The Mothers of Invention - Absolutely Free (1967)

This one isn't as good as the last one. It's not bad, don't get me wrong! There is some fantastic stuff on Absolutely Free, but as a record, I find it a bit underwhelming. It's way too frantic and unfocused for my tastes. The first side consists of the "Call Any Vegetable" suite, in which Zappa and the gang sing about plastic people with the minds of vegetables or something? The lyrics are mind-bogglingly stupid (which is saying a lot, considering that this is Frank Zappa we're talking about), but musically? This is probably one of the most accomplished things the early Mothers ever put together. There are so many fantastic hooks and melodies conducted here and it all just comes together in the end. That's great and all, but unfortunately side B also exists. This side has four songs I don't like much and never think about and ends with two fantastic songs, those being "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" (an almost miniature musical filled with bizarre and scatological lyrics) and "America Drinks and Goes Home" (a wonderful piece of vocal jazz which ends with the group being drowned out by a crowd in a casino). Absolutely Free is good, but it very much stands in the shadow of the album that preceded it. Still has some essential tunes and is an important step in Frank's journey.

7/10

The Mothers of Invention - Freak Out! (1966)

A fantastic first foray into Frank's freaky fcrazy fworld! This is an excellent record, and one of Frank's best releases in the realm of straight up rock n' roll music. Freak Out! opens with the tune "Hungry Freaks, Daddy", which sets an immediate tone for the rest of the record. Satirical, but not self-serious. Funny, but not in some sort of "comedy rock" ghetto. Weird, but still very catchy. Lengthy, but not nearly as exhausting as a redundant list of comparisons in some rando's blog review. The record continues with this attitude for the rest of the first disc, with several highlights including the doo-wop inspired breakup tune, "Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder", the Pet Sounds-esque "How Could I Be Such A Fool", and the downright normal '60s pop of "Anyway The Wind Blows". Then the second disc opens with "Trouble Every Day", a very obvious satirical blues highlight. After that, we're treated to "Help I'm A Rock" and "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet", two absolutely insane numbers in which it seems that the freaks that the Mothers have been referencing for the entire album have finally taken over. They truly need to be heard to be believed. Frank's first record truly is an achievement, and an important piece in not only Zappa history, but in rock n' roll history.

9/10