Rating: 8.25/10

Top Track: ‘Trouble Every Day’

My dad would’ve been 65 years old today. So, I thought it would be apropos to review an album of my dad’s favorite musical mind, Frank Zappa. The Mothers Of Invention being Zappa’s first project and band usually just called the Mothers. This album sets some firsts for this blog as well as the music world in general. It’s not the first debut album, but it is the first two-record debut album on this blog. In fact, it’s also the first double album covered on this blog. ‘Freak Out!’ set a good amount of precedents when it came to releasing albums. It’s credited as one of the first true concept albums ever created as well as one of the first double albums and two-record debut albums ever made. the musical genres on this album range from rhythm and blues to doo-wop to more avant-garde musical arrangements. The album served as Zappa’s satirical expression of American pop culture and rising “freak scene” or hippie movement. While it wasn’t well-received in America, it did really well in Europe and actually developed a cult following in the States. The album was later recognized for it’s genius (after Zappa’s death) in 1999 when it was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award. and in 2003, when it ranked among Rolling Stone‘s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Zappa wrote in his autobiography, The Real Frank Zappa Book, that, “If you were to graphically analyze the different types of directions of all the songs in the Freak Out! album, there’s a little something in there for everybody.” And the little something in this album for me is ‘Trouble Every Day’, or ‘Trouble Comin’ Every Day’ depending on where you look. This song is probably one of the easier listens off of this album. Admittedly, the catchiest song on the double album is ‘Wowie Zowie’, I mean come on, how could a song with that title not be the catchiest on an album. But ‘Trouble Every Day’ takes the cake because of how much it rocks. It’s by far the heaviest track on the album, although ‘The Return Of The Son Of The Monster Magnet’ has a dark avant-garde sound, but that track is definitely not something you can just throw on for pleasure. ‘Trouble Ever Day’ has a great heavy guitar riff and the added harmonica adds a great blues vibe. Additionally, I think this song has the best lyrics of any song on this album. I think this is just a longwinded way of saying that this song will get any listener tapping their foot and bobbing their head. Oh, and that line, “Hey, you something people? I’m not black, but there’s a whole lots of times I wish I could say I’m not white.” Same, Zappa. Same.

For once, I am not going to lather on the compliments when it comes to the vocals on this record. One listen and anyone would know why. Let’s just say singing was none of the Mothers’ strong-suits. Good thing blues and all it’s relative music doesn’t really require great singing. Ray Collins and Zappa provided all of the lead vocals on this album, with Collins also credited for harmonica, cymbals, sound effects, tambourine, finger cymbals, bobby pin & tweezers. I don’t know how exactly one would play the latter two, but knowing Zappa’s canon of music, it doesn’t surprise me that small objects like those would or could be played on an album. This album is more focused the music itself and the message the lyrics send. The Mothers kind of threw everything at the wall to see what would stick with this album and that strategy actually worked. I mean, 22 people in the band’s auxiliary just for this album? It’s no wonder MGM thought they spent way too much on this album, $25-35,000 ($275,800 today). This album is now a part of rock and blues lore and an inspiration to many musicians today. Shoot, even the lead guitarist of Coldplay, Jonny Buckland, credits Frank Zappa as being one of his biggest inspirations, and it doesn’t get any more mainstream than Coldplay.

In all honesty, this is a post of very little substance. Go ahead, read it back. It’s mostly empty calories of regurgitated information that could be found with minimal research. Sure, maybe the few people who read this may not have found any of that stuff out had I not written it, but if this post is compared to all my other posts, it’s probably my least personal.

Well, here’s the personal part.

My dad LOVED Zappa. I mean, to his core. And I was never into any of his stuff until after my dad passed away. This is my first time listening to this album all the way through. And it’s hard to not think of my dad with every note. That’s why I wanted to write this today, not to talk about the satirical musings of a musical genius, but to honor my dad. Simple as that. Every week I sit down and I listen to one of his albums. An album he’s touch and handled and flipped and listened to. And as I listen, I sit in a room filled with now-antique rock posters on the walls; the most recent addition being a 24″x30″ of Frank himself shredding away on his “Baby Snakes” SG. All of those posters, just the albums, were his. But now they’re mine. And I can’t let them sit dormant, I have to give them life. That’s why I started this blog. This music, my dad’s music, needs to be listened to and it’s my duty to play it.

My Papa would have been the big 6-5 today. So, this one is for him. And wherever he is right now, I know for damn sure he’s cranking some Zappa. Crank it Papa, crank it. Love ya and miss ya. Happy Birthday.