FunkFreak75 This live album preserves some of the finest live guitar playing I've ever heard rendered unto tape/vinyl/digital data. That Frank was a virtuoso I never doubted. There are flashes of that brilliance on all of his albums. He's an amazing, demanding composer and band leader, but having a whole album, like this, put his guitar playing on full display is rare and without doubt an absolute treasure. I am certainly grateful for Frank's obsession with recording and editing his concert tapes. The material is a bit overwhelming but I'd rather have more to choose from than less. How lucky were these fans in Scandanavia?!

FunkFreak75 This is by far my favorite Frank Zappa album that I've yet heard as it avoids much of the sophomoric humor that make other songs and albums "old" and abrasive after one or two listens (this despite the underlying compositional genius and instrumental prowess of FZ and his always highly skilled bandmates). The Grand Wazoo feels like FZ proudly and simply putting on display his admirable songwriting/conducting genius, even showing a little more of his "humane" side with ample freedom for expression (improvisation) given to the contributions of his bandmates. This is an album that I enjoy returning to time and again. There is brilliance and astounding sophistication in FZ's music and yet it is so often trumped by the lyrical jokes. On The Grand Wazoo you get all of the former, front and center, and yet there is still plenty of joy and humor in the music itself--especially in the Cleetus and Calvin songs. Though I love hearing Frank shred on the guitar, and this album on puts that side of him on display on one song ("Eat that Question"), I so much prefer this type of music from the Mothers ensemble that I'll gladly sacrifice some of Frank's instrumental flare for the collective masterpiece of songs that he's produced for us here. As my journey into Frank's world continues to unfold I hope to find much more music like this, for that is what it will take to make me a fan.

FunkFreak75 More anti-hippie/counter culture sarcasm and humorous social commentary using the musique concrète forms he's used on his three previous albums, Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, and Lumpy Gravy. Like those previous albums, this one proves quite challenging to render ratings to individual songs due to the predominant presence of odd and unusual tongue-in-cheek social commentary, theatric delivery of sarcasm, and quick stop and start, constantly shifting musical styles and forms. Like Lumpy Gravy, this is really meant to be experienced as a one (or two) act stage musical: all at once; the individual songs should rarely be examined outside of the context of the whole. One could argue, in fact, that this album (and many of Frank's albums) is not even progressive rock but purely Rock-In-Opposition because of the constant use of parody and sarcastic imitation of others' very recognizable styles and sounds. I mean: a look at the song titles alone ought to prepare the listener for the social criticism that they're in store for.

Frank (and Company)'s musical genius, social commentary, and creative wit are here all at their peak and are undeniably sharp and insightful (and humorous). The man's legendary status is not only well deserved but perhaps even grossly under-appreciated. As an American who lived through the famous excesses and indulgences of the Sixties, it is exceedingly entertaining and even a bit uncomfortable and embarrassing to listen to Frank's shrewd and unapologetic commentary of the flaws and hypocrisies of the times.

As a reflection of the awkwardness of a certain period of American history I'd call this album invaluable. As I pointed out before, I think Frank's early works provided the jumping off ground for many social satirists including George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, and, especially, Cheech and Chong. As a landmark of musical innovation and expression, I would not give the songs from this album much credit other than to acknowledge Frank's mastery of many, many, many particularly American musical styles that had gone before him. Therefore, I do not consider this essential music but instead a masterpiece of what is possible within the realms of recording and publication.

FunkFreak75 I only discovered this amazing album upon embarking upon my recent historical research into the advent of the "prog epic" (long-playing multi-part songs or "suite" as well as extended jams and side-long songs). I absolutely love the music here: so much fusion and experimentation within so many musical genres, including jazz, big band jazz, cinematic scoring, classical, Latin, avant-garde, and, of course, rock and pop. As everyone knows, the music is presented within the flow of a kind of burlesque of the mundane life of the Everyman. At first I thought that the album-long radioplay was intended to serve as the interludes for the music, but now I'm almost convinced that the music serves more as the cinematic interludes within the burlesque. My reason for this conversion is due to the extraordinary amount of editing and overdubbing and sound effects applied to the spoken word passages. I mean, yes, the music is intricate and complex--and often stunningly beautiful--but the radioplay is even more so. Plus, the amount of time dedicated to the wacky dialogue scenes (or skits--which HAD to have inspired/motivated future comic legends, Cheech and Chong) eventually exceeds that given to the music! Because of my reverence for all things Cheech and Chong, the excellent (and highly inventive) engineering and production here, as well as for the often-jaw- dropping, envelope-pushing music, I am fully persuaded to give this album full marks. People! This was early 1967 (though the record company delayed the official release date to May of 1968)! The progressive progression to the phenomenon we like to call progressive rock music doesn't get more progressive than this!

FunkFreak75 On May 26, 1967, Verve Records releases Frank Zappa's THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION Absolutely Free. Much like their Freak Out! debut from the year before, Absolutely Free is a display of complex music fully supporting Frank's political and social satire.

- Absolutely Free (19:34) a seven-part ode to prunes:

1. "Plastic People" (3:40) a great start that let's you know straight off what the band's intentions are: Humorous satire! (8.75/10)

2. "The Duke Of Prunes" (2:12) so this is where The Soft Machine extracted the "Moon in June" phrase! And mock- opera/show tune fare. Todd Rundgren got the idea for his tongue-in-cheek operatic vocals on his early albums and "Freak Parade." An excellent song. (5/5)

3. "Amnesia Vivace" (1:01) quite possibly where Todd Rundgren got the idea for his tongue-in-cheek operatic vocals on his early albums and "Freak Parade." (4.5/5)

4. "The Duke Regains His Chops" (1:45) I love the pseudo-Broadway finish. (4.375/5)

5. "Call Any Vegetable" (2:19) some great performances despite the heavy satire. (4.375/5)

6. "Invocation & Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin" (6:57) a mostly instrumental slash of Dick Dale/Surfer music and Roger McGuinn's famous 12-string guitar slash-fest in The Byrds' "Eight Miles High." The tight rhythm section keeps it together as guitarists Frank Zappa and Jim Felder and soprano saxophonist Bunk Gardner slash away on their respective instruments (Gardner's a tongue-in-cheek parody of John Coltrane??). Don Preston's keys are somewhere down in the mix--probably hidden beneath Ray Collins' tambourine. Nice jam. (13/15)

7. "Soft-Sell Conclusion & Ending Of Side #1 (1:40) the multi-style conclusion to the Vegetable Medley. (4.3333/5)

- The M.O.I. American Pageant (18:35) more parodies on American social and political events and themes:

8. "America Drinks" (1:52) (4.25/5)

9. "Status Back Baby" (2:52) impressive guitar solo in the second minute--and a great finish--to an otherwise quoditian song. (8.66667/10)

10. "Uncle Bernie's Farm" (2:09) funny vocal and lyric with masterfully-performed music to match. Great choral "bar room" vocals. (4.5/5)

11. "Son Of Suzy Creamcheese" (1:33) the encore return of Suzy Creamcheeze! Great construct--demanding very tight performances from all--now usurping the "Louie, Louie" melody. (4.5/5)

12. "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" (7:26) more theatric cabaret for satiric social commentary. A veritable multi-part suite in and of itself. So many themes, so many motifs, so many quips. (13.25/15)

13. "America Drinks & Goes Home" (2:43) Frank's satirical "tribute" on the intoxicating and intoxicated world of the lounge scene. Amazing. Not the most progressive musically but an excellent indictment of a world that deserves the same criticism to this day. (9.25/10)

Total time 38:09

Though progressive rock music in general does not conform to the trail of socio-political satire as blazed by Frank's Mothers, the complex theatric entanglement of multiple themes within the framework of single songs and suites will become quite de rigueur.

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent album in the same satirical vein as Freak Out!--fodder for the formation and development of early progressive rock. Not sure I'm ready to welcome this album as something deserving of a true "progressive rock" label, but be assured: the seeds have been sown.