Frank Zappa, Mothers’ ‘Absolutely Free’ is Expanded

Share This:

The 50th anniversary of Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention’s politically charged, classic album, Absolutely Free, will be marked with an expanded vinyl-exclusive edition on September 29 on Zappa Records/UMe, via the Zappa Family Trust.

The 2-LP, 180-gram version will include the original record mastered by Bernie Grundman cut directly from the original analog master tapes and a second disc with 20 minutes of rare and unreleased bonus material, including the “Why Don’tcha Do Me Right?”/“Big Leg Emma” single as well as vintage remixes and radio ads on side one and a laser etching of Zappa from the album cover on side two.

Today’s (June 2) announcement notes that the “package features Zappa’s original layout and a reproduction of the rare, highly sought-after ‘libretto,’ an 18-page booklet with a foreword by Zappa and lyrics to all the compositions, that was offered only by mail order when originally released.” Absolutely Free is available for pre-order here.

The press release continues: “Released 50 years ago on May 26, 1967 on Verve Records, Absolutely Free was the Mothers of Invention’s follow-up to their landmark debut, Freak Out! The record was revolutionary as it pushed the limits of what an album could be. The album leaps through genres – from psychedelic pop and progressive rock to free-form jazz and avant-garde noise to doo-wop and garage rock, often in the same composition as on album highlight, ‘Brown Shoes Don’t Make It,’ and is filled with Zappa’s trademark biting political and social satire.”

“Produced by Tom Wilson (Bob Dylan, The Velvet Underground, Sun Ra), who first worked with the band on Freak Out! the year prior, Absolutely Free featured an expanded cadre of musicians working with Zappa and vocalist Ray Collins and included Jim Fielder on guitar, Roy Estrada on bass, Don Preston on keyboards, Bunk Gardner on woodwinds, and drummers Jim Black and Billy Mundi.”

As Zappa wrote in the “libretto”: “The music of the MOTHERS speaks of the feelings of what might be described as THE VAST MINORITY. The feelings of the people on the fringe of everything . . . the ones who don’t care if they’re IN or OUT … don’t care if they’re HIP, HEP, SWINGIN’ or ZORCH. This is the audience the MOTHERS want to reach … those few have the power within themselves to cause or motivate social change but have never used it for one reason or another. If you are reading this and understand it (even if you have short hair and watch TV 18 hours a day), it is time that you realized WHO and WHAT YOU ARE. It is time you realized what the words to our songs mean.”

Absolutely Free Track Listing

LP1 – Side 1
1. Plastic People
2. The Duke Of Prunes
3. Amnesia Vivace
4. The Duke Regains His Chops
5. Call Any Vegetable
6. Invocation And Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin
7. Soft-Sell Conclusion

LP1 – Side 2
1. America Drinks
2. Status Back Baby
3. Uncle Bernie’s Farm
4. Son Of Suzy Creamcheese
5. Brown Shoes Don’t Make It
6. America Drinks & Goes Home

LP2 – Side 1
1. Absolutely Free Radio Ad #1
2. Why Don’tcha Do Me Right
3. Big Leg Emma
4. Absolutely Free Radio Ad #2
5. “Glutton For Punishment…”
6. America Drinks – 1969 Re-Mix
7. Brown Shoes Don’t Make It – 1969 Re-Mix
8. America Drinks & Goes Home #2 – 1969 Re-Mix

LP2 – Side 2
Laser Etching

<br />