The Road to Freedom

The Road to Freedom is a 1986 record album by L. Ron Hubbard & Friends. A few of the artists that worked on the album include: John Travolta, Chick Corea, Leif Garrett, Frank Stallone, and Karen Black. The album was produced by the Church of Scientology and their recording studio Golden Era Productions. The Church of Scientology says the album achieved its Gold Record within four months of its release.[1] The cover art for the original album and the updated version of the same cover feature a long bridge meandering off into the sky. This is reminiscent of "The Bridge to Total Freedom" that appears on the Scientology introductory book, What is Scientology.The Church of Scientology put out advertising directed towards its WISE International membership that directed them to order multiple copies of the album (offered in 1/2 dozen lots) to give to associates as a means to introduce people to the concepts of Scientology. The advertising calls this album "the perfect dissemination tool". Product Description

Outrageously Bad

"The Road to Freedom" is one of those rarities that's so bad it's good. Its purpose was to be the music equivalent to "What is Scientology." The star quality, even for its time (1986) is unusual to say the least, the most famous of the bunch being John Travolta. Besides Travolta you get Leif Garret, Frank Stallone, Karen Black, Chick Corea, and more, singing the words of L. Ron Hubbard.

The best way I can put this is...it stinks. I have listened to it many, many times, and I can find nothing redeeming in this mix.

I could go song by song, but there something for the masochist in each of us to enjoy. The album (CD) starts off with "The Road to Freedom." We're told that if we get on the Road to Freedom, that we'll help us free all mankind, and to take the rout of auditing and once again be free. Lots of 80's horns (which sounded trite and dated even then).

The worst of the bunch is the children's sing-along, "The Worried Being." I can't begin to tell you how jaw-droppingly bad song this is. If you've ever been to Sunday School or church camp, you'll remember how strange, goofy, and occasionally awkward those songs were? This one has all of them beat, hands down. "There was a worried being who did secret acts, he felt he had to hide, hide, hide, hide, hide..." to which a children's chorus sings, "Oooo what a sad song." It goes on to knock psychiatrists who "lie" (of course) as well as priests who will tell you "a lot of bunk." Each verse answered by the children, "Oooo what a sad song." We are then told that with Scientology, all those bad issues are gone. There'll be no more "hide, blank, dumb, hurt, shake, lie, beg, cry, plot"... instead, this worried being will be free. To which everyone yells out, "Hurray, he is free!" You simply must hear this to believe it.

To top it all off and bring the album to a close, you get the L. Ron Hubbard himself, singing L'envoi, Thank You for Listening," and bringing the album to a close. In a word, the song is: amazing. A-diddly-mazing.

I really have to call Ron's musical ability into question with just about every album of his I've heard. As a member of the audience, "The Road to Freedom, "along with "Space Jazz," "The Apollo Stars," and the "Mission Earth" albums are the pinnacle of bizarre. February 11, 2008

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