Mothers of Invention - Absolutely Free (1967) === The Mono Version ===
[16bit/44.1kHz CD Quality FLAC]
Side 1 "Absolutely Free" (#1 in a Series of Underground Oratorios)
01. Plastic People
02. The Duke of Prunes
03. Amnesia Vivace
04. The Duke Regains His Chops
05. Call Any Vegetable
06. Invocation & Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin
07. Soft-Sell Conclusion
Side 2: The M.O.I. American Pageant (#2 in a Series of Underground Oratorios)
08. America Drinks
09. Status Back Baby
10. Uncle Bernie's Farm
11. Son of Suzy Creamcheese
12. Brown Shoes Don't Make It
13. America Drinks & Goes Home
All Tracks Are The Original Mono Mixes
Never Available on CD/Download in Mono
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:
- Absolutely Free (LP, Album, Mono) Verve Records V-5013 USA 1967
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vinyl Recorded & Mastered using:
- Technics 1210mk2
- Jelco SA-750D Tonearm
- Audio Technica AT33PTG MC
- Pro-Ject Tube Box SE-2 (using a matched pair of Genalex Gold Lion tubes)
- RME ADI-2 A/D Interface @ 24/96
- Audition 3.0 (editing, manual clean up)
- MBit+ dithering and Sox Resampler used for converting to standard wav format.
All mono recordings were mastered using L+R folding.
Transfer, Restoration & Bootleg-mastering by Prof. Stoned
Photo's of the original 1967 pressings are included.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mastering Note:
I've been wanting to do this one for over four years, and the reason why it never happened (until now) has always been that I was unhappy
with the sound I got from the original USA and UK mono pressings. Both USA pressings (East- and West Coast) have the highs rolled-off.
The EMI pressed UK version has slightly better high-end response but it was cut too hot and sounds badly distorted for more than half the album.
The only other mono pressing that exists is Australian (also produced by EMI). However, that one was made from the USA metal parts and thus
killed my last hope for finding acceptable source material...
What I've done here; I took the USA mono rip I recorded and cleaned up in 2014 and remastered it in an attempt to bring out some life
(with one setting for the whole thing). The result is satisfying enough IMO but I would stress that it does not compete with the usual
quality standard of sound reproduction I'm trying to maintain. This is why this comes in 16/44.1 only. Also, there is very little information
above 22kHz here.
As the following blurb illustrates, the Zappa family does not possess the mono masters of "Absolutely Free" and "Freak Out" at this time, so I
guess this may (or may not) be the best source you can find.
Vaultmeister Joe: "Unfortunately, we do not have the mono master tapes for Freak Out or Absolutely Free in the Vault. Thank the record company
for that one. They could still have them somewhere, they were never returned to FZ when he got all his masters back in the early 80's, if
they even exist at all. So, we'd know EXACTLY what to do with them if we had them."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A couple hints on how to recognize plastic people:
- Plastic People have contorted facial expressions.
- Plastic People live to work, they do not work to live.
- Plastic People usually combine big wallets with poor taste.
- Plastic People do not stand out; they are the great silent majority.
- Plastic People have limited abilities to recognize human qualities. Be sure to take advantage: do *not* let them know you're not of their kind.
- Plastic People are such a drag.
Good luck...
P.S.: Libretto found here: http://recordmecca.blogspot.nl/2010/04/mothers-of-inventionabsolutely-free.html
