Reviews (page 7 of 8)
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
This shit is bonkers.
Odd.
Not great and nothing notable 4/10
"Trouble Every Day" saved this from receiving a single star.
Strange album. All over the place.
Obnoxious and annoying
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.
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
Deliberately cringe. wow.
I get it, they were psychedelic rock but just not that good (IMO). I'll give them a generous 2-star rating.
Skilled yet dreadful
first half was really good and i was having a grand time then it got REALLY bad at the end. :/
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?
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
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.
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
This is mostly shit, although part of me is impressed that they were able to make this album in 1966.
Meh
Very ahead of its time, but still not very good.
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
Well that was weird. 2 stars
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.
It is an impressive album considering it came out 1966 but i did not enjoy listening to it that much
I was not feeling this one
Drugs. Lot and lots of drugs used to create this album. Somehow though they managed to actually put something together. 2.5 down.
Goofy, not groovy
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
A couple songs are okay but the rest are just annoying.
Ok, ale nudy
A bit too eclectic for my tastes
Yeah not feeling this one
Not really my thing. I’m sure quite fun to see live at the time b
Not annoying but utterly unremarkable.
zappa... oh boy. it didn't "wowie zowie" me.
60s psychedelic
Zappa’s singing and lyrics are so bizarre that they trick you into thinking the music and melodies are terrible, too.
it had such interesting records! preety revolutionary but not all song are really listeanble. still important for the genre and its time ahead
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.
a lot of creativity. For Zappa fans. Too much too soon
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
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.
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.
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.
Frank Zappa
nan
Average
There’s some good stuff here but a lot of rubbish as well
Interesting
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.
could i write poetry to this? n
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
I didn't enjoy this album
Go Cry On Somebody Else’s Shoulder // 1.5/5
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Not a single song I wanted to finish..or start for that matter.
I wanted to like this
Meh
Really annoying,I’ve heard Frank Zappa is a master of his craft but on this album he just comes off as trying to make the listener want to stop listening as soon as possible.I don’t know why you want to listen to most of this album.Anyway the wind blows is good though.Saving this album from being a 1.
I wish I "got" Zappa. Truly I wish I did. It's just all weird for weirds sake to me. I just want to be a part of it. But I'm not. This sucks. And I hate that I hate it.
What an eccentric album. Some parts were humorous, but mostly the thought was why? I am not sure why this made it on the list. It was OK.
At first I thought this sounded like a spoof of a 60s band, then I read the Wikipedia article and found out it was!
Te psychedelisch/experimenteel, heeft op het einde niet veel weg meer van muziek.
I had rated this a 3 until the last two tracks when it got experimental so that might bump it down to 2
Ugh. Who is this for? I guess it was slightly better than the last MOI album we had but still unnecessary. If you’re going to make fun of music make better music. Also according to my research Zappa is not at all Latino which makes that voice he puts on kind of messed up. Idk, this whole thing rubbed me the wrong way. Low 2 because I thought 2 songs were ok.
Not really sure what’s going on here. Sounds kind of like darker version of doo-wop? I liked the later half of the album when the social commentary shone through. Not my favorite but not terrible either.
I don't get the appeal of Frank Zappa. I never have and this doesn't change my opinion. Is it strange just for the sake of being strange? There is some good musicianship here but definitely no enough to get me to listen to this (or any other FZ record) again. I would give it a 1.5 if possible. Since I don't actually hate it, I'll round up.
Maybe this was cool in the 60s but now it just sounds like a mess. A few tracks had some decent social commentary, and these guys are skilled musicians, but overall it was just too “wacky” for my taste. I will not be listening to this again.
ehh.....
The joke wore thin quite quickly for me.
2/15, 13%
I don’t read anything about these until I listen to them so maybe this a groundbreaking satire and was incredibly biting in 1966, but it doesn’t hold up for me in 2023.
Not my favorite tbh. Very old school "metal", sort of like steppenwolf I suppose. Wasn't a fan of any of their songs <1m plays on spotify...
Occasionally I found myself enjoying this - but overall, it’s a fucking hard listen.
Frank Crappa
Hmm
I didn't like most of this album, it was just too weird and psycadelic. There is some interesting music here but then the album ends with three bizzare tracks. Highlights: Hungry Freaks, Daddy Trouble Every Day
Absolutely fine, but not something I'm that excited about.
Just can’t get into it.
crap
oooh, it's Frank Zappa. No wonder I didn't like it. Just some goofy, silly shit
Knock it off with the marimba. Whatever value this album has, it’s totally derailed by Zappa’s awful voice and the incessant need to be ‘weird’. I guess for 66 it’s cool to be weird but on an actual listen it gets old pretty quick.
Trying to keep my bias in check because I really can’t stand Zappa. Putting all of his goofball crud aside, I think the pop elements on this are mid and the “experimentation” is insincere and uninteresting.
"1001 albums of dad rock from the 19th century"
The first few songs got me thinking that it would be a good, experimental album. But after a few next songs it turned out to be a weird, monkey-noises, experimental album. Not for me.
Reflex review: hate this stuff, ‘kin Boomers! Review in kind: at least the Sultans of Ping had Where’s Me Jumper. Comic records I like: Locust Abortion Technician by the Butthole Surfers (though the sexual assault song is revolting), Dante’s Disneyland Inferno by the Sun City Girls, the few Rutles tracks I’ve caught, maybe Meet James Ensor by They Might Be Giants (biased as I associate it with the incredible Chris Morris/Peter Baynham Radio 1 show), a smattering of Bonzo Dog tracks I’ve had shoved into my ears. All of these have something unusual, some new shapes and intentions of their own, other than a wish to point to something else and yell “ha ha”. These records have skin in the game. Most comic records suck, are childish and petty, and this is no exception. Leaves me sad that time and talent went into making music for self-identifying smartarses. Apart from Trouble Every Day, which I think is good and not an over engineered sneer. There are worthy parts on most of the songs, infuriatingly.
I get what they were trying to do, but man is it annoying. No thanks.
Oh look it's a slightly angrier Piper at the Gates of Dawn. I'm glad Zappa exists but I really don't get him. And I love weirdos!
Jotenkin tämä on suloista. Hyviä hauskoja pikkujuttuja. Mutta etenkin loppua kohden liian ärsyttävällä tavalla muka-naiivia, vie hohtoa paremmalta alkupuoliskolta.
Had not listened to this album for twenty years or so. It is better than the previously 1001list-generated We're Only In It For The Money. The majority of the songs are catchier, but also on Freak Out!, too many tracks are parody genre songs: well executed but ultimately not so interesting and a bit too boring to listen to more than once. There are some nice exceptions, such as "Trouble Every Day", and three stars would have been about right, but the final two "songs" (25% of the album length) bring it down to two stars. Hopefully some of the later Frank Zappa albums will also be included on the list (apart from Hot Rats, which has been generated already as well).
If it's a joke, it's a bad one.
It's ok but it feels very long
I did not find this to be a very entertaining album.
Nah it’s not for me. It’s just not it sorry…
2 If in a nearby parallel universe The Beatles’ experimentation with LSD resulted in a bad trip, I imagine their subsequent music would have sounded something like this instead of Sgt. Pepper’s. Yet somehow, this album was composed by a man who famously abstained from drug use, which kind of makes it more terrifying to me - though to be fair, I guess their producer was on LSD so I’m sure that was a factor. Anyway, apparently Zappa’s goal with this album was to satirize contemporary American culture and music, and that definitely came through to me, especially with the takes on pop music that sounded purposefully inflated with goofy, overdone lyrics and kazoo solos. I’m not sure if that’s the aspect that makes people revere this album, but if you ask me, just because it’s satire doesn’t mean it’s automatically smart, insightful, or even any good for that matter - I mean, there’s a reason Meet the Spartans isn’t hailed as a cinematic masterpiece. That kind of stuff takes up the majority of the album, with the beginning and end being bookended with some near-unlistenable songs that feel a bit more like psychotic episodes - kudos to anyone else who made it through all twelve minutes of The Return of the Son of the Monster Magnet. Even if Zappa himself didn’t do drugs, he clearly knew who his audience was. The only other particularly notable track here is Trouble Every Day, which happens to be the one moment on the album where Zappa decided to drop the whole satire thing and just go all in on his grievances with modern America in a blues number. I really wanted to appreciate it, but ultimately it just kind of boils down to “TV=bad” and “these racial riots are an annoyance to me”. The line “Hey, you know something, people? I'm not black, but there's a whole lots a times I wish I could say I'm not white” gave me hope that he was making some kind of progressive statement acknowledging white responsibility for minority disparagement, but the next verse seems to indicate he says that because he’s annoyed these incidents are affecting white people. Maybe there’s a deeper meaning to the song I’m missing, but overall it just doesn’t seem particularly forward-thinking. So yeah, purposefully bad, purposefully weird, and one decent song with a questionable message is how I would summarize this album. I considered a 1, but I think it’s just interesting enough to keep it out of that zone - still, don’t understand the hype surrounding this one.
Not a huge fan to be honest
Fine melodies but rubbish lyrics
Some of the music was good but in general this was a deeply unpleasant and annoying experience
Sommige dingen kon ik wel waarderen, maar al met al toch te onrustig voor mij.
Te freaky en experimenteel voor mij
It’s Zappa, so I expected puerile silliness. Wasn’t expecting Zappa sounds and phrases that continue to appear throughout his other works this early in his oeuvre. Clever to hear his mimic/pastiches of contemporary styles. Not a keeper for me. I’ll stick to Hot Rats, Grand Wazoo and live at the Roxy, but if it was shorter it might pass as entry level Zappa.
This is awful, but also so strange that I couldn't pull myself away. I never want to hear it again, but I don't regret the experience.
This album is satire that dances with satirizing itself. Meta humor gets to be too cyclical when it can't take itself seriously, and unfortunately this album continues to push that line. There's a lot here to like, but it feels like folks who stand for nothing bashing anyone with a stance.
1. Trouble Every Day 2. Motherly Love 3. Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder
I wish I was anything but a rock
I (VERY) obviously haven't done enough drugs; or at least not the right kind. This is another one I can appreciate for their musical contribution and leave it at that.
It seemed average at first, then the last three songs got very experimental and did not sound too pleasant to say the least. At least the beginning was ok
Not really vibing with this.
I like strange but this is a little too strange even for me
I appreciate the boundary pushing, but ultimately, it's not that enjoyable of a listen. 2/5
27th December 2022 Listened on the drive to Norfolk. Chilled day and afternoon. Had a couple of highlights but the eleven minute prog shocker at the end establishes this at something I won’t listen to again. 2.5 if I could.
It just lacks energy. Maybe I need to be more stoned? Ahem, I mean, stoned. Yeah, that's what I meant.
Not my style too many weird noises
Strange but interesting album
To me this album is a bit too satirical and self aware. Everything about it is impressive though, especially considering the time that it was released. It's just not a very enjoyable listening experience to me.
Very creative and innovative, especially for their time, so it certainly deserves its spot on the list. But personally, I don't enjoy the music too much. The nonsense tracks aren't particularly fun either.
Odd nonsense album
Zappa is a troll eh Nolan? Nolan: yuh
jahas jahas jahas.. viimeinen zappa tuotanto oli 5/5, tämä ei lähellekkään... viime kerralla ei edes puhuttu, ,mutta viesti tuli perille enemmän kuin tässä liibalaabassa... aikalailla 40 minuuttia pökäleiden vääntämistä ja sitten loppukevennykseksi apinaesque ääntely vähän laadukkaamman musiikin parissa.. nostattaa hymyn huulille ja albumin ylös ykkösestä... paras biisi help im a rock
Rock experimental. A veces, una simple sucesión de ruidos.
not for me 2/5
Not for me... But my dad probably loved it...
Listened to on 9/28/22 2/5 Favorite song: trouble every day This album was chaotic and too speak-y and I did not enjoy it
So hit and miss but overall, not for me
This album is quite a journey. Really cool instrumentals throughout and it raises still-poignant points about American culture. But the vocals are (intentionally) jarring and makes it pretty difficult to enjoy listening to most of the album. Favorite tracks: Wowie Zowie, Trouble Every Day
Par-for-the-course 60s anti-establishment psychedelic rock without anything standing out. Never really liked Zappa. 2/5
Not my jam
This is just a kooky album, especially a few of the tracks
I think musicians like Zappa are obviously important and it's good that they exist to stop everyone else from getting too comfortable...but my god I really do not get anything out of actually listening to him. I feel like "we made a song but instead of doing the normal thing we instead did something weird and obnoxious that makes the music really unpleasant to listen to" is a joke I only needed to hear once.
Leuk maar te lang imo
There's some quite standard 60s fare throughout, with a sprinkling of psychedelia on top. It mostly disappeared into the background with the occasionally prod getting attention, not always for positive reasons. They sound like they're more interested in having fun than making anything particularly good, which is a worthwhile ambition, and I hope it entertained the makers more than it entertained me.
Interesting to hear the entire parody album genre take shape in what's probably one of the earliest attempts at musical self-satire. Some interesting takes and mild chuckles here and there (and crystal-clear production on the first track and first track only?), but the ultimate impact of this LP is mired by fact it sounds (and acts) exactly like the songs it's attempting to parody.
Me gusta (me gustaba de antes) la primera canción. En general se deja escuchar, pero nunca fue mi música. Para estos desvaríos me divierto más con los Pink Floyd de Syd Barret.
E kje sånn megafan av Zappers. Minne tidvis om dei litt for sære songane fra Pink Floyd sine første albi
Not bad...I mean, not good either but not bad
What in the name of hard drugs did I just listen to? Another album I'm not sure why I needed to hear. EXPLAIN WHY THIS ALBUM IS IMPORTANT TO ME!
Don't think I was in the right mood for this... the right mood being blasted out of my mind. I enjoyed the pieces that went into 60s rock and heavy guitar, but for the most part this album was experimental and not fun to listen to.
Maybe for a road trip...
A rather uncomfy listen. I have listened to some Zappa albums in my time, but not this, and I was expecting a flawed work, even if it turned out to be great. However, the cringeworthy aspects overshadowed the interesting parts, and I can't say I enjoyed it, especially since I found it more callous that humorous. This was the first album by the Mothers of Invention, and also one of the first double albums (Dylan's Blonde on Blonde came out a week earlier); it was also a pioneer of the concept album, a term that has subsequently gathered substantial baggage. The concept was apparently Zappa's satirical take on American pop and the incipient hippy movement, but that summons a perennial demon of Zappa's oeuvre: he's not that funny. Comedy tends to date easily, quickly and poorly, and that's even with the most celebrated comedians: blacking up was a lot more mainstream in the post-war period than you might surmise. With Zappa's humour, the standard adjective employed is "sophomoric"; it's a clever man saying "bum", convincing himself that the spectacle of a clever man saying "bum" is so radical ("Bugger me, I thought he was going to recite The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, not say bum!") that it must be both mind-expanding and hilarious, whilst pretending not to hear the coughs of a visibly embarrassed audience. Likewise, the satire of the album just fails. It's just a series of songs that are lacklustre versions of the genres they are meant to be mocking ("Say, do you know what would be clever? A doo-wop song about rejecting a ex-lover! Nobody else would ever have that idea!"). And if the message is that The Mothers of Invention are somehow better than what they are parodying, then I'll choose the side of the parodied: their songs sound better, and Zappa comes across as a peevish killjoy. Even in his musique concrete tracks, which one can assume is the part which most excites Zappa, he spoils it by, yes, adding some of his comedy. Has anyone ever chuckled at the name Suzy Cheesecake? I understand that the comical aspect to Zappa is only one part of a multifaceted, prolific career, and that Zappa fans often agree that his comic material is his most tiresome. So maybe a different Zappa album will entrap me, but I found this to be Zappa at his most obnoxious. Another curious point is how dated the production sounds. The contemporary ear would most likely find it muddy and distant. Now, this is obviously not as off-putting as Uncle Frank telling a joke about two nuns in the bath, but it indicates that the main appeal of this album is archaeological; as an artefact of a certain 60s tendency, it's interesting, but as a work in its own right, it's just rather annoying.
ug. i wish there were actual women in this band. 2 stars. skipped a few songs. only reason not 1 is few clever things.
I’m not a big fan of this summer of love rock with an acidic cover. The vocals are not appealing . And kazoos…WTF? Then there’s Go Cry On Someone Else’s Shoulders, which sounds like a 1950s doo wop song straight out of Back to the Future’s (I &II) Enchantment Under the Sea dance. Unfortunately the next track was not Marty McFly wailing on Johnny B. Goode. I think this album is meant for an acid trip not for me.
Weird and avant-garde! One of those albums that was probably really wave making at the time, I'm sure. 'Hungry Freaks, Daddy' is my top pick, mostly for the good bassline (but a lil bit because it makes me laugh).
Very psychedelic but got very abrasive and annoying by the end
Maybe a lot of people like this album / Band but I in particular find it horrendous, sorry for the fans... It sounds like a joke.
this was incredibly experimental! it really reflects a time where musicians were not restricted by record companies and not every song was fine-tuned in the hopes of becoming a hit. how wonderful frank zappa and co. was able to be their true selves. that being said, i will bring frank zappa from the dead, hand him a kazoo, and knock it the fuck out of his hands. i'm glad i listened to this album, to expand my musical knowledge, and i did find two songs on here i liked! but oh boy, oh boy, yikes?
I am not familiar with THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION (AKA THE MOTHERS) or their debut album FREAK OUT!. I am not a fan of FRANK ZAPPA, but I haven’t heard much. After listening to FREAK OUT!, I did not enjoy this album at all. It’s lack in a sense of humor and wit that it is striving for. It has a few comments to make, but they are told badly and musically is uninspiring. This is supposed to be avant-garde, ha! Give me a break. It is dated and I’m truly sorry for those albums that have been in this book to have this included. REALLY, this album is so important and essential. I do not see Frank Zappa’s “genius” in this album. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION’s FREAK OUT! Is joined by their third album: WE’RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY (1968) Rate Artist: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION (2.0) Rate Album (Year): FREAK OUT! (US 1966 Original) (2.0) Ranking of THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION (AKA THE MOTHERS) - FREAK OUT! songs No. Title Length Ranking 01. Hungry Freaks, Daddy 3:27 08.0/10 02. I Ain't Got No Heart 2:30 05.0/10 03. Who Are The Brain Police? 3:22 04.0/10 04. Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder 3:31 05.0/10 05. Motherly Love 2:45 04.0/10 06. How Could I Be Such A Fool 2:12 04.0/10 07. Wowie Zowie 2:45 04.0/10 08. You Didn't Try To Call Me 3:17 04.0/10 09. Any Way The Wind Blows 2:52 04.0/10 10. I'm Not Satisfied 2:37 04.0/10 11. You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here 3:37 03.0/10 12. Trouble Every Day 6:16 08.0/10 13. Help, I'm A Rock 4:43 02.0/10 14. It Can't Happen Here 3:57 06.0/10 15. The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet 12:17 03.0/10 US 1966 Original Release 068.0/150 = 4.53 / 2 = 2.27
Eh
Okay, though it was going to be 90s rock. Realized much too late I was thinking of Machines of Loving Grace. Tracks were at attempts at Led Zeppelin? Anyway I will never listen to this again. Somehow late sixties made derivative boring.
The second disc is like a headache, but the first disc was mostly fine. Not my favourite music in the world, but listenable. I don't think I can get away from the feeling that it's a novelty record.
Kyllä jäi ihmettelyn puolelle. Yks biisi oli tuttu entuudestaan - Trouble Every Day ja se on kyl hieno biisi. Muutoin odotteli vaan, että levy loppuis
I do like Frank Zappa, but I wouldn't have even thought this was by him if I didn't google it. It's just kinda dull
🤯 Take that squares! 🤯 This flew very close to a one star, but there was enough to enjoy between the zany nonsense to save it. Still not an enjoyable experience for me though.
Super weird
I didn't feel this one, at all. Not my type of music, couldn't enjoy the songs.
This was funny in places, but too weird to be good.
I didn't really like this kind of thing. They are just making fun of music, while making music. Seems like a weird take. Trouble Every Day was pretty interesting but the rest was too weird for me.
I didn’t get to listen to all of this but what I heard was alright, 2*
Anticipated more. Odd.
Expectations: the year, the name, the cover: I will not like this. Fucking 60s psychedelic rock. * eye roll* Hmm turns out its Frank Zappa and satire. Hard to tell the difference between satirical psychedelic hippies and real psychedelic hippies. I will never listen to this again, its not my cup of tea. But it also just fades into the background and isn't actively offensive. "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" fucking creeps
Kinda weird, funny, nice lyrics. Not really a fan of Zappa, but Inhave a great respect for his way of songwriting.
nesirezonuoja but its not terrible tiesiog ne man
Njaaaaa.. Inte min stil. Säkert före sin tid. Men jag blev bara less.
Hard to push through - not because it was too complex or difficult to figure out. This record is flat out exhausting. I suppose giving Zappa an editor would be missing the point, but when the point is full of grating, jokey speak-singing, I'm happy to miss the point. Which is a shame, because some of the fundamental instrumentation is really great. The guitars are rich and fuzzy, the drums sound like how I want drums to sound. I can certainly appreciate his deep catalogue and obvious work ethic, but I'm not in the club.
I don't get it. Would turn it off.
Not a big fan. Some of the songs were ok, but a lot were quite annoying and/or felt very dated
Today's album is a serious through back to 1966 Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention...Wow! That was a surprise. It has been a very long time since I've listened to Zappa.
Very thoughtful lyrics, good 70s rock tracks. Zappa was not a great vocalist no matter how you try to lipstick that pig. Miss him though...
Nunca le he visto la gracia a Zappa. En letras, igual es irreverente y eso, pero musicalmente, me deja frío
kooky cool whatever but got so boring real quick
Weird, probably should have taken drugs before listening. Might help.
I couldn’t finish The Mothers of Invention. It’s just not my type of music. I am glad I read the Wiki page and find out before hand that it was a satirical album about the American citizen of the 60s. That at least made it tolerable for the first half but I just couldn’t keep going. 1 Star 2/10
Freak Out! GTFO!
I was going to rate this a 2 because there are some tracks I can get through and think, they actually composed this, and it is an album that’s very modern for its age with the psychedelic mockery. But then the last track happened and I had to skip through sections because it’s 12 mins of bizarreness were I think the artist it’s trying to challenge me to turn the album off. The last track gives me ‘You won’t believe people will actually listen to this 12min noise sample I’ve mashed together while on acid’. I want my time back.
No me ha gustado prácticamente nada.
Not sure if the term “hippie freak out” existed before this album but regardless this is its epitome. If this is tripping music though, steer clear. This album would be the soundtrack to the worst hallucinogenic experience I could imagine. The songs are weird and dark and thematically alienated and at one point the music literally seems to melt and in a deep strange voice he says “who controls the mind police?!” I don’t think I would ever recover if I heard that while tripping balls. No thanks.
Made me stressed
I dug the opening riff. Then they started sing-talking. Then was like a kazoo or some duck whistle or some shit. Then they kept singing. And it just kept fucking going. The riffs can't save this.
Frank Zappa may be among the top 10 most annoying people ever to walk the face of the earth.
eh, no
weird
This may have been way ahead of its time but it sure isn't fun to listen to.
Innovativ? Ja! Anhörbar? Nicht wirklich!
Gave this a whole 20 seconds.
Utter shit
2 - TERRIBLE
I will not try to deny the influence and pure talent that is Frank Zappa, but I'd be lying to you if I said Freak Out! isn't yet another messy and all of the place Mothers of Invention album I could never fully get myself into. This album will go from some of the wonkiest songs you have ever heard to an actually heartfelt and quite charming track about love. I think this album is a testament to Zappa's range as an artist as well as all his other bandmates for matching his freak. For being a 1 hour debut released back in 1966, this project is a lot. I wish there were more tracks here I enjoyed but I won't lie it was pretty sparing to pick through the favorites here. I know I enjoy Zappa's music much better when he is solo, but I do really wish I could get down with a lot of this as the people who like it are very passionate. I hate to say it but Freak Out! is once again a lot of over the top 60s music, for better and for worse.
Are you fucking with me list? Are you really fucking with me like this? DNF Rating: 1/10 Stars: 1
t’s the case with Hot Rats as it is with this, I could really sink into this album if you just shut up, Frank Zappa. All you do is come onto a track and sound like someone continuously smashing the next word in a predictive text. If ever there was ever someone’s music I felt I needed to put a paper bag over its head just to have sex with it, it would be his.
This is like The Monkees bred with musical theater in desperate need of mood stabilizers and fewer kazoos.
No me gustó nada. Apenas puedo rescatar alguna que otra parte instrumental.
Garbage, should have been forgotten in the 60s. 1*
Lame. Zappa's a tool. Cheers.
It's not really meant to be taken seriously, and that's fine. I'm sure this was brilliant satire at the time. It just doesn't work for me, and that's also fine. I like music that sounds good.
Verschrikkelijk, niet afgeluisterd. Niet overal zuiver, beetje Beatles geluid
ugh, mostly unbearable.
#996. This would almost be interesting if it were an ironic piss-take filmed for YouTube or something, but no, they're dead serious. Frank Zappa considers himself one of the best, if not the best, musicians out there, and that is just a straight up delusional take. This shit is hot garbage. Is that a kazoo man? Can you guys kindly fuck all the way off, like all the way the fuck away from me? 1/5: Susie Creamcheese is a funny name, though.
Look. I liked my other Zappa album (hot rats) a hell of a lot. So much so I gave it 5 stars. Listening to this in 2026, I can't help but feel it's not possible to rate it out of its context. I'm sure, at the time this mockumentary of an album was hilarious to some. Genre wise: 60s psych, do-wop, noise, drone, jazz, rock and pop smash together on this record. It takes numerous shots at contemporary artists and America/popular culture in general. The tracks I like are "Trouble Every Day" "The Brain Police" and "Hungry Freaks Daddy". These are smart, satirical and experimental. Help I'm a rock was also a fun journey despite it's mad premise. The comedy/mockery/do-wop tracks outnumber the ones that land with me however making it an album I can't see me revisiting. I might chop out the nine or so tracks I actively dislike and make my own mini album. I'm sure Zappa would approve. I'm going to give it a 1 because there's no chance I'd willingly listen to this album again.
There are moments where I can see how influential this record is and how important it is. However these are overshadowed by the weird and terrible moments where the experimentation takes a turn and no long becomes boundary pushing and instead esoteric and annoying. Most of all is the kazoo that can be found throughout some of the tracks. I hate kazoos 2/10
Freak Out! is a fitting title for this haphazard conglomeration of silly songs and noises. The only track that is put together well is "Trouble Every Day" and I could tolerate "Help, I'm a Rock" purely for my geology background. The Monster Magnet having his way with Suzy Creamcheese made for a very strange finish to the album. The Mothers must have just timed it right and caught the attention of the 60s drug crowd, forming a cult following. Or maybe tricking their manager into thinking they were a blues band was inventive enough. Either way, I don't find their stuff at all worthy of a must listen thus far but I have heard Zappa is a multitalented instrumentalist. Frankly, I am wondering why you are here. Wowie zowie your brain is out there unpoliced amongst the stars and getting 1.23 of them for this record.
This so-called concept album is a hodgepodge of random parts. There are a couple straightforward pop rock songs, a couple of jokey satirical songs, couple weird experimental jams, and parts of everything in between. I get why The Mothers Of Invention may have made a splash and even curated a fanbase at the time, but the wackiness is pretty quickly played out for me. I'd imagine with Zappa every attempt to write something serious or enjoyable is undermined by the weirdness and randomness that he became famous for. Just when you start to vibe with something you get a kazoo interlude or something ridiculous to break you out of it for better or for worse. While the weirdness is fun at time I could have gone without 15 minutes of bullshit at the tail end of this album. Freak Out! is a mess which seems like exactly what The Mothers of Invention were going for. There are a couple songs I enjoyed (Trouble Every Day probably the best track) and I liked it marginally more than the prior MOI but this isn't something I need to come back to. While the weirdness Zappa continues to seem like one of those artists that isn't my thing but I appreciate him for what he is doing. I'm always down to explore the weirdness in art regardless of whether I like it or not. Glad to cross another one off the list and won't shy away from future Zappa/Mothers entries but won't be surprised if most of it doesn't stick the landing. 1.19 stars
Boy howdy. Some gems in the funky.
What on earth am I listening to?
I don’t know what the infatuation is with reupholstering the seats of the car, but whatever it is, it makes for shitty music.
frank out.
Naja
2/10 Was not a fan
Aw my first one star ! It’s weird to think this album is turning 60 years old this year - it certainly was ahead of its time. I like weird satirical music, in fact I like some music that was perhaps inspired by this. Did I like this though ? No … I didn’t. It was Frank Crappa.
For this album I had the rare experience of listening to a physical copy. I was over at an old friend’s house and he happened to have the CD, so we listened to it together while I looked at the liner notes. I wish I hadn’t — they exposed the attitude behind this record. It’s dumb and lame. Sorry Zappa, I still respect your game and you did go on to get your subversion out in better ways. This just feels like something an edgy teenager would make. It’s clear he likes sounding like this but insists that it’s taking the piss or something. This actively annoyed me. I’m getting more annoyed thinking about it.
Sure thing man
I’ve heard this before. I’m not a fan of Frank Zappa and have tried listening to the “right” one that a fan says will make me get it. I’ve listened to his 70s and 80s output most recently and it’s been many years since I heard this one, although someone recently did tell me I’d like this one since it’s 60s psych that I’m really into. The music is good and lacks some of the annoying prog elements of his 70s output but this has the energy of the most annoying theater kid. It’s like what you would get if Barenaked Ladies covered the Seeds, or the 13th Floor Elevators had Jerry Lewis sing. On the few songs where the vocals aren’t deliberately annoying and I’m starting to get into the music, they throw in a kazoo or slide whistle to remind you this is insincere clown music. I don’t need everything to be serious, but I feel like the band is making fun of me for listening to them. It’s so bad I can’t even give them credit for the good psych rock in the background.
WTF?
- Couldn't do it, sorry
Hot trash covered in cream cheese
This is shit. 1/10 Top song None
I get it. ha. ha. ha.
Not really for me
Why are you booing me? I’m right
Zappa is an acquired taste, one I never developed. I tried to understand him, I dove into his "best of" catalog, but came up empty every time. I hear he and his bandmates are quite the musicians, ok but you gotta write a good song for that to work in your favor. I've never been a fan of humor-rock, I like bands that crush it and don't try and weave in funny stuff to get you to pay attention to them. Political statements and kazoo don't mix. The most popular track, "Trouble Every Day" couldn't salvage the album. It's so dated and lame, but he literally cannot sing so you're adding insult to injury. This is pure crap. I can't imagine a scenario where I'd say, "let's throw on some Zappa". The fact that this got recorded and eventually made a Top 1001 playlist makes no sense - you have to ask if this is some kind of Twilight Zone episode or conspiracy, this should have never been heard after 1966. I admit I couldn't listen to every track. 1 star
Nope
There were one or two tracks that had some merit, but it was routinely fucking dreadful otherwise. I really didn't enjoy it all. I made to turn it off before the end so I could award the obligatory 1 star!
Not having lived in the 60's, I recognize that my perception of Frank Zappa is through a lens of someone who cannot appreciate him in his time. Honestly I know more about him than his actual music. And while I can appreciate his disdain for the music industry and conventions, when he takes cheap shots at artists themselves or their talent, that always came across really douchey to me. I did my best to listen to this with an open mind. I liked Go Cry on Someone Elses' Shoulder. It's a far cry from your usual break up song and probably more realistic. But for every 'that's cool' moment I had, there were four times as many wtf moments. What is their obsession with the kazoo?? And again, maybe because I wasn't there in the 60s, perhaps there are nuances and details that are lost on me. But when all is said and done, this just wasn't enjoyable for me to listen to.
More Mothers Of Invention, more 1 star reviews. Didn't enjoy it much. Feel a little bad hitting another 1 star, but I want at least some distribution and not all 2-4 stars. So here we are. Abrasive and annoying, although very inventive/creative.
Well that freakin sucked
1 this sucks!
I did not need a 12 minute song whose most recurring phrase is a dairy product.
Absolutely dreadful--how/why did this make the list?
My God this was awful
Disgusting!!!
Pretty bad really.
Come on man. There's SO much great music out there, and this is already the second Zappa album I had to endure? That kind of "humor" (and also the music) has aged so poorly that it is almost painful to listen to.
this sounded like a panic attack when i’m overwhelmed
I really wanted to like this, but I just didn't. It was a lot of goofy vocals on top of mediocre music and in the end I was just glad it was over. I recognize that Zappa was a huge pioneer in the sphere of avant garde music, and I do appreciate that, but I just didn't get this album. One star.
Satire is all well and good but this albums satire is lost on me as a present day listener and doesn't have much else going for it.
Was going to give it a 2 star then "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet" came on and sealed the 1 star rating. An album that sounds really bad sober and clean, and likely is still as bad stoned! Hard pass.
In a nutshell: fuck the freak scene The Mothers are parodying a lot here: pop music, teen romance songs, doo wop, the LA freak out counterculture, etc. It's weird mashup of genres, which is expected here. It may have been one of rock's first concept albums, probably ahead of its time. I don't think listeners in 1966 were quite ready for this kind of music. I didn't like this, but I can see why it's on the list. Overall: 2/10
Pretentious Experimental Crap Rock. This so-called satirical album from the mid-1960s hasn't aged well - was there ever a time when it was funny?
Music to chew bubblegum to. Actually criminal that right when you think you're close, they hit you with a 12 minute song that is just random sounds.
I get it, it's a satire, but it doesn't land for me. Didn't finish and no desire to revisit. First 1
Weird. Some of the songs are good despite the weirdness. I don't know why there's so much kazoo. The last two songs are basically unlistenable.
Another one best imagined performed by Muppets; to wit, I give you Floyd's composition, Fugue for Frog: https://youtu.be/wXaaqb8aja8?si=pTIGgWjGDYssaS1B
Uggh, in spite of proclaim actions of musical genius….I have never been able to connect with Frank. At all.
Frank Zappa continues to assault my ears
One of the most annoying things I’ve listened to not just for this project but ever in my entire life
I dont give out many 1s. This is the worst album I have ever heard, but I love it in a sense. There are some good tracks, surprisingly. "Trouble Every Day" and "Anyway The Wind Blows" are added to my personal playlist. The fact that there are good songs on the album makes it worse in a sense. For example, the Adam & The Ants album on this list is clearly a 1 Star album. Bad from beginning to end. "Freak Out!" on the other hand is like going on bad first date. Awkward at first, then you see the good in the person midway through, but quickly find out that they have some weird s*it going on. Imagine if you gave an insane person acid, then let them into the DJ room in the back of Guitar Center. That is what experiencing "Help, I'm a Rock" is like.
What am I listening to. I mean yeah I guess. Okay. Like whatever. I've never been a fan of concept albums. Even the pioneering ones I suppose. Does the music stay ironic or do they try to make it good sometime. Like I honestly just don't wanna listen to this. So I'm not going to. Not for me sorry. Favourite: Least favourite:
ummmmmmmm....... not my cup of tea.....
My biases about Frank Zappa inform me, prior to listening to this album that there's no way I'm listening to 60 minutes of his band. We'll see Yeah, pretty shit. If you guys think people who make music suck so much, rather than make fun of them, do better than them, you smug fucks. This is like the trope of the old guy outside the construction site telling the workers how to do their jobs. Shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up. ⭐
when the improv troupe decides to try their hand at music
2/10
I am generally a fan of Frank Zappa but other than one track this was un-listenable.
I will play this to my kids to deter them from ever taking drugs. I wanted it to end so badly it pained me. Like a really bad trip man. Someone spiked my tea.
Could not listen to the whole thing!
Bad wtf
Mijn tenen zijn 90 graden gaan krommen. Ik wil nooit meer naar dit album gaan luisteren. Los van dat de stemmen natuurlijk vals zijn, dat kan ook een gimmick zijn. Maar bij zoveel nummers aan het begin van het album zitten de lettergrepen van de tekst op precies dezelfde tel als de drum en baslijn, wat heel amateuristisch klinkt. Komt die klote kazoo ook nog langs. Wauwie zowie is verschrikkelijk. Opeens is er een nummer die wel goed is: trouble every day. Daarna wordt het helemaal kut en onluisterbaar. Ik luister nog liever naar het gejank van Yoko Ono in de get back serie. Ik ben blij dat deze leidensweg nu voorbij is.
Unlisteneable
This is terrible
Thank fuck I only have to listen to this once
The joke was never funny in the first place.
just hooting and hollering
So annoying
why are we doing this can someone with the book tell me wtf we're doing here
Almost every song sounds like a band that’s parodied on Portlandia. I’m pretty sure Fred Armisen plays a kazoo at some point in the show. The only two listenable songs were “Go Cry on Someone Else’s Shoulder” and "Trouble Every Day," but were also the most traditionally structured songs. One hour long, but it seemed absolutely endless. I hope to never hear this ever again.
A bit heavy on the “hey look how wacky I am” for my taste
Too eccentric and odd.
ass
I get that it's supposed to be satire but it's hurting my ears and it's shit
Didn’t realise this was frank Zappa’s band but now it makes so much sense. Absolute shitter do an album. I don’t care if it laid the ground work for satirical albums after it’s such a pain to listen to. One hour too long in my opinion. Was having a rough mental day and had to switch off the last song and take a rest to preserve my mental stability. Specific rating 0.6 Fav song - go cry on somebody else’s shoulder Least fav- the return of the song of monster magnet.
No
I dont know why this is on this list. It feels like you can only enjoy this if you're half naked in the woods in the middle of summer high.
I've no problem with satire but this is just a (presumably drug addled) mess.
Crap, crap, crap!
For this type of music, this is insanely long The first half is okay The end run is embarrassing. Some of its so fucking bad. Terrible It cant happen here? Well it did and it fucking sucks
Really bad stuff.
First time listening to anything Frank Zappa….underwhelmed. I’m sure in 1966 this was crazy and weird but it sounded very tame today. 1 star
Self-indulgent contrarian racket. I love that Zappa exists/existed, but really glad I don't have to hear it often. Not as clever as he thought it was? Or too clever to actually work? Dunno.
If you’re going to force me to sit through an hour of smug, anti-music satire, you’ve gotta give me something funnier than cream cheese
Zappa just isn’t my thing.
A couple of the songs had a Beatles vibe to begin and then quickly went sideways. I pretty much made my mind up about this album from the first song. I don’t care if it’s supposed to be satirical. 15 minutes of my life I won’t get back after blowing through this crap. Just not for me, had to give it a 1 despite knowing it was influential.
Oh my god. I hate this.
After about 4 full songs I started skipping as soon as something annoyed me. I didn't make it through a single full song after that.
Have you ever been not in on an inside joke? NOTES: 1. Tribe-specific warps require you having 2 of that tribe for Lesser and 3 for Greater 2. 3 and more types you qualify for "menagerie" warps 3. Tribe-specific heroes can always get their tribe warps (Hoggar can always get Pirate warps etc.) 4. Animations are BAD pls fix 5. Mech Tier 6 (Apexis) is super strong 6. Lord of Gains is unplayable 7. Murlocs are busted as always 8. Wait for balance patch to play Dragons (they're bad)
I generally like Zappa's stuff but I have been avid about disliking his early stuff. This is one such example. Most of this is unlistenable, pretentious noise. It took him 8 years to produce a good version of "Trouble Every Day" which is testament to him improving as a musician. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTkNxr7z7ao Also, this is how I find out that the entire live recording of his 1947 A Token Of His Extreme show has been taken off of youtube. What a fucked up day
I will never listen to this album again
Not for me. I get what they are doing, but it’s not my thing.
this is the first band that I have never even heard of, so that's exciting. based on the cover and the year, I'm guessing this is going to be a psychedelic moment. Hungry Freaks, Daddy: interesting, not sure what to think about it. it's pretty bad but it feels like it's in an intentional confrontational way, like proto-punk? it has political lyrics as well which makes me think this album is on here because it was influential in that way, if that's the case that's super neat. I Ain't Got No Heart: again, not something I would really listen to but they keep making choices that are so interesting for an album from the 60's (the pig squealing and screaming guitars at the end???). Who Are The Brain Police?: throwing this one to my "extremely bad songs to trip to" playlist immediately. strange strange track Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder: pretty standard doo-wop ballad type deal but it definitely feels like it's ironic + poking fun at the genre, especially the last verse Motherly Love: maybe writing a song about dating/fucking a barely 18 year old girl by comparing it to a parent-child relationship is not the move. especially not a boring song How Could I Be Such A Fool: decent one. I can't really get into the sound of it but there's something there for sure. Wowie Zowie: this is such a stupid song lol. "I don't even care if you shave your legs" feminist icon + very generous of him You Didn't Try To Call Me: what happened to all the experimental stuff at the start of the album? sounds like the Price is Right theme song but it builds into something really cool about halfway through Anyway The Wind Blows: this one's catchy, easy to listen to I'm Not Satisfied: "maybe I'll just kill myself, I just don't care no more" real shit. it's like darksided Billy Joel. interesting track You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here: one of the dorkiest songs I've ever heard. kazoo solo. YEEUHHH! Trouble Every Day: harmonica loud as hell in the mix. not sure the political analysis holds up today but it's dope how it cements the song in its time. he had a little bit of white guilt before having a little bit of white guilt was cool. Help, I'm A Rock: dude sounds like the sample from Mercy by Kanye. this is maybe an insane thing to say but I can see the through-line from this to something like Chat Pile today. It Can't Happen Here: when people tell me they have ADHD this is what I imagine is going on inside their brain. I respect the experimentation even though I hate it. pretty objectively one of the worst songs I've ever heard The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet: 12.5 minute song, locking in. this is the craziest sheet of lyrics I've ever seen, bro is post-verbal. it is truly just noises but I guess every other song is too. second addition to my "extremely bad songs to trip to" playlist conflicted on this album. I didn't actually enjoy a single song on here but I enjoyed getting to hear it and I appreciate it for what it is. it pushes boundaries and provokes in a lot of ways, and there's experimentation on here that telegraphs so many different directions that music ended up going in. it's the first record I've gotten that feels like it's genuinely influential and moving the culture forward instead of just a collection of good songs from a point in time. cool stuff __ SCORE: 3/10 ADDED TO (my actual) PLAYLIST: --
I mean...it's good to know that performative quirkiness wasn't invented by us millennials and has been around since the 60s, when these guys did it. Nothing feels inventive here, just whimsical...the few listenable songs are ultimately dull and forgettable. Michael Gira allegedly formed Swans soon after seeing Zappa live...as he wanted to create music which was "exact opposite" of whatever noodling Frank was doing that day.
FUCK this
if I made this I probably wouldn’t release it idk
Cancer to the ears. This is metaverse level unnecessary. The kinda shit you'd hear while being trained to withstand torture.