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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
1969
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Not my personal favorite Zappa album but it may be his best in many ways. Certainly the most listenable. Peaches en Regalia is like the theme to a TV show I'd want to watch. The track with Captain Beefheart is a fucking ripper. Zappa's a true iconoclast and this album proves his versatility. Motherfucker could do anything he wanted it seems, especially play the electric guitar - holy shit. He's largely underrated in that regard. I wish he went more in this general direction over the years but this album sort of stands out in his catalog. Nice balance of exploration and focus.
It feels like I'm in a very hip '60/'70s film and I'm into it. Actually was jamming hard enough that I put the record on from the top after I finished it the first time. And with this 5 stars I am officially my father's daughter.
9/10. the 18 minute track is a bit much but the first half of this is pure fucking quality. Peaches en Regalia is blissful, the guitar textures on Willie the Pimp are insane, and Son of Mr. Green Genes is just a really fun time the whole way through. after that it loses a bit of steam, but not that much. it's super psychedelic and just a really good time? glad it's instrumental too
oh they're groovin!!!!!! they are groovin, absolutely swinging on the dancefloor! look at em go, they're just vibing!!!!! they're groovin!!!
This is a jazz fusion masterpiece. The guitar work on this is superb and the instrumentation is just sublime. I can listen to this record over and over. I don’t have much else to say really. Favorite song: Willie The Pimp and Peaches En Regalia Least favorite song: None boy
Familiarity: 6/10 Frank Zappa's Hot Rats remains one of his most well known albums, and as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. This album carries it's 43min runtime through only 6 songs. Starting off with beautiful guitar composition in Peaches, to a driven jam instrumental in Willie the Pimp. The album then leads into the light hearted Zappa composition, Son of Mr. Green Genes, and continues on into the soothing jazz bass line of Little Umbrellas. Finally the album closes out with the intense rock epic The Gumbo Variations and the album closer, It Must Be A Camel. Favorite Tracks: (All of it, obviously... but the stand-outs) - Peaches en Regalia - phenomenal solo work - The Gumbo Variations - that bass tho
It's been such a long time since I listened to Hot Rats that I forgot most of it. It's such a playfully groovy trip of an album with crazily long and diverse songs. I really like Son Of Mr. Green Genes & The Gumbo Variations, and It Must Be A Camel is a smooth culmination of such a fascinating album of instrumentation. Gonna have to grab it on LP. I can only imagine spinning this in the Shelter. Groove on!
Je résumerais l'album ainsi: Frank Zappa superpose des sons sans aucune cohérence et demande à nos oreilles de se démerder avec le résultat.
I wouldn't describe myself a full-fledged Zappa fan. I gravitate to either his classical avant guarde phase (e.g. The Yellow Shark) or his very short prog phase (Roxy & Elsewhere). Most folks consider Hot Rats an example of the latter. Opener Peaches En Regalia has a complex structure, memorable melodies, and an elaborate and detailed arrangement. It has some rock/R&B feel, but frankly, the genre is impossible to peg. Too bad I don't like it more. Some of the sonorities feel awkward to me, and the humorous elements are unwelcome. But this is purely a matter of taste. It's certainly a competent piece of music. Willie The Pimp is another matter. I've always found Captain Beefheart's Howling Wolf impersonation irritating, certainly in a blues/rock context, like here. The rhythm section is fine, but how much you enjoy this tune will depend on your tolerance for the lengthy solos. I've never found Frank Zappa's guitar playing especially interesting. He just drones on and on with permutations of standard blues and rock licks. His tone is okay, I guess. I just can't get very enthusiastic about it. Son of Mr. Green Jeans is of the same ilk as Peaches En Regalia. If you enjoyed that, you will likely enjoy this. There's also another extended guitar solo from Frank. Sigh. I find Little Umbrellas more appealing compositionally with it's gently insinuating melody and non-standard modal content. Ruth Underwood has the solo spots here, which helps. She's a monster player. And I like the bassist on this number, too. His bass tone is fat and his note choices are tasty. The Gumbo Variations is another standard blues riff extended to over 12 minutes! I don't hate the sax player, maybe because he brings some welcome skronk to the proceedings, but 12 minutes is a long time for this sort of thing. Once again, the rhythm players do a great job of maintaining interest, but there's only so much they can do. With Don Sugarcane Harris' extended violin solo, he proves he can be just as tedious as Zappa. Thankfully, the album closes with It Must Be A Camel, which has the sort of thoroughly unconventional melodies and harmonies that I've only heard from Zappa. Drummer John Guerin has a major role here. He's by far the most tasteful and imaginative soloist on this date. Too bad the rest of the album isn't this good. Interestingly, Jean Luc Ponty put out an album of Frank Zappa compositions called King Kong the same year Hot Rats came out, which Frank also arranged, and I adore that. Go figure. How to rate? Well, the session players are fine. The three through-composed tunes (as opposed to the jam sessions) are competent and show some creativity. The engineering is first-rate. But the solos bore the shit out of me. Ditto the jam tunes. 2.5/5
This album started out SO GOOD. Then (apparently) the drugs kicked in, the saxophone came out, and everything started falling apart until, by the end, the tracks were reduced to atonal, tempo-agnostic, guitar "solos" and random horn bleating. I tried so hard to give it the benefit of the doubt (after the mandatory 1-star subtraction for saxophone solos) but it just never recovered itself. By the time the last track wrapped I was legitimately angry at Zappa for putting this nonsense out into the universe.
Listen
Good jazz fusion, maybe even a little bit of proto-prog. Some crazy instrumentation on this, sometimes to its detriment like on the opener, not in love with the weird accordion sounds, but it’s fun, it’s groovy, jazzy, and the playing is awesome
I remember Burt sharing this record in early 2000s and I listened to Peaches En Regalia a ton but neglected the rest of it. Solid jams, lots of extended instrumental bits and even a whacked out saxophone solo!
Natürlich bekannt, schon viel zu lange nicht mehr ganz gehört. Nach dem ganzen Schrott in den vergangenen 2 Wochen eine wahre Wohltat.
An absolute banger, Zappa has an album of pure gold with wild sections of oddball stuff that always works. These are some real Hot Rats.
I love Zappa, Hot Rats is great because it shows his great skills as a guitarist and bandleader.
I have a weird relationship with Zappa - a lot of his music is deeply unpleasant, absolutely devoid of charity, warmth or human spirit, and not half as funny as his aficionados would lead you to believe. Yet, now and again, he would rise to the occasion and deliver something utterly sublime. Hot Rats is one of those moments - I love the grinding violin riff to 'Willie The Pimp' whilst 'Peaches En Regalia' might be his most focused and accomplished instrumental in the rock idiom. I don't chuck the word 'genius' around much, and I don't think it applies to Zappa ultimately, but when firing on all eight he came damn close.
Kein Wunder das alles den Bach runter geht wie high kann man denn gewesen sein beim komponieren und hören. The Gumbo Variations Großartig während dem Fahrradfahren gehört habe mich gefühlt wie in der Auflösung der zweiten Wendung in einem heist movie
Peak Zappa - incredible guitar work and full of absolute tunes. Second only to Overnite Sensation in my opinion!
its actually really good to listen to nowadays... its so good couple good song some are too long
I never know what to take from a Zappa album honestly. I always try to make a few listens, and sometimes I feel like I get it. I don't. It's like being stoned, having the best idea in the world. And then you sober up, and it's sorta just gone forever. That's how I feel When listening to Zappa. Maybe I get it in the moment, but afterwards I don't have anything. Not a clue, It's just a ride, and a fucking good one at that.
9/10. Actually I really enjoyed parts of this while sitting in traffic, it must be solid.
Pretty great beats actually, so much more fun than I was expecting. Listened to it twice because Spotify un-downloaded all my music. 9/10
Very captivating listen. Favorite tracks are Willie the Pimp and The Gumbo Variations.
I’m biased as a zappa fan, but this iconic album has the perfect combination of jazz fusion and rock n roll shreddiness. Nobody does what zappa does, 5 stars.
Being the jazz-rock classic that it is, Hot Rats was the album that got me into Zappa. Peaches en Regalia has always been one of my favourite tracks, but perhaps I have been ignoring the other songs too often, because this time around I noticed some pretty amazing stuff across the whole album. Zappa has such a unique guitar playing style, and stands out when it come to composition and arrangement. The wild improvisations in the longer tracks do not always work perfectly, but the excellent musicianship and the energy and excitement that the album breathes makes it easy to get past the iffier parts.
I don't listen to Zappa that much, but when I do it's usually Hot Rats. Zappa's discography is like the Cheesecake Factory menu. There are so many options to pick from, yet you know damn well you're going to pick the same thing you're used to having. That's what Hot Rats is for me. Incredibly fun to listen to and masterfully performed.
flaming genius, fabulously intense - not one for listening to every day, but like many great LPs, there is an itch that only Hot Rats can scratch.
Shocking, considering how insufferable I found "Freak Out!", that I would be so taken by this album. Zappa works a lot better without words for me.
It's amazing, for a guitarist, how much saxophone is in this album. The first time I heard this album, it did not become one of my favorites. But still, it has some great songs. "Peaches" is probably one of his greatest works. Listening to that piece today I really tuned in to the drums and marveled at how well-constructed they were. "Son of Mr. Green Genes" I had heard as a live performance, with lyrics. Surprising that it was originally just an instrumental. I have the Hot Rats Session box set. I need to listen to that at some point. The album itself is important as it is listed as "Frank Zappa" and not "Frank Zappa and the Mothers". I tend to gravitate to his Grand Wazoo era and Waka / Jawaka. But as a Zappa fan, I should listen to this one more often. Great stuff here.
This is the album to introduce people to Frank Zappa with. Especially when you're a rocker and a bit into jazz this is where you start before you dive into the man's immense back catalogue. If you're into instrumental solo's, whether guitar, clarinet, bass, violin, drums, this is the album for you. This album got it all and is likely one of the best Zappa has released.
Probably the album i've listened to the most. Absolute banger. The one i always recommend to people who wanna check out Zappa but might be apprehensive due to all the yellow snow, tower of powers, and cum. The perfect way to ease them into the weirdness.
I've listen this album 100s of times. It's arguably the first true Jazz rock album and is still a masterpiece. Peaces is a Zappa standard and excellent example of Jazz Fusion. Willie the Pimp with Sugarcane Harris's and Franks blistering solos laid the groundwork for Jazz Rock, just listen Mahavishnu Orchestra.
I've heard Frank Zappa's name for most of my life. When this popped up, I realized that I had no idea what kind of music he made. I must have heard some of his music somewhere along the way but I had not idea what that might be. I put this on and fell instantly in love with "Peaches in Regalia." It's catchy as hell, the arrangements are full of surprises - I love it! Even though I didn't know what to expect this was totally unexpected! "Willie The Pimp" changes the tone quite a bit with gritty vocals and guitars and a very long and groovy jam. Really enjoyed this too. "Son Of Mr. Green Genes" I guess is not about the recurring Captain Kangaroo character... but I love it so much! It's groovy, jazzy, and so cool and unique. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a most groovy dribble to work! A lot of this music is what the nondescript instrumental rock-and-roll the kids on the Brady Bunch played was based upon, only orders of magnitude better. I have no idea why an album like this has existed for my entire life and I haven't run into it before. This is one of my favorite new musical discoveries - I'm definitely going to be checking out more from Frank Zappa!
This was the first Zappa album I listened to in HS. Willie the Pimp is underrated and Peaches En Regalia still slaps
Some incredible jams. Just Frank Zappa doing Frank Zappa things. Best track: Willie the Pimp
Overall, I really dug this album and I think it's a good album to have on in the background while vibing. Peaches en Regalia was definitely my favorite and I really want to find the perfect playlist to put it on.
4/5. Jammy jazz-rock with lots of emotion and cacophonous solos from my different instruments. Great working music, but too wild for it to be universally liked.
It's very interesting, it has some great sounds, but I didn't really like listening to it. I think it might have been because I was working during it, if it is supposed to be like Frank himself says, a movie for your ears, then it's probably best to pay attention to what is being played. Having it in the background in a party would probably be pretty good.
jesus, what a carnival. send me into the ether with this on the stereo. fav track: willie the pimp
Some killer extended jams in here. Very raw sound but also very well arranged. Haven't listened to much Zappa but this shows me that I should
this entire album is just one massive shredfest. and that's pretty cool. energetic old school rock instrumental. jazz blues feel in a few songs. not many words, but not many needed.
Most enjoyable Zappa album to date. Perhaps I should explore more of his earlier stuff.
A sonic treat to the ears... there is so much going on at any point of this mostly instrumental album that it is hard to unpack on a single listen.
I’ve always had reservations about Zappa. This was a really groovy album. But I’m still not sold on some of his other works.
Funny how Frank's weird personality comes through even in instrumentals. Not surprised to read that Captain Beefheart was involved with this one. Could hear the Beefheart influence on Tom Waits especially in "Willie the Pimp." I enjoyed this album, but I do wonder given FZ's vast discography whether this deserved to be on the list. Still, 3.5 rounded to 4 for me.
I mostly liked it. Less than half of my play through I got annoyed at how long or weird a song was. It was mostly pretty enjoyable and would definitely listen to it again.
The genre is definitely some kind of Jazz rock fusion. It sounds really nice the way it was laid out into long ballads. The soul and emotion from this album were quit incredible.
so up until now, I've never listened to much of Frank Zappa's work, but man, that album was nuts. it just felt like a jam session on a plethora of drugs, but in the best way possible. I'm definitely adding this album to my work playlist.
great album! a great psychedelic jazz album that i will definitely listen to again! 4.2*
I kojeny Zappa na liscie, teraz juz solowo bez mateczki inwencyjnej, albumik z wczesnego okresu tworczosci, drugi solowy albumik i jeden z nielicznych pickow wystarczajaco poprawnych polityczno kulturowo, zeby znalezc sie na takiej liscie, bo jest to albumik praktycznie w calosci instrumentalny, poza pierwszymi dwoma minutami williego pimpa, ktory posiada wokale od kapitana wolowegoserca, z tego co pametam to chyba wszyscy muzycy ktorzy graja na tej plycie pracowali juz z Zappa w inwencyjnej mateczce, wiec ogranie juz bylo i zostalo skierowane w calkiem nowym kierunku, po satyrycznych plytach matkowcow tutaj mamy uczte instrumentalna, 9 minutowe traki gdzie Franek imponuje swoimi gitarkowymi skilsami, czy drumuje niczym tysiacreki siwa, ale jednak nie to stanowi o tym, ze albumik jest tak dobry jak jest, bo jest, a to z powodu dopieszczenia kazdego dzwieku jaki mozna uslyszec, jest to jeden z pierwszych albumow nagrany na 16 trakowej, podobno wlasnorecznie zorganizowanej przez Zappe, maszynie rikordujacej, co daje mozliwosci intensywnego overdubowania co od razu slychac zwlaszcza na takich trakach jak willie the pimp, gdzie wokale instrumentale i dodatkowe efekty blyszcza, na plejce mam juz wlasnie williego, wiec dorzuce tylko peaches en regalia, czyli trak najbardziej kojarzony z ta plyta, nie tylko ze wzgledu, ze dosc radiowy czas jego trwania, ale tez jako opening definiuje, ze bedzie to albumik rokowo podobny, bo influencje jazzowe sa bardzo wyrazne, wiec muzyka fuzji i awangardy jak by to okreslili na diszczogu
Excellent throughout - not my usual thing but really creative harmonies and interesting guitar work
I bought this album in 1971. Always liked it, and I've gotten to appreciate it beyond. Peaches en Regalia.
Good fun, I'm surprised their were so few vocals, every other Zappa album I've heard has them. I still prefer some later Zappa but I enjoyed this, looking forward to there being more Zappa on this list, I've only listened to a few of his but they're great
Disco bien progresivo, con tonos psicodélicos y de jazz (esta última parte no me gustó tanto), tocado por excelentes músicos. Un álbum que volvería a repetir. 4.5/5
Prog Rog & Psychedlia met and had a pretty amazing baby in this album. Zappa's vocals can be a bit alarming and pull you out of the experience, but largely this album is instrumental and has several large jams.
30th June 2021 Listened on my phone in the kitchen while working, the day after England beat Germany 2-0 in the euros. Really liked this, predominantly instrumental which I can see being amazing live. Nice cameo from Captain Beefheart on one of the singles, vibey and funky with some tasty guitar solos thrown in.
Schön rauer Rock. Jedes Stück gefällt mir erstmal sehr gut, geht mir aber meist nach ein paar Minuten ein bisschen auf die Nerven. Jedenfalls so beim nebenbei hören.
A solid album that truly demonstrates how well Frank Zappa can improv with a multitude of different instruments. It is considered “rock” on Apple Music but I would consider it to be more jazz focused. Will certainly be listening to more of Frank Zappa in the future.
Starts off with fantastic psychedelic experimental prog, which only just begins to tire towards the end of the album.
One of (if not THE) easiest Zappa albums to get into. Peaches en regalia is one of my favourite songs, it's a masterpiece. It's his first album without The Mother's and this new lineup is tight!
Listened walking thru town on a lovely day and matched the vibes perfectly. Very out there and very complex but a solid listen. Will try again and get more in depth with it. Been on my list for a while.
Concerned when I noticed an 18-minute song. But guess what? I didn't hate it. Maybe don't love it, but really enjoyed this album and listened to a few songs more than once. Lots of instrumental, but good stuff. Great background music. Teetering between a 3 and a 4 but solid addition to the list. Glad I heard it. And I'M LISTENING AGAIN!
Frank Zappa is serious business (musically speaking). You may or may not like what he did (it may be hard on some ears) but there's no doubt that his creativity was out of this world and that his mastery of music genres, composition and instruments was exceptional. The musicians that played and recorded with him were always all extremely gifted and talented. In the case of Hot Rats, not only does he showcase his mastery of the guitar, but also of the technical aspects of recording, using an almost unheard of (at the time) 16 tracks to create the many layers in the album's tracks. Like it or not, this is definitely a "must listen to album".
One of the first Jazz adjacent albums that didn't feel challenging to listen to in any way. Quite enjoyable honestly.
Not really what I expected given what I thought I knew about Zappa and had heard from him before. I figured it would be a lot more avant-garde and experimental. In any case, it was still some pretty great jazz-injected prog rock.
I've always enjoyed this album. An early entry point to the eclectic world of Zappa. The blues of Captain Beefheart is excellent as is the electric violin (and guitar of course!).
I like that this is mainly instrumental. Songs feel like they go on forever tho. Very jammy. Some of it's almost jazzy. Four stars.
Dels que conec, és sense dubte l'àlbum més jazz de Zappa. Sense perdre de vista la seva habitual inventiva experimental i búsqueda de nous sons, és un disc clarament jazzero, gran part d'ell instrumental. Sempre m'ha tirat més aquesta visió que la dels seus primers treballs, massa en búsqueda del xoc i l'experimentació...
Lots of groovy stuff going on here, but there are some production issues on the wind instruments that make parts of some songs tinny and hard to listen to. Still, the free form rock flow of this album makes it a fun listen. 8
Sometimes the dissonant parts were really grating, but overall this was really creative and cool, I especially liked the last track 8/10
Impressive guitar and interesting experimental rock sounds. Tracks are incredibly well produced, especially for 1969. Super accessible too despite the avant nature. First three tracks are memorable and energetic. Quiets down after that with an interesting smooth jazz track. Last two tracks are fairly forgetful but have impressive aspects for sure, like the cosmic rock of "It Must Be A Camel."
Thought this was excellent other than the sax solo in The Gumbo Variations. Totally killed my enjoyment of the song.
Hot Rats consists of instrumental jazz-influenced compositions with exhaustive soloing. Zappa described the album as “a movie for your ears.” Thank you wikipedia ;) (7/10) FT: Peaches en Regalia
Never took the time to listen to this album properly but now I did: the Gumbo Variations is 5* - the rest is 3*-4*, so a very decent Frank Zappa album overall: 4*.
Played it a couple of times, doesn't happen a lot with albums in this list. Hence liked it
I like guitar, and this album was a lot of it. Frank Zappa is a really good guitarist, I prefer the kinda slower rather than funkier/jazzier style Zappa has, but the point is he is a very good guitarist. the begging of willie the peep was weird, but the guitar was insane in all the songs. I enjoyed it.
I have never listened to Frank Zappa but I liked this album, I didn't expect it to have jazz inspiration/piano but I enjoyed it. Favourite songs: Willie the pimp, Little umbrellas
Weird and wonderful and fun. Just a whole lotta noodling and soloing and creativity that was really enjoyable to listen to. Favourite Tracks: Peaches En Regalia, Little Umbrellas, It Must Be a Camel
Awesome instrumentals. Fluid and complex. Really enjoyable to listen to when you are working on something creative.
Finally, a good album. It's been almost two weeks since this thing has generated anything that's cracked a 4. It isn't Zappa's best, but at least there's some representation on this infernal list. Why is this the only Zappa album on here? Boring-ass REM and U2 have four albums apiece on this thing, and they couldn't spare a second slot for a guy whose discography is over twice the size of both of those mundane bands combined?
Frank Zappa is weird! But he pulls together some pretty great jazz rock that really pushed the genre. A lot on instrumental craziness that ultimately the reason why this album is on here. Fully worth the price of admission.
This is one that I have on vinyl, an original press that belonged to my dad ❤ I obviously had to bust it out for this. I don't have a great deal of experience with Zappa, outside of this album, but I do really dig this. It's a great listen top to bottom and that fuses jazz with prog rock at the time. Great stuff
Apart from his reputation as an extravagant, sometimes difficult rock artist with free-jazz and musique concrète proclivities, I didn't know the first thing about Frank Zappa. This record was a surprisingly pleasant listen. I've browsed through other Zappa album deemed important by certain critics and fans, and now I know that immediate pleasure is not the first thing that comes to my mind with these high-conceptual and/or tongue-in-cheek recordings. *Freak Out*, by the Mothers of Invention, is the only one of those records I found genuinely enjoyable on first listens. The rest is really, *really* for the fans, I think. Two things stand out in *Hot Rats*, though. As in *Freak Out*, the lush arrangements provided by horn and reed sections is a huge plus. But in *Hot Rats*, there's something that not even *Freak Out* can boast about, and it's the hard grooves. Some drums are in a funky mode that's particularly lively, almost krautrock in their intent. And when they don't, they swing in a slower yet as efficient fashion, hereby supporting jazzier cuts that are equally satisfying. I barely noticed all the tracks were all instrumental except one sung by Captain Beefheart. I was too much taken in the soundscapes. Obviously, I'm a rookie when it comes to Zappa, so I can't really judge this effort in a broader context. But I understand he's an acquired taste anyway, and you can't rush things with an artist as productive and unhinged as him. Let's just say that *Hot Rats* does sound like a promising entry point, at least, just like *Freak Out* was on a more classic-rock, partly parodic, mode. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 975 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 9 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 7 (including this one) Albums from the list I will *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 8 Albums I might not be able to judge (some might end up on my final list but it's because I recognize how culturally important they are): 1]
And I thought Neil Young was eclectic. This is what, rock meets jazz? I've listened to a couple Zappa albums before, but more straight ahead rock (from the 80's maybe?). The first track is pretty short so I didn't really notice the heavy jazz motif until I got past track 2; clear as I go back to it. Most of the album felt like jazz fusion with electric guitar and a rock feel. I was thinking that it sounded like some of the jazz albums on this list and then read that Shuggie Otis is featured on the album, so yep. The second track felt like quintessential prog rock and it was pretty damn cool. I would've liked even more of that but tracks 3 and 4 were still pretty cool. Track 5 was up there with track 2 - slick. On top of Zappa, Ian Underwood was pretty impressive on the sax (and other woodwinds).
Don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't a nearly full instrumental album, but then again, I really know nothing about Frank Zappa. This album has been described as a "movie for your ears," and I get the description after listening. Smooth jazz fusion that tells a fun and engaging story.
Frank was the shit. The most underrated musician I can think of. His music is borderline genius but it wasn't "radio worthy". I hope he doesn't end up as a footnote in 20th century music.
I have never listened to Frank Zappa for more than maybe one song on a playlist playing at a restaurant or bar or something. Had no idea how much I would enjoy it. Very "far out" at times but also seemed very organized for entire 12 minute tracks. Loved it.
Always been a fan of this record and Zappa’s jazz arrangements (even still have a CD single with Peaches En Regalia / Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up). Sometimes it seems so unlikely that the same guy who created Sheik Yerbouti and Joes Garage also created Peaches, Little Umbrellas, and It Must be a Camel.
I have always appreciated Frank Zappa but when ever I listen to his work I always feel like I am missing something. It is like I am not privy to some kind of in joke and I would suddenly get it if I got told what the reference meant. Or like the comedy of Monty Python, I will just never get, no matter how many times it gets explained to me. Having said that, I still enjoy this album and consider him and the other talented musicians on this geniuses. It is just that I probably won't rush out and listen to Hot Rats again for a while.
Zappa was the absolute man. Unironically one of the most talented musicians ever, but sadly underrated because.. uh.. I guess people don't want to listen to a guy singing about how he can take an hour on the tower of power as long as he gets a little golden shower. Those people are weak. This album is some proggy psychedelic jazz mix. "Peaches En Regalia" is a classic, "Son Of Mr. Green Genes" was probably my favorite of the three long songs on the album and "Little Umbrellas" is also really good. Not the biggest fan of "The Gumbo Variations", which goes completely into jazz hell territory. Overall a very solid album.
Rockin', bluesy, jazzy. It's a really good overall rock'n roll album. Can't really say I like his voice, but still...
Fun, mostly instrumental fusion of rock, jazz, blues, and funk, with appearances by Captain Beefheart and Jean-Luc Ponty(!). I would call it unexpected, but when I stop to think about it, I have no idea what to expect from Frank Zappa. At any rate, I quite enjoyed it.
I have never listened to a Frank Zappa album (that I recall), but I was anticipating more lyrics...and absurd ones at that...for some reason. So, this was an unexpected dominance of jazz fusion instrumentals. Fine enough!
Frank Zappa was an icon when I was young, but I didn't really know why. He was one of those celebrities who was famous for being famous. It was a big deal when "Valley Girl" came out when I was 14, but again it was probably the Valleyspeak it brought attention to and his daughter's name being Moon Unit that were more famous than the song itself. Somehow this rock-jazz fusion was not what I expected. But then although this is an acclaimed Zappa album, there is no "typical" Zappa album it seems. In any case, it certainly doesn't sound too "experimental" or "out there." I sometimes get very restless with the longer pieces, but I didn't with this album, so I give it credit.
Just a blistering combination of jazz and rock. Sounds spontaneous yet controlled and methodical. The instrumentation is insane. Only one song on here I didn't particularly enjoy, luckily it's the shortest here ("Little Umbrellas"). Favorite tracks: "Willie the Pimp", "The Gumbo Variations"
It's a really weird, mostly instrumental jazz/funk/prog-rock mash-up and I love it - that is I absolutely loved the first 4 tracks and wasn't that keen on tracks 5 and 6 which were a bit too dissonant for me. Easy five stars especially for the first 3 tracks but the last 2 bring the album down a bit.
Perhaps the absolute best representation of the jazz fusion era of Frank's career. He was an enigma, a one of a kind talent. He could dabble in many genres and could produce stellar albums in those styles. This is one of them. From Peaches en Regalia onwards, Hot Rats is a relentless force that sounds as fresh now as it did in 1969. There are plenty of memorable moments throughout, peaking at The Gumbo Variations: twelve minutes of some of the finest playing Zappa ever did. Highly recommended. Favorites: Peaches en Regalia, Son of Willie the Pimp, The Gumbo Variations, It Must Be a Camel.
I go into this having listened to some of his work and struggled to enjoy it. I hope this experience will be different. Sounds like an interesting jam session, I am enjoying it more than I expected so far. I think the reason I like this album more so far is that it is mostly instrumental. I really liked the guitar solo on Son of Mr. Green Genes. Overall a fantastic album.
I was previously completely unfamiliar with anything by Frank Zappa, and for the most part, jazz rock. I enjoyed this album. Personal high point was the use of a jazz violinist. I wasn't even aware they existed.
Zappa is all but revered by friends whose musical opinions I take seriously. But I haven’t always found his music easy to get into. I liked this right from the start though, and thought the whole album was fantastic.
Interesting instrumental album..not the biggest fan of the instrumental but I have to appreciate the effort and the art in it
I see where this is excellent and innovative, but I don't think it is the kind of thing I would just turn on
I don't listen to prog rock often, but it's interesting to listen and think about how many bands were influenced by Zappa. Decent album.
Technically brilliant, but the lack of lyrics kind of made it a slow listen. Not fully my style
Peaches En Regalia is an amazing track. The rest of the album is also great, from technical point of view. However it's exactly my style.
I feel like I need to be in a smoky basement at a house party. Being buzzed AF and listening to this would be great. First track is quite fun, definitely some interesting things going on here. I am not very knowledgable of Zappa so I'm glad to listen to him deliberately. There is definitely a "jazz" feeling to things here, especially with the long solos and back and forth. Jamming for sure. I could see this construed as showing-off/mastubatory guitar-playing but from what I know of Zappa ego is not a huge thing in the playing. I could be wrong. I don't know. 7 minutes into Willie The Pimp and I'm ready to move on. Finally Little Umbrellas is different. Overall, it's not bad but doesn't do a whole lot for me right now.
Really liked this album at the start! Fun weird jazzy prog from an earlier time. Started to lose me at the end as it blended together...an evergreen valid criticism of most jazz and/or prog.
You can almost smell the patchouli coming out of the speakers... Now I understand why my dad likes Zappa so much... Another thing is that I can't look at Zappa without thinking about Borat... So I imagine Zappa at the end of each song saying "Great success", "my wiiiiife, she's nice"
As a fan of the musical virtuoso, I really enjoyed the skill of the drumming, bass and guitar playing. Great jams from a legend. It was great to finally explore Zappa. 5/5 from the technical perspective, 3/5 as a listener, so 4/5 is where I will leave it.
- So much SOUND! Little place for musical rest...can be overstimulating - Prog/ jazz/ blues/ rock - Excellent instrumentation and skill
Never really listened to Zappa. Not sure how much I will in the future, but this was more interesting than I thought it would be.
I am kinda confuse, there are a lot of skilled guitar plays but it feels kind of "not in my current mood"
Load up the bong and take a big ol' rip, because that'll help you get through this jam band slog. This is a competent, reasonable listen, harkening back to the days of free love, copious amounts of cocaine on the set. I'm just not really sure that holds up today.
What is it? Is it Jazz, Blues, Rock? To be honest I'm just glad its not industrial french shite. There is a hint of showing off here but i'll let that pass. Nice music to work by. would have liked some lyrics but its a step back in the right direction! 3/5
Its definitely good, but also its not super noteworthy. I kept it on for a while but would forget that I am actually listening to something as I went about my day bc it just blended into the background. I am sure this is also influential enough and unique enough to warrant a spot on the 1001 list
Production: 13/20 Songwriting: 12/20 Innovation: 16/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 11/20 = 57 Yeh that was interesting. High 3.
I did not want to listen to this and especially did not want to like it. I saw that it was 43 minutes long and only 6 songs and thought it was going to be a masturbatory fest of ugly masculine energy... and I guess it kind of is. But I kind of liked it anyway. Whoever is playing the guitar for minutes and minutes and minutes does a pretty good job, and there are some really intricate lines that are doubled on some really obscure instruments. When the singing comes in, which is fortunately few and far between, the ugly snarky ironic masculine energy comes into focus and I lose interest. Oh yeah, and the drumming is freaking fantastic. Jazz-Rock Fusion huh.
Jamming gefällt mir. Kann mir vorstellen, dass es in der damaligen Zeit, mit gutem Kraut, die richtige Musik war.
Not really my thing but I can appreciate it for what it is. I have Zappa fans in the family so I'm familiar with other albums. Have not heard this one before.
This was more melodic than I was expecting. More instrumental. Has some funk to it. Lots of sax. I like it. Good background/working music.
Hot Rats first thing that struck me was the number of tracks and the fact so few had lyrics so that gave me a strong hint this was going to be different. I know the name but never heard much of his stuff peaches en regalia - very jazzy opener willie the pimp - second song is quite a turn, love it and a great "solo" with drums and screaming over the top. One of the very few songs on the album with lyrics but still mostly instrumental This album shows me how much I value or focus on lyrics in albums but shows they are not needed to make a great album but I don't know enough to comment on most of it except I really like it. the gumbo variations, this is jazz hectic jazz with solid rock undertones - nearly 13 mins it is a wild ride with some serious "distortion" of the instruments towards the end very experimental from what I have heard before wanted to give this as 4 - enjoyed it, will listen again as it has intruiged me but considering its experimentalness and it not being my usual music I am going with 3 - decent, could stick on again. but at 6 tracks (albeit long tracks) it won't be hard to jump back in and out
Ranges from sheer brilliance to the annoying, probably too much. I'm being rather harsh on this album with my rating, but then again my stars never aligned with Zappa.
There's a lot going on here. Perhaps too much at times. Can't say I completely enjoyed this, but it's certainly been an experience.
Enjoyed this quite a bit - free flowing guitar and a great sound in parts. Willie the Pimp was a brilliant track but has a few moments where it slips into porn soundtrack territory
A joyous dose of jazz-rock fusion. Half the album is lengthy, indulgent jams and it’s superb - Willie the pimp the pick of the bunch
Jazz fusion not really my thing but this album has its moments for sure. Especially during The Gimbo Variations. The playing is insanely hot throughout, not only Zapoa's playing but his band cooks 3.5 🌟
Pentaton, Fuzz face, groovy guitarlir. Så åbenbart også kontrabas, piano og vilde orgler
More enjoyable than I expected. Lots of jazzy vibes, and Zappa only sings on a single track (I think). Probably not one I would reach for given the proliferation of other jazz albums, but worthy of 3 stars.
Really interesting on the whole, let down a bit when it goes full on self indulgent jam session.
This album is odd. I've never quite listened to something like this before. I mean, I've listened to jazz music and jazz fusion, but this is completely different. It felt that every musical choice made on this record was intentionally trying to be as far away from mainstream sound as possible. A lot of the percussive elements to these tracks are extremely odd and sometimes off-putting. A lot of the sound is very experimental for sure. "Peaches En Regalia" feels like the soundtrack for an epic battle at a circus. It is definitely my favorite track. The guitar solo in "Willie The Pimp" drags out way too long in my opinion. Doesn't really add anything new to the track the second or third minute in. I take it back. Last bit of the solo is pretty sick with the beat switch to the swingy rhythm and the polyrhythmic section as well. But man, the vocals are just so... odd. It definitely made me laugh out loud though so I feel that's a positive. The percussive elements on "Son of Mr. Green Genes" could very well be sound effects in Mario Kart. They add a colorful element to the track, but they are definitely odd additions. The clarinet/sax/whatever that was really hurt my ears at the nearly halfway point hahaha. Gotta say - whoever is playing the drums in this band deserves some major credit. The instrumental solos on "The Gumbo Variations" were pretty hilarious, but not funny enough for me to enjoy it for 16 minutes. Overall, this album of music - sometimes I wonder if it qualified as that - was at occasion entertaining, at other times a little too harsh for my ears. Maybe if I listened to it more I would appreciate it, but as of right now this record is a 6/10 on my positivity scale.
Mostly enjoyable, except the end of The Gumbo Variations. I liked Peaches en Regalia the most.
I liked this album a lot too, but I said would be a little harsher with my grading. I loved a lot of the instrumentals because they almost reminded me of the bastard child of Pink Floyd and Dave Brubank, which was super interesting. The general atmospheric vibe to the album was also really neat and the different flowinesses of the different instruments was well done. Like a lot of jazz, you do really have to be in the right mood for it. There's a lot of repetition (or near-repetition that only the performers and someone paying really close attention can hear) and 45 minutes of the lowfi feel can get a little annoying. Overall pretty good though
Dynamic, interesting. I had no idea what would come next and was eager to find out. Nothing stood out to make it into regular listening for me.
Ein ungewaschener Nixon Albtraum jammt sich ausm Rattenloch wie ein Entertainer auf Dope. Ziemlich gniedelig und gut. 3.4
I'd heard of the name Frank Zappa, but never any of his songs. It was an interesting - mostly instrumental - ride that has some great guitar solos with a pop of sax and surprisingly organs. Wouldn't mind some of these popping up on a playlist randomly. Best: Peaches En Regalia Worst: Willie The Pimp
3.4 - solid and epic instrumental album, but my favorite track was probably the only one with vocals - Willie the Pimp
I love Zappa's imagination, but I'm not quite sold on the quality of the recording, the inconsistent use of the electric violins, or the wide-ranging song lengths.
Not my cup of tea. No doubt it's brilliant playing and turned lots of hippie kids into jazz fans, but not my cup of tea.
Frank Zappa mades a original and rich compositions. I never listenend to Zappa but I knew about him.
I always feel like I should like Frank Zappa, and then I always just think he's kinda okay when I listen to him. He's a skilled musician and composer, and he surrounds himself will great people, but I always feel like he's just a bit...much. 3/5
Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. Some great guitar work, but too jazzy for me. I want lyrics.
I know of Zappa but I've never listened to an album before - I've heard a few songs of him with Steve Vai but that's it. Anyway... psychedelic jazz eh? It was surprisingly fun, at least for the first half. The first song was amazing. Sadly by about halfway it just seemed like extended freeform jams, and I lost interest. One song in particular went forever. Not bad overall, but I'd never listen to the entire thing again. But 3/5 for being a nice surprise at first.
There are moments when the stars align and the muses themselves come down to touch the lips and fingertips of artists they favor. This is one such album—or rather, the way “Willie the Pimp” and “The Gumbo Variations” go together. Willie is the only actual voice on this whole album, but “Gumbo” is him speaking in a different way—speaking with his feet as he walks his neighborhood, speaking with the back of his hand when he has to put his hos in line. I wish I hadn’t given my pimp costume to my friend. I had this amazing pimp costume I wore at Halloween. It was made of (fake) crushed velvet, lined with zebra-striped felt—and platform shoes to match. The ridiculous, wide-brimmed hat was lined in glittery gold ribbon. I’d wear it right now while listening to this album, the way Buscemi puts on lipstick and listens to “Telephone Line”.
C'est intense, beaucoup de guitare mais la musique est bonne. Un peu etourdissant vers la fin. 3
not really sure how to rate this so i’m giving it a 3, but it’s an album i could see myself coming back to after i learn more about jazz
I’d give it a 3.5 if a could my feelings towards this album are better than neutral but only marginally so
I want to like it more but it just didn’t hit right for me. There’s a lot of cool ideas in it, and I think it’s “objectively” a better album than I’m rating it as.
The musical equivalent of someone talking for 45 minutes without actually saying anything.
Enjoyed and intend to return to more Zappa. Lots of variety on the album (reviewed 4 days late whoops!)
Was fällt diesem Wahnsinnigen ein 3 Songs in Überlänge auf ein Album zu schmieren, das nur sechs Songs hat? Arrogant wennt's ihr mich fragts. Willie the Pimp ist auf jeden Fall unter Einfluss Bewusstseinserweiternder Mittel entstanden. Gilt genau so für den Rest. Wenn man Gitarren Soli mag, bestimmt ganz nice. I don't. Alles, was der Künstler damit sagen will, ist "Schaut mal was ich kann". Okay, we get it FRANK. Gut gemacht. Ansonsten nix packendes. Musste viele Passagen überspringen wie Spider Man. Will not listen again - but no total bullshit
Well, my favorite track on here was both the shortest and the one that had zero guitar in it. “Little umbrella” is great! I liked the last track, too. The rest felt kind of exhausting. I was expecting everything to be exponentially weirder. Instead, it sounded like a jam band parked in my ears and (mercifully) forgot to bring the vocalist.
6 songs of weirdness. Willie the Pimp is kinda fun. Other than that there's lots of instrumentals with some pretty cool guitar. Not great but not the worst either.
I’ve never really understood the appeal of frank zappa. Most of what I’ve heard in the past seemed to be frustrated, talented, informally trained orchestration and that’s most of what I heard on this album. “But he’s a great guitarist!” I remember college friends saying, and they are right about that - I really liked ‘Willie the Pimp’, but there just isn’t enough guitar to save this album for me. 2.5 stars and rounding down.
Fidele a lui-même, réputé pour avoir proposé dans sa carrière un nombre d'albums supérieur au nombre de départements en France, Frank Zappa nous offre un album sans intérêt, que je me garderai bien de relancer a quelconque occasion. L'album vaut un tout petit 3, mais pour l'audace d'avoir sorti autant d'albums de la sorte je mets 2.
As a younger pup, I was many times guilty of pretending to like Zappa more than I actually do. But it's time to come clean. I don't care for this very much at all.
Well, I've never heard an album like this. Hot Rats is essentially a jazz album, but the bass is electric and the horns share the spotlight with searing electric guitars. Zappa demonstrates his remarkable guitar abilities all over the album's six long tracks, breaking into long solos over spastic drum lines. The instrumentation really is remarkable and full of variety. My experience listening to this album felt like watching a really long talent show-- I could appreciate, even stand in awe of, the incredible display of musicality before me, but I couldn't imagine coming back again. There's only so many minutes of blues-rock-jazz improv I can listen to before I start to check my watch. Maybe the fault is with me. I couldn't help but want to compare this album with Wish You Were Here, the last one we listened to for this club. While from totally different genres, I noticed some superficial similarities. Both feature long, sprawling tracks with extensive instrumental sections. However, while every song on WYWH seemed to grow, develop, and build, Hot Rats sounds like a jam session the length of a college lecture. It's like listening to a Tech N9ne song-- yeah, it's impressive, but when am I ever going to be in the mood for this?
Not my favorite Zappa - there's something about jazz without lyrics that I have trouble getting into. Technically proficient, sure, but I like his later stuff much better.
Frank Zappa has never appealed to me musically and that's mainly because his image is so off-putting. He looks like a total fucking creep. Only knew the song Valley Girl and that he gave his kids fucked up names. This shed new light on Zappa for me, but it's still not my bag. *shrug*
2nd Listen. Not my favorite Zappa record. It seems good though. It is starting to grow on me.
It's ok, the guitar is very well played, but there's really nothing to it. All the songs blend together and there's nothing distinctive. It's good background music I guess?
I’ve tried listening to Zappa in the past. He certainly has the chops and a tight band behind him but I guess I just don’t get it. Some parts of songs are cool like much of SOn of Mr Green Genes, but devolve into silliness or random noise. Not for me
I cant. im sorry but i cant. 12 minutes ... yes i know you're THE frank zappa ... but i need to stop letting men convince me to listen to songs over 7 mins ... this is getting ridiculous
Psychedelic rock in it´s essence, It seems to me. But, although the album has some great passages, It extends itself too much, becoming lost sometimes in this experimental shit that, for me, doesn't cut it. In the end, hippie rock and roll, some cool riffs and arrangements, but that´s It. Me no like so much.
I like Frank Zappa, but I'm much more there for the fun stuff than the jazz noodling or 'serious musician' stuff. And that's what you get here. Peaches En Regalia slaps though.
Willie the Pimp is the only track i've got time for on this, oddly the only track with vocals, or Captain Beafheart. Don't come for me the Zappa-army.
I found myself enjoying the first two tracks but the second side quickly descended into unpleasant chaos. Sounded like someone had picked up a saxophone for the very first time.
Very odd - been in my life for 50 years because my muso dad was on the good drugs. Never listened. Might not listen again.
Hot Rats starts off a bit more weird than it is interesting. Son of Mr. Green Genes finds a bit of a groove and the extended guitar or sax or whatever the instrument of the minute is, tends to be fine. Overall, more of an experiment than something to listen to repeatedly.
I'd like to think that it's a novel album, but weren't all albums from the 60s populated with extremely long songs that made you feel your acid trip is even that much buzzier? In that respect, it's a good representative, I suppose. Go Frank!
I wasn't looking forward to this. Zappa is one of those few artists where I just don't know where to start. I was surprised by the promising jazz intro on Peaches. It's actually quite a funky album for 1969. I lost a little interest during the guitar breaks. Gumbo at 12'54" is about 12 minutes too long.
This album could be the soundtrack playing in the intro credits to a 1970s movie where the cops are chasing the badguys. Not a fan of the sound at all, and the saxophone could be dialed down a lot.
Frank Zappa, der schlechtere Captain Beefheart. 1* absoluter schmutz, mal lieber weniger Haschgift flotzen.
Selten hat mich ein Album so sehr genervt. Habe mehrmals angesetzt, aber habs nicht durchgehalten. Echt nicht. Null. Würde gerne auf Did-Not-Listen setzen, aber habs ja leider gehört.
Not a fan. Too many extended jazz type solos. Not my cup of tea. looked forward to it ending 1/5
I keep thinking I should get more into Zappa. Or at least give him more of a listen. But everything I hear seems to be music for music’s sake. And this album does little to change that perception for me. Everything seems overthought and overplayed and lacking much spontaneity. I feel this album tries to be too clever but fails. Even the wonderful Don Van Vliet vocals on Willie The Pimp (nine and a half minutes long? Really?!) can’t change my mind that this is indulgent and flabby throughout.
This is 40 plus minutes a jam session that gets a very obscure at points. I do not understand the allure to this album. The album is 6 songs long so that means most of the songs are way too long. No need to listen to the album.