Freak Out!

Freak Out! is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on June 27, 1966, by Verve Records. Often cited as one of rock music's first concept albums, it is a satirical expression of guitarist/bandleader Frank Zappa's perception of American pop culture and the nascent Los Angeles freak scene's "freak-out" trend. The album was produced by Tom Wilson, who signed the Mothers, formerly a bar band called the Soul Giants. Zappa said many years later that Wilson signed the band to a record deal under the impression that they were a white blues band. The album features Zappa on vocals and guitar, along with lead vocalist/tambourine player Ray Collins, bassist/vocalist Roy Estrada, drummer/vocalist Jimmy Carl Black and guitarist Elliot Ingber, along with appearances from several session musicians. The band's original repertoire consisted of rhythm and blues covers, but after Zappa joined the band his original compositions came to the fore and their name was changed to the Mothers. The musical content of Freak Out! ranges from rhythm and blues, doo-wop, and standard blues-influenced rock to orchestral arrangements and avant-garde sound collages. Although the album was initially poorly received in the United States, it was a success in Europe. It gained a cult following in America, where it continued to sell in substantial quantities until it was discontinued in the early 1970s. The album was remixed in 1985, for the Old Masters Box One LP box set, and subsequent CD releases. It is often incorrectly cited as the second rock music double album ever released, following the release of Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde just one week earlier. In fact, both were preceded by Jimmy Clanton's Jimmy's Happy/Jimmy's Blue, released in 1960, and by several double album compilations. However, Freak Out! was the first double...