Absolutely Free
| Album History | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| Released June 1967 | |
| See also: IINK, Patio, KUR The Old Masters, Box I Threesome No. 1 | |
- For the song, see Absolutely Free (The Track).
- For the revue see Garrick Theatre
Players
- FZ (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
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.
Liner Notes
Background Information
... Absolutely Free: The Complete Libretto
Zappa recorded a radio spot to promote this album and Freak Out![1]
Zappa about the album:
"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."
Conceptual Continuity
Versions
| ZFT # | Version # | # discs | Format | Catalog # | Release (YYYY-MM-DD) |
Barcode (EAN-13) |
Artwork | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1.1 Original Stereo 13 Tracks |
1 | LP | MGM Verve V6-5013 |
1967-06-26 | None | US edition. Matrix # Side1: V6-5013 SIDE-1 MGS-672 Side2: V6-5013 SIDE-2 MGS-673 | |
| 1 | LP | MGM Verve SVLP 9174 |
1967-10[2] | None | UK edition. | |||
| 1 | LP | MGM Verve MV 1120 |
None | Japanese edition. | ||||
| 1 | LP | MGM Verve 710006 |
1967 | None | German edition. | |||
| 1.2 Original Mono 13 Tracks |
1 | LP | MGM Verve V-5013 |
1967-06-26? | None | US edition. | ||
| 1 | LP | MGM Verve VLP 9174 |
1967-10[2] | None | UK edition. | |||
| 1.1 Original Stereo 13 Tracks |
1 | LP | MGM Verve/Polydor 2317 035 |
1972-06[2] | None | UK edition. | ||
| 1.3 Remaster Stereo 13 Tracks |
1 in 7 |
LP | Barking Pumpkin BPR 7777-2 |
1985-04-19 | Included in The Old Masters, Box I set. | |||
| Unknown | 1 | CS | Zappa TZAPPA 12 |
? | 5016583601249? | UK edition. | ||
| 1.4 Remaster Stereo & 2 Bonus Tracks |
1 | CD | Rykodisc RCD 10093 |
1989-01 | 0014431009327 | US edition, AAD. | ||
| 1 | CD | Zappa CDZAP 12 |
1989-01[2] | 5016583601225 | UK edition, AAD. Matrix # ZAP 12 MPO 01 @@ | |||
| 1 | CD | Rykodisc D40733 |
1989 | Australian edition = Rykodisc RCD 10093 stickered with the Ozzie catalog #. | ||||
| Unknown | 1 | CS | Barking Pumpkin D4 74214 |
1990-10-17 | 0013347421445 | US edition. | ||
| 1.4 Remaster Stereo & 2 Bonus Tracks |
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 | Gravadora Eldorado/Rykodisc 968026 |
1995 | 7897181221873 | Brazilian edition. | |||
| 1 | CD | VideoArts VACK 5111 |
1995-09-25 | 4988112407749 | Japanese edition. | |||
| 1 | CD | Festival/Rykodisc D31395 |
1995 | 9399603139523 | Australian edition = Rykodisc RCD 10502 | |||
| 1 | CD | VideoArts VACK 5246 |
1996-05-30 | 4988112408463 | Japanese edition = Rykodisc RCD 10502 repackaged with an obi strip and extra liner notes in Japanese | |||
| 1 | CD | VideoArts VACK 1204 |
2001-09-21 | 4988112412606 | Japanese edition, mini-album papersleeve. | |||
| 1 in 3 |
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. | |||
| 1 | CD | VideoArts VACK 1328 |
2008-06-18 | 4988112417717 | Japanese edition, mini-album papersleeve. | |||
| 1.5 Original Stereo Remaster with 2 Bonus Tracks (mono) |
1 | CD | Zappa/UMe ZR 3835 |
2012-07-31 | 0824302383520 | US edition, manufactured and distributed by UMe[3]. Source: Original 1967 Analog Master. Mastered by Doug Sax with Robert Hadley & Sangwook "Sunny" Nam at The Mastering Lab, Inc., 2012. Matrix # IFPI L328 DIDX-816045 1 ZAPPA.COM A02 IFPI 50A2 | ||
| 1 | CD | Zappa/UMG Intl 0238352 |
2012-07-31 | 0824302383520 | EU edition = Zappa/UMe ZR 3835, manufactured in Germany. | |||
| 1 | CD | Zappa/Universal Music Japan UICY-75351 |
2012-11-28 | 4988005737502 | Japanese edition, audiophile SHM-CD, mini-album papersleeve with an obi strip and liner notes in Japanese. | |||
| 1.6 Original Stereo Remaster with 8 Bonus Tracks & Laser-etched Side |
2 | LP (180 g) |
Zappa/UMe ZR 3835-1 |
2017-10-12[4] | 0824302383513 | US edition with 18-page booklet 'libretto', manufactured and distributed by UMe. Mastered and cut directly from the original analog master tape by Bernie Grundman. |
Notes
- ↑ Frank Zappa Freak Out And Absolutely Free Lp Promos
- ↑ Jump up to: 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Martin C. Strong, 2004, The Great Rock Discography, p. 1720.
- ↑ Email announcement by the ZFT on July 31st, 2012.
- ↑ On June 2nd 2017, the ZFT initially announced by email the reissue of a '50th Anniversary Expanded Edition 2LP vinyl - coming September 29!' revised later to 'October 6.' The latest revised released dates at Amazon.com were October 13th for the US release and November 17th for the EU release. According to Zappa Forum users, the first copies were available in american stores on October 12th.
