Freak Out!

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

Ermmm. Im not going to lie, I can’t remember this one, so I’m assuming it was neither a 5/5 nor a 1/5. Therefore I’ll be a coward and rate if a measly 3/5.

Yeah it's pretty weird

I don't feel like this is a very cohesive album, it's supposed to be a concept, but it's not clear what the concept really is to me. A lot of the tracks sound like Beatles did at this time, but extra bland. I can maybe see how this could have been the inspiration for some of the early Pink Floyd, but in a way more refined form. The singing also just isn't... good..? On top of all that I just don't really like psychedelic music Standouts - 2/5

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.

An amalgamation of a lot of different genres that would come about later. Clearly very ahead of its time but lyrics are lacking and some songs are just not good and hard to listen to Favorite Track: Who are the Brain Police?, Help I'm a Rock

Like anything involving Frank Zappa, I always feel like I've stepped into another dimension where everyone is absolutely insane. I just cannot get my head around the raw insanity, but I respect the unique approach I guess. It's creative at least.

There is nothing here that I ever need or want to hear again. 1 star or F for me.

Zappa halt, aber doch ein paar Songs die man hören kann. ***

contains all the weirdness and humor we come to associate with FZ, but only occasional brilliance.

Love Zappa. Rare vent, geweldige muziek.

I actually appreciate what The Mothers were doing here, and it really is a landmark record. But it is also stuck in a time long passed as a critique of a movement no longer relevant in pop culture. Miles ahead in 1966, but long since overtaken. Also, too long.

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.

This shit is bonkers.

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.

I really disliked some of these songs, but I unexpectedly liked others. Weird, but playful.

I seem to like about 10% of Zappa's work.

Don't know why but I like it

Zappa on fire.

Odd.

I fucking hate people who "see through the bullshit, man!" Nothing is less appealing than people who think they are better than "normies" and "sheeple". A bunch of losers deciding they are enlightened because they couldn't hack real life. This whole record is a battle cry for these types. I'll give a 2 because this wasn't the worst example of this and there is some good instrumentation.

Not great and nothing notable 4/10

Weird, experimental, trying to express several things, not always awesome, but cool overall.

"Trouble Every Day" saved this from receiving a single star.

Strange album. All over the place.

Obnoxious and annoying

How was this even legal to release in 1966? It’s absolutely bonkers to look at the albums this predates. I mean, this would be insane in 1976, let alone 10 years earlier. It’s pretty good too so that’s nice

This album is musical gibberish in the best way possible. They include and bend different genres, intertwined with what feels like absolute nonsense. Yet sometimes the things that sound like complete nonsense are actually a meaningful reflection on real issues. I'm of course referring to "It Can't Happen Here" - a song that is the embodiment of a child putting their fingers in their ears yelling "I can't hear you" about societal issues. Of course Help, I'm a Rock and The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet are both great, and an absolute trip to listen to. Most notably though is how relevant Trouble Every Day was both then and now. "Well I'm about to get upset From watchin' my TV Been checkin' out the news Until my eyeballs fail to see"

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

It's weird and I'm here for it.

My only frames of reference for Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were: A: Frank Zappa seems like he was a pretty woke dude for his time, and was an incredibly creative guy who probably did a shit ton of drugs. B: They’re name checked in Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.” I knew I was in for a weird time, mostly by reputation and the track names. And yeah man, it was fuckin weird. At times It felt like a parody album, like it was taking on different genres (rock, acid rock, doo wop, and more), which is funny because psychedelia is often known for being parodied in itself. If all tracks are taken as a sincere effort to innovate and make significant serious attempts at bold statements through artistic expression, you probably aren’t going to like it much. But if you accept that it’s a wonky parody of both itself and other genres, it becomes pretty listenable…mostly. You’ll still have a weird album to listen to that may make you slightly uncomfortable. But that’s what challenging music will do to you. Also I do just need to give them the credit for having the balls of steel required to include the following line in 1966: “Hey you know something people/I’m not black/But there’s a whole lot of times/I wish I could say I’m not white” (from “Trouble Every Day) I gained a lot of respect for this album with that line. Anyway, I liked but didn’t love this. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder, Trouble Every Day

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.

For FUCKS sake, I've only just had these guys and it was one of the worst albums I'd ever heard in my life. And now you're subjecting me to another whole hour of them? Why on earth have they got two albums on here? Once again they seem to think they're really funny, but they're just annoying. There's clearly some skill there, so it'd be nice to hear an actual serious album from them to see what they really have. Some songs have some promise to them, before they're inevitably ruined by some stupid interjection or undercurrent. Overall this is definitely better than the other album I had, but it's still SHIT. I hate them and everything about them. 1.5 rounded up.

Rumor has it they were only in it for the money.

Let’s give credit where it’s due that as a debut album the musicianship, invention (shouldn’t be surprised at that) and production is seriously impressive. However, the song writing much less so. It’s seems to be either experimental songs with good/bad bits or piss takes of doo wop or other softer 60s pop styles. ‘Trouble every day’ is great and the only song I’d come back to. Overall I just don’t get it (maybe you had to be there at the time), I’ve seen this described as satire, but copying styles with some ‘amusing’ lyrics just seems the easy way out and not that interesting to listen to. So come on lads, you’re clearly talented musicians, why not put that satire into something original that defines a genre. This just feels a bit mean spirited. C- could do better.

I have never heard this before, it's pretty crazy. The lyrics are pretty good, sometimes funny. It's interesting to hear the word "corny" used in several songs. I can appreciate what they are doing although I can't see myself listening to this often. If I had been a teenager when this came out I would have loved it.

ahead of its time sure, but also not very good lol

Decided I won’t finish an album if I can tell I won’t like it like this one. Got halfway through and didn’t like anything about it.

Frank Zappa might be the smartest guy to ever make an album.

Deliberately cringe. wow.

My problem with Zappa is that he is so clearly talented. He could sing, write, play, arrange, produce, everything. And when he tries, he’s very good. But so much of this record is dedicated to “freaking out the normies”, that the good bits get lost. It’s like Weird Al, but without the sweetness and silliness. Zappa had little more than contempt for pop culture. His writing, again, is compelling. But singing off-key and being annoying to make a point, still makes you annoying. And it kills me. Cause the sound mixing is so good that he even made harmonicas work. Trouble Every Day is rad. But that’s it for me.

Yeah, you better Freak Out

Good trip bad trip

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.

Bit strange but good

Lacks the polish of later albums, but shows much more adherence to melodic convention while they build our trust to hit us with the weird in the final act. Well done

5/5. First off, pretty crazy this was released in 1966. Like even the Beatles haven't gotten super psychedelic yet. This album makes fun of rockabilly, the ballad era (Sinatra), cops, white people, and every other band without apology but still making catchy and interesting songs. This album should at least be released in 1971 with the themes and sounds they bring forth. Even today, there are some unique choices not made anywhere else. Sure, bands inspired by the Mothers have made well-produced albums and better use of this aesthetic but even still, this album truly holds up as something you've never heard anything like. Is it perfect? Definitely not, the last act of the album is truly one of the choices of all time. Is it still a good album. Also debatable. Is it an album you must listen to before you die? Absolutely. Best Song: Trouble Every Day, Anyway The Wind Blows, Who Are The Brain Police?

I get it, they were psychedelic rock but just not that good (IMO). I'll give them a generous 2-star rating.

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.

Messemble pour du Zappa, c’est un peu…bland? I guess il est pas parti tête baissée direct dans l’expérimentale et dans la fusion de genres, mais jsuis quand même un peu déçu

An album very much of its time, and with a range of styles including garage, R&B, acapella, and psychedelia, Humorous undertow to some of the songs will not have aged well. A couple of gems, especially trouble every day, but the closing experimental tracks really don't add much

Skilled yet dreadful

These guys could not not ruin an album by putting schizophrenic seizure inducing pieces on everything. This rating is really a 5 and a 1 and there is no in between, despite the 3 rating.

Terrible

I can't believe this was 1966

first half was really good and i was having a grand time then it got REALLY bad at the end. :/

Fine. Decent 60s sound but probably not listening again

Frank Zappa was certainly an innovator, and this album shows a lot of the ways he experimented with what could be done in popular music. But listening all these years later, I have to wonder: What was the point?

Today I will be naming the members of the band. Chad Zappa. Chad Carl Black Chad Collins Chad Estrada Chad Ingbar

Good stuff, bunch of nonsense at the end.

This is a foundational album. You can love it. You can hate it. And without denigrating anyone's opinion, it just doesn't matter.

Wacky and insightful, as is the style of Frank Zappa

This is like Jefferson Starship and the Sponge Monkees had a child. Danced between 1 and 2 stars. Would call it 1.5. It’s just really freaking weird

Listen up, Pod People!

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!

Time did not do this album any favors. It's not so much an 'invention' anymore, it just makes you roll your eyes and smile politely because all that was probably special about this was lost. On a personal note, I'm not big on satirical albums either. They're just kinda whatever to me.

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

Really fun, if I didn’t know the year I’d think this was more recent. Definitely poking fun a bit at some song genres kind of like it’s a parody in some ways, but the songs themselves hold together on their own well. 3.0

Some 60 years after this was recorded, the most notable thing for me is how little speech patterns, mannerisms and accents have changed in the intervening time. This could have been recorded weeks ago. It's a bit of an all-over-the-place album, with lots of stuff pressed that doesn't really make sense, and a lot of it is repetitive to the point of annoyed distraction. It's avant-garde jazz for people who like rock & roll.

What did i even just listen to? I already knew Frank Zappa wrote some pretty weird stuff back when i listened to Hot Rats for this project but Freak Out! just feels like if Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The United States Of America had a baby (which kinda is weird since those two albums came out 1 and 2 years after this album respectively) and gave that baby a ton of crack and LSD. While the songs in the beginning feel like they might have worked. The later songs definitely didn't due to just being all over the place in terms of music and direction. I also hope you like the sound of laughter because you hear it a lot during the back half. I get that this album is meant to be satire based on pop culture and Los Angeles' freak scene and that's cool and all but being satire doesn't automatically excuse something for being not very good. Best Song: I Ain't Got No Heart Worst Song: The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet

Incredible production for an album from the 60's. This really pulls me in in parts and then other parts were tough to sit through. Overall a fun experience though.

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.

Very, very strange album. But honestly it was a bit refreshing to hear something different. NOT my thing but I'll give credit where credit is due: These cat's are originals.

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.

This is mostly shit, although part of me is impressed that they were able to make this album in 1966.

Did not like it. Was way too weird and they were definitely on something strong..

Is that a kazoo? Why have one tone deaf singer when you can have two? I don’t think Mr America was too concerned with this one Getting a hint of Iron butterfly . This didn’t do it for me 2 star and that’s generous

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

The good thing about having this double album on LP is that you can just ignore Side 4, deny it exists, and think of this as a perfect debut of Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention.

I love this and always will and I understand how much of it is extremely annoying so I will never recommend it to anybody.

Weird but interesting. Never got the whole Zappa thing myself but I can kind of see why others dig him.

An interesting listen.

Wowie zowie is and a couple of other songs are really good but is held back by self indulgent wanking.

Freak of a classic

honestly this fucked

Frank Zappa's first efforts were a handful of odd singles, but his first REAL effort was this album. A double album, no less! The Mothers Of Invention aim to make fun of American culture all over the place. It's pretty messy actually. Most of the time it seems like the band is trying to speedrun early-mid '60s music while having fun with it. Seems like the band didn't take it too seriously, which is nice. The second LP, however, has the Mothers getting really weird with it. Acapella, sound collage, musique concrète, and other bizarre, layered sounds on Help, I'm a Rock and The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet keeps things interesting to the very end. I feel that no matter how smart or creative or inventive this is, it's limited by my personal enjoyment which is mostly fine. I occasionally enjoyed it, but this record sounds like it was more fun to make than to listen to. Cream cheese.

Typical Zappa. Moments of brilliance, but can never quite put it all together.

zappa zappa zappa

I've tried with Zappa on numerous occasions, just can't see the appeal .

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.

5/5

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.

Hmm - perhaps this worked out in 1966. For me the psychedelic stuff is quite annoying. Sorry guys, one star must be enough

I certainly enjoy the satirical nature, and the foray into blues, doo-wah, and mo town genres. The music is well played, recorded and mixed. My only critique is that nothing is particularly strong in its own right. Just a fun album.

Can't help but think that this album influenced the Oompa Loompas in the 1971 film - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Really not my thing - this album/group. Love the film.

Ok!!

I’m a Zappa fan but even this was a bit out there for me 😵‍💫😵‍💫

This is just nonsense!

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

Starts pretty normally and descends into absolute madness. Musically excellent when it tries and as mad as a box of frogs at others. I can’t say I enjoyed about half of the album but it’s certainly an experience.

Слышно что умеют, но не хотят, сильно экспереиентируют и угарают.

I was about to give this a 2 as it really was a painful slog, that last track has been added to the collective toll this project has had on my sanity. But then I spotted it was made in 1966 and that does put the whole thing in a different light - especially that weird lyric about wanting to be "not white". Thanks for the pioneering but I'll never ever listen to this again, bye.

Certainly creative… perhaps a bit of an acquired taste 😂

This is like Captain beefheart but more mainstream? It gets more experimental and unhinged as the album progresses. While this album was probably way ahead of its time, my ears are not huge fans.

Grating, annoying, hippy-boomer shit.

Simpatico, ma non eccezionale.

Starts way too freaky, then gets really good, then gets way too freaky again. Another album of 3 halves! 2.8

listened to again definitely varied and interesting but not Zappa's best work

Meh

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.

Very ahead of its time, but still not very good.

zappa is a wierdo :)

Pop rockier than later jazzier, proggier Zappa with hints/seeds of what’s to come. Less impressive in its class but a fun album

2.9/5 -- listened 2x. decent.

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.

This must be some sort of milestone in originality, inventiveness and that ‘I couldn’t care less about all this rubbish’ attitude. Strangely enough, it’s really good - I’m giving it a 5… what a Zappa :-D

Frank Zappa is like David Lynch. I love hearing them talk about art, life, and politics but I just don’t really like what they make. This record has some great lyrics set to music that I find incredibly annoying. 2/5

Soul heavy, almost poppy, but contained within the future of the Zappa freakdom that will blossom in years to come. It's a true 60s sound. Like psychedelic Tommy James.

Well that was weird. 2 stars

Freaked out by this modern timeless journey.

Might be clever or groundbreaking intellectually but it's dead dull and pretty conventional sounding musically (the mock doo-wop notwithstanding), which is not especially surprising given the pedantic preachifying on offer throughout here. Nothing about this inspires anything even remotely similar to a freak out, it must be said. Or maybe it's just that the jokes don't land anymore.

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

It is an impressive album considering it came out 1966 but i did not enjoy listening to it that much

Never explored Frank Zappa. This is the debut album - at times it sounds like a standard 60s guitar band, and at other times it's a psychedelic mess. Neither of these things are my cup of tea but I somehow still got a buzz out of this. It does fall apart at the end.

Interesting album. The vocals aren't the greatest, the tracks themselves seem unoriginal, the lyrics at times are completely nonsensical, and there are definitely some...interesting... musical decisions that were made. Definitely fitting for Mother's Day, with the band being The Mothers of Invention. I hadn't heard of this band, let alone the album and I'm kinda glad I didn't. +1 for the sick-ass album cover tho, this cover absolutely slaps.

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

The forest half had some songs.

I was not feeling this one

A proper head trip and descent into madness

Interesting!

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

Unique 60’s sound, probably ahead of its time. Frank Zappa always pushes the envelope for new, and unique music.

Found this at a garage sale, plunked down my 25 cents, then went home and put it on the turntable. My world literally changed. I was now in a world where I had heard this album, where previously I was in a world where I had not. They were very much the same, these two worlds. However, there was no going back from the world where I had heard it to the world where I had not. Breakfast still tasted the same, I lived in the same place, went to the same school, slept in the same bed, and drove the same car. Yet I couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different if I had never listed to this album. I guess I'll never know.

Help I'm a rock

Wild ass shit

Drugs. Lot and lots of drugs used to create this album. Somehow though they managed to actually put something together. 2.5 down.

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

i get that it's supposed to be satirical and ironic at points but man

Goofy, not groovy

For the simple fact that my semi feral cat stared at the speakers for a few minutes,and he's quite blasé.

2.5 Zappa always tryin to be cute

There's some good, there's some bad, there's some really freaking weird, but it's overall okay. I can see and appreciate the effort while still accepting it's really not for me

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.

A couple songs are okay but the rest are just annoying.

This was such a strange and surreal listening experience. Some songs are like, weird Al before weird Al. Then suddenly it's kind of powerful political stuff, then we are back to kazoos and fake love songs. I kind of loved the parodies of pathetic teenaged boys though honestly.

Wat een kut muziek is dit zeg. Ik wil hier eigenlijk geen woorden aan vuil maken; The Mothers of Invention? Je moeder zou zich moeten schamen. Als dit inventief is, laat dan alles maar zoals het is, de muziek is ontzettend saai, de teksten zijn gewoon kut. Meerdere nummers worden gewoon geëindigd met een schreeuw, er zijn sowieso meerdere punten op dit album waar een random gil of schreeuw in zit. Zit er nou een kazoo op dit album? Maar dan niet op 1 nummer, maar de kazoo is een van de belangrijkste instrumenten van dit album, HOE DAN!? Dit hele album voelt als een parodie op muziek, alsof er alles aan gedaan word om het zo onluisterbaar mogelijk te maken. De stukken die ok klinken moeten verpest worden door raar geschreeuw op de achterkant. Denk je dat deze band geld betaald heeft om op deze lijst gezet te worden? Ik denk dat ik Stockholm syndroom begin te begrijpen, na de 10e kazoo solo kan ik niets anders doen dan lachen. Wat een ontzettend dom album is dit zeg. Dit album is een parodie op muziek, dat is mijn conclusie. Is het goed? Nee, maar misschien hoort dat want het is een parodie. Ben ik blij dat ik dit heb gehoord voor ik doodga? Ja, ik waardeer alle andere muziek opeens een stuk beter. FAVO: Motherly Love(die kazoo solo, hou op met me), Wowie Zowie

Ok, ale nudy

A bit too eclectic for my tastes

This album is so weird and derivative but in the worst blend of actual good music. The vibes were beyond creepy and how they secured any sort of record deal is beyond me.

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.

Yeah not feeling this one

A couple songs I really enjoyed. Some I really didn’t care for.

This is 5 Stars just for the Vegetable song.

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

Oh Frank. You are an enigma.

I was surprised by this. Thought I'd hate it. Not as experimental and freaky as I imagined. Quite fun at times.

2.5

Well this was a fun time. Its like if pink floyd was a little bit less about acid and more about coke and acid

Not really my thing. I’m sure quite fun to see live at the time b

Not annoying but utterly unremarkable.

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

zappa... oh boy. it didn't "wowie zowie" me.

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

Frank Zappa! This one is pretty weird (and in the goofy-weird category for the most part). It's generally pretty fun, though is fairly uneven. It's a double album (though a 1966 double, so only 60 minutes total), and there's pretty big variability throughout. Some of the songs are fairly standard '60s rock (a little doo-woppy, a little Beatles-y) with a relatively decent amount of earnestness. Others are quite a bit more avant-garde and experimental. I didn't dislike it at all, but it's definitely a bit outside the box ("Susie Creamcheese, this is voice of your conscience baby"). I think this is considered to be fairly mainstream for Zappa, so I'm curious to listen to more as I go. I think I'm a bit less into it than a lot of the other '60s rock, but I do appreciate the uniqueness of it. Approaching a 3.5 for me, but not quite enough to round up I don't think. Favorite song: Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder Other: Hungry Freaks Daddy, Who Are The Brain Police?, Anyway The Wind Blows, Trouble Every Day, Help I'm A Rock 4/6/24

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.

60s psychedelic

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

One I already own, but thought I'd give another spin to blow away the cobwebs. I'm glad I did. My big beef with Zappa is that he seemed to harbour a lot of disgust in his heart, not only for people but even for the music he professed to like. Everything seemed beneath him, and thus pop could only be handled at arms length, as a lampoon - at best. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised that my reacquaintance with Freak Out revealed it to be more surreal than splenetic. Yes, it is absolutely irreverent and quite barbed in places, but there's some great stuff here. Even as Zappa et al send up pop, rock and doo-wop, they do it with flair and wit. 'Motherly Love' had me laughing! Funny, then, that the most straightforward, state-of-the-nation track 'Trouble Every Day', a bluesy rock number, is the best thing here. A rapid fire dissection of race riots, the forces behind them and the prurient way crime is covered in the media, it's smarter than almost anything else being released in 1966. Two of these tracks would also appear on the cracking 'Cruising with Ruben and the Jets'. 'Return of the Son of Monster Magnet' is a gloriously chaotic slice of experimentation. The whole thing is fantastic - shame Zappa became prey to his own, substantial, prejudices, and spent the next fifteen years workin' 'em out on magnetic tape (betwixt and between creating some incredible music). I once met Jimmy Carl Black, who was wonderful. I met Roy Estrada too (different event), who posed for a photo with me and a friend but let's not tall about that.

Zappa’s singing and lyrics are so bizarre that they trick you into thinking the music and melodies are terrible, too.

I know Zappa was a genius with perfect pitch, amazing musical talent, and just super smart. But his music always makes me feel like I’m doing homework. I should be paying more attention, getting more of the references. I’m not having fun, I’m not enjoying it.

I know this is a seminal album, breaking boundaries and being ahead of its time. It had an entropic feel to me, starting off cohesive and musically less challenging. By the end it all starts falling apart and become crazy. But funny with it. I really liked How could I be such a fool?

Man. When I first discovered Frank Zappa, it was around the era of "Baby Snakes" and "Joe's Garage," which are later in his catalog (1979) and while musically challenging, are nowhere near as strange and experimental as his work with the Mothers of Invention. I didn't much like this early stuff at first and wrote these albums off as experimental oddities that were the necessary process of Zappa discovering his "true art." Well, many years and countless listening hours later, I've got an entirely new vantage on Zappa's material, and this early stuff in particular. It is, without question, challenging music. I was going to write that it's challenging by design, but I think Zappa wasn't trying to be difficult so much as he was uncompromising in his musical vision and it's not always easy to connect with his musical genius. And it is genius, despite the loony sounds and goofy lyrics (not so much on this record, but in broad swaths of his catalog). So, I don't want to suggest it's an acquired taste so much as one that might require persistence. For me, it was finding the way in with material that I could relate to, and once I had that baseline, the more experimental music made much more sense. I think it's brilliant, and funny, and insightful, and socially stinging. Let's also call him out for being strangely un-evolved when it comes to his attitude toward women. No one escapes Zappa's scrutiny, but that doesn't make him infallible, and he is consistently shitty to women (despite having the brilliant Ruth Underwood in his band for so many years). It's relatively minor here, his allusion to groupies on "Motherly Love" hints at his stunted insights on the matter. So anyway, this album... it's amazing, dense, and difficult to listen to from front to end. An incredible debut that will never be mainstream and is still inventive 58 years later.

What an album. And the fact that this is a debut is just mind-blowing. Nothing else sounds like this album, even in FZ's own catalog. It's just so different, right down to its DNA. Every song is fantastic. The performances are great. The arrangements are thrilling. There's so much meat on every song that I'm still hearing new details thirty-six years after first hearing this album. And on top of all that, the humor and social commentary is spot-on. On later albums I think Frank often gets unnecessarily mean and petty, but here his satire is perfectly aimed, and his parodies are pitch-perfect. (It helps that he truly loved doo-wop.) There are so many amazing lines on this album... ...Mom I tore a big hole in the convertible... ...I don't even care if your dad's the heat... ...That's why I had to get my khakis pressed... ...I'm not black but there's a whole lot of times when I wish I could say I'm not white. Zappa made a ton of great records, but I honestly don't know that he ever surpassed this one. Truly a remarkable and audacious artistic statement, and one that still sounds fresh and invigorating today.

I can see the allure of Zappa and The Mothers for others but it's simply not for me.

Wowie zowie what a cool album.

Listened to this while playing Pax Pamir solo. I lost. I admire some of Frank Zappa's music. Not this though. Please don't make the same mistake I did, and listen to this at a decent volume with the windows open. You'll know why.

it had such interesting records! preety revolutionary but not all song are really listeanble. still important for the genre and its time ahead

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.

Quirky corny and cheesy in ways that I don't really want. I didn't really enjoy the other "The Mothers of Invention" album that was on this list and this one isn't really grabbing me either. There are a few moments that I like, like the doo-wop outtro in "Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder", but there just aren't enough moments like that for me to fully enjoy it. I went back and saw that I listed their other album a 1, and I think this is a 2 in that context. This one is simply more listenable, but still not something I really enjoy.

Rubbish.

So damn good. 5 stars.

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 ⭐⭐⭐️

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.

a lot of creativity. For Zappa fans. Too much too soon

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

Ugh, what a slog. Frank Zappa was told he was a genius, so he ran with the idea that he could put anything on a record, including kazoo, free form jazz, and random people saying random things, and people would eat that crap up, which they did. But Zappa's work hasn't aged well. It comes across as pretentious garbage, and nobody younger than his generation is picking his albums up. The few high points were the 50s doo wop sounds in a couple tracks, and the track "Trouble Every Day," up to the point where Zappa has to interject white self-loathing. The last track, "Return of the Son of Mother" is a little over twelve minutes long, but sounds like an all night bad acid trip.

What a horrible music, my god. Terrible voices. Totally not my taste. Was probably pretty alternative for its age, but given the fact that the most listened song only has a million listens, it is probably not even nostalgic for most people.

2.5/5 For its time it must have been revolutionary. But at the same time it’s also pretty weird. There are some good songs on here and also some garbage. In the end it was okay to listen to but not again. Favourite song: - Wowie Zowie

Nice

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.

Not fun, not melodic, more annoying than anything. Not something that I would enjoy listening to from beginning to end. Never been a Zappa fan and this hasn't changed my opinion

Another fail. If I lived in this, I don't see why this would be an album I would have picked up.

I am not understanding this list, not worth listening to more than a song.

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

Terrible.

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

I love this album like America loves cream cheese.

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.

Umm no

I listened to this totally sober. For me that means I was not nearly high enough to get it. And already too high to enjoy it.

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

General culture

This sucked. I’m already tired of how often this list feeds me 60s rock. There’s nothing special about this flavor of psychedelia unless you find these dudes sarcastic “wit” more amusing than I did. Highlight of this album was their facetious doo wop song, merely for the fact that it didn’t sound like everything else on the album or have any irritating Alvin and the Chipmunks vocal effects. Frustrating listen.

You're probably wondering why I'm here And so am I So am I Just as much as you wonder 'Bout me bein' in this place (yeah) That's just how much I marvel At the lameness on your face You rise each day the same old way And join your friends out on the street Spray your hair and think you're neat I think your life is incomplete But maybe that's not for me to say They only pay me here to play (I wanna hear Caravan with a drum solo!) You're probably wondering why I'm here And so am I So am I Brilliant. 5/5

Not for everyone

Another "The Mothers of Invention" album... Was I excited? Curious? Worried? Anxious? The answer is yes. As my most popular negative review (https://1001albumsgenerator.com/reviews/6549b9db2a9d735a211f553c) was in fact on another album by the band. As fate would have it, I had a flight to Milan soon after I got this album so I decided to save it for the flight to match my previous listening experience. This time no screaming babies on the flight (a couple of kids but both well-behaved), perhaps this was foreshadowing the listening I was about to have, as this album is significantly more listenable than the last one. With that said, I don't think it's a great album, musically it's not that interesting. A lot of that twangy guitar tone I kind of associate with bad avant-garde music. A lot of random 'talk singing' throughout, most of it bad. Though I would say 'Trouble Everyday' is a very cool song, rapping over experimental rock + 2 cool solos featuring harmonica and guitar.

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.

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

Frank Zappa

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

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.

nan

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.

Unos músicos fantásticos.

Average

I'm sure plenty of Zappa fans out there will disagree with my assessment of the man as a musician, but to me, his music always strikes me as meta-music. Like, he can't switch off. He can't just make a song for normal enjoyment and consumption. There's always a sense of him standing just outside a group of musicians and saying, "hey guys we're musicians. We make music. That's what we do. That's what we're doing. We're making music. We're musicians, and we make music." Instead of just making music. I mean, he does make music, of course, but it's always conscious of it *being* music, which is why he plays in so many styles and is always experimenting. It's all a kind of puzzle to him. I've listened to a lot of his music--a lot--and I've seen Baby Snakes and other nonsense. He's not a rock star. He's not enjoying himself. He's like a marionette master, manipulating his fans and micro-managing his band. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just why Zappa stands apart from every other artist in my collection. He is an outsider. He's too smart for his own good. I guess that's the hallmark of every good satirist.

What the fuck did I just listen to

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.

There’s some good stuff here but a lot of rubbish as well

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.

Revolutionary sound, phantastic songs. A real shout in 1966. Frank - the horrible guy for the brave man and housewifes. RIP Frank Zappa! Really terraforming !!!

Interesting

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.

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

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

some good songs :)

I can’t believe this came out in 1966. Clearly way ahead of his time. This is not my favorite Zappa album but it is interesting.

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.

could i write poetry to this? n

Made it through four songs, then gave up.

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.

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

Crazy

The Lord is testing me Ok so actually I’ve been dreading getting any Frank Zappa since I know there is quite a bit on this list, and this ended up being not as bad as I expected. At least the first half. Sure, it was trolling and not as funny as Zappa thought it was, but the musicianship and melodies still worked to make actual MUSIC. Then, like most double albums, the last 20 minutes are garbage.

The Mothers of Invention are Frank Zappa's band before he broke off on his own. This album is weird as fuck. There were a lot of drugs done for sure. I mean, it's fine I guess, it's just horribly experimental. Like.... All of the psychadelic drugs were taken while recording this album. All of them! One song on the record is called "Help, I'm a Rock". That song was definately written while on an acid trip. Another song heavily features a kazoo. Fuck kazoos. The last song features like 8 minutes of people fucking, and like 2 minutes of people saying "cream cheese". What a trip. The musical stylings range from psychadelica, to blues rock, to satirical doo-wop. All over the place. I mean, I know that without experimentation, there would never be growth, it fuck this is weird. Favourite songs: Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder, "Hungry Freaks, Daddy", Motherly Love, Anyway The Wind Blows, Trouble Every Day Least favourite songs: It Can't Happen Here, The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet, Who Are the Brain Police?, You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here, "Help, I'm a Rock" 2/5

9/10

I have a distant affection for Frank Zappa but this album is too much. I can appreciate satirical and parodic music, but this takes it too far. I appreciate the mocking reference to Sherry in the melody lines. But the best thing about this album is the cover art. Favorite track: Wowie Zowie Least favorite: It Can’t Happen Here

Growing up I always heard people talk about how creative and talented Frank Zappa was and I never got it. After listening to this album I still don't. Yes, they're good musicians and experiment with sounds and combinations that others haven't, but it just isn't very entertaining to listen to. The entire weird lyrics/kazoo/doo-wap thing just sounds like a it's meant to be a gag -- like a real-life Spinal Tap or a SNL skit. It's just annoying at the end of the day.

I didn't enjoy this album

3.75

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

не оч, хоть Заппа и считается легендой

Eeesh. No thanks.

Also bad

Don't get it.

Go Cry On Somebody Else’s Shoulder // 1.5/5

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.

Pitch perfect social satire set to great avant garage psych and rnb grooves.

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.

Ach, in de jaren '60 hadden ze ook al punk-ideeën. Nog niet het ruige gitaarwerk, maar wel lekker afzetten. 'Satirisch' framet wiki dat. Vast door een fan geschreven. Mag je zelf leuk vinden, maar er is geen enkele reden om te vinden dat iedereen naar mensen moet luisteren die expres vals zingen. Wiki looft ook dat het het een van de eerste concept albums is. Het lijkt mij geen goed teken dat ik na het luisteren wel even terug moet naar wiki om te lezen wat dan dat thema zou moeten zijn. Ik raak al snel mijn interesse kwijt en krijg het hele artikel niet gelezen. Wat is er uithaal; het overkoepelende thema is 'afzetten'. Noem het maar een thema.... Verder lees ik zinnen als: Zappa later found out that when the material was recorded, Wilson had taken LSD. No shit, Sherlock...

Vage freaky psychedelische ouwe boomerrock. Hier stel ik me bij voor dat je shitloads aan LSD moet slikken om het interessant te vinden. Of dat je gewoon heel erg graag interessant wil doen tegenover andere mensen als je zegt dat je dit goed vindt. Frank Zappa en kornuiten lopen raar te kreunen en te steunen in een microfoon. Er zit amper lijn in de nummers. En als het al op een normaal nummer lijkt, dan lijkt het dus juist alsof ze een parodie doen. Het is meer een soort muppet-show. De paar fatsoenlijke nummers redden dit album van de hatelijke 1.

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.

Nope. Weak af vocals

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

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

So I actually hated every second of this. It was so terrible and every single song continued to get worse. I cannot say one good thing about it because it was also a million hours long. This was horrible. It’s not music.

One size does not fit all. I like Zappa. I even own a number of his albums - actual physical media! But there's a high qualification to that initial statement - he put out something like 815 albums...? There was a bit of a progression and this being his/The Mothers' first album .... it's more than a little different from "Inca Roads" Mid 60s sounds mixed with a healthy dose of the Zappa unpredictability; sarcastic to the point of "ok ok I get it already..." lyrics. It's interesting from a historic standpoint and I have *on occasion* been amused by his lyrics but lyrics alone don't drive the bus and sometimes derail it. In other words - it's fine to listen to this to hear how his official recording career started but it's not something I can put on and enjoy. I don't like "funny" or snarky albums. The 90s were difficult... TL;DR: It's a little like reading The Hobbit. Quaint and occasionally cute and prescient, but it just whets your appetite for the One Ring. Give me the 70s fusion Zappa. 5/10 2 stars.

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.

Some songs I love, others I hate

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

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.

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.

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.

I tried hard to love Frank Zappa unconditionally at one point in my young music listening life, but it never fully took. I can appreciate a few songs here and there. It's also true, no lie!, that his work with The Mothers of Invention was the music I found myself returning to more often than his other adventures. In particular, Roxy & Elsewhere was the record I gravitated to. Why bother to give you all this background and context? Well, I'm afraid I'm not going to rate this album very highly and I just want you to know it's not out of some misplaced Zappa antipathy but rather an honest reckoning that this music only moves me partially. Also know that I've added an entire star just for "Trouble Every Day" which, sadly, is still as socially relevant as when it was written (and if you've read any of my Dylan reviews you know I usually can't stand the harmonica). You should also know that "You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here" is the kind of song that knocks stars off for me.

Too weird

Klassiker

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

I get it but I didn’t like it🤷🏽‍♂️

I’ve tried and tried. Just can’t get into Zappas stuff. I don’t like silly lyrics

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.

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

Otro más de estos raritos? Tienen razón, debo escucharlo, sólo por motivos históricos, pero no volveré a oírlo.

There's 2 ways of looking at this album. The first way is historically. In 1966 this parodied the music of the day and pushed boundaries. The second way is to take it out of that context. As a stand alone album it's fairly meh. I appreciate this for its impact on music that followed, but I wouldn't listen to it again