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In the "libretto" accompanying the second effort from the Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa offers an unusual introduction to his endeavor: "The music of the MOTHERS speaks of the feelings of what might be described as THE VAST MINORITY. The feelings of the people on the fringe of everything," he writes. It's a gonzo mission statement that doubles as a canny counter-culture marketing ploy, and it goes on to describe that minority as people who "don't care if they're IN or OUT … don't care if they're HIP, HEP, SWINGIN' or ZORCH."
Presumably the Zorch contingent resonated with the frantic, random-seeming musical juxtapositions and word-salad art that Zappa was slinging here. Absolutely Free touches on subjects that became integral to subsequent Zappa rants—the rise of clueless consumer culture, the worship of status—but often in diffuse, narrative-free fashion. Where later Zappa commentaries register as multi-level satire, tunes like "Plastic People" hardly make cultural arguments at all—they're closer to the delighted ravings of those hearing their voices on tape for the first time.
The chaos within the wordplay amounts to adolescent lampoonery when compared with the rigorous delirium that prevails within the music. Zappa and his exceedingly talented collaborators understood and could evoke the allure of Motown hits (see "The Duke of Prunes") and the mesmeric qualities of the blues ("Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?"). But they were also at home quoting Holst and Stravinsky, or executing whiplash-inducing transitions between free-form jamming and intricate ensemble writing. Their cohesion is riveting, particularly on the standout "Brown Shoes Don't Make It." Though not as fully realized as the music that followed, Absolutely Free is not simply a scattered jumble of seeds but more like a series of roadmaps and ideas that sometimes lead to exalted states, and sometimes detour down sketchy dead-end streets, where there are no vegetables. © Tom Moon/Qobuz
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Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Frank Zappa, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tom Wilson, Producer - The Mothers Of Invention, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Zappa Family Trust
Albumbeschreibung
In the "libretto" accompanying the second effort from the Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa offers an unusual introduction to his endeavor: "The music of the MOTHERS speaks of the feelings of what might be described as THE VAST MINORITY. The feelings of the people on the fringe of everything," he writes. It's a gonzo mission statement that doubles as a canny counter-culture marketing ploy, and it goes on to describe that minority as people who "don't care if they're IN or OUT … don't care if they're HIP, HEP, SWINGIN' or ZORCH."
Presumably the Zorch contingent resonated with the frantic, random-seeming musical juxtapositions and word-salad art that Zappa was slinging here. Absolutely Free touches on subjects that became integral to subsequent Zappa rants—the rise of clueless consumer culture, the worship of status—but often in diffuse, narrative-free fashion. Where later Zappa commentaries register as multi-level satire, tunes like "Plastic People" hardly make cultural arguments at all—they're closer to the delighted ravings of those hearing their voices on tape for the first time.
The chaos within the wordplay amounts to adolescent lampoonery when compared with the rigorous delirium that prevails within the music. Zappa and his exceedingly talented collaborators understood and could evoke the allure of Motown hits (see "The Duke of Prunes") and the mesmeric qualities of the blues ("Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?"). But they were also at home quoting Holst and Stravinsky, or executing whiplash-inducing transitions between free-form jamming and intricate ensemble writing. Their cohesion is riveting, particularly on the standout "Brown Shoes Don't Make It." Though not as fully realized as the music that followed, Absolutely Free is not simply a scattered jumble of seeds but more like a series of roadmaps and ideas that sometimes lead to exalted states, and sometimes detour down sketchy dead-end streets, where there are no vegetables. © Tom Moon/Qobuz
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:32
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Frank Zappa The Mothers Of Invention
- Composer: Frank Zappa
- Label: Frank Zappa Catalog
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2021 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2012 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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