might not always be in the mood for this, but the music was pretty good. Toward the end it is becoming crazier and crazier, which I happily went along with until maybe 5mins before the end.

Kinda fun. I just find it hard to give a serious listen, which is odd considering my general love for bands like Primus. Maybe I’m just to young to get the nuances of some of the jokes

It's super interesting to see parody and satire of music still happening at the time of the music being made at the same time as this album. It would be like if Weird Al made Eat It before Beat It was even released. It's even better because Frank Zappa and his bandmates don't sacrifice the quality of the music (most of the time) for making fun of various genres, topics, and lyrics. It all turns into an album where you can only think more and more "holy shit, this was made in 1966!" I think the end of the album pretty much going crazy is also a great choice to keep the album from getting stale. I will say, though, that the length is a bit much, and even with only fifteen tracks, there's definitely some filler in here, with some songs seemingly repeating paordies of things like Doo-Wap. Still, really blown away by this, and I feel this is a high four.

A total trip. Never super sure where it's going to go, but it's played incredibly, and it is indeed a freak out. Favorite tracks: "Help, I'm A Rock", "Motherly Love"

Jelikož jde o album od Franka Zappy, věděla jsem, že půjde o kvalitku. A zklamaná jsem rozhodně nebyla. Texty byly rozhodně nejsilnější stránkou spolu s parodickým provedením typického šedesátkového rocku. Album je jakousi pomyslnou kritikou konzumerismu, masových médií, rasismu a dalších sociálních problémů, čili je to dodnes relevantní (čím dál víc imo). A z velké části také paroduje klasické téma lásky v hudbě, je to melodramatické, patetické a tak přesvědčivé, že se skoro uzavírá kruh a přispívá to stereotypu, proti kterému se bouří. Ač se to tak ze začátku tváří, není to klasický rock, některé části jsou docela experimentální, zejména poslední písnička (The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet), na které se dost vyřádili. Mothers Of Invention se rozhodně nenechávají svázat dobovými konvencemi, ale přece je tu dost znát doba, ze které pochází. Freak Out! není proto nutně album, ke kterému bych se často vracela, ale rozhodně cením kreativitu za tím vším. Nejlepší písničky: I'm Not Satisfied; Help, I'm A Rock (sarkastický text, overall vibe) Nejhorší písničky: How Could I Be Such A Fool, Anyway The Wind Blows (nejsou vyloženě špatné, ale přestože je to parodie, je to až otravně stereotypní) Hodnocení: 8/10

Thoroughly enjoyed this. A mixed bag of freak!

Zappa, zany as hell. My favorite part was the song with Suzy Creamcheese’s conscious

Very interesting 7/10

It’s great but very long and (especially on the last track) the weirdness can be annoying 4/5

4.0

I see the vision, I just don't like it

Weird as hell and i liked seeing where Zappa started

monkeys fucking

Hungry Freaks, Daddy - wow, this is good! Who are the Brain Police? - Huh, interesting, but I like it. Go Cry in Someone Else’s Shoulder - Hilarious Trouble Every Day - fantastic song, great groove and vocals Help, I’m on a Rock - greatest song name ever?

I've never really come across Mothers of Invention before... I have quite enjoyed this! Lots of inventive sounds and interesting experimental ideas. It's really fun and varied throughout. Although my brain was extremely busy while listening, I still found the songs and sounds stood out to me and didn't just blur into the background which is a rare quality for an album. Now with a tiny bit of research I find that the front runner and brains behind this band is Frank Zappa and that explains it all to me. I particularly like the sounds from the 12-string guitar and so cool to see they used hair pins and tweezers to create some of the sounds on this album. Really fun and I loved it!

Wow what an album! I had no idea what to make of this to begin with. Totally weird and wonderful and so varied in style. Some quite typically standard experimental songs mixed up with strange surreal stuff. I love it! I am informed that the Fall cover songs from the album which of course is the ultimate seal of approval

Wow. That was quite something. All over the shop but in a good way. Found it quite captivating.

I have never checked any of Frank Zappa's work...maybe an incidental track or two along the way, but I assumed that it might be too experimental for my tastes. I was surprised to hear how conventional the tracks on this album were...oh wait, there is more what I was expecting... I appreciate having the album on the project. Not in love, but glad to be introduced.

I enjoyed a lot of this, bopping twixt different styles with lyrics whose satirical nature was easy to miss when I wasn't paying attention. I think these Mothers were likely a retroactive influence on Lenny & Squiggy. I can live without hearing the last two tracks again though.

Weird as hell. This is very advanced for its era. Let’s maybe consider Help Me I’m a Rock to be a great song, and the rest to be harbingers of an incoming age.

Absolutely delightful.

I've never listened to any Frank Zappa albums before (solo or otherwise), but I enjoyed this album. I thought the doo-wop songs were great, especially "Wowie Zowie," and I was cracking up at the lyrics to all of them. I also thought "Hungry Freaks" was great too, and had some really great social commentary. A lot of this album sounded way ahead of its time, but somehow it also felt like it felt right at home in the sixties. My biggest criticism of this album is that the songs that didn't land with me, really missed by a wide margin. Closing the album out with the twelve and half minutes "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet" should be a war crime. But overall, I think I'd listen to this album again, as long as I bail before the last song.

One of the earliest concept albums and double albums in the history of rock. It's a wicked satire of American pop culture with some brilliant lyrics. Musically, the second part of the album is more experimental than the first half. A very strong debut from Zappa.

So weird. So good

Я в начале: блин, забавненький альбомчик Я в конце: ХЕЛП АЙМ Э РОК

A bit weird, some different genres in there too Pleasant though

That was different, and interesting. Frank Zappa has always been an enigma to me. Every time I hear his work I find it interesting but then, a day or two later, I can't remember anything of what I heard. It seems that his workis condemed to be ephemeral for me. This is the start of it all - the first album by The Mothers of Invention - and it clearly shows what was to come. An eclectic collection of music, nearly all a long way from most other music being produced in 1966. Well worth listening to, but I doubt that I'll remember any of it a couple of days hence.

Con We're Only In It For The Money non èero stato clemente. Beh, questo aalbum mi ha fatto ricredere sulla band del caro Frank Zappa. Felice di avergli dato una seconda chance.

I came into this with preconceived notions, specifically Frank Zappa = weirdo, and while that take isn't exactly wrong, I'd always thought he was a weirdness for weirdness's sake kinda guy. With that in mind, I was a little dismissive of this album at first. In retrospect, there were plenty of clues in the first three tracks, but it wasn't until "Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder" (a pitch-perfect send-up of doo-wop with an admittedly cringey faux-Mexican accent that crops up in another track or two) that I realized "Oh shit, this isn't just weird, it's satire. This is the counterculture letting its freak flag fly." With that little epiphany came a new appreciation for what I was listening to. There's still a bum-ton of weirdness, especially in tracks like "Help, I'm a Rock!" and "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet," but it's (usually) accompanied by pointed commentary on life in America in the '60s (much of it still relevant today, sadly). It's sorta like Spinal Tap (in the non-meta sense), but the Mothers of Invention are in on the joke rather than the butt of it. Kinda brilliant.

Dadaist, experimental, bluesy, and 60s rock goodness. I very much enjoyed this album & I can hear some of favorite bands here. I appreciate Zappa far more than I already did, and stoked to listen to more.

Frank Zappa thrusts himself on an unsuspecting world with a killer opening gambit: “Mr America, walk on by your schools that do not teach” kicking off a song called- what else- “Hungry Freaks, Daddy”. Over the next sixty minutes (one of the first double albums in rock) he and the Mothers of Invention heap irony upon irony, skewering both pre-rock and roll pop and the psychedelic movement and blurring all lines between the sublime and the ridiculous. After having been a bit intimidated by Zappa’s jazz fusion output and famously arch sense of humour, the most surprising thing to me as a first-time “Freak Out” listener is that it’s a reasonably accessible pop-rock album. At surface level, there are plenty of conventional, catchy tunes on here. “Motherly Love” (questionable treatment of women aside), “Hungry Freaks, Daddy” and especially “Any Way the Wind Blows” all have the right mixture of sure-footedness and quirky charm to be winners. Zappa’s lead guitar work is in fine form from the opening, and the orchestration- brass section, strings and some cheeky kazoo- gives some lovely flourish. As the album unfolds, we veer between rock and doo-wop parodies, hearing superbly melodramatic teenage angst in “Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder”, “How Could I Be Such A Fool” and “You Didn’t Try To Call Me”. Some influences are more brazen than others. “Wowie Zowie” directly lifts the Four Seasons’ “Sherry” for its coda, while I like to think of “Help I’m A Rock” as a literalist’s response to Simon and Garfunkel’s song of a similar name: “did you ever think about what being a rock would actually feel like, Paul?” Any negative review here will tell you that Zappa is doing everything coldly, with scorn and a condescending “look-at-me” style of humour as he belittles the source material. Actually though, I think there’s some affection in the parodies. They’re solidly written songs that work on multiple levels: it’s not as though the only way to enjoy them is nodding and winking along with Zappa and co. The humour- sometimes scathing, always zany, often ridiculous- isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste, but to me feels at mostly the right level. Zappa’s repeated self-pitying ad-libs in the ballads, all focused around reupholstering his car to get his girl back, are hilarious. Even in the more obnoxious “It Couldn’t Happen Here”, I can’t make it through the ludicrous stuttering backing vocals without grinning. Things get a little more real with “Trouble Every Day”, an admirably searing protest song in response to police brutality at race riots in California. Then, the “freak-out” proper comes in the record’s final three tracks, which took up the entire second disc in original pressings. Up until this point, I was engrossed, but got a little lost in the indulgent finale. The total commitment to insanity is fun at first, but feels a little forced and has dated more than anything else on the record. Helium-voices chanting “cream cheese” for five minutes works as a one-off surprise factor, but there’s only so much enjoyment one can get out of it on each listen. “Freak Out” is imperfect, particularly as a double album, but it’s a beguiling listen and has made me want to hear more of Zappa’s wider body of work. I’ve already gone back to it multiple times and feel convinced that its songs will continue to do wonders for me: the 1960s would not be complete without it.

It's enjoyable. Never tops the opener, Hungry Freaks, Daddy but all very enjoyable. Daft humour, virtuoso musicianship and unexpected left turns, which could really be a review of any Zappa album, but that's not a criticism - nobody else quite walked the odd line he managed to walk!

So weird. It's awesome

It's Zappa.

Now that’s the Zappa I love, except it isn’t solo Zappa, it’s his band. So dense and odd and fun and wacky. I wasn’t prepared for it.

Wow. What a hippy weirdo! Or, was he? Noise before noise was cool. Making fun of mainstream popular music and subverting it? That’s a check. Man was whiling, he and his merry persons. Dude was political and didn’t care, but in a real way not an uninformed Republican way. He is the kinda dude Republicans think they are. Experimental, yet accessible (except for that 12 minute outro track, I guess, if you ask my partner), this album bangs. Defs not for everyone. Sometimes too smug for his own good, I still really likey.

I have always had a bit of a ambivalent relationship with the music of Frank Zappa. I respect him immensely. He's a mad genius with a solid crew of musicians backing him up. Flashes of brilliance abound in his work. But admittedly, I have limited patience for the looser, sillier aspects of his work. This album is a good place to start for someone like me. Challenging in spots but incredibly entertaining. The Mothers frolic in a whole range of styles that would have resonated with listeners at the time - doo wop, psychedelic, baroque pop, blues, garage rock, jazz. They do so with a level of musical creativity that is beyond next level. The songs are wacky, snotty, and somehow familiar, despite being deeply strange. The approach is always, always with tongues firmly planted in cheek. This album will probably never be a regular listen to me, but I kind of loved it. Fave Songs: Help, I'm a Rock; Trouble Every Day; The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet; Any Way the Wind Blows; Motherly Love; Wowie Zowie; Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder

So so good

What a trip!

Fantastic stuff, both way ahead of its time, and a great tribute to styles of the past. It feels like Zappa was really trying to keep a lid on the furthest-out-weirdness throughout the album, was only moderately successful, and then the weirdness came erupting out at high pressure in the last two tracks! 😆 Fave track - "Trouble Every Day" is one of my fave songs by any artist, and has been for quite a while! On this listen through, "Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder" and "You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here" were stand outs...

Certainly retains ones attention.

I got another Zappa record a few days back and this is now my 2nd. In comparison.. this was an interesting experiment. I kinda dug the experimental nature, but it wore a little thin after a while. I think if the album cut out 15-20 minutes it'd be better since by about the 40 minute mark you kinda get the point and it gets a bit repetitive. Like you can be weird and experimental, but if you are just weird and experimental it loses the weird and experimental nature. It's about finding that line. 3.5/5

I’m about it

can't happen here

Utterly bananas and completely unashamed of its radical experimentation. It’s perhaps a bit too long, as many double albums are, but as far as first statements go it’s conclusive one.

Yeah, it was fine.

I really liked this one. Just zany stuff.

Top met al die kazoo's

Love how weird Frank Zappa is

Unsurprisingly, Frank's interpretation of sundry extra-musical recordings used here is far less interesting than he thinks it is. But Freak Out! is buoyed because the rest is simply stunning. The most compelling element of my listen-through was the decay of the love song, but the record more than earns its length and contains much more than that. As much as Zappa's sense of humor grates me, there's a joyful orientation toward American music which I share wholeheartedly.

Zappa legenda. Baš sam imao period gdje me je skroz zanimao, pa sam čak i dokumentarac gledao. On je genije zapravo, i ovaj album je dost dobar, samo da nema zadnje tri stvari. Znam da je cijeli album ta neka satira, sprdnja, al uništi mi to nešta, te zadnje stvari.

4.1 + A thorough takedown of American pop culture of the 1960s and an important check against the generally utopian portrayal of hippie culture. Frank Zappa exposes all of America's warts, from the lame to the downright reprehensible. I especially love the whacked out doo wop of "Go Cry..." The last stretch of musical montages are among the whackiest and most avant garde of any rock record.

Some explosive pop from the 60s I loved it

Zappa is great,but later albums are much better

Zappa is usually hit or miss for me, but I am definitely a fan of this album! Very eclectic, interesting compositions and very psychedelic

Really great stuff. I don't listen to Zappa/Mothers as much as I should. I think that's because I find his vast discography a little bit intimidating. I'll get to it eventually.

p92. 1966. 4 stars, 1 point deducted for being too clever by half. Bunch of smart arses taking the piss out of 60s American society and the music of the time and doing it really well. Still holds up today, and it's got some great tunes and production. There is a direct line from this to everything early 10cc did. I loved it, but satire and humour are subjective so some people might miss the point. I'm in love with Suzy Creamcheese :)

Musically it is nice, but listening to a parody is not much fun. It is too intellectual and not funny. You can't really attach to it. I understand the historical importance, though.

A good and very unique sound.

I realize the innovation doesn’t make up for the polarizing nature of the music. It’s love it or hate it, and I’m more inclined towards the former. Especially with ”Help, I’m A Rock”

Gang

Zappa is bold always, crazy this came out when it did

Cool

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Hungry Freaks, Daddy; Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder; Motherly Love; You Didn't Try To Call Me; Anyway The Wind Blows; Trouble Every Day Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: No false advertising here, they certainly let their freak flag fly. A great time if you let it in, so long as it's not assaulting you with The Unlistenable Noise.

Странная музыка

I gotta give it at least a 4 because Trouble Every Day is a straight up jam and the best Zappa song I've ever heard. I like the second disc in general more than the first. The first is more straight up satire that ends up sounding really dated since they reference a lot of pop music tropes that are no longer common. The second disc is straight up experimental and it boggles my mind that they were able to get away with this in '66.

very fun. would be awesome to smoke dirt weed and listen to

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: I ain't got no heart, How could I be such a fool, Anyway the wind blows, Trouble every day

A massive surprise! I had no idea what to expect, and somehow it managed to deliver on everything! Definite influence of (or influenced by) Jesus Christ Superstar. And some 50s/60s fun stuff too. So many genres! I did feel this would have been more enhanced by drugs….

First part of the album is a decent 2/5, but the second part was so unexpected and so weirdly good, it would get 5/5. Overall, a weak 4/5

Of it's time to an extent but there's obvious craft and talent here. The humour and the experimental pieces at the end didn't really work for me, but I loved this for the main

Pierwszy albumik Zappowy i jego bandy matkowej, znany i lubiany, jedna z najdziewniejszych kreacji lat 60, parodia satyra i innowacyjne wykorzystanie medium jakim jest album muzyczny, tak mozna w skrocie opisac ten krazek, double lp, wiec rowna godzina trwania, co bylo kolejna nowoscia w tamtych czasach, gdzie standardem rokowym byly dwie strony winyla czyli kolo 30 minut, poza swoja trescia z pewnoscia albumik wyrozniaja wykorzystane instruemnty, bo jest tego naprawde sporo, harmonijski, fujarki, dzbany, tamburyno, niezicznone dziwnosci, od strony lirycznej skoro satryra, to wszedzie odniesienia do kultury koonsumersko hamerykansko coomerowskiej i jej wysmiewanie w ironicznych blyskotliwycch balladach, pojawiaja sie takze dziwniejsze formy utworow, cos jak skladanie kolazy z surowych dzwiekow, wokali, albumik najbardziej cierpi od strony technicznej, bo sposob w jaki niektore traki byly nagrywane pozostawia wiele do zyczenia, ale jest to przeciez debiutancki albumik, na plejce juz mialem hungry freaks i wiecej nie dodam, bo takie albumiki koncepcyjne w calosci sie powinno pozerac

Fun, entertaining, and a little insane. It doesn't at all sound like it was released in 1966.

4. Great songs but the last 2 were a bit too avant garde

Freak out! grande zappa!

This album is part of Frank Zappa's continuous critique of society. I've heard the album before but would like to add it to my collection.

i get it, it's just not for me at all

I don't really know how to review this album. From the quite good to the utterly bizarre. Starts off a bit odd, turns into a bit of a decent doo-wop album for 4/5 tracks then descends into complete and utter nonsense. The last three tracks are just ridiculous. I'm giving it a very generous 3/5 for the middle section and making me laugh in parts.

this one is worse than the last one but i do like this just super freaky weird records. i just love the fact that people were like buying these records and really engaging with them... quite cerebral if you ask me (even tho the music is undoubtedly made by a stupid guy for an audience of stupid guys.) also did i mention yet that zappa's dad worked for the U.S. Department of Defense fucking Lockheed ... the guy was a mustard gas expert #cia #deepstate

Fun and funky overall if a bit weird by the last two songs. Liked Any Way the Wind Blows best.

Another album that was really ahead of its time, although I would expect nothing less from Frank Zappa. When you think about what other bands were doing at the time, even the Beatles or the Stones weren't on this level yet. Most people weren' ready, but I think the underground was. And Zappa and his crew wasn't afraid to go there and tell the people, "I just want you to know, that I know, that you know... you know?".

it’s fine

Fun & quirky but not something I would listen to over & over.

I didn't expect much from this album, never been much of a Zappa guy, but I enjoyed it both times I listened to it. Still a bit much at times, but not terrible.

whatever i wish i could give half stars i wouldve done two and a half

Better than I remembered

I weirdly enjoyed this

Not enough cream cheese

I don’t get it

Greatly absurd album.

definitely an odd album. loved some songs, disliked others. so it's a solid 3 as it's not as bad as the other ones out there. at least it's cohesive! favs: Go cry on somebody else's shoulder, Any way the wind blows. Everything else is just rubbish.

Listened Before? Y Yep. It's Zappa. Weird, wild, and freaky. Not my cup of tea but I appreciate the creativity and before-its-time-ness. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Hungry Freaks, Daddy

silly goofy

I find Frank Zappa fascinating. He’s so extremely talented but then he’ll make these silly simple songs like the ones in this record. I can’t imagine the amount of drugs that were taken before writing this. The last song is such a trip. I can’t even imagine what was going through anyone’s head when recording/creating this. What purpose does this serve? To experience what they’re experiencing while on drugs?

Liked the lyrics on some of the songs. You wouldn't think they were talking about 'stuff from the past' 50 years ago.

Too much noise near the end but otherwise pretty good

I am almost 730 albums into my listening project. I never really listened to Frank Zappa or the Mothers before. This is definitely interesting but perhaps not something I would put on again anytime soon.

Wowie zowie indeed! Makes me think of my high school friend Jon Davenport, who turned me on to this album.

it had a moment, and certainly experimental

Altijd verrassend dergelijke experimentele muziek. Al ben ik niet zo crazy dat ik dit nog een keer ga luisteren

I sort of get it. Zappa might be somebody I appreciate from a distance. I wouldn’t seek it out, but it was still fun to listen to.

A couple of ok moments. Overall not very good, but better than my 2s.

I actually liked this for the most part - I have some Zappa on my Playlists, but the last couple songs were the Zappa I was worried this album would be.

I tend to forget that Zappa was around in the mid 60's. It had to be extremely interesting to come across them in that time period. Unless you were in the counter culture you would probably HATE him. You can't deny they are great musicians. Even if you hate the weirdness of Zappa and the savage satire he brings lyrically, they are good at making music. Random kazoo noises included in that statement. Zappa is the bands you like influence. Or the band you like influence bands favorite. Either way Zappa was known to be a musician that people enjoyed and respected. OR hated and was annoyed by, he was fine with either really.

Annoying psychedelic rock. Music snobs rave about Zappa but he’s just not for me. Talented musicians though!

Einige ganz gut aber zum Ende schon sehr Experimentel

I accidentally got this to play on shuffle mode when I asked Siri to play it on my phone. I'm not sure it would have made any more sense in the correct order. The Mothers are way out, maaaaaaan. Plenty of weird shit for sake of weird shit here, but there is some gems amongst the detritus. The latter songs become gradually more unhinged, to the point where 'The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet' fades out with the chant of 'Cream Cheese!! Cream Cheese!!!'. OK, Frank, whatever you think, buddy.........

J’ai pas bien aimé, on sent le côté experimental qui est parfois difficile à apprécier. Mais ça va je sens que ça peut être un grower

Their first not Their best

it was interesting but honestly probs not for me

On est en 1966, et Frank Zappa débarque avec ce qui est, techniquement, le deuxième double album de l’histoire du rock soit juste après le Blonde On Blonde de Dylan. Je vais être honnête, je ne sais vraiment pas sur quel pied danser avec ce truc. Car Freak Out! c'est le genre de disque qui me donne envie de hurler au génie pur, tout en ayant une envie furieuse de balancer ma platine par la fenêtre en criant "Mais c'est quoi ce bordel ?". Un pur sentiment de WTF, comme disent les gamins de l'an 2000. Déjà, l'anecdote sur le nom du groupe me fait marrer. Ils s'appelaient juste "The Mothers", mais MGM, la maison de disques, a commencé à flipper grave. Ils avaient peur que les DJ pensent que c'était une insulte aux mères de famille américaines. Ils ont donc forcé l'ajout du "Of Invention". Zappa, avec son ironie habituelle, a dû bien rigoler en voyant que le label pensait que le nom était le problème, alors que la musique allait traumatiser toute une génération de ménagères. Freak Out! est un concept satirique total où d'un côté, on a des morceaux qui ressemblent presque à de la pop gentillette, comme "Go Cry On Somebody Else’s Shoulder" et de l'autre, on a on des morceaux comme "Who Are The Brain Police ?", un truc glauque, antiautoritaire, qui te donne l'impression que ton cerveau est en train de fondre sur le tapis. Et c'est là que le génie pointe le bout de son nez car il est incroyablement complexe derrière l’apparente folie. "How Could I Be Such A Fool ?" est une chanson d’amour, certes, mais arrangée de façon tellement sophistiquée qu'on sent déjà le futur compositeur de jazz-fusion pointer le bout de sa moustache. Mais tout n'est pas rose car il y a aussi l'autre côté de la médaille. Le côté "Expérience" qui vire au calvaire. Quand on arrive sur la face quatre du vinyle original, on tombe sur "The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet". Douze minutes d’expérimentations sonores et de bruitages et c'est là que le WTF l’emporte. C’est audacieux, c’est historique, c’est tout ce que vous voulez, mais au bout d’un moment, j’ai juste envie que ça s’arrête. Zappa affirmait à l'époque : "Je ne prenais pas de drogues". Franchement, Frank, à d'autres. Même si c’est vrai – et on sait qu’il était un maniaque du contrôle sobre – ça rend le truc encore plus effrayant. Être capable de produire un truc aussi déglingué sans aide chimique, ça demande une dose de folie naturelle assez inquiétante. L'album essaie de capturer l'essence de la culture "freak" de la Côte Ouest. C’est radical, provocateur, et ça n’a absolument aucune limite. Des titres comme "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" ou "Trouble Every Day" montrent que Zappa n’était pas juste là pour faire du bruit, il avait des choses à dire sur la société américaine, sur la police et sur l'hypocrisie ambiante. Mais malgré toute l'importance historique du bidule, je reste sur ma faim. C’est un album qu'il faut avoir entendu, c'est indéniable. C’est un monument de l’underground qui a ouvert des portes que personne n’osait même regarder. C’est la naissance d’un compositeur hors norme qui allait passer sa vie à casser les codes. Pourtant, l'écoute intégrale reste une épreuve. C'est fascinant cinq minutes, épuisant les dix suivantes, brillant par éclairs, puis profondément irritant. C'est l'album qui invente le rock expérimental tout en se foutant de la gueule du rock. Au final, je lui colle un 3 sur 5. C’est la note de la contradiction. C'est trop important pour mettre moins, mais c’est trop "particulier" pour mériter plus dans mon cœur. C’est une expérience de vie, un rite de passage. Mais une fois que tu as survécu à "The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet", tu as surtout envie de mettre un disque de silence pour te remettre les neurones en place. Alors Freak Out! ? Génial ? Oui. Insupportable ? Souvent. WTZ (What The Zappa) ? Absolument Freak Out! c’est le premier jet d’une carrière qui allait devenir légendaire. C'est un album à écouter pour la culture et pour comprendre d'où vient tout le bordel qui a suivi dans les années 70.

8/10

Neat hearing some super early Zappa before he completely found his footing but this just wasn't nearly as original and entertaining as some of his later stuff.

Zappa is a tour de force in music, and this is a great pastiche of 60s culture. It’s much more effective than We’re Only In It For The Money, but is still very much of its time.

Awesome debut, just not my favorite Zappa/Mothers album. More of a later Zappa kinda guy.

The Mothers of Invention – Freak Out! (1966) On Day 111, I encountered an album that is quite literally one hell of a joke. I have to give it props because it perfectly achieves what it intends to be: a total mockery of Jazz and US pop culture. It honestly doesn't sound like a 60s album it feels decades ahead of its time in terms of "experimental" production and sheer audacity. However, the last song left me thinking like WTF 😂. While the satirical noir and the doodad wizardry are impressive, it’s not something I’ll be actively hunting for or revisiting anytime soon. It’s a tuff and clever piece of history. A respectable 3/5 for the audacity.

Good but outdated

One extra star for it being Frank Zappa and having influence. Otherwise has not stood the test of time.

Another weird release from Zappa. If this album was released 10 years later, I'd rate it 1 star less, but for 1966, it's pretty good. It's very listenable, despite it being odd, but that's just a lot of Zappa, it seems.

I've tried multiple times, but I could never get into Frank Zappa's stuff. Even when this album was explained in detail in my History of Rock and Roll class in college, I still couldn't really enjoy it, just too weird for me. There's some interesting stuff musically, so I don't wanna bury it, so I'll give it a low end 3/5

Some of it is just too silly for me but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Favorites: How Could I Be Such a Fool, Wowie Zowie, Any Way the Wind Blows, Trouble Every Day Would I listen to it again: Probably not

A fun weirdo romp through 50’s/60’s blues/doowop/rock and roll.

freaky indeedy

Pretty solid. I'll say 3.5 round down.

I did not like this at first but there is some funny novelty here and it’s surprising to hear their colloquialisms of old.

So this is some of the best Zappa I've heard and I was impressed until it got to the final track and became his usual junk

This is a fun album. Lyrics made me laugh a few times (I love the phrase Wowie zowie), and most of it was musically interesting. It did start to drag pretty badly by the end though. And by drag, I don’t just mean it was boring. I mean it was BAD. Would’ve been better as a 40 minute album.

bazinga

The concept album that breaks the rule that all concept albums are bad .. I enjoyed (most of) it 👍

Had heard this before; not as weird as you expect (that would be Captain Beefheart) but not as much fun, either.

Pretty cool but also zany at times.

gets a bit too unhinged towards the end for me lol

The Mothers Of Invention is such a weird band. I liked the album, but I just can't see myself listening to it or any of the songs again. It was starting to get a bit old by the time I got towards the end of it though.

Zappa was definitely ahead of his time, so far ahead I'm not sure his time has actually arrived yet. It says this album is satirical, but I'm a few IQ points short of fully getting it. Thankfully the music was engaging enough that it was not a slog to get through. Love them or hate them, albums like this are one of the main reasons I do this list, to hear something different.

3 - decent album but far from the genius Zappa would release later

2.5

I appreciate the satiric quality and the sense of humor of the songs and music. Zappa has never been my taste and this album is fine even while seeming restrained compared to later Zappa. Solid 3 and maybe rises someday?

Ok look I get what this album is trying to do. I understand where this album is situated in the context it exists in. It starts off very strong as a typical psychedelic rock album and then devolves into madness. It's brilliant in an experimental sense, and unfortunately much of the satire regarding the U.S. set forth in this album still applies to today. That being said, this is not something I would listen to again regularly just because of how dense and unsettling it presents itself.

Wacky album. My favourites were Wowie Zowie and Anyway The Wind Blows. The closing track was quite something. Is that what a bad trip is like?

For an album recorded 50 years ago, it does have ‘ahead of its time’ vibes. It was definitely a choice to mix the tambourine louder than the drumkit on certain songs. Anyway, when it’s good, it’s good. However the joke wears thin by the end of the album. I’d say it does belong on this list mainly for sounding so weird and unique for the time. Bumping it up to a 3 because of that.

This was quite good

Actually way more catchy than I expected from a Frank Zappa / The Mothers of Invention album. Very goofy as well, which was something I did expect. Not sure if it’s something I will return to much, but it was nice to listen to.

Hungry freaks, daddy - 4 I ain't got no heart - 3 Who are the brain police? - 3 Go cry on somebody else's shoulder - 3 Motherly love - 3 How could i be such a fool - 4 Wowie zowie - 2 You didn't try to call me - 3 Anyway the wind blows - 3 I'm not satisfied - 3 You're probably wondering why i'm here - 3 Trouble every day - 4 Help, i'm a rock - 2 The return of the son of monster magnet - 2

A very experimental 60's rock album. Has elements of Musique concrete. In general I love Zappa and the mothers so its a no brainer that I would like this but I havent gone back to it in a while. 7/10 Favourite: Help, I'm a Rock Least Favourite: Wowee Zowee

6.5/10

This album grew on me. I wasn’t too sure about it to start with, but I was drawn to listen to it all. It felt both familiar and ahead of its time, in equal measure.

Steadily got better as it progressed, but it wasn't something I would go out of my way to listen to again. I think Zappa sometimes takes his musical jokes just a little too far, and it stops being enjoyable at some point.

Favourite Songs: Trouble Every Day Help, I'm A Rock

I always enjoy Frank Zappa for 2-3 tracks, and then I get exhausted by the zaniness. But I can choose any three-track run and enjoy it, so I'm a little lost on what to rate this.

Frank Zappa is one odd duck... but like I always say, the most talented ones usually are.

Funky

Oh, Zappa. Impossible to sum up in a capsule review. Sometimes compelling, other times utterly annoying. About five of these tunes groove in a satisfying warped-pop way, and more than that are too snarky and “polymath” for their own good. Give me the Greatest Hits and “Overnight Sensation”!

A good listen for the most part, with a nice 60s rock sound that is a good example of that countercultural moment, and is genuinely funny in places. However, the band discover acid around Track 13, and the rest of the album becomes unlistenable.

AKA Zappa Begins. Sadly, I can’t give this album more than 3 stars, despite the fact I listen to much of it fairly often. Indeed, excepting ‘Who Are the Brain Police?’, I really like every song from sides one and two, plus ‘Trouble Every Day’. However, we then get into the long-form experimental/avant-garde stuff, and that’s where the album loses me. In fact, I’m not sure I’d ever heard the very end before. Had they taken the first twelve tracks and re-sequenced them to a single disc they’d have a really strong 4-star album. Crazy it’s from 1966 though!

It was interesting, to say the least. Seems quite ahead of its time. But most of the songs didn't draw me in that much.

I did freak out. The homage songs to 50s and 60s music subgenres were nice, the iconic songs were great, but the spaced out trippy songs were longer than needed.

I've always kind of dismissed Frank Zappa. Too try-hard kooky for me. Comes off as smug and a bit obnoxious. His kids names are stupid. "oHhH tHaTs tHe pOiNt". Stop yourself. Anywho, the album itself wasn't actually that bad. Doesn't have to be anywhere as long. Just kind of an hour long string of 3star weird psychedelic songs.

Definitely YEARS ahead of its time. It's innovative, outlandish, satirical, fun, unsettling, trippy, catchy... Like another person in the comments said, I wouldn't listen to it every day, but there's no doubt this album is important to music as a whole.

Hell yeah a kazoo! This is fun, gets a laugh now and then, but it's not exactly something I can relate to nor would I listen it to for leisure. Feels like a bit of a waste of good musicians.

Thoughts before listening: Not my favorite era for Zappa. The MOI seem more to me like parody pranksters than what Zappa would later become on albums like Apostrophe and Hot Rats. Maybe this album is better than my recollection, but this is how I remember it. Review: Ok so this starts out strong with "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" and "I Ain't Got No Heart" which offer 60s style pop rock albeit through the psycho, freak lense only Zappa could put on them. Things then get a little too weird for their own good with "Who are the Brain Police" and keeps on that path for much of the album. I know this balance between brilliance and weird for the sake of being weird is a staple of Frank Zappa's career, but I just can't 100% but into him for this reason. I'll give this 3-stars, but my opinion of Zappa's early years remains unchanged.

Zappa gonna Zappa. Some fine stuff intermixed with “other”

I can't imagine how "far-out" this was in 1966. They paved the way for Weird Al, Primus, Cake, Wolves of Glendale and so many more. The doo wop parts are strange, but the album as a whole honestly kinda works. "Trouble Every Day" is a rare serious tune - straight up blues rock protest song about the Watts riots. This is probably some of the more palatable Zappa out there too. It's bold and way ahead of its time and just pretty neat.

Very silly

A good album, easy listening.