First US pressings of the
album Freak out involved a advertising for a "Freak Out Hot Spots!"
map. Inside the gatefold jacket the tiny ad was aimed at folks attending visit
Los Angeles and it detailed a number of popular restaurants and clubs such as
Canter's and The Whiskey A Go-Go. The advertisement as well claimed info
concerning police arrests. It says: "Also shows where the heat has been
busting frequently, with tips on safety in police terror situations".
Those interested in the map were directed to send $1.00 to MGM Records c/o 1540
Broadway NY. NY. address. The phony map blurb was not integrated on later
pressings but was taken away and the space was left blank.
FREAK OUT! Hot Spots |
"FREAK OUT! Hot Spots": The Map
#1 The Cinematheque 16 still happens
on a psychedelic level with rare and interesting films from the Great
Underground. Located at 8815-1/2 Sunset Bl. (657-6815).
#2 The Trip used to be the
center of the Freak Scene. See it now: 8572 Sunset Blvd.
#3 Ben Franks used to be the
place to go after the dancing stopped. The atomic blast denotes a bust
(overall) by the L.A. heat. 8585 Sunset Blvd (phone 655-7410).
#5 Gazzarri's still happens
on a hard rock custom pompadour sport coat level. Don't miss it at 9039 W.
Sunset Blvd. (phone 273-6606).
#6 The Troubadour gives you
not only folk music, but folk-rock music, rock music itself, and other hybrids,
all IN CONCERT. Stunning in its concept at 9083 Santa Monica Blvd (phone
276-6168).
#7 West L.A. Sheriff Station
nestled in the heart of the outskirts of the fringe of where everything is
happening, this moral arsenal provides shelter and sanctuary for that proud and
magnificent beast we call THE WEST L.A. SHERIFF'S DEPUTY/servant &
protector OR, more commonly, THE MAN. See the hapless trustees in their
stenciled shirts washing HIS cars. Hear bold Aryan operatives rave about longhair freakos and the last John Birch meeting at 720 N. San Vincente Blvd
(phone... only as a last resort if you have long hair or a beard 652-3525).
#8 Barney's Beanery is still
there. It is a matter of opinion whether it is still (or ever was) HAPPENING.
Fun to visit: 8447 W. Santa Monica Blvd (phone 654-9240).
#9 The Chez which used to be
The Action which was the first place we worked when we emerged from the sticks
and came to Hollywood is now High Class. A must: 8265 Santa Monica Blvd (phone
656-3576).
#10 P.J.'s is now, as it was,
and always (most likely but I'll check it out for you a coupla times) will be,
the greatest place in town to see Trini Lopez in action. Located at 8151 W.
Santa Monica Blvd (phone 656-8000).
#11 The Sea Witch is one of
the teenie-bopper (no offense, gang) IN SPOTS, featuring the new local bands in
performance of psychedelic music b/w Cokes and Coffee... 8514 Sunset Blvd
(phone 652-9160).
#12 FRED C. DOBBS Memorial
Shrine... it used to be the best place to go to meet friends and dig the juke
box until the heat blew it for us... or was it that bunch of outside idiots
that started hanging around towards the end there, unable to maintain their
coolness? The ruins are located at 8537 Sunset Blvd.
#13 IT'S BOSS is
teenie-bopper heaven. You only have to be 15 to get in. Located at 8433 Sunset
Blvd (phone 654-9900).
#14 Nikki's Too is a day-time
spot with an outdoor thing where you can ingest surprisingly good hamburgers in
the company of a lot of really creepy people who sit there next to you while
you're eating and hope that somebody driving by owes them money so they can
scream and yell at them and make a scene so the people walking by will notice
that they're sitting there and how groovy their sunglasses are... 8355 Sunset
Blvd (phone 656-9244).
#15 The Colonial West Model
is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. My views, however,
were not shared by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sammy Davis Jr., or any of
the other 18 million hippies who have made this their place to crash over the
past few years. Conveniently located next to Nikki's Too at 8351 Sunset Blvd
(phone for reservations 656-4120).
#16 The Stripcombers is
HAPPENING for black leather jackets and motorcycle boots if that is your bag.
Keen fun at 8301 Sunset Blvd (for pertinent information phone the West
Hollywood Sheriff's Station).
#17 The Fifth Estate is one
of those places that refuses to quit... even after a whole series of scenes
with the heat, bravely situated at 8226 Sunset Blvd (phone 656-7673).
#18 PANDORA'S BOX is another
teenie-bop underground stronghold... a defiant little island at the top of the
strip with a picket fence around it and cops and ingenue freakos and lots of
atmosphere, but tiny. Try sitting at Frascati's across the street and watching
the heat surround the place while the kids scramble for cover. Keen fun.
Located at 8118 Sunset Blvd (phone 656-9192).
#19 GEE GEE'S was a scene
until it was mysteriously forced out of business. It is, at this moment, for
rent... 8100 Sunset Blvd., next to Schwab's drug store, across the street from
Ah Fong's and Greenblatts Deli.
#20 The Ash Grove features
ETHNIC ETHNICAL ETHNOCENTRIC Folque Musique... I remember when Bud Travis used
to work there and Ed Pearl used to do Ethnopolitical Greasing for the newly
founded cabaret at the Idyllwild Folk Freak Sanctuary in 1958, Before Hal
Zeiger invented the HOOTENANNY. Check it out at 8162 Melrose Ave (phone
653-2070).
#21 VITO'S STUDIO & store
& cult HQ & sanctuary & genetic laboratory which is REALLY THE
PLACE TO SEE is located at 303 N. Laurel (the bomb blasts tells us that the
status quo agents have made it known that they are checking Vito out)
#23 The Blue Grotto coffee
house used to be nice and quiet until it got busted in the middle of the night.
Meet and talk with the survivors at 1010 N. Fairfax.
#24 CARL'S HOUSE is where
Carl lives. It wouldn't be right to give EVERYBODY the address... he would
never get any sleep, poor fella.
#25 SITE OF A GIGANTIC &
FESTIVE BUST wherein much brutality and authoritarian B.S. was perpetrated with
the result that all parties involved served a lot of DEAD TIME (time before
trial) and got acquitted (causing them great physical and mental discomfort
& status loss).
#27 THE BRAVE NEW WORLD is a
very IN sort of late-teen Freak spot. Visit 1644 N. Cherokee, near M'Goos on
Hollywood Blvd.
#29 The Red Velvet is HQ for
the plastic & pompadour set with lotsa hard rock & blue-eyed soul to
TURN YOU ON, BABY. Located at 6507 Sunset Blvd (466-0861).
#30 BIDO LIDO'S (formerly
Cosmo Alley, one of our beloved manager's old coffee houses) is another
underground teen-freako hot spot that launched the group LOVE "into orbit
in the top pop hit charts with many smash numbers" (some of them performed
on their employers). The Bido Lido's ain't quite the same... but still sort of
happening & atmospheric at 1608 N. Cosmo St.
#31 The Haunted House is
fulla go-go & snappy ensembles & hair-dos & a genuine
fire-breathing bandstand. Must be seen to be believed at 6315 Hollywood Blvd.
#32 The Hollywood Ranch
Market never closes and is a good place to see some REAL FREAKS. 1248 N. Vine
(phone 464-0156).
#33 The Hollywood Police
Station, a masterpiece of Etruscan architecture in the heart of primitive
Hollywood.
#35 THE TROPICANA MOTEL is
groupies' paradise... that's where most of the touring groups who play the
Whisky a Go-Go stay when they hit town, as well as many members of active local
groups like The Doors and The Byrds. Located at 8585 Santa Monica Blvd (phone
652-5720).
#69 (by request) THE LOS
ANGELES FREE PRESS OFFICE, cognoscenti HQ, beacon of truth, champion of teen
& otherwise justice, nice people, and more at 5903 Melrose Avenue. You
would be wise to subscribe immediately upon arrival to town or you will never
really know what's going on... socially or politically. THEY ALSO SELL BOOKS,
MAGAZINES, BUMPERSTICKERS & BUTTONS THAT WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH & HAVE
STATUS at 424-1/2 Fairfax, across from Canter's, #22. Behold the enclosed
subscription blank.
»Freak out hot spots« map was eventually reprinted and included with
The MOFO Project/Object, a four-disc audio documentary on the making of the
album, released posthumously by the Zappa Family Trust in 2006.
The Map "FREAK OUT! Hot Spots"
Reviewed by
frank zappa newspaper
on
08:50
Rating:
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