Hot Rats

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.

Proof that with Zappa, jazz is not dead, it just smells funny.

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.

oh they're groovin!!!!!! they are groovin, absolutely swinging on the dancefloor! look at em go, they're just vibing!!!!! they're groovin!!!

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.

Rats could have been hotter.

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.

hot rats hot rats hot rats

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

1969 was arguably the greatest year for music ever and this album is definitely one of the main reasons. Frank Zappa's Fusion of Jazz with Psychedelic Rock stands still today as one of the greatest albums in either genre. The album itself is very complex in its structure without being too weird or Avant-Garde. Zappa shines not only as an incredible guitar player but as a true composer. The arrangements outside of the typical Rock instruments like the flutes on Little Umbrellas work perfectly within the songs context and do not feel like they were put in for the sake of it. Additionally, the album is mostly instrumental with only Willie the Pimp featuring vocals in the first half and these vocals done by Zappa's longtime friend Captain Beefheart work perfectly in the songs context although the song looses a lot of what made it so great at first in the second half. Even the lengthy Gumbo Variations has enough variation to still be entertaining the whole way through. Hot Rats is one of the most diverse and fun albums ever created and is one of my favourite albums EVER. favourites: Peaches on Regalia, Son of Mr. Green Genes, The Gumbo Variations least favourites: Willie the Pimp (second half), Little Umbrellas Rating: a strong 9 to a *10*

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!

Zappa’s Hot Rats were not bad company today, though after a first listen only enormous indifference stopped me from finding something else to play. Beefheart’s intro to one of Z’s long jams was my highlight, and I’m sure that the rest would go well with attendance at some school sports event; here I hope Simon can advise me. Until the happy day my scion rolls up to beat his schoolmates up at ice hockey or interpretative dance or somesuch, I shall not listen to this again. A lot of skill to admire here, all at the service of lecturing me with notes.

lukewarm mice

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

"Hot Rats" is the second solo album by American musician, composer and bandleader Frank Zappa. The album was the first after the dissolution of the Mothers of Invention with five of the six songs being instrumentals. An apt description is instrumental jazz-influence compositions with extensive soloing. It was one of the first albums to use a 16-track recorder. Frank played guitar, octave bass and drums and his main collaborator, Ian Underwood, played piano, organ, flute, clarinets and saxophones. There were a lot of other musicians who also contributed. Commercially, it hit #9 in the UK and #173 in the US. One of Frank's most well-known songs "Peaches en Ragalia" opens the album. A drum and piano roll starts the song which goes to horns and keyboard for the melody. The song moves around....well, all these songs do. There's a great horn mid-section. Ron Selico killing it on the drums. Captain Beefheart sings the only album vocals on "Willie the Pimp." A down and dirty sound opens things up....more bluesy. Frank has an absolutely epic seven-minute guitar solo. Another highlight is Don "Sugarcane" Harris on the electric violin in the intro and outro. "The Gumbo Variations" has a nasty, bluesy guitar intro with the sax in the background. This nearly 13-minute long song is one of horn and guitar solos. I think Underwood used every horn he had. Some of the solos are layered. Some more stud drumming...this time by Paul Humphrey. The album closes with "It Must Be a Camel." The structure is pretty much the same with individual and layered solos of guitar, piano and horns. Jean Luc-Ponty on the violin. This song more in jazz area. This is a complex album with instruments coming in and out. They're layered at times. It is evident that Frank took full advantage of the 16-track recorder. Of course, the musianship is just top notch with some impressive solos especially Frank's guitar ones. This is one of my favorite Frank albums. Besides, some of the song titles, there's nothing gimmicky or sarcastic going on which can annoy me in some of his albums. An album worth listening to if only for the musicianship and/or the wonderful "Peaches en Ragalia."

Man. This was really cool. That first track is out of this world! I can totally see the appeal. This must be one of the foundational Frank Zappa records that started us off on the absolute roller coaster of records that were to come. There are certainly peaks and valleys, and not everything is perfect, but… I can’t stop thinking about how unique and singular this album’s sound is. It sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard— free-wheeling, very bizarre, improvised and off-kilter and seemingly made in a daze, but also so obviously composed, obviously written out with all the intention of a mad scientist dictating his every perverse thoughts. I have no idea how this could have been made, because it sounds too planned to be totally random, but also too “live” to not be done in a super loose and freeform way. There are definitely better and more complete “albums” that Zappa gets into, but this one struck me as this perfectly insane, bizarre concoction that I don’t quite understand. For musicians and writers like me who are all about jamming, improvisation, this seems positively genius. For someone with a jazz background, I’d bet you couldn’t help but feel that there’s some insane method to this that we’re all missing. Zappa before the absurdism really took hold, but also a really convincing, *good* piece of music that defies the laws of gravity somehow. I’m gonna be thinking about this for a while. It’s 1969 and this kid is blowing my mind, 5/5

This is crazy! Might be the best Jazz-Fusion album of all time and definitely Zappa's best work. The guitar with it's jazzy chords and the beautiful arrangements make this a truely one of a kind experience. Like Peaches en Regalia is sooo good and Willie the Pimp is the only song with vocals and Zappa isn't even the one singing it's fucking Capitain Beefheart!!! I really don't get why a lot of people don't like this album on this site: It's perfect through & through! favourites: Peaches en Regalia, Willie the Pimp, Gumbo Variations & the rest too least faves: none... really none rating: light to decent 10

Weird, crazy, but very good. I found this album very enjoyable to listen to. Every song was great.

loved it

Instrumental and long songs (only 6 songs) so good for background whilst working

Awesome album, not really for the faint hearted but fantastic musicianship

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

🎶Jazz Fart, Jazz Fart Everybody’s listening to the Jazz Fart🎶

Never really listened to a full Zappa album other than Apostrophe. The musicianship is crazy. Very entertaining and interesting.

Having grown up with a progressive rock bend, I’ve always been a fan of Frank’s… I see a lot of "jazz fusion", and "improvisational jazz" labels being placed on him – but he is a progressive rock artist – first and foremost in my mind… Gun to my head, my favorite Frank album is 1974’s “Apostrophe (!)” which I think is an absolute classic – though I am familiar with a fair amount of his more popular work… Have listened to “Hot Rats” before, and knew a few of these tracks – so it isn’t surprising given my natural bend, plus being familiar with some of this material already, that I really enjoyed this album… The song that is referenced as one of his best all the time is “Peaches En Regalia” – which is absolutely fine IMO – but there were so many other tracks on this album that I enjoyed more… Have always been a fan of “Son Of Mr. Green Genes”, as there are some spectacular live versions out there, as the JamOn Sirius XM station back in the day, used to play a lot of Frank… Besides the quality of the music, the humor behind writing a track based on an urban legend about you (i.e. Frank was rumored to be the son of Mr. Green Jeans from The Captain Kangaroo kids show in the 60’s – unfortunately not true…) says a lot about the fun side of Frank – which permeates his approach to music… Really enjoyed “Willie The Pimp” – especially the jam over the last half of the song, and “It Must Be A Camel” is a great closer… My favorite track on this album – even more so that every track I’ve referenced so far, was “The Gumbo Variations” as the jam on that one is just so well-done… I’m sure a lot of folks might be turned off by 8 to 12 minute songs, but in the progressive world – that is sort of that standard… Try experimenting with worrying less about how long a song actually is, and truly listen to the music with 100% of your attention and focus - and you just might find that the song ends much earlier than you wanted it to… : ) Since I’m going to give “Apostrophe (!)” a 5, I’m gonna slot “Hot Rats” in just a little lower – so definitely a solid 4 for me, and an album that I recommend that everyone give a listen to!

In the early 90s, when I was about 20, I worked at Scratches, a small record store in Newtown that sold a lot of second-hand records. One of my tasks was to test play all the second-hand tapes and CDs before they hit the shelves to make sure they were in playable condition. It meant that I spent a lot of time listening to records I would not have otherwise chosen. One day, it was my responsibility to listen all the way through to "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar", a double CD of over two hours of Frank Zappa live guitar solos. No songs, just solos, all edited together. It was interminable. A lot of my friends were really into Zappa. Dave, for example, would invariably play Weasels Ripped My Flesh whenever he could control the stereo. I was complaining to another friend, Jeremy, about listening to two hours of unrelenting Zappa guitar solo, and he replied that he had, in fact, himself attempted to make cassette compilations of Zappa solos from bootlegs and other live recordings. A professionally edited CD would be ideal, in his opinion. I couldn't believe there was a market for such a thing. Personally, I was never convinced about Zappa I mean, I can admire what he does, and it was a relief that he didn't take everything _too_ seriously (at least by way of comparison with most jazz-rock or prog, which is a pretty low bar for levity). But I was never able to buy into the cult. Hsi arrangements were too ostentatiously clever. His famous 'sense of humour' was never actually funny. You only have to watch his ill-fated appearance on Saturday Night Live to see that. Or read an interview with him. Or about him. I watched the Zappa documentary, and he didn't actually seem like a bundle of laughs. Mark Allen wrote in Classic Rock: "All the boys in my house at college thought it was hilarious ... a cryptic genius working at the coalface of the avant garde .... But the girls thought different. To them, Zappa was a grotesque and irksome pervert whose soulless music knotted the knees and brought dance floors to a shuddering halt." The girls were right on the money, in my opinion. Some random observations about Hot Rats: - the general lack of vocals means that the most egregious failings of Zappa's 'humour' (mean-spiritedness, intellectual snobbery and sexism) are largely avoided - Willie the Pimp is the best thing Captain Beefheat ever appeared on, and it's got a terrific blues rock riff - while heralded as "jazz-rock", this is improvisational rock, and not a lot of jazz in it - Zappa can squeeze out a passable guitar lead, but he really only has a limited range, and it starts to get a bit dull after a while - Gumbo Variations and It Must Be A Camel can be a challenging slog to get through, but not nearly as obnoxious sounding as many people say Hot Rats is a listenable record (especially side 1), but I'm not in love. I'm certainly not going fight Zappa-freak collector scum to pay $100 or more for a vinyl copy.

Not a big Zappa guy but I think this is one of his better ones. I love his collaborations with Captain Beefheart, like Willie The Pimp. I don't know many - or any, actually - Zappa fans who are not males musicians. It's weird because when people say, for example, that Rakim of Eric B and Rakim is your favorite rapper's favorite rapper, that makes you want to check out Rakim. But when they call Zappa a "musician's musician" it has a negative tinge. It's explaining why you might not like it, where I guess the thing about Rakim is explaining why you need to check him out more.

I like the idea of Frank Zappa. I feel he is spoken about as a musician with integrity and personality. But his body of work is quite intimidating. 'Hot rats" is apparently at the more 'accessible ' end of his spectrum. And, sure enough , it has a progressive jazz feel from the off. I'll listen again and I'm sure it will grow over time.

I knew Frank Zappa's name before starting this project, but I didn't know anything about his music. I've reviewed one Mother's of Invention album so far, but this will be my first Frank Zappa solo album to listen to. I enjoyed Freak Out!, so I expect I'll like this album as well. Overall, this album was pretty good. I liked the jazz structure to the songs, and the musical arrangements were varied and interesting to listen to. These songs had an experimental feel to them, but they still managed to feel accessible. I enjoyed the first half of the album a bit more than the second half; I felt like the second half was a bit more restricted in terms of structure and sound than the first half, and the overall sound suffered from that. I wasn't really expecting something like this from Frank Zappa, but I don't think this is the type of album I'd listen to again. It's not that it was bad, but it's just not really my style.

Knocking a star off because halfway through Gumbo Variations I was feeling very jam band-ish. That being said, I like the music! Have never listened to Frank Zappa. I understand why he is a favorite and probably inspiration to Trey Anastasio. I liked Son of Mr. Green Genes best, Little Unbrellas least.

Nr. 169/1001 Peaches En Regalia 4/5 Willie The Pimp 2/5 (2x) Son Of Mr. Green Genes 3/5 (2x) Little Umbrellas 3/5 The Gumbo Variations 2/5 (3x) It Must Be A Camel 3/5 Average: 2,89 Actually liked this better than expected. Still won't listen again.

Not what I was expecting … Honestly, I kind of enjoyed this one. Nothing earth shattering, nothing that’s going to make the rotation for me but, it was enjoyable. I would describe it as jazz fusion, and again, that is not what I was expecting …..

envie de jouer au solitaire en ligne

Je résumerais l'album ainsi: Frank Zappa superpose des sons sans aucune cohérence et demande à nos oreilles de se démerder avec le résultat.

So Zappa is like the original jam band guy? But with trumpets? Dislike. And I was really bummed to see another entry featuring one of the only artists I've given one-star on this list (Captain Beefheart). Blech.

This was mostly inoffensive until it wasn’t. I’ll never be high enough for Frank Zappa I don’t think

What a strange ass album. Grateful that Borno sent me down the path to listen to his congressional hearing on parental advisory music. Additionally, Linc Dawg showed me one of this better songs: Watermelon in Easter Hay

1. Peaches En Regalia - Really nice piano intro, the kind of thing i'd write tbh. Not too sure about the synth melody but I think the song owns it. Sounds like midi wood winds as well, and an organ, which the organ sounds really cool I think. Might be a fun jam song to play, but I feel like it lacks a fair amount of melodic substance, like each instrument isn't stream lined with one musical theme. Definitely a style I haven't heard much of, and would certainly dig in specific moods. 2. Willie The Pimp - Really awesome guitar playing, feel like the intro started off a lot more dicey, but once you ease yourself into it the groove is quite enjoyable. I don't really dig the vocals that much but I understand the kind of style that they are going for. For a nine minute track, the guitar playing manages to stay pretty fresh throughout, can't say it felt like it was dragging along, mainly due to the several registers and styles the guitar explored. Nice parts of drums throughout the track, really cool and unique ways of carrying the groove that I haven't heard much before. Near the end might be my favourite part, when they bring the tempo back and play more on the beat, pretty groovy. The drums and guitar also communicate to each other quite well. 3. Son Of Mr. Green Genes - Feeling a very big stylistic contrast between all the track on this album which is pretty cool. Like the overlapping melodies on this one, feels very well put together. Really nice guitar part coming in as well, would've love to hear a different tone or style than the last track but thats alright. Am I hearing a Glockenspiel? or some kind of Synth? pretty cool little scales it's playing though. The horns are super cool, loving the line coming from the Tuba, with that slight growly edge to it is pretty nice. The tempo of the track is almost suggesting a jazz/rock hybrid, but feels a lot more like a jam styled genre than a rock album. Each note on the guitar sounds pretty crystal, and the bass line is nice and complicated. Interesting use of scales as well, diverting from the blues scales to other modes, and then falling backing into the blues. Briefly plays 'Come Together' for some reason, but you know what good for you I guess. I like the outro, the piano chords are pretty crunchy and cool, as well as the harmonic switch going to a primarily major sequence. 4. Little Umbrellas - The double bass naturally creates a much more jazzier feel, sounds a lot less like King Krimson at the moment. I like the little melodic dissonance between the saxophone and the supporting instruments. The Organ has a simple yet quite effective little solo, I feel like it may overstay its welcome within the song, the recorder coming in on the ending line does make for a good finish though. 5. The Gumbo Variations - My notes unexpectedly quit and did not save, and the song itself is simply not worth listening to again. Felt like Pink Floyd on crack. 6. It Must Be A Camel - Super cool drumming on this track, very refreshing going to a more refined song after listening to jam tracks like the Gumbo Variations. Keys and horns compliment each other quite well. Like all of the other tracks, the instruments seemingly switch between diatonic and dissonance a little too often and with no warning. For me, its too jarring and especially for tracks that demand an uncommon level of attention (compared to that of modern song formulas) it is difficult to enjoy the song the entire time. I'd say the two most best and most consistent parts of all the tracks have been the drums and either the guitar or sax, otherwise, the tunes aren't strong enough to stand on their own. Overall, there was a lot of interesting and unique arranging and concepts within this album, but I can't imagine giving it a second try personally. It sits in an uncomfortable position between art music and rock, blues and jazz, which unfortunately blends into ideas that to me don't sound completely cohesive. Rating: 5.2/10

ugh, prog

Listen

Shits groovy as

This has a real meandering, jam band feel to it which normally puts me off. But there was something about this energy that hooked me. I liked it way more than I though I would. Gumbo Variation drags on a bit longer than needed perhaps, but overall just a great time.

Top, top album.

Pure unadulterated bliss, 5 stars every day

Pure genius. Completely unapologetic Zappa fan here. This album kicks so much fucking ass. Some of the downright nastiest most disgusting playing ever comitted to tape is here. I wouldn't be surprised if all 6 of these songs were recorded in 6 different studios, due to the previous studio abruptly burning down after the song finished. The perfect album to either get lost in and let fade into the background, or to meticulously pick apart the many instruments playing I was high as fuck for this album (and still am) and I gotta say, that was a fantastic experience

One of my favourite albums. It was my first introduction to Zappa, and I think it is for a lot of people. It is almost entirely instrumental, but also tuneful, jazzy and pleasant to listen to. If you only ever listen to one Zappa album, this is it.

5 stars without a doubt!

Steaming Rodents

This indeed felt like a movie

Awesome

9/10. Fantastic and consistently fantastic all the way through. Actually gets better throughout I’d say.

A new favorite

I love Zappa here will always be a moment or two that will put me off a little on most of his albums, but not this one. Everything just feels right on Hot Rats.

Love me some peaches!

Hot Rats is a game changer in the music industry for its innovation, but also in my life, because it made me fall in love the creative world of Frank Zappa. I remember listening to Peaches En Regalia for the first time and being completely blown away by how original and unique it was. A top tier album to me.

I really liked it. It was very diverse and very unique and i like dthe fusion of Rocky elements and jazz

I love going back to this album. It starts with a bang and doesn't let down. Hearing Captain Beefheart on "Willie the Pimp" got me to thinking "Bongo Fury," so that album got a listening, too. Amazing.

I’ve listened to Zappa before, but never anything like this. Love the psychedelic jazz! I get why Zappa’s music isn’t for everyone, but based on just raw talent alone he might have been GOAT-level.

Not really my thing. But for what it was it was brilliant.

Frank Zappa is cutting edge for today's music. 6/5

File this under "Albums that are too much fun". The whole thing just shreds and kicks your ass. From the gorgeous opener, to Zappa making love to his guitar over Beefheart's growls, it's just so good. Iconic album cover too, what doesn't this album have?

Hot

Trop cool l'album, que des solos et impros très intéressantes avec la magie et le génie de Zappa. wow

I have to say this is more like it! A great album choc-full of weirdness and ideas. I never quite got this many-moons ago but i'm liking it now. Must be an age thing?

The Zappa album to listen to to understand the genius of Zappa is the greatest hits selection ‘strictly commercial.’ But due to white boys thinking greatest hits lack credibility, you have to hear every album they praise. We get this, we’re only in it for the money, apostrophe, joes garage maybe Broadway the hard way, so ensuring curious but unfamiliar listeners get an overwhelming introduction to difficult, idiosyncratic brilliance. This is a disservice because Zappa is his own thing. He’s not strictly commercial. In fact he, like Prince later, struggled with corporate interference so did his own recording and distribution. Like Prince too there’s far more in the vaults than can be released in Zappas children’s lifetime. So Zappa is a study in himself This album is five stars. Many, hearing it for the first time will give it three. Peaches en regalia is what would happen if you took steely Dan and gave them more advanced musical theory. Willie the pimp is the only decent thing van Vliet did. It’s one of Zappa best lineups. . Lowell George later of Little Feat, sacked by Zappa for reasons unclear, plays rhythm guitar. Ian underwood. Jean luc ponty. Shuggie Otis. Just magic. Listen. But understand that it’s challenging. And it’s not the whole of Zappa. Listen to strictly commercial. Then you can dive in to everything else.

Favourite tracks: peaches en regalia; Willie the pimp

Uniformly excellent!

Wow! I was thinking typical gross lyrics but this was so good, it blew my mind! So jazzy and progressive. May you be smiling in Heaven, cause this is brilliant (and unexpected) I listened to it twice and then found “The Hot Rat Sessions” for a mind blowing set of studio cuts

++*: Peaches en Regalia, Willie the Pimp, The Gumbo Variations ++: Son of Mr. Green Genes, Little Umbrellas, It Must Be a Camel 10/10

Zappa chads won... They fucking won....

Very nice

Frank Zappa was truly one of a kind. He always had a fun, playful, comical, and quirky side, and that’s the side of him I really connected with. But beneath those characteristics, there was some serious musicianship, and he always pushed the boundaries as far as possible. On this album, you really get to see his more serious side. This release is an instrumental jazz fusion and prog rock album, filled with complex, intricate, and multi-layered compositions, with some heavy blues influences. It’s also known for its groundbreaking production and use of studio technology. When you listen, you’ll notice how crisp and clean this album sounds, especially compared to many other popular records from the same era.

10/10 Frank Zappa är ett geni!

I haven’t listened to much Zappa, but I know his reputation, so I was ready for some crazy stuff. It wasn’t as nuts as I thought it would be. Definitely a journey. Definitely experimental. But it was kinda cool. Very cool, actually. And very catchy. It has a real jam-band vibe to it, but it’s an interesting mix of blues, funk, rock, jazz (maybe even some klezmer?), and random sound effects thrown in. The lyrics to Willie the Pimp are kind of yikes, but the music is fun. Son of Mr. Green Genes is like going on a wild journey through some fantasy video game world. Also, as a Philadelphian, I’m (embarrassingly) just learning where local band Mr. Greengenes got their name from, so that’s fun. Little Umbrellas feels like a big departure from the songs before it, moving into more free jazz compared to the bluesy rock of the earlier tracks. It’s still interesting to listen to, but it’s kind of a jarring shift in mood, especially since the next track goes back into bluesy rock. The closing track It Must Be a Camel returns to the mellow free jazz, another cool but slightly jarring track. I’m tempted to knock the score down a smidge only because of the way the two jazzy songs interrupt the flow of the album, but it’s still so good that I’m willing to round up. It’s probably a 4.5-4.75, but I’ll give it a 5 rather than a 4.

How good is this album, honestly? Amazing from the start to finish, bangers only, incredible riffs and guitar solos. This guy was not afraid to experiment, that's for sure, with his albums being either genius or straight up unlistenable. Now I have to listen to few remaining records in his discography that I haven't heard yet (around 50 albums). Good luck me.

Frank Zappa was truly one of a kind. He always had a fun, playful, comical, and quirky side, and that’s the side of him I really connected with. But beneath those characteristics, there was some serious musicianship, and he always pushed the boundaries as far as possible. On this album, you really get to see his more serious side. Hot Rats is an instrumental jazz fusion and prog rock album, filled with complex, intricate, and multi-layered compositions, with some heavy blues influences. It’s also known for its groundbreaking production and use of studio technology. When you listen, you’ll notice how crisp and clean this album sounds—especially compared to many other popular records from the same era.

Would be need to be a certain mood from this but still excellent 5*

Hot Rats is Frank Zappa's second solo album, and the first released after the dissolution of the first rendition of his band, the Mothers of Invention. Hot Rats is primarily a collection of instrumental pieces. These are technically complicated, jazz-inspired compositions, with frequent solos from the musicians. Zappa recorded the album with a 16 track system, which was unusual at the time. It allowed for overdubbing, and layering instrumental track to give the work its depth. This is potentially Zappa's best work, and regarded as one of the first, great prog rock albums.

3.35 yhyy psechedelic -- Nii tykkääks sä jostain psykedeelisestä rockista sit.............................................huor...............................

Good lord I love this album. I recommend listening to this first and THEN reading about the production; because you’d be surprised to learn just how few musicians Zappa worked with to create these 6 songs that sound so rich and deep; it’ll blow your mind that he wasn’t using a fully fledged jazz band section you’d see in studios/theatres. Instead, he took advantage of a homemade 16 track and made heavy use of overdubs. But putting the impressive DIY technical aspect aside, though. If you love long form, loose, fusion jazz with a sprinkle of phenomenal rock ‘n’ roll guitar work - I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t love this. Zappa described ‘Hot Rats’ as a movie for your ears, and he isn’t wrong whatsoever. It’s an absolute blast from start to finish. ‘Peaches en Ragalia’ almost sounds like the perfect opener to a movie, and makes a perfect transition into the incredible ‘Willie The Pimp’ - which takes you on an exciting eclectic musical journey with varied and exciting guitar work; and you can almost hear the horns being stretched to their limit. ‘Son Of Mr. Green Genes’ is a bit more retrained, yet still has that sense of anxious urgency at times. ‘Little Umbrellas’ sees things really take a more chill approach; more piano based than the other tracks featuring great use of the flute and clarinets. ‘The Gumbo Variations’ is another long form epic, putting the guitar and saxophones to incredible use. Things finish up with an almost perfect end sequence with ‘It Must Be A Camel’ - with some of my favourite drum work in the entire record. This is definitely one of those albums that can make a listener fall in love with a particular genre. In ‘Hot Rats’ case this is long form fusion jazz. It’s a technical and musical masterpiece in almost every respect.

My favorite part about Frank Zappa is just how deep the rabbit hole goes with him. He has several 5 star albums that vary in style and theme but somehow always sound like him. He's got the skill to match any prog-rock or jazz composition legends. Most impressively he has managed to create multiple bands featuring and fostering top tier players in the industry. Flo n Eddy, Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, George Duke, Ruth Underwood, Ian Underwood, Chester Thomson, Jean Luc Ponty are all world class musicians. These artists have solo careers and went on to play in bands like King Crimson, Talking Heads, Genesis, and Mahavishnu Orchestra. He's played with Pink Floyd before; that's a good watch on youtube. He's covered now obscure Doo-Wop legends but also Led Zeppelin. Frank Zappa fought the PMRC and took on many senators wives. There's just so many strings to follow with this interesting fellow. Anyways, my top 5 FZ songs are probably Black Napkins, Whats New in Baltimore, Sofa, Peaches and Watermelon. Favorite albums are OSFA, Roxy, Sleep Dirt, Wazoo, Them or Us, Uncle Meat, and the sublime Freak Out! Favorite deep cut is Revised Music for Guitar and Low-Budget Orchestra RIP FRANK

Probably the least weird thing I’ve ever listened to by Zappa. I loved this. Very jazzy and groovy.

Super trop cool l'album mec! De la bonne musique d'albums! 👌🚨🤯🔥💯🦵🫳🌭🌭🌭🌭

YES du bon Zappa, que dis-je, de L'EXCELLENT Zappa! Sa fusion expérimentale entre le jazz, le rock, le psychédélique et le funk est rondement bien mené, créant un riche univers musicale complètement unique et profondement Zappaesque.

Coming to Frank Zappa non-contemporaneously must be how osme people feel about King Gizzard these days. Just an immense collection of eclectic songs. This is a great place to start though and one of my favorites. Jazzy, jammy, funky. I don't know why I don't listen to Zappa more often anymore.

I have never been a Frank Zappa fan, nor have I known one. What I've heard, I don't like very much. This is completely different. 90% instrumentals with fantastic guitar. Also, a name I haven't see in years, Jean-Luc Ponty on violin. Will definitely listen again.

Ol fave

The album that put Zappa on the map. Dripping with Beefheart and solos from all sorts of instruments. Peaches is the standout song and go to for any Zappa fan with its constant shifting and changing. A necessary touchstone album and deserved of being on this list.

Absolutely perfect

Anything by Zappa gets 5 stars from me.

Did not realize this was almost ALL instrumental. I started listening to The Mothers of Invention with 'we're only in it for the money.' Drove my sister nuts! But it's been hit or miss with Frank, some outstanding stuff and some not so much. THIS is pure magic. I love when he just plays, and that's what you get with this.

Really enjoyed this one

Zappa is a god, and Hot Rats is a book of his holiest tome.

This is a revelation! The musicianship is incredible; the arrangements wonderfully complex; and the shifting styles disorienting like a carnival ride - it all left me a bit breathless and joyous in a bit of a new way. I could do without the masturbatory 70s guitar solos (he was always ahead of his time!) from the first two songs, but overall an ever-shifting landscape of challenging musical joymanship! Not all at what I expected from the fella who in my childhood memory would’ve otherwise forever have been the “don’t eat yellow snow” guy….

Compositional genius. Music that surprises and grooves and laughs at you and itself in the most serious of ways. Milla thinks each track sounds like choosing another map in Mario Kart!

One of my favourite Zappa albums. Peaches en regalia is one of the best album openers of all time! I really appreciated the back half of this album more on recent listenings. Classic Zappa

Dużo ciekawych dźwięków. Taki trochę jak The Doors w brzmieniu. Bardzo dobre 5/5.

I like this a lot more than I anticipated! A lot of the songs gave video game soundtrack vibes.

Frank Zappa is a virtuoso musician! This is definitely an album I should have heard before I died. What an outstanding album!