Sound: A pretty straightforward entry into the murky and delightful world of Zappa. Or so it would seem. At the time he thought this album might be a hit. You have easier songs. Doo Wop influenced songs. 'Don’t Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder' is pretty straightforward. You know, it's pretty pleasant! But that's track four. First you have to navigate 'Hungry Freaks Daddy' which has a great guitar sound. 'I Aint Got No Heart' continues this rhythm and blues sound. At this point the listener who has never heard of Zappa is probably thinking 'Well it's ok.' Then we have 'Who Are The Brain Police'. Which is hardly the strangest cut here. But the vocals have of course been processed and made slightly weird. You know, for some people, that's their cue to switch off! It's pretty silly really to do that. But then, that's 'some people' for you. Personally I hate 'straight' vocals. I like my vocals to have character. These certainly have that. Of course, elsewhere on the album you actually have some pretty good singing. That's the beauty of it of course! They choose to do this! The music starts to take on a slightly hallucinogenic quality, too. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Frank Zappa has always been about awsome guitar solos, do-ops and weird lyrics and this album is no exception. With songs like who are the brain police and Hungry freaks You'll see the madness which is Zappa. The lyrics go well with the grinding and gaunting music. "This is the voice of your conscience, baby." The recording debut of the Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention is a brilliantly wicked counter-strike to the flower power sensibilities prevalent at the time of it's release in 1966. Arguably rock music's first true "concept album," Zappa's aural collage mashes together chunks of psychedelic guitars, outspoken political commentary, cultural satire, and avant-garde musical sensibilities, and then hides it all under cleverly crafted pop melodies. Not diminished in the slightest by the passage of time, Freak Out! remains as vital and relevant today as it was in the 1960's. // 9
Impression: This album sheds light onto the madness of this man in my opinion this album is one of the best avant-garde albums of all time. My favorite song from this album is Who are the brain police with its funky lyrics and odd musical connection with the lyrics. Although this album is a bit weird I still love it. If my copy of this album (yes I have the album as well) I'd probably cry then buy another copy of the CD. // 10
Was this review helpful to you? 
