Absolutely Free
| Absolutely Free | |||||
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| Studio album by The Mothers of Invention | |||||
| Released | May 26, 1967 | ||||
| Recorded | November 15–18, 1966 | ||||
| Studio | Sunset-Highland Studios of TTG | ||||
| Genre | Rock, experimental, psychedelic rock, doo-wop, avant-pop | ||||
| Length | 38:29 43:37 (reissue) |
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| Label | Verve | ||||
| Producer |
Frank Zappa, Tom Wilson |
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| The Mothers of Invention chronology | |||||
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| Singles from Absolutely Free | |||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Uncut | 8/10 |
| The Village Voice | B– |
Absolutely Free is the second studio album by the American rock band the Mothers of Invention, led by Frank Zappa, released in 1967. Absolutely Free is, again, a display of complex musical composition with political and social satire. The band had been augmented since Freak Out! by the addition of woodwinds player Bunk Gardner, keyboardist Don Preston, rhythm guitarist Jim Fielder and drummer Billy Mundi. Fielder quit the group before the album was released and his name was removed from the album credits.
This album's emphasis is on interconnected movements, as each side of the original vinyl LP comprises a mini-suite. It also features one of the most famous songs of Zappa's early career, "Brown Shoes Don't Make It", a track which has been described as a "condensed two-hour musical".
In the book Necessity Is..., former Mothers of Invention band member Ray Collins said that Absolutely Free is probably his favorite of the classic Mothers albums.
The CD reissue adds a single that the Mothers released at the time between side one and side two. It features the songs "Why Dontcha Do Me Right?" (titled "Why Don't You Do Me Right" on the 45) and "Big Leg Emma", both described as "an attempt to make dumb music to appeal to dumb teenagers". These were a rare Verve single.
The UK-67 release (Verve VLP/SVLP 9174) came in a laminated flip-back cover, with a Mike Raven poem at the reverse that was not on any other issue.
In 2007, the Lagunitas Brewing Company put out an India pale ale named Kill Ugly Radio, featuring the inside art from the album on the label, one in a series of beers planned to be released on the 40th anniversary of each of Zappa's studio albums.
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