Reviews (page 6 of 8)
really enjoyed We’re Only in It for the Money, even though that album somehow has a lower overall rating than this one. This just wasn’t nearly as interesting to me. It felt less focused, like Zappa was throwing random noises, goofy voices, and nonsense lyrics into every empty space just because he could. I know the chaos and satire are supposed to be part of the appeal, but most of it sounded more annoying than clever. There were a few decent musical ideas buried in there, especially when the band settled into something resembling an actual rock song. Then another strange sound effect or lyric would show up and pull me right back out of it. Maybe I’d feel differently if I’d heard this when it came out and could appreciate how unusual it was for 1966. Or maybe it wasn't unusual, depending on your state of mind.
2.5★/5 07.29.2026
Cream cheese, cream cheese, cream cheese! Wtf was this. Weird and not for me. 2/5
I didn't know the band. OK music. OK album.
Näää, det här är ju inte seriöst.
Lite väl flummigt.
Wasn't my thing
Half the songs on the album are hard to get through
Nope
Ehhh not for me
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
Good context, but still... just not for me. https://500songs.com/podcast/episode-140-trouble-every-day-by-the-mothers-of-invention/
Hot Rats got me listening to Zappa, so I was looking forward to this album. The album was interesting from a historical perspective, but the sounds weren't for me.
I think on more objective level I’d give this a 4 as a piece of art but it was just not fun to listen to. I appreciate some of the protest angles but they’re really buried among a mostly cacophonous sound. I understand how that’s the point but again it just wasn’t fun.
Maybe the biggest disparity between lyrics, music, and vocals that I've ever heard. I found the former two to be pretty enjoyable in most parts, but the vocals were easily the worst that we've been exposed to so far.
Review - "Did you like the album?" "No, but I agreed the fuck out of it." Rating - 5/10 Need to hear? YES
Amongst the ridiculous singing on this album there is actually some decent and well-orchestrated rock 'n' roll. (Some of this might sound like early Steely Dan if you took away the kazoos and the absurd vocals.) But Zappa ain't gonna let you ignore the vocals - the purpose of this record is to foreground his message (i.e. conforming to social norms = bad, "freaking out" = good) and the bizarro singing is meant to emphasize that Zappa is SAYING SOMETHING IMPORTANT HERE SO PAY ATTENTION. *Freak Out!* is not a put-it-on-in-the-background-and-go-about-your-day record, by design. In small doses, this approach might be effective. But 60 minutes of being pummelled by this stuff is a bit much, especially when the record devolves into weirdo vocalizing and sound effects in the last third.
Ok I get it but I don’t like it
This album feels too much like a rant and not enough like music. Which is fine. Art is art and any medium is acceptable to pass a message. That being said, I'm a simple dude when it comes to music, I just want it to be good. Even if the tone is in protest, bands like RATM or Gabriel O Pensador managed to make songs that are amazing on top of being critiques.
Don't think I'm cool enough to get this album. Several moments I enjoyed, but mostly, what the fuck?
517/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
This is random and absolutely unserious. I liked first half of the album but the second one was just a mess.
I can see why this is influential. And I'm all for counter culture. Heck I like Devendea Banhart and I now know he pretty much ripped off half his sound from this album. But did I enjoy it? Not really. I'd also quite happily never listen to another album with this much kazoo. Not inspiring me to explore Zappa's 2359 other albums.
some of this i enjoyed, but overall this was too grating to be this long
Simultaneously fun and obnoxious
Standouts Trouble Every Day
I gave it a shot. Then I started to think about my life draining away while I listened to this instead of actually good albums. So I bailed out after three ‘songs’. No more Zappa please.
Stellenweise witzig, teilweise anstrengend.
I understand why this is on the list, but it doesn’t necessarily mean I like it, which I don’t. Mothers of Invention were just always a little too… weird… for me, which is saying a lot. Wowie Zowie felt like it was just somewhere between an artistic expression and mocking. How Could I be Such a Fool? was really the only track that kind of resonated with me. As the album continued, it just felt more, …shock value, …psychedelic, unnecessary, in my opinion. I will not be looking to put this on vinyl.
Random thoughts: * While most of this was very psychedelic there were still a few standard 60s sounding songs - Anyway the Wind Blows. * Lots of this was psych rock and was just fine. It didn't blow my mind but I also not currently stoned. * I could definitely live without this but I'm guessing this was pretty far out man when it came out. Respect for being a pioneer. However, I won't be revisiting any time soon.
I generally like Zappa.....just not this much. I know his stuff toes the line between parody and political social satire with musical excellence.....this just ain't his best.
Enough of this
Not my cup of tea. Odd bits are of it appeal but I dislike the majority of this
So so. A few tracks just seemed like random noises
meh
AHHHHHHH! WAHHHHHHH! YAHOOOO!
Frank Zappa’s band - bizarre lyrics and sound choices set to good music.
Very strange band. They have a lot of albums and definitely a few show up on this awful list. And from what I have heard, this is the best one. And it’s not that good. Couple decent songs but…weird. Wowee Zowee, maybe Pavement liked them?
Go cry on someone else’s shoulder is a gem. Definitely weird, sometimes funny but probably not going to be played by me again.
Interesting to listen to. But not something I would ever play. Also it does not sound like it was released in 1966
My tolerance for strained "wow we're so weird and wacky" music is basically at zero. There's lots of unusual music I enjoy, like Slim Cessna's Auto Club, but that has an internal coherence to it that is satisfying and has depth. Frank Zappa music sounds like a beginners improv group getting their sillies out before class. I understand a lot of this is Dadaist "don't take it so seriously, man" and maybe I am taking like too seriously, but it falls on my ears with all the pleasantry of a grackle.
Crazy 60’s freak out
As you might expect from Zappa, a crazy mix of late 60s rock, satire of 60s American 'pop' and stuff that is mad experimental. It reminded me of a trip to the Tate modern, interesting but generally confusing and not something I want to do every day.
Seems like they set out to make something quirky and esoteric without considering if the music would actually benefit from it (it didn't)
certainly innivative in many forms, but too cynical for my taste
Funky 60’s pop
Weird for weird's sake. Maybe I'm too old, maybe I'm not old enough? I'm into very few novelty acts. Bonzo dog band, and that's kinda my limit.
They're better when they don't sing
Not my thing per se. I can hear why people would like it, as it is well produced, and has some nice licks, but doesn't land with me.
I get this is supposed to be quirky and silly but I just found it annoying. 2/5
irgendwia sehr unmelodischi songs mit mangmol ganz random grüsch element, text au ned so deep
Det er bedre end det andet album, der dukkede op med dem. Der er en klar happy-60'ervibe i mange numre. Teksterne kan egentligt også noget, men alligevel er det ikke rigtigt noget, jeg ender med at falde for.
weird but not terrible 2/5
Best Song: Anyway The Wind Blows. A short song with some structure. Worst Song: Wowie Zowie. Really just an annoying chorus. Overall: One of those albums where it feels like the musicians are probably having more fun than anyone listening to the album. Good for them, not so great for us.
As a Zappa fan i am likely biased. Love this debut album. It is like it spans decades - from 50’s doowop shebop tupe aomgs, theough 60’s psychedelia (with a dose of loathing for the hippies), to standard Zappa tropes. Its a well balanced album compared to some if his and not too much of the long experimental stuff that can grate on me a bit.
Слишком экспериментально для меня. 5 из 10.
Det er weird n’ wacky. Et sjovt lyt, og helt klart et album der har været betydningsfuldt for udviklingen af musik. Men det komme ikke i rotation her
I appreciate what the band was trying to do with this album but I found the songs consistently annoying
Some of it sounds good, but it just feels kind of weird for weird sake and I don’t need to hear it again
What is this?
This album was weird, but not in a fun way. Being so early saves it from a 1 star
This one isn't for me. Musically it was ok and fun, but Zappa's voice is not good.
I'm really not sure what to make of this. After the first track I hated it. Off key droningz kazoos. But it grew on me. Then I got to the last three tracks and I was back to hating it.
I can't put my finger on exactly why but this didn't work for me at all. The singing and the music both feel off somehow. Like I have heard this before but cleaner and more my style.
A couple decent songs. Most of the songs just sound like parody songs though. There’s some sort of inherent insincerity to Zappa that makes this thing a total drag to listen to.
Expérimental, on dirait juste une bande de potes qui s'amusent à faire des bruits dans tous les sens (YEAH) On respire le blues, on critique un peu la société américaine (normal) Jusqu'à la troisième "partie" de l'album où on rentre dans le côté vraiment "Freak Out!" de l'album Et ça porte bien son nom : Je suis freaked out!
Début un peu chelou mais on commence à s'amuser avec la musique mid-album, c'est pas dans mon style musical général. J'aime pas vraiment les paroles et parties chantées (genre ils chantent mal) Album bien produit en vrai mais un peu long à force (surtout la fin). Musique pref : "Anyway the wind blows" Pires musiques : "Help I'm a rock", "Can't happen here" + dernière track wsh c'est quoi ça. On dirait juste qu'ils se prennent pas au sérieux dommage. 2/5 (pour la dernière track qui dure une éternité et j'ai pas vraiment aimé overall)
Interesting sound but not something I'd listen to again
Not a fan, don't like the vocals.
Weird album
FREAK OUT! features well arranged psychedelica music but it is ruined by the toddler-esque rants of the cynical idiot in Frank Zappa. And trust me, I GET his satire, but I just think he was overly cynical and wrong. Aside from all of that, Mothers of Invention, was pivotal as a seed of the proto punk movement that set the stage for anti-establishment whining both lyrically and in three chord structure that would prevail in the 70s. So an all-time album from a historical point of view, but not from an artistic achievement point of view. I respect that Frank Zappa took experimental risks, it's just that is cynicism and contempt is not for me. Of course the British loved this more than the Americans. Two cynical peas in a pod that were perfectly matched for one another. And if you haven't guessed by now, I would not have put this on the list.
I could see why it's a standout for psych music, but not my thing.
Just unfortunately did not click with me - felt like listening to an inside joke I wasn't a part of. Which is a shame, I really want to like Zappa!
I know it's a satire, I get what it's going for, but man is this a *rough* listen if you're not part of its exact target audience. Not a fan of 60s rock? Well this is straight 60slop with a shitload of kazoos and absolute vocal fuckery! On the lyrical side there's quite a bit of depth, I can tell this Zappa guy is based, but again his sense of humour is so wacky that the album falls apart entirely if you don't vibe with it. It gets a 2 star because I do see how this could be a great album to the right people, but I'm personally very far removed from Zappa's wave.
At some point a weird lil guy like Frank Zappa, either through longevity or by inspiring more mainstream acts, gets described as making “challenging music” instead of just being a weird lil guy. Weird lil guys are critically important, but the shine wears off when they become “challenging musicians” instead, so I’m always going into Zappa vehicles braced against whatever sucker punch is coming and there it is: a call and response in the melody with a kazoo on track one. Weird lil guys forever, but also probably only one listen per
After listening to Trout Mask Whatever yesterday I was really scared of More Frank Zappa but this was.....fine. 2.5
I am sure this was probably a mind blowing “freaking out the normals” during its heyday. But in spite of all the intelligent things I’ve read of Zappa, god, this album is just “check out out how wild and zany we are! Are you freak out yet?!”
Not a fan
1. daddy - 1.5 2. heart - 1.5 3. police - 1.5 4. Cry - 2 5. Love - 1 6. Fool - 1.5 7. Wowie -0 8. Call - 1 9. Wind - 0 10. Satisfied - 1 11. Wondering - 1.5 12. Trouble - 1.5 13. Help - 1 14. Here - 0 15. Monster - 1
Eh, not for me.
fin, når ikke at høre så meget. ca. 2-3 stykker. Og så blev de træls. 2!
Crazy weird ass 60's rock. Some songs are ok for that year, but the second and last song are COMPLETELY weird. Smells like cigarrets, alcohol and LSD, like a good 60's rock band. Wouldn't listen again I guess
So, uh, that was interesting. It's a little difficult to rate something I didn't particularly like, per se, but found entertaining in a very strange way. The only song I could say I really liked was Trouble Every Day, most likely because it was a pretty straightforward blues rock song. There were other tracks I somewhat enjoyed, but not to a very high level. The rest... I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about them, other than that I didn't really like them. That said, the value here doesn't come from how good/likeable the songs are; it's about what is happening, both in the songs and outside them. This is just an off-the-wall album in many ways. It's progressive in some aspects, regressive in others. There are doo-wop breakdowns and weird experimental sections that go on for seemingly longer than they should. The lyrical content goes from nonsensical to point-blank honesty. How to even describe the instrumentation? I'll just note it features a kazoo heavily on certain tracks. Can't say I've listened to an album that had that before. Perhaps the wildest thing they do is slip in the standard rock song in the midst of all the craziness. Through it all, you can hear some of the ways it would influence later artists, and I'm sure it helped many of them to take more risks. In all, it's a good inclusion on the list. Definitely something people should hear and experience. But there's not really a lot of what I'd call "good" music there for me to rate it all that high. Also taking a few points away for the length-- it's pretty long, not really in a way that makes it a better listen. Overall: 2.2/5
Increasingly, I think I love the idea of Zappa more than his actual music, especially the early stuff. When the music you're parodying has disappeared from culture, does your parody have any value? IronicallyI got more from the later experimental sound pieces than from many of the actual songs. Didn't appall me, but just fundamentally a bit dull. A high 2.
4/10 - It is very 60s, and it is from the 60s. It kind of sounds like patrick from spongebob helped make this album. Why they screaming about cream cheese so much in the last song
I had a friend in high school who was really into Zappa. I just did not get why. As an adult, I grew a respect for his musicianship and that of the people he chose to work with, so I was happy to see this pop up so I could listen with the respect I’ve grown to have. I guess adult respect is not what this album needs. Holy crap. It’s just as juvenile and annoying as it was to me back in high school. It’s the musical equivalent of giggling teenagers in my store. And here’s something I never thought I would say in a review… enough with the fucking kazoos already.
Bad stuff here
Fun rock stuff but didn’t really standout for me
I guess I am not in a mood for experimental albums.
Today I learned that edgy ironic hipsters were already a thing back in the 60s – and that they were exactly as cringey as their modern counterparts. Parody is funny if it’s one or two songs at the end of an album. If most of your album - especially your first album as a band - is based on mocking other bands... well, you’re not funny, you’re just annoying, and you only prove that you spend a very unhealthy amount of time thinking about what other people do. Musically speaking, this album was a just a whole lot of nothing for me. It tries to be experimental, but with far less success than other bands of the same time period. The psych-rock parts are not particulary well done, and haven’t aged well. I didn’t care much for the lyrics either. Maybe it’s just not my kind of humor. Parody in music has never been something I find particularly funny. Listening to this album felt like being forced to watch a long one-man show by a stand-up comedian who never makes you laugh. I'm sure some people found it hilarious... but for me it was mainly cringey. I'll give it a 2* for originality, but I have zero interest in this kind of music.
I wish I were a fan, but I am just not. I can totally recognize the influence the album had but I don't really like it tbh
2/5 psychedelic rock. Mostly just weird and not good music.
If I was 14 and just getting into experimental music, I'd see the value of this much more than I do now I'd sample the hell outta this though
Fucking crazy and weird. I like crazy weird music, and I like Frank Zappa, but I wasn't blown away by this one. Not terrible though.
I was going to write a long, considered review, but ultimately it comes down to this: I will never listen to this album again, and if it wasn't for this project I wouldn't have listened to the whole thing.
I listened to this for another list and the gimmick-y aspects of it really turned me off. I didn't care for it at all. 1.5/5
Groupe inconnu, mais second album avec Frank Zappa après 'Hot rats' que j'avais assez apprécié (noté 3/5). 'Hot rats' est en grande partie instrumental et plutôt jazz/rock. 'Freak out' n'a pas cette chance, le chant est omniprésent. Et pas très inspirant ... L'accompagnement est parfois original, mais lassant sur la longueur. Et trop masqué par le chant (je ne parle même pas du kazoo, une horreur). Aucune envie de l'écouter une seconde fois. =>2/5
I like to think that someday I'll appreciate Zappa. So many people with great taste in music have tried to convince me that I'm an idiot, but I don't get it. Never have, but I'll keep trying. There were a couple of good songs on this album, Trouble Every Day, foe instance. The second half was far more interesting too me than the more poppy first half. I know that it is on several top list and I should give it another listen, but it is so damn long. Maybe someday.
Hippy Freakout album. I absolutely loathed the last track.
Tf is this 1.75/5
Must've seemed hipper and wittier back in the day because today it's evident how hard they were trying to be both. Like the Smothers Brothers who also seemed tame, despite their reptuation for subversivenes. Cheech and Chong also seem a fair comp – it's moderately amusing at best, and really not heavy at all. oo many horns and strings and obvious and goofy effects (oompa-loompa vocals and kazoos) on “Your’e Probably Wondering.” All of it reads corny today. One can't be an anarchist (or whatever it is they're trying to be when doing lame satires of '50s doo-wop). More than boundary-blurring or -breadking, just feels overbearing, like their parents' music almost, and overindulgent. Maybe bonus points for having a song called "Wowie Zowie" decades before Pavement, but definitely not too many points.
The Temu Rolling Stones
It's pretty good, just not my thing.
There were a few silly songs that made me chuckle, interesting sounds, but nothing was really that catchy for me. Listened to on a hot spring walk, so i was slightly distracted by the sun blaring me x.x
This started out ok…and then went downhill.
A strange combo of fairly straightforward pop songs, or at least attempts at them, plus some weird shit that was often unlistenable. This must have been pretty wild when it came out in 1966. Not my fave of his by a long shot.
wouldn’t say i liked a single song on this album. defintely can see it being the foundation for psychedelic and avant- garde music but its a little too out there for me. some cool sounds and lyrics tho very interesting. zappa being zappa. help, i’m a rock.
I was optimistic about this one and then the song “who are the brain police” came on and it was just screechy noise. Then it gets a bit better and more listenable but it wasn’t anything special. “Help I’m a rock” is also awful. The last song being almost 13 minutes as well!?! Not a fan, glad this one is done and I absolutely didn’t need to hear this one.
Some tracks on this record were so painful to listen to that this was the first record I had to skip tracks on. I understand what this record was going for. The genres that they tried to satirize just made some tracks awful to listen to. I think this record is probably important with the messages that it brings throughout each track, the experimental sounds (that didn't age too well, in my opinion), and the freedom of being able to clown on other genres of music. I found that "It Can't Happen Here" to be particularly relevant to today. Favourite Track(s): Anyway The Wind Blows Least Favourite Track(s): Help, I'm a Rock
I've come to the conclusion I just don't love Frank Zappa. This is musically intersting. Lots of variation within this album. But dang the vocals are just cheeks. I'm glad it's over.
Heard of the band but it's my first time listening to them. It did give me a bit of a headache but then at times I was amazed how they managed to create this shitpost of an album back in the 60s. So even though I didn't enjoy the music I do appreciate it 2/5
Eh this doesn't really do it for me. There are some cool moments that I found enjoyable but overall feel like it was a miss. First exposure to this band though I am familiar with Frank Zappa's solo stuff. It does seem groundbreaking/unique though. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)
Zappa is another artist I have been meaning to check out, really haven't listened to much of his stuff before this. I was kind of surprised to see this album came out in 1966, but listening to it you can tell. This seems like something important more for what it laid the foundation for, not something that was that great on its own. Most of this sounds like psychedelia for psychedelia's sake. I'm sure it terrified our grandparents.
I. don't get on with Zappa's music. I get it - the sarcasm and humour. He's just constantly taking the mickey out of mainstream and oip music, demonstrating how easy it is. But it quickly wears thin, because, great musician though he undoubtedly is, it's just not very pleasant or satisfying to listen to. I'd prefer him to just 'play it straight'. The first track could be a perfectly acceptable tune but he deliberately subverts it. It's just tedious.
Mixture of styles - 50s rock, psychedelic, etc. A few noteworthy songs- wowie zowie, help I’m a rock.
Ihan kai passelia musisointia, ei tee mieli kuunnella uudelleen.
Wat. Sucks
Okaish
Okay...I kind of dig the cynical lyrics, but musicaly, it is so so. I have never understood the hype around Zappa.
4/10
Not my cup of tea
did not like, no more please
Pre-listening thoughts: hmmm... curious. People either seem to love or hate Frank Zappa so let's see where I fall. Post/during listening thoughts: it is rare that an album leaves me with my jaw hanging open. And this one was not in a good way. Almost tempted to give this a one but the first few tracks imo save it from being terrible and unlistenable. Now there are a few songs on here that are unlistenable. Yikes! 3/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: I Ain't Got No Heart, Motherly Love Least fav tracks: lowkey... everything else...
Weird concept satirical album. Maybe big at the time but nothing of interest now.
Sellainen huumorilevy, aikansa parodiaa
Just because it’s weird doesn’t mean it’s good.
I always meant to getting around to hearing what Frank Zappa has to offer. Well, now I just did. It's pretty strange stuff, but I did like "Trouble Every Day" so that one will make the playlist. The rest didn't do much for me. "Wowie Zowie" was kinda fun too I guess.
Zappa was just weird
Generally love some Zappa but this one is more annoying than catchy.
Wow. That was weird.
Never seen the attraction
Never been a Zappa fan so admittedly came into this release with some negative bias. Turned out to be more listenable than expected. I'm sure it sounded weird as fuck to people in 1966. Despite it being ahead of it's time and one of Zappa's earlier tamer releases, it's still just not for me. A couple decent tracks out of the 15, but none I'd likely return to. It hit a nice stride in the middle but dropped off completely for me at the last 2 tracks. 2/5
Isot pointsit tamburiinin liiallisesta käytöstä, fuusijazzista ja kazoosta! Tyylipuhtaampiakin rocklevytyksiä on toki kuultu.
I like Zappa much better on his own. This comes off as smarmy.
Definitely odd at times. Not as musically interesting or exploratory as expected. 2/5 Won’t listen again
They were going for something, I'm just not sure what.
Kind of meh, doesn't really stand out. But not bad, just not for me.
So friggin weird. Proggy in some parts, but weird as hell.
I mean I appreciate they’re pushing boundaries and the music is super inventive but it feels smug and indulgent and when it finally ended I have to admit I just felt relief.
I just don't really get Zappa I guess. I like the irony, wit, and philosophy, but the music usually just sucks. Maybe you just had to be there? There are a couple cool tracks here, "Trouble Every Day" being my favorite, but for a double album there's gotta be more for this to be more than a 2.
Some fun, weird tracks. But so many that are self-righteously confident that they're Saying Something Important, and you know how I feel about that.
Nothing special... didn´t make me freak out
Just because it was influential doesn't mean it was good. Maybe if I was on drugs. A lot of drugs. 3/10
Not good, but not as awful as some of the other Zappa entries on this list.
i generally really quite like frank zappa so i was disappointed with this. doesnt have his usual charm
Decent but wouldn't listen again
Freak Out is weird because it's not one single thing, it's a load of stuff all thrown together and not really in a way I can enjoy. Agree that Trouble Every Day is a strong track, the first two tracks are also good but then followed up by rubbish and/or stuff that just doesn't fit with anything else. It also closes with a mental and mostly crap 12 minute classic 60s overindulgence of sounds when everyone was clearly off their tits on every substance possible. 2/5, disappointing.
A very weird, very mixed bag. Some well put together, interesting semi-psychedelic songs, mixed in with a lot of real nonsense. Trouble Every Day is a highlight, the closing track is a real nonsensical lowlight. I don't think it quite merits a 3, there's just too much crap in there. 2/5.
It's alright. Like. Uhm. It has these seemingly unironic pieces that sound like they want to be the Beach Boys (Anyway the wind blows) as well as bits that make you wonder what on earth obliged them to put them to tape, let alone press them onto a record. Besides a general appetite for tomfuckery (The Return of the Son of...) It's also rather long. You could say I didn't care much for it but realise some people may disagree with me on that. Not a lot of people, though. Loud people, probably.
100% belongs on this list. But I, personally, do not enjoy the attitude and edge of this album. I ranked other Zappa on this list 4 and 3 but am not feeling as warmly towards this one.
I think I like Zappa now, but this one is a bit much. I imagine the psychedelic rock aspect is tongue in cheek, because everything Zappa does has to be Versus something. But even so, it’s too much like other 60s psych rock for me.
I respect Frank Zappa and his massive influence on all sorts of music. I just haven't found anything of his that makes me want to listen to more than 15 minutes. This album is the same. *shrugs* 2/5 for some funny lyrics and making fun of 50's Dop Wop.
Well at least it’s a different I guess. Different isn’t always enjoyable though
4/10
1.5
Not sure what I just listened to. Giving 2 for the somewhat rock vibe but that was otherwise just weird.
Zappa is a skilled musician, parody is funny. But he was so pissed people didn't want to play his avant garde that he went full-tilt with a whole album thumbing his nose at all parts of the 60s music industry. It's adept at capturing the sound of the different styles and twisting the message. But it's also... unoriginal and not very good. He sacrificed his integrity and skill on this one. It's fine, a passing listen is at least funny, and there are moments that sound cool, but by the end of every song it's just "yea, okay. Got it." Plenty of assholes in the history of the music industry who are willing to spite themselves just to "show" the doubters. Frank Zappa is definitely one...
My WHOLE LIFE, people I respect as musicians have been trying to sell me on Frank Zappa's greatness. No matter how many time I try, I just can't. This was no exception. Much of the music IS great. I love the experimentation. But there is something about the goofy feel to the compositions overall that just turn me off. Frank's voice and delivery, the lyrical content... I just can't take any of it seriously and that makes me just not care enough to be invested in it.
No drugs were hurt in the making of this record.
sorry did not like this
Overall, not as bad as I expected. A few songs were downright listenable. Tim found it "utterly charming." I found it too weird for words.
This was strange. I genuinely liked “Trouble everyday”. The only other comment I would have is that I guess it is better and more interesting than most “2’s” but not enough to get to a 3. 2.5
Well…when you name your kids Dweezil and Moon Unit (Zappa), that pretty much sums it up. I can appreciate the sardonic approach here, but overall it falls flat. Ranking up from the bottom based on sheer bizarre factor.
This album is a bit of a head scratcher. I guess it’s fairly influential (cited as an inspiration for Sgt Pepper?? I don’t hear it). I get the social commentary they’re going for, but it’s just so on the nose and unfunny. A handful of decent tracks, but musical this is all over the place.
This sounds like the way hippies smell and drugs taste. Some interesting stuff but a lot in here I wouldn’t consider music. My son got a kick out of the kazoo or whatever that was…so there’s that.
Second half nice and wacky first half boring
freaking out rn
Wowie Zowie, I'm Not Satisfied after this one! My biggest issue with this album is that it sounds very dated, and just doesn't hold up, much like The Stooges, and with some songs on Led Zeppelin. It's hard to tell exactly what makes it feel dated/not hold up, especially when older artists like Frank Sinatra hold up quite well, although I think it's a combination of that unclear, blurry, "garage rock" sound that sounds like they ran their guitar amp through an television missing it's antennas; the jumbled, drawling vocals that simultaneously drown out, and are drowned out by the instruments; and the yap-congested, obscene lyrics sung by someone who took singing lessons from SimplyPiano, and I'm not just talking about that one guy, it's all of them. (CREAM CHEESE!!!! 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥) On that note, the one "inbred guy" (Reich, 2024) on the vocals sounds like a deeply Québécois homme qui chantant en Anglais. It's not all bad though, there are some good tracks, even the bad tracks are kind of a jam, and the most notable track, "Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder," doesn't contain any of the aforementioned issues.
Bland, shallow, overly cliché, often annoying. Wowie zowie, this sucks! "You know it doesn't bother me at all / That you're only 18 years old / 'Cause I got a little motherly love for you baby" -Zappa. Well he was 26 at the time but still Also why do they get the inbred guy to start yapping on vocals sometimes???
Some cool moments in between some absolute shite
There are some good moments, but all in all it seems too straightforward and amateur. Hungry Freaks, Daddy was weirdly spoken word and kind of felt like third graders 'singing' at a school concert. Who are the Brain Police again felt really amateur and little kiddish. Go Cry on Someone Else's Shoulder has roots of being good, but they didn't do anything cool and different, it just felt like they were trying to mock it but didn't do anything cool, they just played bad. Wowie Zowie, I get it you are trying to be satirical, but you weren't good. Then Return of the Son Monster Magnet was just some weird bad LSD trip sex orgy, that a person didn't want to be at and was trying to get out of but couldn't seem to find a way out because everyone was wearing bird or monkey masks before turning into cartoon chipmunks that just kept going (much like this sentence). Motherly Love was okay, but left me confused. Are you actually saying you are mama's boys or mocking being a mama's boy...I honestly can't tell and I think that might be one of the overall problems with this album. I can't tell what they are trying to do because they aren't really doing any of it well. It really felt like third graders wrote and performed this album.
So I started this album thinking this is fine. I don't love it, I don't hate it. It's bizarre and not going out of my way to listen to it. It's fine. The jokes really aren't funny and outstay they welcome a bit but it's perfectly fine background noise. Then Help! I'm a Rock and It Can't Happen Here happened. Did not like these two. Finally we get to Return of the Son of the Monster Magnet. Collosal waste of time. It's just noise. And it's 12 minutes of it. It's a fifth of the album? Why? It takes an album I'm already ready to be over and makes it a slog.
Some of it’s cool but there’s just this air of tongue in cheek, pretentious heavy handedness that I find kind of boring.
Wish they hadn’t invented this one
Didn't really leave any big impressions. Had an ok sound but some of the experimental parts were hit and miss. I actually enjoyed "You're Probably Wondering Why I Am Here" the most. Was feeling generous and was going to give the album a weak 3. But the last track going on for 15 minutes pushes it down to a 2 star, it was just plain annoying.
Strange album. Just didn’t really feel it.
# Playlist track - Anyway The Wind Blows # Notes - This starts out super interesting. It's a dazzling journey crashing on so many different styles and references that I cannot help but admire it. - There is such a thing as "too much kazoo" for an album. Lol. - Taking 3 stars out for the last 3 tracks. They are incredibly annoying. Maybe that's the point? Couldn't stand it, so congrats if that's what you wanted.
I mean honestly for a Zappa album it's kind of restrained. It is super cool to see this album as an evolutionary step in rock coming out of the blues and the freak scene in the west coast in the 60's. I'm deducting a star for 12 minutes of noodling being the last song.
Bloody hell this album could have been an email. I’m sure a load of groovy dudes thought it was far out man, but it is way too baggy.
It just didn't connect with me. I understand that what they were doing was a blend of absurdism and experimental, and I appreciate it, but it's not an album I want to listen to
I've heard this before, as well as several other Zappa albums. A big part of Zappa's whole project is that he's different from other mainstream rock, he's almost defined in contrast to prevailing rock. But this CD was released in 1966, and rock has evolved outward in every direction since then. At this point, listening to it near 60 years later, if you're not a rock historian it's impossible to notice that this is not the same as "You Really Got Me" and "Satisfaction". In fact, sonically, it's much more similar to "You Really Got Me" and "Satisfaction" than is mainstream rock from even the mid-70s that was consciously trying to rip those guys off. Recording and amplification technology just evolved, songwriting techniques evolved, and it leaves all that mid-60s stuff sounding very dated (in some cases good, but clearly of that period). For a guy like Zappa, that kind of defeats the purpose. It doesn't help that many of these songs ("Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder" the most obvious) are lampooning aspects of pop culture at the time that would've been familiar to contemporary listeners but are now just completely buried, as if he was making fun of insider details of a Cotillion ball. Then there's the music itself. Even on his good songs, Zappa is not a good singer. He's got just an OK voice, and on many songs he's not even trying, partly for comedic effect. The Mothers have nice vocal harmonies on many songs, but nearly as often they're intentionally abrasive - the chorus of "Who Are The Brain Police" I think is supposed to be a musical joke, and it is kind of funny, but it's also as ugly a harmony as you can possibly come up with. Even some of the nicer backing parts they'll often just subtly screw up, like on "Wowie Zowie", and I think they're doing it for comedic effect, not due to incompetence, but it's tough to tell and either way it sounds terrible. Some of the songs are pretty funny though.
Frank Zappa is a wild cunt 2*, fucking bizarre but entertaining at times.
Sounds like a bunch of people doing a lot of drugs decided to hit record in a studio and see what happens. If I took the same amount of drugs, I'd probably give this five stars, but it's not going to get a rave review in my unaltered state.
Jotain kiinnostavia ideoita, mutta välillä mennään reilusti huti sekoilun kanssa. Hyvä, että levy on olemassa mutta kerralla kuunneltuna 2/5
2+
Apparently this is some kind of parody of 50/60s high school rock'n'roll but then it's also really pointlessly weird for no good reason. Feels like an odd in-joke that I don't get. And while fragments of the normal songs are OK, the utter bollocks that passes for the final track is just an irritating, deliberate 'look-how-zany-we-are' effort. I'm sure Zappa is a genius but this was more annoying than funny.