THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION: FREAK OUT!

Frank Zappa

RIO/Avant-Prog

3.92 | 752 ratings

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JLocke
Prog Reviewer

''I had my car re-upholstered . . . I got my hair processed . . . I got a nice pompadour job on it . . . I bought a new pair of shoes . . . I got some new khakis and I met you . . . And we went out to get a Coca-Cola . . . ''

I think for a debut, this album is very strong. For a Zappa album, it is nowhere near as good as what he would release later. There are moments of some Jazz here and there, some Doo-wop, but mostly this is just Rock music. Very clever, well-played Rock, but still, just Rock. The Avant-Garde stuff wouldn't really come into play until later, and while the off-the-wall humor is still here, the music quality itself is what really counts, and there are almost as many weaker tracks on here as there are stronger ones. But that's just my way of looking at it.

I think the playing and such is great as usual, but this is much more accessible music by Zappa standards, and honestly, it just doesn't compare to the masterpieces such as Hot Rats and One Size Fits All. But we all have to start somewhere-- even Frank.

The Mothers laid the groundwork with this one, but things would only get better from here, for the most part. I would suggest this as a good entry album for non-Zappa fans, especially if they don't like Prog Rock all that much. Only one song on here is long, and the rest are very easy to digest, even the more wacky ones. Some people say this was the first Double-LP in Rock history, but others say it was Dylan's Blonde On Blonde. Frankly, I don't care. The bottom line is that it is worth owning simply for no other reason than it was Zappa and The Mothers' first release. It's very funny, and has a lot to offer, but it's no masterpiece. the music would continue to advance from this point, but it is still an impressive place to start.

JLocke | 3/5 | 2010-3-18

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