THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION: ABSOLUTELY FREE

Truly an outstanding album. I find this second Mothers album to be sadly underrated. It is clearly better than the praised follow-up album "We're Only In It For The Money", which is of course excellent too, but not as good as this. The main reason this album is the least speaken of the first three Mothers albums, is that is's stuck between Freak Out! and WOIIFTM, which are usually concidered the best Zappa/Mothers albums. The good thing is that the Doo-Wop parodies of Freak Out! have been pretty much forsaken, in favor of more Avant-Garde-ish compositions. Clearly more of a prog album than FO!. The Falsetto style lyrics of this album have clearly influenced the swedish prog band "Samla Mammas Manna". This is also clearly a concept album. The First side seems to deal with vegetables and such ("Prume is not really a vegetable"), while the second side attacks the American way of life and the shallowness of the upper middle class (TV-Dinner by the pool, I'm so glad I finnish'd school"). Best song on Side One is "Invocation and Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin", a sort of Jazzy improvisation piece with great guitar by Zappa. (Willie The Pimp from Hot Rats is done in same formula as this song). Side Two's highlight is "Brown Shoes don't Make It" which also became a live stable. I highly recommend this album. Oh Yeah the cover is cool!