Frank Zappa - Threesome, Vol. 1 (CD)

All Music Guide

Since it appears that Rykodisc and the Zappa Family Trust cannot reach an agreement about releasing material from Frank's vault, Rykodisc has resorted to repackaging the music they do have access to in order to keep Zappa on the retail radar. Ultimately, these efforts won't appeal to fans (except obsessive completists), because they already have everything, but instead they are aimed at ensnaring the curious consumer. To this end, the Threesome collections are well-thought-out: Take three albums that bear some sort of thematic resemblance and offer them at a midline price with newly created box artwork by the legendary Cal Schenkel. Threesome, Vol. 1 contains the first three albums by the Mothers of Invention: Freak Out, Absolutely Free, and We're Only in It for the Money. Each of these albums is an early masterpiece, with Zappa subverting pop music forms and taking well-aimed potshots at all aspects of American society. If you're unfamiliar with the music of Frank Zappa, this set is a great place to start. [Note: This rating is based on the lack of new material. It does not reflect the quality of the albums themselves.]

- Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide