Freak Out!

Freak Out! Suzie? Cream Cheese? I’ve always avoided Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. I’ve given Captain Beefheart a go and, if I’m in the right mood, I’ve kind of enjoyed the bits I’ve listened to. However it’s not always what I actually want to listen to so I have just put the Mothers in the same bucket and left well alone.

 It wasn’t entirely what I expected on the first listen. I thought there would be constant shifts in tempo, sounds and arrangement within each song, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so heavily rooted in garage blues rock. I kind of got into the swing of it by the 2nd half, I started to enjoy the grooves and was happy to expect any old shit to happen at any time. Second time around I liked it a bit more, I suppose I dropped all my expectations and a bit of familiarity with the twists and turns helped. I genuinely started to enjoy this and maybe even started to ‘get’ it after the 3rd listen. Whether you do or not I guess would depend on your expectations and appetite or tolerance for the deliberately surrealistic and avant garden elements tacked onto the slightly generic mid 60s blues rock foundations. It definitely got better and a lot more interesting with repeated listens, so much so that some of the more ‘straight’ rock songs became less appealing and the more experimental art rock aspects of it were what I wanted to hear more of. I do think you have to listen to it in the spirit in which it was made and intended. It’s deliberately non conformist and unconventional, which I ended up really liking for some reason. It’s great that someone imagined this and then made it and built a career out of it, there’s a lot to be said for people with a singular vision that are able to realise that vision. Clearly it’s not for everyone and if you want to hear actual songs then this isn’t the place to go, but it’s given me a real interest in listening to more Zappa. I don’t think I totally get it but I’m into it - I’m glad this came up in the list, I may never have listened to it otherwise. Tempted to go 4 but will go for a high 3 ⭐⭐⭐️

This is early Frank Zappa. You can certainly see what is going to come.

glad to have a zappa record on the list. few catchy toons, Trouble every day probably favorite.

Fun and a bit edgier than I think of for 60s music. Solid jams, gets ya in a psychedelic groove.

Yeah good, I wish I liked Frank Zappa more than I do, there is some great songs on here definitely but also a lot I don't feel needs another listen.

Malgré quelques indices, cet album m’a paru difficile à dater, d’une énergie décontractée et un peu rebelle

There's really only 1 5-star album from Zappa/Mothers for me, and that's "Overnite Sensation". This one was interesting and important but I am not going to seek it out again anytime soon.

Debut album de ce groupe rock. Un des premeir cocnepts albums de musique rock, grande variété de style. Frank Zappa était là-dedans. Moins hype que je pensais, c'est doux.

33% Freakin’ great, 33% Freakin’ obvious, 33% Freakin’ awful. 1% lost in the post.

they did, i didn't

This was very interesting, I could have done without all of the talking.

weird, quirky and avant-garde music with an offbeat sense of humor throughout. without frank zappa and the mothers of invention, you wouldn’t have bands such as ween, primus, and mr. bungle. certainly an acquired taste, and i admittedly would have to be in the right mood to listen to this type of music.

Weird to be weird. Had its moments, though.

So I guess I must love Frank Zappa? Is this where we are now? Actually, "love" is a strong word here. Hell, "like" is too strong a word. The more accurate description is to say I clearly appreciate or even admire Frank Zappa. You sort of need to be in the right mood for this, but I'll go so far as to brand it essential. This would have been an absolute trip to see performed live.

O pretenso conceito não foi percebido por mim. Só que garantiu uma hora de rock envolvente.

some good songs :)

Kinda weird, I wouldn't listen by choice but I didnt hate it

Crazy

Some hits and misses for me. Impressive for the time. 3.5/5

не оч, хоть Заппа и считается легендой

Creative- lots of very different musical styles.

Een aardige verzameling gekkigheid, het ene is wat beter geslaagd dan het andere. Maar zonder een experiment op z'n tijd komt de mensheid ook niet verder.

Do you remember that episode of The Simpsons when Homer becomes a hippy obsessed with "freaking out" people? This album is the musical equivalent. It's hard to judge this album from 2024. On one hand, their nonconformist lyrics and attitude were probably revolutionary in the late 1960s, but the trope is pretty much dead today. I do appreciate how the band is clearly goofing off and having fun throughout the album. I even found a few gems to add to my library, including "You Didn't Try to Call Me" and "Any Way the Wind Blows." Cool time capsule of raging against '60s conservatives.

Quite a mix of styles on this album, and a lot more than I expected. I wasn't familiar with the work and have to admit this wasn't quite what I expected when I saw it was from 1966. Overall enjoyable, and never descended into that sameness that a lot of albums do.

Not very memorable but inoffensive

Some songs I love, others I hate

Trouble Every Day was a good song. Interesting album, felt like a mix of psychedelic rock, classic rock, some jazz. Really finishing up weird with Help I'm a Rock and It Can't Happen here... 3 stars for me.

This album is hilariously trippy. Who ARE The Brain Police?!?! The end of the album certainly went off the rails... I was actually more entertained by this album than by other albums with similar eccentricity to them. The psychedelic stuff was good, and the weird stuff wasn't assaulting. Probably did enough for a 3.5, but I'm rounding down because there's no way I listen to this one again.

Feel like I’m either going to love or hate this because of Zappa. Love a good weird album but feel like he is weird to be weird. Idk maybe just me. Really enjoying the guitar work on the first track. Can’t tell if he’s making fun of doo-wop or whatever on “Go Cry on Someone Else’s Shoulder.” Help I’m a rock! The DC part where the keep repeating AC/DC part made me alol. So fucking weird. This album definitely has enough to keep me interested with its random ass commentary and noises. Not sure if it’s enough to bring me back though. So far I’ve liked the first album the most with Zappa.

The experimental stuff is far better than the filler. The bluesey songs are awful

The album is really nice and easy to listen and you can clearly see it contributes with different sounds to the era's style. I really enjoyed it, even though some songs feel like a fever dream. I know it must be the point, but what the fell are those two final songs. My favorite tracks would include "Hungry Freaks, Daddy", "Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder" and "Anyway The Wind Blows". It was great to listen something worthy from the 60s apart from the Beatles.

Hacendado ahh beatles

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride on drugs!

For whatever reason I have resisted listening to Frank Zappa in my life. I’m not sure I could name a song or recognize a tune as his. It’s certainly not that I was under the impression that this wasn’t musically impressive. It is. And it’s not that I was scared of it. It’s remarkably ahead of its time. Maybe it’s how much it reminds me of Gallagher or how much it seemed like kitsch. And it is kitschy. And I have liked kitschy music in the past (They Might Be Giants and even Tom Waits who ranks among one of my absolute favorites). But on the whole, while I enjoy the fact that this music exists and think that everyone could learn a lesson about their own self-seriousness from an album like this, I can’t imagine ever deliberately putting this music on. I’m glad I live in a world where Zappa has made an impact and I’m glad I finally was given a reason to give him a close listen. And I think I can close the book on the extraordinarily brief chapter on my relationship with the Mothers of Invention.

Edgy and satirical, a record which feels like a revolution is about to start. An important document but an album harder to truly enjoy now as time has passed.

Frequent musical brilliance, vocally inconsistent... started falling apart for me in the latter half, and by the end of the 12+ minute slog of the final song I felt nothing but irritation.

Weirdest shit I have ever listened to in my life, but I kinda in for it

very nice

I know what I'm getting into when I listen to a Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa album. It's going to be weird, and I'm okay with that. I rarely seek it out, but I get enjoyment when I listen, but I like weird things.

cant really remind but enjoyable

2.5

The Mothers. Frank Zappa's band. This record is supposedly a concept record, poking fun at popular music and LA culture. It is also one of the first rock/pop double albums. Lots of doo-wop influence on here. Also some psychedelia sprinkled in which I appreciate. While there are some great tracks on here, I think it overstays its welcome just a little bit. Overall not bad. Does this count as proto-punk?

Wack

A hot, freaked out? debut that would set the basis for Zappa's ever-evolving sound in his career. I'll pretend I'm a 16 year old in 1966 popping this on the record player for the first time. How would I react to it? I have to imagine the barrier of appreciation for an album like this would be almost impossible to break through. It's easy to see the influence and admire it in retrospect, but honestly, I don't think I'd have been on the Zappa train back then. Either way, one thing's for certain...rock needs more kazoos.

I was not the biggest fan- it is definitely different. The music was too clashing. It was all over the place.

Canny enough. Very out there at times in a good way. I reckon I’d have loved these if I was kicking about in the 60s. Poppy, off beat, and weird, three big ticks for me. That said, a lot of it passed me by, very much of it’s time. Enjoyed it, probably wont be back.

Pretty unbelievable that this was released in 1966. Definitely interesting. Some of it a bit too out there for me I think but I didn't dislike it. The standout track was "trouble every day" Got pretty chaotic in the last few tracks!

Crazy but accessible, and one of the first double albums ever released. Not a zappahead so can't give this more than three. One of my partners favourite albums.

Something I've learned about 60's music from 1001 is that 1966 was around the time that things started getting weird. The first disc of this LP draws on twisted doowop and the second slides into avant-garde and noise which would be great if I was on LSD. I was hoping to hear more of the guitar playing Zappa put on display on the opening song, but that was that. It's easy to see how this could have influenced future musicians, but I'm unlikely to listen to it again.

The debut album from the brilliant and prolific Frank Zappa (over 60 studio albums and countless live, compilation and bootleg albums!). Zappa is one of my favourite artists but since this is his debut it only offers an inkling of his satirical and musical genius. This album throws in the kitchen sink with doo wop, art rock and musique concrète sound collages and maybe it's all a bit too much as it doesn't quite hit as well as many of his latter releases, many of which are 4-5 star albums for me. Its sacrlidge that Zappa only has two albums on this list though (Freak out and Hot Rats), they could have dumped a pile of mediocre Brit Pop and added a few more of his seminal works.

Okay but still a lot of 50’s influence in what is supposed to be a progressive rock album

Interesting, lively, good atmosphere

5/10

This band can do everything. Actually a fun and catchy album, more accessible than their jazz fusion stuff.

With a second album, the novelty of it is gone and rather annoying

Frank Zappa, felt to me a little boring, interesting guitars

Some annoying tracks towards the end but still some good stuff on this album

Glad I heard this, knew Trouble Every Day which is excellent. The rest is like an off-kilter Byrds album mixed with Buddy Holly or something. Probably won't listen in full again anytime soon

Zappa and The Mothers of Invention I don't love by any means but certainly appreciate what they did and their contribution to music and culture. This is probably their most well known, I'm guessing. It's definitely an interesting and fun to listen to. A bit long and not something I want to listen a ton, but worth checking in on every so often.

I don't know how to feel.

Freak Out! by The Mothers Of Invention is such a different album than you think Frank Zappa capable of. It sounds very contemporary for a 1966 release until you start to pick up different instruments and lyrics and then you get that it is indeed a Frank Zappa album. 3.5/5

This is about as good as an album like this can be. Problem is I still don’t really really like this style. Zappa is cool and I’m glad he pushed the boundaries of music in the way he did, it’s just a bit of a tough listen.

Certainly a debut that would come from Frank Zappa.

I appreciate the importance and technical artistry of Frank Zappa, but I don't actually enjoy his music very much.

Definitely weird but the melding of doo-wop and bluesy rock was interesting. There’s a lot to like here. 3 stars

This feels like an album that is clearly a joke album teasing doo-wop but at some point someone important took it too seriously and then through a series of comedic events ended up on this list. Kinda funny and silly. This is the type of experimental that suits me more. Strong sense of melody but also kazoo. 3

It's fine.

not always enjoyable to listen to but I will say that I’ve never heard anything like that. Suzy Creamcheese.

Up and down, round and round

*Fliss* Þetta er svo... æji.. Margt af þessu er alveg gott m.v. tímann en svo er þetta bara parody 😂. It can't happen here er alveg til að toppa málið 😂

Dit was behoorlijk bizar, maar ergens kon ik het ook best waarderen. Aantal nummers vliegen volledig de bocht uit, maar de rest was best ok.

Less freaky than most of their other albums let’s face it.

Divertido

Familiar sound but quirky

A bit silly but fun!

tongue-in-cheek but with a tight band, pretty good

Funkar väl.

better than the average 60s psychedelia but it looks like zappa took his time to truly find his weird feet.

Didn't freak out

Mostly very groovy

3.5 Some songs better than others, but overall really good.

Weird album, seemed like the 60’s version of Tenacious D. Funny to hear a couple of times, but didn’t fall in love with it.

Zappa is a genius, his band is great too and the influence on the prog rock genre is crystalclear. As an album itself, I think it is simply too long and unnecessary 'artsy'. It's not something you can listen to very often. Hence three stars from me.

"Freak Out!" by The Mothers of Invention is an album that leaves me feeling a bit underwhelmed. While it has its moments, overall I would give it a 2.5 out of 5 rating. To me, The Mothers of Invention sound like a poor man's Beatles knock-off, with their whimsical lyrics, catchy melodies, and psychedelic soundscapes. While I appreciate the effort that went into creating a concept album that explores themes of rebellion and counterculture, I can't help but feel like the execution falls flat. The album is a mishmash of different styles and sounds, with everything from doo-wop to avant-garde jazz thrown into the mix. While this eclecticism can be interesting at times, it often feels disjointed and unfocused. The production is also a bit rough around the edges, with some of the songs sounding thin and tinny. While this may have been intentional on the part of the band, it doesn't do much to enhance the listening experience. All that being said, there are a few standout tracks on the album. "Trouble Every Day" is a searing indictment of racism and police brutality that still resonates today, while "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" is a catchy, satirical romp that pokes fun at conformist culture. Overall, I would recommend "Freak Out!" to die-hard fans of 1960s psychedelic rock, but for casual listeners, there are better albums out there to explore. While The Mothers of Invention may have been influential in their day, their sound and style haven't aged particularly well, and their songwriting leaves a bit to be desired.

Skipped (below a 3)

Ykköslevy: Pojilla äänenmurros GjÖÖ miesmäinen bassoääni overly funny joke Kakkoslevy: HOLY MOTHERS OF INVENTION. hankala levy sulateltavaks nyt tulee kinkkinen 3 hankala sanoa pää ihan mutrulla tästä... voi voi..

It was good.

No thanks

Frank Zappa leads a wacky acid rock performance mixed with parodic doo-wop that sometimes reminds me a lot of Disraeli Gears, yet this came out first. It's innovative and passionate, but there's a lot of filler in the middle, and I find the vocal style to be a bit too repetitive. Most of the tracks were pretty good but didn't interest me much besides the random injections and hit-or-miss lyrics. I really liked the chaos of the last 3 tracks.

It was fun but it didn’t grip me. Will listen again.

I liked some of this. Some of it (particularly the last song) was a little much though. 3.5 rounded down

Oh, Mothers.

This has never been one of my favorite Zappa albums. It’s probably the one I’ve listened to the least over the years, but this listen was a bit of a surprise for me. I’ve warmed to it a bit. It’s still hard for me to imagine this finding it’s way onto my stereo more than a couple more times before I die, but it’s more of a possibility today than it would have been before the latest listen.

“We’re satirists, and we’re out to satirize everything.” - FZ

It’s too avant-garde for me but I do appreciate the musicianship and the influence this album had on many artists. Not sure I’ll revisit that often though.

I suppose this cover is truth in advertising. This was an interesting listen, but ultimately it was a little too much of a FREAK OUT for me. I got very tired of some of this… the strange mix of doo-wop and psychedelia… the rambly lyrics that felt like they were being made up as they went along… the songs that felt like they might have been fun to make but not really to listen to. A lot of the songs had me wondering if I hadn’t accidentally skipped backward and replayed earlier tracks. The musicianship was good and there were some parts I liked, but this isn’t something I’m excited to revisit any time soon. Kind of a 2.5 for me - but it is weird so I’ll round that up.

Jú, mjög frumlegt og ekki leiðinlegt, en ég er ekki beinlínis æstur í að henda henni aftur á óeiginlegan fóninn.

Am I crazy or is this album kind of good? I didn't care for the random weirdness near the end (I was afraid the whole album would be this sort of stuff). The album was a bit too long in general, but I did enjoy a lot of it.

3.5/5. The last quarter is a bit too experimental for my liking, cream cheese…

Rock experimental de Zappa. No me ha hecho mucho. Ni fu ni fa.

Divertido.

I wanna like it more than I do. It's kinda nuts they got seemingly carte blanche to do mostly whatever they want. Concept album for sure, but unfortunately it's not "fun" to listen to. I'm into experimental and weird shit, but I dunno... maybe I just need to get drunk or do drugs.

There were some songs that were ok. But, towards the end of the album when the acid was really kicking in...(Cause yes this album was written in one sitting and recorded in one take) were just vomit.

Divertido

weird

Очень неоднородно и очень интересно я хз, надо переслушать еще пару раз, но где-то хотелось хлопать, а где-то уснуть

Вообще я кажется начинаю понимать свои уши, что им нравится, а что нет. Так вот: я отвратительно переношу абсолютное непопадние вокала в мелодическую линию. Естественно в качестве украшений могут быть использованы всякие мелизм и тд, это ладно. Ну или может это стилистически оправданная техника пения, речитатив или что-то ещё. Но блин, когда человек тупо мимо нот поёт... та ну его этого недовокалиста. Собственно, первый трек меня сначала выбил из колеи. Это было очень тяжело слушать; в то же время, мне очень понравился звук... хз, что это такое, больше всего напоминало детскую или собачью пищалку, но скорее всего, это что-то из духовых инструментов. А потом стало лучше. Сильно лучше. Где-то это был обычный блюз, где-то уходило в хард-рок. В Wowie Zowie прикололся с ксилофона (кажется), песенка из мультика будто. Корооооче, я в общем несколько раз этот альбом послушал, потому что мне тяжело оформить какое-то однородное и понятное мнение. Альбом многогранный: каждый трек на нём можно слушать отдельно от всех остальных; причём, как оказалось, это же и была задумка авторов. Есть раздражающие вещи, есть невероятно потрясающие аранжировки (ловлю кайф с духовых), но чёт не цепляет совсем. Может быть, сейчас не подошло по настроению. А может стоит послушать более позднего Заппу. О, а потом был последний трек; традиция какая-то - пилить последние треки подольше. Сначала я подумал, что у меня вообще какая-то трепчина включилась: клубный биточек, синтезатор (очень похожий на терменвокс), семплированый голос ребёнка. И это превратилось в какую-то пытку абстракцией. Я вот несколько альбомов назад обижался на Kraftwerk, говорил, что я не понимаю их уровень абстракции. Как оказалось, там смыслов и композиции в песнях побольше было. Трек идёт 12 минут, можно было бы сделать укороченную версию Cop shoot cop. Но нет, развитие "The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet" приводит в какие-то джунгли. А дальше вообще какая-то порнуха и Чип и Дейл. Блин, ну всё впечатление от альбома испортилось. И всё из-за финального трека. Вывод: финальный трек решает. 2.5/5 ->3/5

What can I say... I get the shtick, but I would've liked it to be at least a bit more enjoyable to listen to. With that said, I can still appreciate the utter absurdity of it all. Let's call it 3.

I need to spend more time with Frank Zappa. I hear from many people whose opinions and views on music I admire and respect that Frank Zappa is one of their favorite musical artists. In all honesty, his stuff has yet to click with me. It's not that I don't hear how innovative and great he is; it's just that as a matter of personal preference I have not yet heard anything that draws me in. I'll keep trying.

наконец знаю каверы на кого слушала) концептуально

Freak Out! was new music for me. I have heard some of Frank Zappa's work, but The Mothers of Invention is only familiar to me by name at best. I don't know what to really expect from Zappa. Some of the do-wop / 50s sounding tracks were a surprise. Overall the album was okay, and good enough for listening through once. There were only a few tracks that were dipping below 3 stars - the multi-movement tracks that make up nearly all of the second record (sides 3 and 4 - about 44% of the total music recorded). Rounding up, I guess the album can have 3 stars.

Entertaining, not in the way that I’d listen to it very often, but that I enjoyed it listening the first time through. Definitely memorable, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not so much. They made the album they wanted to make and it came out probably exactly the way they liked. Wasn’t completely for me, but I liked some of it. 3/5

Weird AF, but liked it probably more than I shouldve

Has its place on here

2 in a row from 1966, how lucky. Ok so all things considered, that wasn't bad at all. Musically it was pretty strong, it had the psychedelic vibe but also a good amount of rockin and was full of melody, if a little silly (kazoo?!). Lyrically it was somewhere between daft and cliche - yes we get it, society and normies, what's THE DEAL with them? I dunno, maybe these were hotter takes at the time. Realistically, if this had been kept to 40min it would be a 4. But an hour was a bigger ask. 3/5.

It sounds like it should be listened to on vinyl while it's raining outside with incense burning.

Pretty good

still a weird album

Ça tombe dans mes cordes, mais c'est inégal. Ya des chansons plus intéressantes, et d'autres qui tombent dans la formule. Ça ressemble à la version Wish de The Doors.

Zappa's first outing is just as weird and surreal as one would expect. Unfortunately, advanced knowledge of cultural touchstones prevalent at the time of release are necessary to truly appreciate this album.

This is my second time listening to this album, and it did grow on me from the first time. However, the (purposefully) bad singing still prevents this rating from being higher. Favorite track: Motherly Love

This is my second Zappa album of my last three. I did not like much of Hot Rats, but Freak Out I did enjoy. It has some actual melodies and pop song structures. I especially like the doo wop elements in a few of the songs. 3.5 stars

Super weird but fun.

meh

Enjoyable

I like the fact that this album exists - though not sure how much I want to listen to it again!

I don't know, it's different, deliberately so, so I want to rate it higher, however apart from nodding along doesn't grab me at all. 3. but an interesting 3

Sounds like the Beatles if they did more drugs. Very experimental rock, the last track is 12 minutes long with no discernable lyrics, but more listenable than Revolution 9. Overall there was some decent music, lyrically he was making some political and artistic statements.

Good

Mothers of Invention Ah, some Zappa. Don’t like the monotone singing (even being intentional, it’s annoying). The rhythm and tempo changes are definitely interesting, however, and I can see glimpses of the musical genius in here. Unfortunately, a lot of that genius is hidden under layers of weirdness masquerading as genius, and separating the genius from the mere idiosyncrasies is often a difficult task. Ultimately, while I appreciate the innovation, I don’t like to listen to most of it, so I can’t really give it that high of a rating. The guitar work is often really, really good though, and the moments everything comes together and works, it’s a trip (in a good way). Top Tracks: - Hungry Freaks, Daddy – A good balance of weirdness and actual cool music - Trouble Every Day – One of the better white blues songs I’ve heard. - Help, I’m a Rock – Delightfully weird. I’m glad the reissues separated “It Can’t Happen Here” because it’s better without that section.

Very important album and musically brilliant. Just not as enjoyable to listen to as I’d hoped.

what a strange assortment of sounds, interesting and really weird at the same time. Kind of a fun album but not something I would find myself listening to a lot

clever record that i don't find myself revisiting often

They sound like a bunch of monkeys trying to create music, both in a good way and a bad way. It's a mess that is while inventive, mostly annoying to listen to. I didn't freak out throughout the hour long journey, but return of the Son of Monster Magnet? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

5/10. Kinda cool, kinda annoying, bit too long.

Rock experimental de Zappa. No me ha hecho mucho. Ni fu ni fa.

Mad and fun early trippy experimental rock with cool moments

Some cool riffs

Early Zappa/Mothers output was a hairy, drooling, lumbering beast. I guess to some extent, all of Zappa's discography was a meandering cacophony, but there was a more honed edge to all the silliness once the band abandoned its hippie freak mockery and doo-wop parodying for something more akin to progressive rock and jazz fusion. Whatever loose narrative threads this album has, it doesn't hold a candle to Joe's Garage. That being said, this sloppy mess is still better than probably 90% of the albums on this list.

El naixement de l'art-rock. Aquí perpretat per un artista autèntic, però donant vida a un génere que tan mal farà a la música amb pseudoartistes sense inspiració al llarg de les décades. A 'Freak Out' l'experimentació està feta amb sentit i enganxa a l'oient, tot i que el disc va perdent frescura amb el minutatge. Els últims temes, ja de pura experimentació, estan lluny del que Zappa podia donar de sí, com demostraria en obres posteriors

Glad I heard this, knew Trouble Every Day which is excellent. The rest is like an off-kilter Byrds album mixed with Buddy Holly or something. Probably won't listen in full again anytime soon

Started listening. Couldn’t finish but Zappa likes that I can’t access it.

This is tough one. I find Zappa undercuts his ability to rock with being willfully clever. And it was apparent from this first album. I like that the band is a pretty good 60s garage band, and the garage rock (Motherly Love) or doo-wop (Go Cry On Someone Else's Shoulder) influences are fun. The satirical content is high, although the creeping misogyny sits poorly. The whole thing could use a tighter edit (even Zappa agreed that The Return of The Son of Monster Magnet is unfinished). I guess it was pretty innovative at the time to include cut-ups and musique concrete, and even satire in rock was new, but I still find it hard to sit through sometimes. It's hard to dance to, you know? Too much talk, not enough trousers.

Not bad. A bit whacky, but with Zappa at the helm why not.

I can appreciate Zappa, but I don't really enjoy it.

Tambourines, xylophone, a groovy guitar solo, piano, and all in the first track! Ah, yes and commentary of Johnson's "Great Society" which at the time with all of its popularity was not without its detractors. The education system did not necessarily veer from the industrial revolution model from which it was built, and much of the education turned into testing and score based models, becoming the new discrimination. Why is this album on 1001? The answer of course is purely subjective in this now massive group project, but the answer here that justifies its place on the list is the obvious social contribution given the year it was released. Post-Kennedy and pre-Vietnam, this band was deep in the socially aggressive change of the Civil Rights Era, a massive political transformation that included Equal Rights, Voting Rights, etc. all things that at the time and still today have had various opinions as to whether good or bad. While the lot of us in the time of 1001 have the gift of history to make such determinations, it is important to hear the perspectives of the people who were there, and this album is a bit on the nose with it in "Hungry Freaks, Daddy". Musically, the album is token 60s, but the recording available on Spotify is really good, still having a vintage sound but with a modern clarity. The compositions are complex and fun, while the lyrics are seemingly humorous and just sort of out there. Overall, this album has significant history along with The Mothers Of Invention and Frank Zappa, and for that reason(s) an educational listen is worth the time spent.

70s classic rock still rings true.

Andre versjonen av help, I'm a rock eg høyre no, og begge e ganske plagsomme Ellers ikkje så minneverdig + for Frank Zappa

I don't know, seems like a bunch of mates are singing songs together. Maybe if I had been in a different mode

it is alright

psychadelic rock, not my fav.

Huh! That was fun in a subversive way. As for the number of unrequited/rejected/betrayed love songs...

Ok, I know that Frank Zappa isn't for everybody, but those that like him enjoy this album. If you don't like him, you probably haven't heard enough to get to know him. This isn't one of my favorite Zappa albums, but I do enjoy it. I think Hungry Freaks, Daddy is a great opening song. I almost feel like it's a rip off of the Rolling Stones but still very good. I Ain't Got No Heart... to give away. Girl, you better go away. :) Who Are the Brain Police? I love the cadence of the song. Go Cry on Somebody's Else's Shoulder. A bit too much 50's doo-wop for me. But, it's enjoyable. 50s style with lyrics that are not what you would hear in a 50's doo wop ballad! I like Motherly Love as well. Good message. How Could I Be Such a Fool? Again, heartbreak. What was he going through when this album was written. I personally don't know him well enough to know but he definitely seems jaded. Wowie Zowie... eh, ok... the cheesy chorus isn't for me, but the rest of the song is acceptable. You Didn't Try to Call Me. Tell me who's loving you now? cos it worries my mind - I can't sleep at all... I think we have all been THERE. Especially guys... She didn't try to call. Why? Doesn't she think of me the way I'm thinking of her? No.... she's moved on... Dudes need to get over it! Anyway the Wind Blows. It's just a good song...short and to the point. I'm Not Satisfied. A bit of Zappa humor in this one. No love left to give... Haven't we heard that before? Wait, what about the... it sounds like Hungry Freaks, Daddy again... ok, maybe not.. but, maybe... :) You're Probably Wondering Why. So am I. LOL. YEAH. Ok, this song has no real melody at times, then it does... That's Zappa. Is that a Kazoo I hear? why, yes it is! Trouble Every Day. Probably the one song that is just there. At least for me. Hello I'm a Rock / It Can't Happen (Suite in Three Movements). This is what Zappa is all about. Those jazz-rock-related, long drawn-out pieces of interesting sounds and lyrics.... Just enjoy it. And yes, the Zappa continues with " The Return of the Son of Monster" Go with the flow...enjoy it. The first half of the album is more memorable than the second half but the entire project is such an experience. Glad I got to spend the day listening to it! 3.5/5 (what did you expect a 5/5?)

pretty good for the time

Partially listenable, but mostly boring

Funny album. I didn't know this group before

Dios salve al progresivo.

First time listen enjoyed it

Swag….

Kyllähän tuon kuunteli läpi ilman suurempaa tuskaa. Kolmonen on aavistuksen yläkanttiin mutta menköön.

What a twisted psychedelia! Sometimes hilarious, sometimes clever. I enjoyed some songs , but don’t know what to do with the last two tracks…

Weird. 6/10

3.5

I honestly am having difficulty rating this one. I definitely think I enjoyed it, but man, it is not an easy listen. Weird and off-putting and hilarious and full of talent. Zappa do be Zappa.

This was good. Probably just misses out on a 4 though.

Parts funny, parts zany, definitely a product of its time but hard not to get swept up in the atmosphere of it.

Be patient while listening to this album. The higher the number of the song, the better the song is.

Standard Frank Zappa

Such a crazy album, you can feel the overall *freedom* of it. This is "experimental rock" back when there were real experiments in music. Nowadays the term is used very liberally at times. Zappa was a motherfreaking genius.

Interesting but wierd…I mean…it is Frank Zappa..

Dit klinkt meteen leuk, met het stereo effect van mijn vaders oude Beatles album, haha. Het nummer "Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder" klinkt ook echt Beatles vind ik. Zang is natuurlijk belabberd maar je moet dit soort bandjes niet al te serieus nemen volgens mij. Muzikaal vind ik het wel heel erg geinig. Is dat nou een xylofoon die ik daar hoor? In ieder geval zo'n kinderspeelgoed toetertje, haha. Het swingt wel! Joehoeeeeee!! Ik vind "Ain't Got No Heart" wel leuk. Op de een of andere manier ging ik hier ineens naar de tekst luisteren: "Why should I be stuck with you. Just not what I want to do." Helaas zijn nummer als "Who Are The Brain Police?" weer niet om aan te horen. Sterretje minder en NEXT >>.

Some nice songs, interesting sound, but the last two tracks are too avant-garde and psychedelic.

Ok

Musically, is an amazing album. Hearing crazy, gritty guitars and vocals, followed by doo wop is a wild journey. Love it.

what a trip!

Too 80s for my vibes

Enjoy the psychedelic nature of the album and the 50's doo-wop jokes, reminds me a lot of Piper at the Gates of Dawn, singing is kind of irritating but flows well with the sound of the album, Great debut. Stand outs: Hungry Freaks, Daddy, Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder, Wowie Zowie,

Pretty wild for it's time. Decent enough, but not one that I'll listen to often.

Psicodelia con algunas buenas melodías

Je connaissais, c’est bon et bien eclaté. 3.75

I’ve come to realize I’m really not a fan of albums that are more than 50 minutes long. But I did enjoy the music in this one

decent album

60’er rock, Frank Zappa, koncept-album, satirisk, psykedelisk

Not bad but not good. Wierd is the best word I could use to describe this album. Read on Wikipedia that Zappa is the frontman of this group which makes sense. I could imagine this gets better with each listen.

Nope

Respect to Frank Zappa but he’s not for me

Tracks felt more like they were just messing around & this is what they recorded, than an actual thought out album.

It's a bit much. Zappa 100% earns his spot on the list, and yet it is a hard listen

I can appreciate this album as being way ahead of its time. I didn’t enjoy it though.

OK, that’s weird. And don’t forget, it was the sixties. Trouble Every Day and Help, I’m A Rock get Freak Out on the 1001 Must Hear List. Got some Weird Al vibes and bad jazz all in one. (2.38*s) The Mothers Of Invention were always a bit too weird for me. Blow your harmonica son!

Another moment of excitement for the music dashed by the speak-singing vocals 😐

My last 12 albums have included this one, from 1966, and a 1981 album from bauhaus, and ten - TEN - albums from the 70s. I am not yet to 1,000 records, but I have been forced to listen to more than 250 albums from the 70s. That is more albums than I have gotten from 1996 until 2026. I have had more albums form the 60s and 70s combined than I have from the 90s until now. I get it, art is subjective, but the bias in this project is exhausting. I'm sick to death of 60s and 70s rock that I've never heard of before. I'm not talking about Led Zeppelin albums, or Pink Floyd. Hell, I loathe The Rolling Stones, but I *understand* why they're on a list like this! but Do we really need THREE Tim Buckley albums? SIX albums from The Who? Also, this album sucks. We DEFINITELY don't need two albums of this self-indulgent, self-masturbatory bullshit

18 year old me might have been more tolerant of whatever it is that Zappa is trying to do here but the current version found in it a lot more eye-roll inducing than interesting.

It seemed like a terrible 90s album, which I guess means it's 30 years ahead of its time....

Better than the other Mothers of Invention album on the list, but it’s not a high bar.

He’s two-bit, pretentious, academic, and he can’t play his way out of anything. He can’t play rock ‘n’ roll because he’s a loser. And that’s why he dresses up funny. He’s not happy with himself, and I think he’s right.”

I didn't think I would like this album. I... didn't, but I'll admit it was a more interesting experience than I expected. I really can't tell how much of this is Zappa just trolling for fun and how much of it is purposeful musical expansion and experimenting. I guess that's probably part of the point of the album? With that, it's also the most aggravating part to me. I like to know where the artist stands on being either sincere or obnoxious. I will say the band is top-notch, which if you're going to be obnoxious, you have to be able to back it up with talent, and there's no denying that this band isn't talented. I'll probably never listen to this again, but I'm open to hearing more of his stuff to try to get a better read on him.

A meh parody of sixties pop music that reads as misogynistic.

dasch früüüene zappa. ersti paar tracks sind huuere fun. au wenns afoch bitz unserious tönt. so motherly love? was machi mit dem song? wowie zowie isch etz au eeeehner uf de nervige siite. help im a rock oder de vorher isch huuuere fies hahha it cant happen here isch insaaaane nervig hahaha whattt

Probably very significant and an important influence for many subsequent musicians, but that doesn't mean I like it particularly. Seems a bit silly to me.

It is mind blowing to see 1966 and inspiring Sgt Peppers deserves a lot of credit. That’s about all the enjoyment I got from this one. It’s weird I agree with the positive and negative views of it. Rating: 1.8

a bit weird for my taste

Pretty bloody stupid. Even the parts that were pleasant musically were overtaken by off-key vocals that, while they might have been pretty amusing and pithy in context, just came across annoying and offputting to me now. And by the end it descended into something not much more than noise.

This is #day664 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… ah, the late '60s. Musically, I'm mostly fine with this record, but I'll never get the freaky, satirical, weird, parodic element in Zappa's work. It borders on annoying. I'm sure this must have been experimental for its time, but it's just not clicking with me. Maybe I'm being too serious. Otherwise, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day665.

Boy howdy. Some gems in the funky.

You are very smart and creative Frank, you have some incredible records. In 1966 this must have been mindblowing, I am not as sure how they stand up as fun listens now. I could think of four or five Zappa records I'd rank as 5s, but you were represented poorly by this list (save for Hot Rats)

J’aime bien le tout début Assez rapidement dans l’album je réalise que je n’aimerai pas tant que ça, dommage Any way the wind blows : bien Après j’avoue t’es en 66 et il y a ça qui sort t’es content It can’t happen here est énervante La dernière a des bons moments. Mais elle est insupportable au global 5/10

There’s no need for this much synthesised cazoo or whatever that sound was. Some of it was cool, some of it aged like milk, on the whole I wouldn’t listen again. 2/5 Best Song: the closer had some really weird bits in it that I’m not sure how I felt about

Ugh. The last album I listened to by the Mothers of Invention was their third album, We’re Only in It for the Money. I hated it. I gave it 2 stars out of 5, and I’m not really sure why I was that gracious. Freak Out! is the debut album by the band, and it too is a concept album, one of the first concept albums in rock and roll. The album is a satire of pop culture at the time and the “freak scene” in Los Angeles. The freak scene was an underground, counterculture group of weirdos. I can get on board with Zappa thinking they were morons. Hopefully, the songs on this album will be better than on their third album, but I don’t have high hopes. The album is a double album of 15 songs with just over an hour of music, or whatever Zappa might call his creations. Track 1 is Hungry Freaks, Daddy. So far, so good. It kind of sounds like real music. The vocals are more or less spoken, but it’s better than being sped up to the Chipmunks style. Wow. There’s a reality good guitar solo after the kazoos make an appearance. Track 2 is I Ain’t Got No Heart and I’m finding that Zappa has a signature motif as it keeps popping up in his songs. I can’t explain it other than it's the same style of singing with a repeated melody. It was in the first track, and now it’s in this track. Truthfully, it kind of sounds like Zappa just kind of wings it. He comes up with something, calls it satire, and everyone thinks he’s a genius. I think Zappa would be a cult leader today. Track 4 is Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder and it’s in the style of an old school 50’s do wop song. Other than singing goofy and using a bad Hispanic accent, the song is just a doo wop song. I guess it’s making fun of the all the songs of this ilk. Some dude was always crying over a girl leaving him in the 50s. Track 5 is Motherly Love, and the song isn’t talking about a mother’s love, but the Mothers’ love. The kazoos have returned. This is one of the first songs I actually like from these guys. After looking into the lyrics a bit more, the band is asking the group’s female fans to give up all other love, except for the Mothers’ love. Now, that’s funny. Track 6 is How Could I Be Such a Fool, and it’s another parody song of all the songs about a boy getting his heart broken by a she-devil. I’m glad to find that the music on this album isn’t quite so out there. Beyond the first two songs, most of the music has been fine. It’s nothing mind-blowing, but at least it’s something to sink my teeth into. Track 7 is Wowie Zowie, and an xylophone, or a xylophone-type instrument, has made an appearance. It’s another song making fun of those bubblegum pop songs in the 50s and 60s. “I dream of you each mornin' (ooh) I dream of you each night (ooh) Just the other day I got so shook up (ooh-hoo) I had a flash in the afternoon.” That’s pretty funny. Track 9 is Any Way the Wind Blows and it’s one of the few personal songs Zappa wrote. He wrote it while he was thinking about divorcing his wife. The song is still a parody of breakup songs of that time, but in this case, it’s true to Zappa’s life. Track 10 is I’m Not Satisfied and it’s a really dark song about how life has mistreated the singer. It also mentions how no one would care if they were just not around anymore. The song was written during a really rough time in Zappa’s life and may give insight into what he was feeling at the time. This track and Any Way the Wind Blows might be the two realest tracks I’ve heard out of Zappa thus far. Though, to be fair, I’m two albums into his career. Track 12 is Trouble Every Day and it’s a good old 60s blues stomp with nice guitar sounds and a harmonica. The song is about Zappa watching TV and seeing all the racism and violence and how it’s sensationalized by the media. Before we had social media, the TV was really good at shaping the views of people, though on a lesser scale. Track 13 is Help, I’m a Rock and it’s about how society and the media have made us mindless and unfeeling rocks. As much as I can’t get into Zappa, his ideas and thoughts seemed way ahead of his time. Right now, it feels like we’re a nation of rocks. The music in this song is very experimental, which means it sounds insane. Track 15 is The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet, and it’s 12 minutes long. I’m not sure I can make this. Nope. It’s not for me. That sums up the whole listening experience for the Mothers of Invention. It’s just not for me. Maybe I will enjoy Zappa’s solo work. I wouldn’t recommend this album to my worst enemy, but I enjoyed it more than We’re Only In It for the Money.

Pretty lame

there were some good parts, and I was ready to give it 3 stars until the last 2 songs. garbage.

Yea… no

Not really my style.

When this started I thought I would like this better, psychedelic rock style. And some of this is good but it does get too goofy for me when it doesn’t hit the political points.

First Zappa album I can appreciate. It's more structured in its song writing and has a nice mid 60's pop rock psychedelic sound.

I do enjoy Zappas comedic take on music. But I don’t always enjoy the music itself. This album isn’t too hard to listen to, apart from the closer, but I just don’t enjoy it as much as what comes later throughout the 70s

Empezó bien a secas, pero poco a poco fue empeorando hasta llegar a las últimas dos canciones, en específico la última parecía que estaba escuchando a Alvin y las ardillas. Leí en la reseña que ponen y la que escribieron las personas en que es una parodia/sátira, pero la verdad es que yo más bien lo sentí un robo.

It deserves 1 star but I did read that this was supposed to be satire so I'll bump it to 2. Can't believe Frank Zappa associated himself with this nonsense

No.

I'm sure this was groundbreaking back in the day but honestly I found this mostly unlistenable. There are a couple of decent tracks but not one I'll rush back to. Stupid hippies

Its seriousness is couched in silliness, and vice versa. Pretentious sarcasm has its place, but an hour of it is exhausting. I admit that I can only evaluate art from my own perspective, but 60 years later, this sounds indistinguishable from "Schrodinger's Asshole," someone who is retroactively joking, sarcastic, or sincere depending on how it is perceived. That's probably due to the evolution of "The Discourse" in recent years, but it's hard to separate. Even ignoring that aspect, the album clearly doesn't want me to like it. Grating "sound collages," disconnected solos, ending on two different overindulgent B sides... this checks all my hate boxes possible under the technology of the time (we had not yet reached the abyss of thrash). And yet, it's not that bad. Outside the noise nonsense, it's still musically interesting, and the disconnect between music and lyrics does occasionally resonate in the way that Zappa wants me to believe it was meant to. Footnote: these songs (save one, that gives partial credit to a former band member) were all written EXCLUSIVELY by Zappa? If that's true, it makes a bit of sense. Maybe consult your rhythm section once in a while. If not, it makes a different kind of sense, because he would eventually absorb the entire band into his personal brand, and why would you credit the help?

Honestly, I'm all for experimental music and making a statement, but Freak Out felt underbaked and messy. The songs were not ultra memorable, and the lyrics were pretty blatant in their meanings with less finesse than I've come to expect of a FZ project. "We're Only in it for the Money" has more interesting songs and the social commentary is more refined. "Hot Rats" leans into experimental jazz fusion which is really fun. "Trout Mask Replica" (which was produced by FZ) have weird little ear worms that stay with you ("Fast and bulbous!") and leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment at the end. "Sheik Yerbouti" and "Apostrophe" both lean into catchy, memorable, and absurdist humor, with the latter also reflecting Frank's expansion in the realm of "concept albums" (Along with his album "Joe's Garage"). Again, while I appreciate that this was the point of inception for many of the diverging pieces of work I enjoy above, I can't say Freak Out was a particularly enjoyable listen. 2.4/5 -> 2/5

Just not a Frank Zappa person and this list is subjecting me to so much of him.

Album #84: Freak Out! - The Mothers of Invention Genre (W): Experimental rock Singles: How Could I Be Such a Fool? / Help, I’m a Rock (Third Movement: It Can’t Happen Here, Trouble Comin’ Every Day / Who Are The Brain Police?, Motherly Love / I Ain’t Got No Heart I have listened to this album twice before. Thoughts?: Even though this album is nonsense, it still has some pretty good songs. I liked the production techniques used in it as well. Other than that, I have very little room to praise. Favorite songs: Hungry Freaks, Daddy, Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder, Motherly Love, You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here

The fuck is this? I sort of get it. If it was on, I wouldn’t close my ears, but I wouldn’t seek this out.

decent, a bit chaotic

Wow. Some songs were somewhat catchy but this album was just too weird for me.

Expectation: -> Never heard of band or album. After listening: -> Never heard of any of this. A bit psychadelic, some jukebox syle songs, too much talking, animal sounds(?), simulated sex. All in one place! Eh. This was teetering on my 2-3 line…with my four least favorite songs (if you want to call them that) pushing it down to 2. Track ranking: Cry Wowie Trouble Motherly Wind Fool Heart Call Satisfied Daddy Police Wondering Rock Happen Return

More 60s music, I still can't get into it, this is worse.

I guess some of it was "funny", but not funny ha-ha. Frank Zappa seems like a dick.

If you aren't familiar with the Mothers of Invention, they were Frank Zappa's band. They started out as a bar band called the Soul Giants who mostly covered R&B songs. But when Zappa joined the band, he convinced them to start playing his originals and changed the name of the band to the Mothers. If you know Frank Zappa, you know this album is going to be weird, and it definitely was. I know Zappa was super influential and this was a groundbreaking album at the time, but I just don't get Zappa or this album. Personally, it's not my thing. The songs that sounded like songs sounded very juvenile to me. The other stuff didn't even sound like songs. What's amazing to me is that Zappa evidently got Tom Wilson to sign the band under the impression that they were a white blues band, and when he heard the stuff that they were recording, he continued to just go with it. I understand why this album is on the list, but my personal preference is that it just isn't for me.

Finally its Zappa time! First time listening to The Mothers of Invention Music is okay Quite funny in parts But I dont really get it, probably 'cause I was not alive back then Ultimately, listening in 2026, it's not for me Wowie Zowie?

23/04/2026 I don't even know what I've just listened to. But what I do know is there is much worse on this list! Spotify listeners: 164.5k

Overall, not a bad album. The first few seconds started off pretty nicely and then it kind of became a whole bunch of weird stuff. Then, it kind of just got back to normal, so it was pretty alright until the end and it became pretty chill.

Nothing wrong with this album, it's just a little uninteresting to me which seems unlikely on the surface given the cooky-ness and strangeness of the album. Fine not great, 2.5 rounded down because I wouldn't want to relisten to it right now

Whatevs

miss me with this psychadelic nonsense. Of all the stuff my father listened to when I was a kid, Frank Zappa was some of the hardest to listen to. I get it, you want to be weird, make a statement, and eschew what people assume music to be by making it wacky as fuck. In the 60's I'm sure it was poignant, but now? It does not age well. It's not a total loss, Zappa being one of the more listenable in the genre, for as little as that may mean for me.

I'm just too square for this record daddio.

Musically I enjoyed some of it.

Not a big Zappa fan, so I don't see this through the same lens of idolization some do. It's supposed to be satirical, but the joke didn't age so it just plays as campy and doesn't land.

Zu viele Lieder die man nach 30 Sekunden schon skippen will aber noch 2 minuten laufen. Any way the wind blows ist stark. 2/5

2/5

the beginning was decent, even had some pretty good songs. holy smokes though that might be the worst last three songs of an album i have ever heard.

2.5/5

im sorry frank zappa i love u but maybe we should stick to instrumental jazz highlights: none listen to hot rats instead 1.5/5

Sounds like a parody. 3/10

Appreciate the instrumentals, nice 60s and 70s psychedelic vibes. The vocals were to funky and artsy. Not for me.

This was weird.

Ahead of its time? Yes. Sucks? Also yes.

A lot of artists I like cite Frank Zappa as an influence. I knew this would be weird, but I've listened to one of his classics, "Hot Rats" and really enjoyed it. This was a bit too much for me. It was like if 50s doo-wop was made on mushrooms, and not in the "we made this creatively psychedelic way" but in the "we made it obnoxious" way

That was a wild ride. Im sure there is merit somewhere and if i'm feeling masochistic i might have another go but it sounded like absolue nonsense forst time around

Trouble every day Any way the wind blows Motherly love

A couple of smiles.

Yet another….. I love the idea of Zappa. I love Frank. His influence is enormous. His musicianship is nearly unparalleled. I still don’t like to listen to him very much.

This feels like being surrounded by people laughing about an inside joke. I just don’t quite get what I’m missing. It’s weird

Så konstigt, så mycket ljud, så kreativt. För en person som lätt blir överstimulerad är detta en mardröm. The Return of the son of the monster magnet, så jobbig att lyssna på. Bara ljud. Jag förstår Frank Zappas förmåga att skapa och är imponerad av kreativiteten men detta är inte för mig.

Not an enjoyable listening experience.

1.5

2.5

If Frank Zappa is involved, I probably won't like it. Still, some interesting things in here to keep me slightly engaged.

The vocals sounded like an attempt at karaoke by someone who had a day-job at something like office administration, dental hygienist, something entirely removed from singing. The music sounds like a sad attempt to cash in on the fever dream aesthetic of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band. I’m not sure if this band matters in the grand scheme of music. If they do, I don’t know why…

A completely unconventional and groundbreaking album that captures just how unhinged Frank Zappa was from the very beginning—and how powerful his influence already was in 1966. Given the era, it would be easy to assume that the rampant use of LSD and other psychedelic drugs had something to do with an album like this making it into a recording studio in the first place. What makes it even stranger is that Zappa himself was famously anti-drug and expected strict adherence to that stance from his bandmates, which means all the wildness on display here comes straight from his own factory-standard settings. Of all the Zappa-involved albums I’ve been subjected to, this was the least laborious to get through—though I’m not entirely sure that’s meant as a compliment. I just wish it had been shorter.

Zappa was a name that kept coming up in my youth as someone revered, so I attempted to see what the fuss was all about. What I got was a cacophony of strange peppered with humor and social commentary as I slogged through Joe's Garage. As I realized then, this music isn't for me. He is just an unusual individual and all that abnormal energy is front and center in ALL of his music. This was definitely more straightforward than he becomes later on and that made it more palatable...... barely. If you're one of the people who just love the weird and avant-garde music that exists in the world I am sure this is part of your collection. It will never be a part of mine.

Nuh-uh. Insufferable.

I would have assumed you needed to be high to understand this, but I was stoned out of my mind when I listened to it and I found it annoying, and it wasn't much better when I revisited it sober. Once again applying what I said in my Basie review that you have to take into account that nothing sounded like this at the time...but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I need to revisit it - right now I don't like it but I respect Frank Black enough to give it a few more listens. Feels like he's trolling the 50s for some reason I don't understand. I'm sure in 1966 this all seemed innovated and revolutionary but right now it sounds like way too much kazoo and trolling. It's hard to explain to my kids how important Never mind (two albums back for me) was "at the time" maybe this is that for people 20 years older than me? I don't get it.

Never heard of this. No idea what it is, except after checking out the wiki, I’ve heard of Frank Zappa. This is so weird and making me laugh. It does have some of that 60s aesthetic, yet it’s just crazy. This is for psychedelic drugs right? This sometimes listens like a modern parody album. Sometimes it sounds like a straightforward 60s rock record. I don’t know what to make of it. It’s mostly fun and I’m enjoying it at times. But it’s wild at times. The shorter songs make it an easier listen. Especially when a more straightforward song comes on. This drags by the time you get to the last few tracks that are experimental noise. Severely wipes away the fun feeling. This is a 2 for me.

2.5

Sounds like a bunch of drunk frat boys that used daddy’s money to buy some time in a studio.

There was a time in my life when I pretended to like this to seem artsy and sophisticated.

Couldn't get used to the singing, didn't enjoy the album therefore.

Lyrics spoil a lot of music, especially here

Cream cheese??

Not for me, and I've heard this one before.

I think I have a generally high tolerance for "weirdness" in music, but this definitely strains that.

I feel like this album was specifically made to make fun of everyone. It's not awful and probably makes a lot of sense in an influential way but I don't have the energy for that today. I think this is more skilled than it is enjoyable.

I was listening to this in the car and it got to a certain point where I said, "I do not like this. This must be satire or something. I will need to read the wikipedia when I get home". Yup. Not really required listening.

When to listen: On LSD?! It was trippy, it was cool, it was definitely ahead of it's time and I like the more melodic songs in the beginning but I'm just not smart enough to enjoy the weird ones at the end... I know that's the point. I'm a normie what can I say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Weird, and not in a good way

The straight‑up pop songs are kind of good — “Anyway the Wind Blows”, for instance. But all that silly nonsense is bullshit. There’s potential in more or less every aspect of the album, but the silly stuff kills the vibe.

Я не понял. Альбом неплохой, но это первый на сайте, некоторые песни которого я хотел пропустить, именно с точки зрения исполнения. Текст некоторых песен безусловный баян, чуть поднадоели сопли про любовь, особенно когда это поют так и не девушка, уж извините. В общем как-то не моё вообще

That last song is definitely freaky.

Album No. 0155 on my list. I'm fully aware that Frank Zappa is considered one of the most influential artists of all time, so I was quite curious to listen to this album, because I wanted to get a better understanding of how he and his band actually sounded (apart from the few songs from other albums that I had listened to before). Well, and I'd like to say: I get why Zappa has been so influential, and why the album is on this list. This is certainly psychedelic, this certainly has hippie vibes, this certainly is a satire album, and there is certainly a lof of interesting experimental stuff on this. But I'm just afraid it's not an album I personally enjoy. While I can appreciate its avant-garde nature, I found many songs on "Freak Out!" rather a bit annoying, and they don't make that up by being particularly catchy either. I get why this appealed to people at the time, but to me, this is really more of an "I'll just put some sounds together just for the fun of it"-type album. I'll add "Hungry Freaks, Daddy", and "I'm Not Satisfied" to my playlist. 2/5 stars.

daviwye da shua gzashi mitski chavrte idk man. ari mara arari ra ravuyo

Man Frank Zappa is weird

< the Beatles Some of the music is decent but the rest sucks.

There’s parts of this I like, the garage rock, the doo wop pastiche- I’m much less of a fan of the extended freak outs and random shouting

Si ce n'était des kazoos, des solos de jazz et des chansons où ils chantent faux en harmonie, ce serait un super album. Mais la drogue.

I must admit to being very surprised at its release year - 1966. I quite enjoyed its silliness.

Just too strange for my taste

Anyway The WindBlows

Obviously way ahead of its time, the result of talent and thought, a commentary On The Times, et cetera. It also bugged the shit out of me. Sounds like an album version of those “welcome to my twisted mind” 2010 Tumblr blogs. It is sometimes actually funny, but other times it is–and I am truly loathe to say this–trying too hard to challenge or mock me. As the Brits might say, bit of a wank. But I can see why someone would like it. “Who could imagine that they would freak out in Minnesota?” I don’t need to imagine it, man. I live here and freak out all the time. “It Can’t Happen Here” would be timely if it was for, well, the actual structure and “songwriting” of it.

2.4

Starts out confusingly conventional, then finishes expectedly confusing. While I'm not a Zappa guy, this was more enjoyable than expected. The end track was quite unpleasant. 2.5 stars, rounding down.

This was pretty weird. Some of the songs were okay but I didn't enjoy most of it. A kazoo can be fun but is not my favorite instrument...several of the songs were predominantly sex sounds.

Veel nummers klinken als een koortsdroom. ik heb nog nooit kazoo gehoord waarvan ik heb kunnen genieten. Klinkt erg als muziekimprov on drugs. Frank Zappa zal best een muzikaal genie zijn en een briljante gitarist maar ik hoop dat op andere projecten terug te horen. Later op het album werd het wel iets beter en af en toe heb ik wel moeten lachen om grappige dingetjes. t feit dat ze zichzelf niet serieus nemen zorgt ervoor dat ik dit ook niet serieus neem, daarvoor geef ik dit album 2 sterretjes.

2 and a bit. prefer mid to late 70s zappa which is perfection.

What turned out to be a very fun, satiristic album got dragged down to the depths of hell by that 12 minute warbling mess of a last track. Discordant organs, nonsensical chants, and waifish moans do not make a good ending to your album.

*confused kazoo noises*

2,5