Absolutely Free

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Absolutely Free
Released June 1967
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Players

• Frank Zappa - guitar, vocals
• Ray Collins - vocals, tambourine, PRUNE
• Jim Fielder - guitar, piano
• Don Preston - keyboards
• Bunk Gardner - woodwinds
• Roy Estrada - bass, vocals
• Jimmy Carl Black - drums, vocals
• Billy Mundi - drums, percussion

Tracks

"Absolutely Free" (1st In A Series Of Underground Oratorios)

1. Plastic People (03:42)
2. The Duke Of Prunes (02:13)
3. Amnesia Vivace (01:01)
4. The Duke Regains His Chops (01:52)
5. Call Any Vegetable (02:15)
6. Invocation & Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin (07:00)
7. Soft-Sell Conclusion (01:40)

Bonus Tracks on CD version (from single Verve VK 10513, April 10th 1967)

8. Big Leg Emma (02:31)
9. Why Don'tcha Do Me Right? (02:37)

"The M.O.I. American Pageant" (2nd In A Series Of Underground Oratorios)

10. America Drinks (01:53)
11. Status Back Baby (02:54)
12. Uncle Bernie's Farm (02:10)
13. Son Of Suzy Creamcheese (01:34)
14. Brown Shoes Don't Make It (07:30)
15. America Drinks & Goes Home (02:45)

Release Notes

Recorded Sunset-Highland Studios of TTG, November 15-18, 1966.
Produced by: Tom Wilson.
Director of engineering: Val Valentin.
Recording Engineer: Ami Hadani.
Remix Engineer: David Greene.
Cover art, layout, notes, design, etc.: Zappa
Front cover photo: Alice Ochs.

Background Information

...

Foreword to the "Absolutely Free Libretto"

all the words on the record
ABSOLUTELY FREE - THE COMPLETE LIBRETTO
ABSOLUTELY FREE - THE M. O. I. AMERICAN PAGEANT
both complete librettos to accompany the VERVE recording V/V6-5013 by THE MOTHERS of INVENTION.
words & music by FRANK ZAPPA
© 1967 FRANK ZAPPA MUSIC BMI, a subsidiary of Third Story Music BMI

FOREWORD

Music has always shown how people think and feel, according to John Tasker Howard. He is probably right. 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 who have the power within themselves to cause or motiviate 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.

This album was recorded the week before Thanksgiving, November 1966 in Los Angeles at the Sunset-Highland Studios of T.T.G. Inc., in a series of 4 sessions (about 25 studio hours). It was edited and re-mixed in New York City at the MGM Studios in 5 sessions (about 35 studio hours) the following week. The album was finally released around May 26, 1967... the reason for the delay? Partly because of this libretto. The original plan was to include within the album, the words in this brochure. The record company attempted to censor the words and a long involved discussion ensued. We were forced to manufacture this product.

The music itself took several years to compose (AMERICA DRINKS & GOES HOME was written in 1964... most of the other segments were written before or shortly after FREAK OUT!, our first album, was released in 1966). We hope that this material will help you to enjoy our work on a more personal level.

Thank you
Frank Zappa
for the MOTHERS of Invention

Zappa about the album:

(The Real Frank Zappa Book)

"When it came time for us to do our second album, Absolutely Free, MGM proclaimed that we couldn't spend more than eleven thousand dollars on it. The recording schedules were ridiculous, making it impossible to perfect anything on the album. It was typical of the kind of bullshit we had to put up with until I got my own studio.
Gail and I moved to New York in 1967 to play in the Garrick Theater on Bleecker Street. The first place we stayed, before we could find an apartment, was the Hotel Van Rensselaer on Eleventh Street. We were living on a small room on one of the upper floors. I was working on the album cover illustration for Absolutely Free at a desk by the window. I remember the place being so dirty I couldn't keep the soot off the artwork."

Versions

ZFT #	Version #	# discs	Format	Catalog #	Release (YYYY-MM-DD)	Barcode (EAN-13)	Artwork	Comment
2	1.1 Original Stereo	1	LP	MGM Verve V6-5013	1967-06-26	None		US edition
		1	LP	MGM Verve SVLP 9174		None		UK edition
	1.2 Original Mono	1	LP	MGM Verve V-5013	1967-06-26?	None		US edition
		1	LP	MGM Verve VLP 9174		None		UK edition
	Unknown	1	LP	Barking Pumpkin BPR 7777-2	1985-04-19			Included in The Old Masters, Box I set.
	2 Original Stereo + Extra Tracks	1	CD	Rykodisc RCD 10093	1989-01	0014431009327		US edition
		1	CD	Zappa CDZAP 12?	?	5016583601225?		UK edition
		1	CD	VideoArts VACK 5022	1994-10-26	4988112405257		Japanese edition
		1	CS	Rykodisc RAC 10502	1995-05-02	0014431050244		US edition
		1	CD	Rykodisc RCD 10502	1995-05-02	0014431050220		US edition
		1	CD	VideoArts VACK 5111	1995-09-25	4988112407749		Japanese edition
		1	CD	VideoArts VACK 5246	1996-05-30	4988112408463		Japanese edition
		1	CD	VideoArts VACK 1204	2001-09-21	4988112412606		Japanese edition, mini-album papersleeve
		1	CD	Rykodisc RCD 40582/2	2002-03-21	None		US edition, included in the Threesome No. 1 box set. Matrix # IFPI L503 IFPI 8708 DISCTRONICS RCD 10502 01
		1	CD	Rykodisc RCD 10592	2005-07-19	0014431059223		= VideoArts VACK 1204, the barcode is a sticker, the Ryko reference is not printed