THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION: ABSOLUTELY FREE

Abolutely Free is a definite step forward from The Mothers' debut Freak Out! Zappa's lyrics are sounding more and more witty and intelligent, and the band plays with a lot more prowess this time around. The album is split into two sections, "Absolutely Free" and "The Mothers of Invention American Pageant."

Part one opens with the excellent Plastic People, which lambastes aspects of American life from the President to women. It is one of the best tunes written with the Mothers. Then, they give us two suites in a row: The Duke of Prunes suite and the Vegetable suite. Both are great fun and flaunt that wacky sense of humor that defined early Zappa records (later records were more biting in their wit). The bonus tracks Big Leg Emma and Why Don't Cha Do Me Right are classic Zappa with his irreverent sexual humor on full display.

The M.O.I. Pageant side isn't nearly as good as the first. The exception is the glorious Brown Shoes Don't Make It, which is the best song Zappa ever wrote with the Mothers without question. It's good great lyrics and some of Frank's most avant garde composition. Stunning. The rest of the songs are decent, but they lack any of the lyrical fun of Zappa, though the retain much of the instrumental giddiness.

All in all, Absolutely Free is a fun album, but the second side really brings down the album as a whole. AF is a must own for Zappa fans, but like Freak Out!, it has yet to show the Mothers' true potential. That would come with their next release...

Grade: C+