THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION: ABSOLUTELY FREE

In 1967, two months befor the Beatles released "Sgt. Pepper", Frank Zappa released his first album of absolute brilliance. Full of complex time signatures, classical references, and scathing political and social commentary, Zappa showed that he was truly ahead of his time. Who, at that time, was playing anything like this music?

Zappa's lyrics alternate between weird and incisive. His targets on this album are commerciality, alcoholism, middle-class angst, and vegetables. His band and the recording studio of the time are his only limitations. While this group, still mostly the same band as "Freak Out", is competent, Frank's music pushes them to their limit. They perform all of the twists and turns he gives them, but at times you can hear the band on the edge of losing their grip. And wouldn't it be great to hear this album sound like it was recorded on newer equipment?

Still, works like Call Any Vegetable, America Drinks (I can just picture Frank conducting the band in that very odd timing), and Brown Shoes Don't Make It put Zappa at a completely different level than any other musician of that era.