FRANK ZAPPA

When asked in interviews; about his favorite Frank Zappa song; Frank Zappa answered back 2 or 3 names; the only always constant one was "Watermelon in Eastern Hay" included in this far-off story of a "normal" guy who decides to travel the USA garage-band route of Rock n Roll stardom. And "musicians in general" as the route is well-known by any popular or underground any-genre artists . Intelligent not "intellectual" as the character "Joe" and his narrator of actions , thoughts and feelings; for us outsiders; the self-named "Central-Scrutinizer". This narrator ( detached/attached with empathy) will take us all the way through this Masterpiece in its whole " 3-Acts" kind of old-radio show story . Ok!; besides that whole focus of the project and the usual extremely talented musicians F. Zappa was so demanding of requiring; the whole "sound-track" moves around the story; so we will get a taste of a lot of not so visited genre-styles in a the very wide "Zappaesq" language extensions; as to understand the different moods "Joe" goes through; in this; cliched and also personal "self-encountered discoveries" in his own persona; as well as on the road. So reggae; garage rock, Zappas rock, Jazz and the Blues (the mentioned "WiEH"). Topped with intelligent as opposed to intellectaul humour and the understanding of " the cruel censorship state of the government towards the "power" of music at the time" (come to think about it nowdays; 2013, the "The Pussy Riot" imprisonment in Russia just to set a random "today" known "example"). Great song composition (controlled mayhem) and funny lyrics.... ( also in a far-fetched comparisson in story not music; "Joe" in this case and "Pinky" on the other european version; at the end of the day; encounter the same answers to their beliefs and problems; also the same industry and parasites. Sell-out! or Die! There is no time for frugalitIes like "Art"; Sad but true and we all know that. 5 MASTERPIECE STARS

Considered by many as a superior follow-up to The Mothers debut album 'Freak Out!' and arguably the strongest of the group's opening triumvirate of studio albums, 'Absolutely Free' pretty much picks up where it's predecessor left off, the surreal stream-of-conciousness lyrics, acid jazz hues, psychedelic flourishes and absurdist humour all present. This time, however, the scattergun approach of 'Freak Out!' has been replaced with stronger, seemingly more focused songwriting, both from the lyrical and musical ends, with 'Absolutely Free' serving up a strong set list peppered with a handful of absolute Zappa classics in the shape of the gloriously bizarre 'Choose Any Vegetable' and the wonderful seven-minute psych pastiche 'Brown Shoes Don't Make It'. Anarchic is probably the best word, then, to sum up 'Absolute Free', though one other word does come to mind: Brilliant. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2013

It all began here for Frank & The Mothers, on a monumentally-weird double-album designed to both lampoon and celebrate - and occasionally eviscerate - the burgeoning 'underground' culture cliques of the 1960's. At the time, there was nothing quite like the surreal mixture of humour and psychedelia offered by 'Freak Out', and the album thankfully set in motion one of the most extraordinary and diverse of rock careers, whilst also encouraging the great wave of late-sixties acid rock. However, despite musically embracing elements of psychedelic rock, jazz and the avant-garde, Zappa favoured his own peculiar form of sonic satire, embracing the absurd above all else and thus remaining eternally unpredictable. His disdain for various components of the music industry - fans, groups, record executives - became the basis for much of his early comedy, and 'Freak Out', an album that hovers almost perfectly between the brilliant and the bizarre, set the trend. Issued in 1966 on the MGM-owned Verve imprint, 'Freak Out' only came about thanks to the hard work and dedication of not just Frank and The Mothers, but also because of the trojan-strength behind-the-scenes hustling of MGM staff producer Tom Wilson. Apart from The Beatles 'Rubber Soul' and the then-rather-insignificant Texan psych-rock of Roky Erickson's 13th Floor Elevators, psychedelia had yet to flower into the significant musical scene of two years later, and the only music suit with any power who believed in the Mothers sound was Wilson. With MGM executives reportedly less-than-impressed by Zappa's demo recordings and the group's bohemian look, and the fact that 'Freak Out!' actually got produced seems quite incredible. Originally, it was seen as a non-starter throughout the L.A. music biz However, despite the hurdles, 'Freak Out!' did get made, and the album launched a truly wonderful career. It may prove to be a slightly divisive album for Zappa fans - many love it; many others don't - yet it arguably merits a place in the lower echelons of the great man's all-time top ten. Highlights, then, are frequent. Opener 'Hungry Freaks, Daddy' features an infectious melody and witty late-night lyrics, initiating proceedings with giddy energy. 'Who Are The Brain Police?' and 'Wowie Zowie' alternate between sinister agit-rock gloom and surreal jitterbug psychedelia, whilst the intoxicating absurdist gusto of 'Help! I'm A Rock' features a strange, sub-mainstream pop slant brushed with glowering vocals and intricate jazz hues. Unlike many subsequent albums, Zappa doesn't dominate, and much must be made of The Mothers, each of whom add their own peculiar shades of madness and musical brilliance to a riotous blend of disparate styles and manic stream-of-conciousness lyricism. In the end, the effect proves almost cinematic, leaving behind a kaleidoscopic swirl of colours and sounds, and making for one of the most extraordinary musical debuts of the modern era. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2013

It's been said before, but it's probably true: this is the place to start if you've never got into Zappa before. Then again, I've been listening to his music since I was a baby, so I don't have the point of view of someone who is new to the Zappa universe. What I have realized is that this album, along with "Apostrophe (')" (another good starting place) seems to be a wonderful combination of everything Frank was good at. There are great compositions, superb musicians, guitar solos galore and of course the hilarious but raunchy lyrics that can either offend or amuse. Of course, it's a good idea to listen to Zappa with an open mind and hear what he has to say (and there's a lot- look at how many albums he's put out).

The album is short for a Zappa album, but the songs are all top-notch, if somewhat similar in structure. By this, I mean that they all have lyrics, verse and chorus, and a guitar solo. I think that even fans of the super-popular and idolized "guitar gods" like Vai or Satriani will enjoy hearing Zappa's solos on this album, which all pack a lot of energy. I believe the solo on "Montana" has been talked about more often and is considered one of his best, which I can't argue with. But around these stellar solos are songs that show how musically inspired Zappa could be. Frank said at one time that (paraphrasing here) the lyrics didn't matter as much as the music, and while I tend to agree with that, I am also often in a kind of awe at his ability to express himself lyrically. On a song like "Dinah-Moh Humm", many people will focus on the "dirty" lyrics and miss out on the real genius of the melodies and instrumental arrangements. But the lyrics are also what make the song so unique and fun to listen to. I suppose Frank can't help it if some people loathe the song, but I personally find it intriguing, funny, and an example of interesting storytelling with ingenious metaphors left and right.

There's also "I'm The Slime", which is able to make a very important statement about the media while at the same time showcasing Zappa's ability to make absolutely nasty noises with his guitar. "Camarillo Brillo" starts the album and is almost a pop song in its structure and catchiness, with lyrics that take a backseat to the music. "Dirty Love" might be even raunchier and offensive than "Dinah-Moh Humm", but with a sense of humor you can have a lot of fun listening to it. "Fifty-Fifty" and "Zomby Woof" are two songs sung by Ricky Lancelotti, whose screaming, crazed vocals make them truly wild songs. And of course, "Montana", which is one of Zappa's best known songs and closes the album with someone's daydream of growing a crop of dental floss and riding a Pygmy pony. Another example of Frank's storytelling and lyrical prowess.

I will give this album four stars, but know that I think this is probably THE ideal place to start if you are new to Zappa. I know everyone else has already said it, but I'll repeat the advice, because on this album Frank really showed what he could do best and made an album that would be perfect for any rock fan to own. Then again, it is definitely only the tip of the iceberg in terms of his work. The amount of diversity and excellence throughout the Zappa catalog is astounding, and in my opinion Over-Nite Sensation is one of the better, but not one of the best, that he has. So be sure to explore much more if you're interested.

"America" music wise: A lot of great things were happening to music specially to north-American popular music; the USA to be exact; I mean; Benny Goodman playing alongside Bela Bartok! The music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane, Satchmo, Ella, Billie, the Duke and a long list of etcs ... The majority of these "great things" came from the "black Jazz" scene; as you probably guessed. Frank Zappa never denied his fondness for USAs heritage and popular music. Half his work; mocks at it; and the other half is used wisely. It has to be fun at least; to find out; as fact; that your best music was coming from "black" people, Yes ! those guys again! How "painful" that your best "export" comes from those you thought less of.... (Intention, law and accident.) Frank Zappa more cunning; craftily took the "chunkiest part" (not everything was gold) absorved it and re-composed it more to his own goals, more to his needs. . If asked; my other favorite Zappa record of 3 ; will be this one. Here he has self-lowered from all the mayhem they launched off. In "One Size Fits All"; he realizes he can go anywhere without the over-sized frenzy of some earlier works. In my opinion; not as historian but as audiophile; this work shows the real magnitude of scopes that he could display; without over-doing everything in pose of novelty or jokes.( that does not mean that this work is humor-less, quiet the opposite; HUMOUR here; serves the music, not the other way around. . To my benefit; I started my audiophile: ZAPPA discography: with this album. When I turned back for earlier works; to me they sounded kind of "primitive" or too "Miles Davisy" (Hot Rats; as great as it is; still stood too close to the Avant/Garde Jazz of the time; which of course is great; ..but..that is not the goal of any respectful composer; to sound like someone else. In plain english; to me he started to sound like the Frank Zappa we now know; until his last Jazz/Rock works. So maybe that is why I appreciate this Masterpiece so much. To me; it was the day Frank Zappa was born, (in my mind of course.) ...If you like Modern Jazz/ Avant Garde Jazz (without the eternal detourings), (or/and the Chicago Blues scene), RIO rock ; or plain Rock n Roll; you will rave over this one. Pure fun in an original musical language... 5 STARS

This review is based on the 2012 reissue.

Possibly one of the most underrated Zappa albums of the 80s, with good reason, but sometimes I'm not sure.

This album features the most Roy Estrada since the original Mothers in the 60s, but not on bass, but on vocals. They're generally funny, especially on The Radio Is Broken.

The instrumentals are fantastic, and are the kinds of tunes you hear and go "How can people rip on this album so hard?"

Well, the reason I believe people dislike this album is because of the 'meltdown' tracks. You know, like The Blue Light from Tinseltown Rebellion, or the beginning of Drowning Witch, but on the Man From Utopia, there's 3 of them. The Radio Is Broken, as I said before, is pretty funny, maybe a little too long though. I warn you, make sure you're not eating anything when you listen to The Jazz Discharge Party Hats, as the story Zappa tells is kind of gross. I personally think the meltdown tunes are funny, but it makes the album only good in small doses, which then makes you appreciate the instrumentals that much more. I'm telling you the instrumentals rival anything Frank released in the 70s.

The other songs here are stuff like Cocaine Decisions and SEX, which are simpler songs, the former is alright, and have humorous lyrics, but SEX was not necessary, though I can see how it might have raised some "eyebrows" in the early 80s. Stick Together is an alright song, but overuses the reggae rhythms that Zappa loved to use in this period. Luigi and The Wise Guys is a drum-less doo-wop song added for the CD release, with lots of Roy Estrada again. The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou is probably the best song on the album (not counting the amazing instrumentals), with some good vocal parts, good chorus, and some funny falsetto vocals.

In case you weren't paying attention, the album features 3 instrumentals (Tink Walks Amok, We Are Not Alone, and Moggio) which are Zappa classics, especially Moggio, which is on at least 3 or 4 live albums. These tunes show that even in the 80s, Zappa's bands were an unstoppable force that could play ANYTHING! We Are Not Alone is possibly the best song Zappa wrote in the 80s, there's something really triumphant about it, and feel-good too; that sax part is incredibly catchy. Tink Walks Amok is mostly a Arthur Barrow workout, with some great runs and slap bass coming from the man's fingers. I love that slap bass sound from Barrow, it's a big reason why I enjoy Frank's albums from Joe's Garage til the mid-80s albums.

The cover art is one of the coolest covers in the entire Zappa discography. Just plain silly, yet bad-ass.

Not for the Zappa newbie. Probably not even for the Zappa novice. But I'd say once you've gotten all or most of the essential Zappa albums, this album and a couple other 80s albums like Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch, You Are What You Is, and Mothers of Prevention should be picked up and enjoyed. Someone once said the 80s albums (both rock and classical) were more like rewards for the Zappa fan that stuck through with him through the 70s. Generally can only be appreciated by Zappa fans, but a great album nonetheless, if only for those marvelous instrumentals which make the album worth owning.

Like most other progressive rock artists from the previous two decades, Frank Zappa's output in the eighties' traditionally receives rather mixed reception; whether it's due to his increasingly obscene humor or slightly less experimental songwriting approach during this time period, albums like 1983's The Man From Utopia are usually overlooked by folks that haven't taken the time to explore his massive discography. This is a bit of a shame because, in spite of its numerous flaws, this album does a lot of things right and contains some absolutely classic Zappa tunes. The Man From Utopia ultimately isn't something I'd label as 'essential', but its highlights make it worth investigating despite some consistency issues.

The Man From Utopia is probably among the more commercial-sounding Zappa releases, with tracks like "Cocaine Decisions", "Sex", "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou", and "Stick Together" coming across as pretty straightforward comedy rock. Not coincidentally, these are also my least favorite tracks - though none of these songs are unlistenable, they come across as unadventurous and juvenile. Fortunately, The Man From Utopia does contain some great instrumental tracks ("Tink Walks Amok", "We Are Not Alone", and "Moggio", the latter being one of my favorite Zappa tunes) as well as a few songs that sound unique even within his own discography. Characterized by bizarre lyrics, off-key singing, and sporadic song structure, songs like "The Radio Is Broken", "The Dangerous Kitchen", and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" are not for everybody, but I find them quite enjoyable and interesting. "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" is particularly audacious, with the odd lyrics about sniffing dirty underwear (yuck!) and crazy guitar work from Steve Vai making it a lot of fun to listen to.

Across the board, the lineup on this album has to be one of Zappa's most underrated ensembles - the overall musicianship is impeccable, and this can be heard immediately on a track like "Moggio". It's unfortunate that The Man From Utopia suffers from some pretty patchy songwriting, because it has all of the right ingredients to create a classic Zappa album. Still, while this may not be the most memorable Frank Zappa release, The Man From Utopia's best tracks make it worth a purchase for any fan of the man's music.

The first album with Frank's face dominating the cover art. You know it's a good Zappa album when his face is staring right at you on the cover.

This second album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers is a big step up from the debut. Compositionally, the music is more complex, but also, the humor works for most of the album, as opposed to Freak Out! where I didn't find most of the songs funny, though they were trying to be. That Zappa cynicism is in full force, and no matter how crazy the music gets, you can't help but chuckle at certain times. "Call Any Vegetable" is one of the funniest Zappa songs ever, and the music is very eclectic as well.

This album is also the first time we see Frank stretch out on some of the music, as can be heard on "Invocation & Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin", one of the earliest examples of jazz-rock/fusion. The music is just rockin'.

Most of the music on the rest of the album, however, is a mix of 60s rock and psychedelia, with some more melodic and dramatic pieces like "Duke of Prunes", a Zappa classic. But of course, it's a 60s Mothers album, so expect some wild and zany parts, as well as some experimentation and dissonance pieces. Zappa's classical influence is still somewhat missing here, as before with FO!, but shows up right after this album.

Lots of conceptual continuity going on here, like male and female orgasm noises to reflect an incident Frank had in the mid-60s when recording girls making such noises; more references to Suzy Creamcheese, vegetables, Big Leg Emma before it originally appeared on Lather and Zappa in New York version, and more. What's scary is that the topics Frank talks about on this album are still as relevant in America in the 2010s as they were in the mid-late-60s. "The President is sick", "Plastic People", America's drinking problem", "Wanna buy some pencils?", etc...

Always ahead of his time, the format for this album consists of two suites book-ending the album, with two individual songs in between providing some relief from the suites. All this in 1967, years before Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and other prog rock giants were doing anything like that (or even existed as bands yet). Be aware that the original vinyl did not include those 2 songs.

This is one of those albums you just listen to in it's entirety, as the sum is greater than its parts. All the songs in each suite flow into each other. Make sure you to get the 2012 reissue, as the sound problems such as added reverb from older CD versions have been removed, and the mix reverts to the original analog version. Essential Zappa album.

This album, a collection of mostly live tracks recorded by Frank Zappa and the Mothers from 1969 through 1971, with a few of Frank's studio experiments, would be deserving of a higher rating had it been released when FZ originally compiled it, back when he was recovering from an injury caused by an idiot fan in 1971.

But released now, it is good, but the value has been diminished by having about two thirds of the album released on other albums, sometimes with different edits.

But of course, this is Zappa's music, and as such, it is a joy to listen to. While the titles make it appear that this is an album of all previously unknown tracks, it turns out that most of them, even the experiments, are known to the true Zappaphile under other names. My presumption is that these titles are the ones FZ assigned when he completed the album, and the family trust wanted to released it as such.

One low point: I really don't like listening to Frank conducting Roy Estrada, with his shrill falsetto, so having yet another irritating recording of Squeeze It, Squeeze It, Squeeze It is not welcome.

Frank Zappa would release better albums, with and without the Mothers of Invention. But let's put the achievement of "Freak Out!" into historical perspective. What was musically hot in 1966? Well, the Mamas and the Papas had two songs in that year's Billboard Top Ten, and The Monkees were there too ("Last Train to Clarkesville"). But the Number One hit of that bygone year was "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by Barry Sadler: solid proof that we desperately needed someone like Frank Zappa at the time.

There are a lot of ways to approach the Mothers' debut album: as affectionate rock 'n' roll parody; biting music biz commentary; cage-rattling social satire; uncomplicated teenybopper pop; even embryonic Krautrock (more about that later). Together they add up to an all-of-the-above, five-star accomplishment, successfully juggling each brightly colored conceptual egg without allowing so much as a hairline crack to show.

Later Zappa efforts might choose a particular weapon for his ongoing fight against the status quo: avant-garde noise; virtuoso Fusion; smutty humor. But the genius of "Freak Out!" was that it managed to overturn the mainstream applecart without bruising any of the fruit. The lovelorn teen romance of "Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder", the giddy bubblegum conventions of "Wowie Zowie", can all be accepted at face value, or parsed for (not so) hidden subversive meanings, with equally gratifying results.

The joke would turn to vitriol in the album's final tracks, beginning with "Trouble Every Day", one of the cornerstone protest songs of the 1960s, and even more relevant in the widening schism of the 21st century. But the weirdness wasn't confined to Side Four of the original LP: note the complete structural breakdown in the middle of "Who Are the Brain Police?", or the cutting-edge lyrics driving the album opener "Hungry Freaks, Daddy".

This may sound chauvinistic (and maybe a little pompous), but "Freak Out!" was a very American record, by a quintessential American artist. But while the album didn't excite anything more than cult interest in the U.S. (attracting likeminded musical misfits like the RESIDENTS), it had an immediate impact overseas, and nowhere more than among the counterculture rebels of late '60s Germany. The hypnotic one-chord mantra of "Help, I'm a Rock" might have been designed as a Krautrock template; the dada collage of "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet" was prototypical FAUST, a half-decade early; and if you remove the lyrics from "Trouble Every Day" what's left is hardly distinguishable from an early CAN jam.

(...a quick digression: The Mothers' appearance at the Essen Song Day Festival in 1968 was another watershed moment in Krautrock history. And the same event saw the splitting of the AMON DÜÜL commune into two competing bands.)

"You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here", Zappa sang in 1966. In retrospect the reason was obvious: to shake the dust from our cultural complacency and take aim at the failures of LBJ's Great Society, tongue firmly in cheek and finger steady on the trigger.