Reviews (page 12 of 14)
it’s like i’m dating every guy i’ve ever dated.
Tøffe gutters inngang til jazz? Dersom det er dette Terje Berg har vokst opp med skjønner jeg jo negativiteten....
full instrumental album didnt listen to whole thing, its ok but not really my thing
low key groovy I like this very funky mostly no words and I low key fw that .I really like listening to the gumbo variations , reminds me of something that would play in a feel-good movie scene and I mean although there is a lot going on it all kind of works together.There are some parts that sound like forks on a whiteboard and its only on the song that Is 12 minutes long. 3/6 songs added
Quite silly and funk but I want some of the the singing. If there was i would votr higher and add tk playlist ig
very instrumental very elevator not for me
I just couldn’t get into it. It’s probably more fun to play than listen to.
a 2
Actually enjoyable Frank Zappa! All the smirking, pointless showboating I usually associate with Zappa is dialled down a lot, though not fully. Pretty groovy rhythm section and a about half the tunes are enjoyable. Would've been better with almost all the guitar removed.
exactly what i needed to work with. i will never listen again
Unfortunately not my style
Previously unknown. I did not dislike this as much as I thought I would.
gente isso nao é um album isso é um ep com 6 musicas MAS COMO TEM 6 MUSICAS E 43 MINUTOS MEU DEUSSSSS FAVS (top 3): peaches en regalia, willie the pimp, little unbrellas mençoes honrosas: - compraria o vinil: NAO literalmente dormi ouvindo. mas é um instrumental bom mas sla nota final: 2.5/5
Kind of boring to me. Pleasant to listen to, nothing groundbreaking
Meh. Setter pris på eksperimenteringen, men ble slitsomt i lengden.
Veit ikkje om det var dagsforma mi eller ikkje, men tykte dette starta bra for å så bli grueleg slitsamt å høyre på. Mogleg eg skal gi det ei ny sjanse seinare.
I didn't really connect with this album. I can respect it, but not anything I would reach for again.
A bit too jazzy for me though some good bits. The first track was the best
Ponderous
Zatiaľ príliš veľa rôznych , zvláštnych zvukov. Neviem sa s tým stotožniť, asi nie môj štýl. The gumbo variations práve zabili moje uši. Ak to má byť hudobný film tak iba ak som sfetovaná v púšti a je to horor. Kritik zo mňa nebude 😔 Pardon nepáčilo sa mi to, príliš goofy na mňa
It’s fun and energetic. I just don’t see myself returning to this album.
4/10 good album , good sounds but I don’t see myself going back to his album. Added 0 songs from this album to my library
Good, just wants my cup of tea!
Zappa is not for everybody
Not half bad if not for all the squeaky jazz sax that sounds like a distressed antelope.
Zappa’s long meandering jams were never my thing really. Respect to to musicianship though. This grew on me toward the end when I paid less attention and had it on in the background doing chores. I don’t thank Zappa respects his audience.
It’s fine, but I’m personally not int jam bands
"Omg look at me, I'm like soo random!"
Not really my thing, but it was okay
I dont think I'm cool enough for Frank Zappa's music
good music but it's ultimately not for me
mmm not my favorite at the moment but i can imagine liking it at a different time
2.5 stars Really, this isn’t for me. I enjoyed some bits of it- I don’t mind the whole jazzy prog thing. But it’s a little much and not enjoyable as a whole. Just not really for me.
At least it doesn't have much Frank Zappa talking or singing. I'm not a very technical music appreciator so maybe there's a deeper layer to enjoy but this comes off as just a band in a really narrow groove pocket for 40 minutes. I guess with Zappa there's really just no pleasing me because at least this doesn't have kazoos or the default Zappa note flurries. But then this album doesn't do anything strange or forward-looking at all and then just kind of sounds like a bunch of other stuff happening at the time and it wears out its welcome especially in 'The Gumbo Variations'. Once we get to 'It Must Be A Camel' it has at least some interesting parts but that's all the way at the end. I'm not a Zappa hater, I think Apostrophe needs to be heard by everyone. Inca Roads with Ruth Underwood is fantastic. Muffin Man at the Palladium Halloween '77 needs to be heard by everyone and I will forever advocate for that.
Maybe if I was on the right psychedelics… but that’s a strong “maybe”.
This is an extremely 1969 sounding album. I didn't mind that this was mainly instrumental. I'm glad Captain Beefheart's role on this album was brief lol. I liked the first half of the album, but the second half got kind of weird and atonal.
Instrumental albums are not my thing. However, this was "decent". Also, rock is not necessarily my style, so this probably is much better than I'm making it seem. It's a 2.5 star for me.
Zappa. Man, what an album. Was it Jazz? Rock? Blues? Country? I have heard many of his later works and I definitely liked this one better, but I think it was the Brown Acid left over from Woodstock (it’s bad, man). The funny part is I kept hearing so many modern bands in here, especially Radiohead KidA, and Dave Matthew’s Band Under The Table. Was Zappa the king of jam bands or just so stoned he forgot to end the song? Key tracks for me was Gumbo Variations because the song kept moving across instrumental voices, and Willie the Pimp, which now makes sense why Zappa is on so many Best Guitarists lists. The hard part is I enjoyed the songs but I found myself wanting them to end at some point, and some just didn’t seem like that was going to happen. I get why this is on the list, but I am going to stick with Dweezil rather than Frank for a Zappa fix. Maybe it’s a GenX thing…
I like the shorter songs. Cool bass lines and fun lyrics.
Finally some Zappa. Most of it is perfectly fine jazzy prog rock but it loses a star because of Willie the Pimp which is incredibly stupid and long. I don't get the obsession with this guy sorry!
The gumbo variations were on the wrong side of squeaky for me on the sax and strings. This brought it all right down for me.
Instrumental album of just guitar solos not for me
A bit weird, but better than I was expecting it to be.
appreciate the weirdness but i'm definitely not on the right drugs for this one
It's an experimental jazz/jam album. Not for me, personally. That said, I have tremendous respect for Frank Zappa. He's been a huge influence on musicians for decades.
Forget Beatles vs. Stones, I'm a strong believer that you're either a Beefheart or a Zappa fan, and I'm a Beefheart fan. This isn't awful, it's just got a novelty quotient that is way above my desired level.
Frank Zaps you with a rock-jazz jam sesh on this album. It has some pretty guitar work supported by the sax. Recordings such as this make me wonder how much was really put into it thought wise. Did Zappa and his band take a bunch of drugs and just play around in the studio? How would you even recreate this with such long songs that don't really go anywhere? Overall, I can get down with Hot Rats but it's also not a must replay. I do like the creepy cover with a Beetlejuice lady climbing out of a basin. 1.95 hot ratstar(s).
Dont like instrumental albums
Jazz unexpectedly intricate
The only Zappa record I'm familiar with is Joes Garage (which I really love) so I'm expect to listen to this but also nervous and have absolutely no idea what to expect. Pretty crazy first track (Peaches...). I worry I will get tired of this quickly though if it's an indication of the rest of the album. Burst out laughing 3 seconds into song 2. Should have seen that coming based off the song title. I'm so fucking nervous. This groove is pretty sick, percussion layers, unhinged vocal performance (Captain Beefheart) with a meandering solo over top.. chaos. Knowing what Zappa was all about, I'm sure this solo is in like Phrygian sus7 over Pentatonic9 minor or some shit but to me it sounds entirely random. It could also just be him fucking around. No clue. This is going to be a tough listen even though I want to like it because Zappa is just interesting to me. Actually halfway through Willie The Pimp things kinda settled down and the solo makes more sense to me, with the tack piano/harpsichord just doing straight quarters. I'm quite sure every person on this recording was stone cold sober, but this sounds like a 3am drunk jam. Distorted violin making an appearance near the end is cool I guess. Unnecessary but cool. These recordings/productions sound ahead of their time imho. Like very mid 70's, so like 6 years ahead. (after reading the wiki this was one of the first albums made with a 16 track machine, most albums at this time were still 4 or 8 track, so that's definitely part of it.) I feel like I'm just going to be pointing out crazy things that I like/don't like for this review. Like wild arp synth on Son of Mr Green Genes. GREAT guitar solo tone around halfway. Cheeky ending. Side Note - apparently Shuggie Otis played bass on the first track and was only 15 years old at the time. His album Freedom Flight is cool. and came out 2 years later so I guess he was 17(?) which is wild Into a more classic jazz vibe with Little Umbrellas. Feels like a spy movie/film noir but I'm into it. A nice break from the insanity. Rippin piano/Hammond parts are cool. Some cool crunchy sax/wind parts. Gumbo Variations - I'm kinda into this (it's 12 mins so maybe that will change lol). Sick part part/chords. You can hear someone cueing/counting in the background at times. Wild sax soloing. I can't make heads or tails of what's going on musically, but I did stay engaged on this one! The mid-way guitar solo in Camel starts off sounding like I would play if I was pretending to play jazz. Then there's some crazy pitch bending going on that almost sounds like a digital guitar/pedal? These guitar tones are fake sounding and I'm so curious what they did to achieve that. The album felt like it kinda just.. ended. Not sure what the point of any of this is, but I actually mostly enjoyed what will certainly be my one and only listen. Giving it a solid 2.5.
Peaches En Regalia was all I’ve really spent time with. I remember loving it like 10 years ago. I tried Hot Rats at that time but Peaches was all that sticks. The melodies are so memorable and it’s still a fun listen, but I’m acruay drawn to the B side so much more now. Specifically Little Umbrellas and and It Must Be a Camel. Those were big standouts. A 15 y/o Shuggie Otis played bass on this record? Crazy. Pretty cool but I most likely will not return.
I have listened to this before when I first discovered Zappa, but it’s been a solid ten years Peaches En Regalia still hits Vocals are absolutely nuts on Willie the Pimp. Quite a character A lot of blues-derived stuff on this one. Sooooo much pentatonic Some shredding no doubt Love the swampiness of Gumbo A fun listen, doesn’t stand with some of Zappa’s other work for me from a compositional standpoint. Comes off mostly as a blues rock jam band on this one, which is fun to watch in a bar but not something I’m throwing on regularly.
This was decent background music but that's about it.
Glad it's over
Try to concentrate or work while having this play in the background challenge: impossible.
Late 60s psych rock. Just don’t like this genre.
Just kinda noise
Very progressive guitar solo heavy psych rock jazz fusion. Didn't really feel it.
я видимо глухая к джазу это пипец для меня
Var nice men helt ok
It's kind of jazz. It's kind of rock. It's kind of fusion. It's kind of good.
Overall score: 2/5 I get that this album is a classic, but I find that it just kind of drifts into the background. Some great jamming and musician ship throughout the album, but it gets to the point where it feels like I've listened to a never-ending guitar solo or horn section. It would be a great album to see live, but it's not something I'd return to.
not very memorable
I was excited for this one but it was honestly just really boring. Maybe I missed something? The instrumentals were too all over the place to really get into. I didn't have any highlights. Sorry Frank
4/10 - it's alright, reminds me of typical 60/70s hippy guitar band, heard his name but first time listening to him, always thought he was a caricature of the era
3 songs in and I think I get it. It’s busy, maybe too busy for me. Verging on “maximalist pop jazz.” Not my thing.
Very noodly, no doubt brilliant guitarist but somewhat overkill. Prefer the captain.
I can’t do this.
Noo
I enjoyed parts but a bit of a slog
Never been a big fan of Zappa based mostly on ignorance. I don’t think I liked this album but I’m not quite sure. I was surprised that it was mostly instrumentals and parts of it did catch my attention. This is an album I would have to listen to a few more times, but I probably won’t.
Medium
43 minutes is a long time to listen to a bunch guys masturbate. I got through the whole thing, but I found no joy.
I never really got on the Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa train. It’s fine, this record, although I think there’s too many long passages of soloing
funky... but dull
Wow, a lot of instrumental. Found it a little boring and monotonous.
Is it Jazz? Is it rock? What is going on. It seems to be both.
very discordant, I am sure musically interesting but not pleasant
Very mid 4/10 Willie the Pimp
M-4/10 S-6/10
# Album Name: Hot Rats # Artist: Frank Zappa # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Honestly, not for me. Guitar work is good. The rest is boring. # Top Tunes: No idea # Would I listen to it again? No
Uh not my favorite, but not bad. It was cool how it started with an instrumental track, but once it got to the singing in the 2nd song.... ehhhhh what was that tone of voiceeee. AND WHY 9 MINUTES :O
This just merged into one constant guitar solo for me. Nothing I’d listen to again.
I've never listened to Zappa because I never really knew where to start. There's so much to pick from. There's a lot to like about this album....I don't mind extended jams and I don't mind instrumentals. But I just want to hear him play guitar, the bass and drums and not the other sounds and shit he's experimenting with here...like, the back half of Gumbo Variations is great. The part with the saxophone? Terrible. Willie The Pimp is a great track, but I'm not sure if I'd return to this album or not...and if I have to wonder that, the answer is that I probably wouldn't and the last track dropped it from a 3 to a 2 for me. Too bad because there are some really good moments on here.
Don't hate it, but don't particularly like it either. Progressive rock & jazz have never really been my thing. Best Track: Willie The Pimp
Nee, niet mijn muziek. Wel toffe gitaar rifjes maar verder weinig ritme en uberhaupt zang. Vooral een onsamenhangen geheel van instrumenten
Zappa's always been a very niche musical choice. He was very talented. but just a weirdo.
Not my thing
Tough, man, tough
As only knowing "Bobby Brown" by Frank Zappa I wasn't sure what to expect, but it sure wasn't this. This was some weird jazz-type elements with Arabic-sounding tunes here and there. It just wasn't for me but it wasn't necessarily bad. I just still don't get Zappa. Strong 2.
It was strange listening to ‘Peaches en regalia’ without Elis James or John Robins welcoming me to their radio 5 show or post great reset podcast. I enjoyed the next few tracks or at least that's what i though until i looked down at my phone to discover i was still only on track 2. The Jazz approach to rock left me a bit confused in that i didn’t hate it in the same way as the captain beefheart album i was forced to listen to but dont think i could say i actually liked this.
Bit of a mess, not for me noise
One of the most educated personalities in music. Big cult folliwing, and lots of publicity for his daughter Farwell Zappa. Very talented writer if music, and still fun to listen to now. Most people probably not agree
#105 / 1001. Starts up with jazz, then goes to some Zappaesque craziness, then the rest sounds like an jam session where the players play out of sheet notes. Didn't really move me too much.
Przyjemny, ale chyba nie mój vibe, znowu nie ogarnęłam kiedy się zapętlił
I think I need to be on drugs for this
Radek is a hot rat!!! Creepy album cover… lots of monkey sounds, jazzy piano and trumpets maybe. The gumbo variations sounds like they just tried to make as much noise as possible. I had this thought before I knew the title of the track. This would not do well when overstimulated. Almost triggering. When will the noise stop?
I respect Frank Zappa & there are probably other songs I would like other than Valley Girl. This album was not it.
Extended guitar solos might be my least favorite thing.
è tipo il caparezza americano
Not for me!
I thought it was a fun listen although it wasn’t really up my alley. It’s got spunk
Too long and indulgent. Had to skip through a lot.
First track is great but then I heard Willie the Pump and at the start it is interesting but as it goes it becomes a little too long for my taste and I didn't like guitar solo they're just not my type. And following with Son Of Mr. Green Genes I understood what type of the album it is. Sadly it is a boring type of album where guy plays a lot of boring guitar solos. I liked short tracks they're good jazzy and captivating but long 8 to 12 minutes tracks are so long if they were shorter I think it would've worked much much better than what I hear. I like long tracks overall but Zappa sadly wasn't the type I like. Favorite tracks: Peaches en Regalia Little Umbrellas It Must Be A Camel I also liked the beginning of The Gumbo Variations before guitar solo. Overall I think it is 2,5 maybe 3/5
experimental/free form - not really my style
Not my style. Some songs weren't so bad but some I really disliked.
Ahh, Mr. Zappa. I really wanted to like this Hot Rats album, but it sounded like a lot of noise tonight. I can hear how it is musically complex. I appreciate it, but today I don’t luv it.
Background music
When I heard the album was called hot wraps I was expecting some 1970s Charli XCX dad rock singing what was provided was completely different. The album itself is pretty much completely instrumental except one song called Willie the pimp and I think the collective music feels like your listen to a movie / play
Lovely guitar, not much else
I can mostly get on board with this. It treads a thin line between being a cacophonous racket and a stunning display of Zappa’s virtuoso as a guitarist. l vibed - and I also *really* unvibed. I’ll meet you somewhere in the middle with a high two Zap. ⭐️⭐️
how tf people listen to this shit
Hmm ikke helt for mig
2-3 interesting but now exactly my vibe
starting to really dislike this list
Very funky, this album will get ya bopping, very good background music. Basically just a medley of every instrument soloing for 6 songs, banger. However, not something I would come back to listen to specifically, but instead put on to chill out.
Didn't really like the vocals in the second song Did not like the 12 minute song Liked Peaches en Regalia Very groovy vibes, lots of tangy guitar
I should have liked this more I think?
Mostly instrumental.
Zappa, man! I feel like I’m not the target demographic for this tbh
Very haphazard and long form songs. Sound very of the time but not my style
Monotonic
Det här var inte så spännade
I didn't mind this album too much, but I know it won't stick with me. I'm not he biggest fan of instrumentals, which this album *almost* entirely is, but I see the appeal. The best song was the opener, so it was a downhill ride for me. I asked Beau if he's ever listening to Zappa, and his response was, "I don't mind him. Kinda weird though." Which got me excited for something interesting and this doesn't deliver. Favorite song: Peaches En Regalia
Meh
I didn't really enjoy this. the first few songs were nice and polished, but at some point it stops being music and starts being noise. it wasn't bad but I wouldn't seek it out
Ну че ебать Фрэнк Заппа он зе морнинг из deep purple круто ниче не сказать
Not my pale of bobbing apples. Gave it a go but failed to capture me.
Nein von mir
Not for me.
Feels like something someone looking like frank Zappa would make. Sounded like someone who thinks they’re in flow state composing in a tv show but then it cuts to reality and they’re doing shit. I like Willie the pimp though Specific rating - 1.9 Fav song - willie the pimp Least fav - it must be a camel
not too fun
Elevator jazz
Great musician.....horrible songs. I'm sure I just don't "get it"
I appreciate the music, but it's not my jam. 2/5
I really wish I could like this more. Just find it uninteresting, I don't know.
Gosh this is so self indulgent. The songs are so long my word. Yes I get it, he's very talented, I don't disagree. But it just seems to go on and on. Five minutes is long enough. 45 minutes long and only 6 songs is crazy. Overall: 2/5
comfortable for rainy day
Talent, but not my jam
Imagine ween were self-serious pricks
Not for me.
I know Zappa is a little “out there” this was a struggle. I like Joes Garage but won’t be revisiting this in the future I don’t think.
Not my fave, sorry Frank!
This album is fascinating, and I’m not sure what to make of it. His jazz sensibilities are excellent, though I hate the other accoutrements and psychedelic components.
Do you have to be on psychedelics to enjoy psychedelic rock?
-ehh it sounded weird sorta eerie and not my thing
Didn't really know what to expect, but it wasn't this. Appreciate his talent, but as an album it seems to be just a bunch of jams that were thrown together.
Man I know who Frank Zappa is but man what a crazy album! Lol I've never actually listened to one of his albums but it was different! Not necessarily bad but different!
Muzicaal en experimenteel, niet super vibey
Not my thing.
experimental..ad hoc-ly. They created some tension and discomfort but didn’t give me the solution.. I felt lost sometimes.. I might need to pay extra attention to appreciate the album but I didn’t want to. I prefer lying in my bed to be pleased. I like that it still has some jazz gene.
Jazz-Rock? Rock-Jazz? Not sure what to call it. If you like long meandering instrumentals then this is for you. I got bored about halfway through "Willie The Pimp" though. I feel bad giving this a low score because I do think it has it's merits. The songs aren't all the same which is tough on an instrumental album, but I get so bored with long electric guitar solos. The first and last songs are the more jazzy side that I like. I'm glad this is on the list, but I'm not going to go back and listen to it again.
Meh. Classic rock van de 60’s, ik ken het onderhand wel
Þetta var nú meiri steypan. Flottur gaur samt.
Of flóknar tilraunir fyrir mig.
Some interesting sounds, but way too much jamming. Might be fun to play, but not listen to on an album.
The worst the worst elements of free jazz and some of the worst elements of rock, combined into an album I don’t want to listen to.
I’m not sure about this album, so it gets 2 stars.
Another full album that is only six songs. Six long songs. The first couple songs were good. After a while it felt like I was just listening to endless guitar solos. Then a duck going crazy. Overall a pretty interesting album. Not sure if I would listen to it again. Willie the Pimp was probably my favorite song from the album.
not his best
Maken till saxofon- och trumpetgnöl. Ena stunden, ett trumpetsolo. Nästa stund, ett trumpet solo.
A looooong jam session. Zappa has quite the spread from Asian vibes, 70’s groove, some jazz, and, lest we forget, that organ. The organ bits are tough for me. It feels so dated. The effect, well, it makes me anxious.
meh.
Not my thing. Too busy
Overrated
Man, this is a disappointment. I'm not going to sit here and pretend I know anything about jazz, nor do I understand why some of it clicks with me, and some of it doesn't, but I know this mostly is just not my style. It feels too schmutlzy, and while I can tell everyone playing is an amazing musician, there are no passages here that feel any more special the prior or future ten minutes of this record. There are bits and pieces of something more, certainly, but I just found this to go from kinda boring to even vaguely annoying by the end, and while it certainly isn't to a degree of hate like Bitches Brew, I still think this isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when I've now interacted with jazz albums that've spoken to me. I was just hoping this album would be one of those jazz albums.
Some nice guitar work, but that's all.
Technically, very good. Just not for me. I liked Peaches en Regalia but the rest of the album did nothing for me. Might be one i revisit to give another shot.
1.5
Peaches En Regalia - great name, and love the funky start, leading into a cute riff, a TV game show (or 90s Sonic game) sounding jingle, then back to funk. SO good. Willie The Pimp - hate the singing but love the guitar. Son Of Mr. Green Genes - not for me. Little Umbrellas - nor this. The Gumbo Variations - nor this. It gets particularly nightmarishly dial-up tone sounding towards the end. It Must Be A Camel - man, I hate this too. And after such a promising start to the album!
Probably works if you are stoned. I got bored.
..
- ganz cooles Instrumental Album, habe mich zwischendurch ein wenig wie in einem 70s Film gefühlt - stellenweise war es mir aber auch ein wenig zu zäh
Just not for me. Sounded like hot garbage. 2/5
thanks 4 the turret
Writing this the day after listening to it, I really don't remember much of anything about it. Like I remember it being alright but nothing stood out.
It's interesting to come to this album with Frank Zappa's reputation so well established. The album art aligns with his reputation, which some of the music here wasn't quite so aggressive. I tended to enjoy the shorter tracks, which is a tic of mine, and whenever the music is more straightforward I'm more on board. Better than I was expecting, but still not my favorite. 2.5 stars is what I'd give it if I could.
Widdly
Zappa is bad, ay. Confused by the worldly love he gets. Zappa is the epitomy of throw loads of shit and some will stick.
I thought I would hate this because of my own preconceptions about who Frank Zappa is. My preconceptions were inaccurate, but I still didn't like it.
Given the focus of my reviews so far this week, the generator is really putting the rat among the pidgeons. Frank Zappa isn't a normie, but neither is he a freak. He makes that very clear on Freak Out. What is he then? A cynic. A sneerer. A sniggerer. He has something of '65 Dylan about him: his fuel is disdain; we'll never understand things the way he does. Maybe there's nothing to understand. He's smart. He's funny. And we'll just have to put up with it. This takes something of a backseat on the largely instrumental Hot Rats. There's not so much puerile humour, not so much satire, but the source of Zappa's whiffy unpleasantness is still there. While Dylan could and would simply toss off an idea, Zappa has to orchestrate everything down to the most minute detail. The only thing he is expressing here is his own need for control and it sounds like it - the big drumroll that opens the record feels like it was whiplashed into LinnDrum sterility. There is no let up on Peaches En Regalia, bars and bars of densely organised music, and nowhere for the humanity to come through. Even harsh taskmasters like James Brown and Duke Ellington expected real people to dance to what their well-honed machines were playing. It isn't all jazz without freedom, but it takes the appearance of Captain Beefheart to make this genuine fun. The violins too sound like they have a bit of life to them. Still Zappa's guitar is all mastery and no parity. What room is there for a listener to make anything of all this music? Frank Zappa doesn't care. He wants you to submit, he doesn't want you to enjoy. 2.5 For all the supposed freakiness and eccentricity of Zappa - and to be fair plenty of Zappa is eccentric - Hot Rats strikes me as mostly rather square music. In Peaches en Regalia and Son of Mr Green Genes in particular there seems to be more disregard than is usual in Jazz or Blues Rock for concealing the edges of a phrase of 4 or 8 (or 2!) bars. You are presented with one chunk. Then there’s another chunk. This process is perhaps a bit stupid but I think it was also intended to be a bit entertaining because of the silliness and colour of some of the combinations of instruments and it is, sporadically. This doesn’t, however, create so much the ‘movie for your ears’ that Zappa proposed as put me in mind of the finale of the BBC’s ‘The Generation Game’ in which a member of the winning family sits in front of a conveyor belt and watches different exciting prizes go past. The contestant then gets 45 seconds to name as many of the prizes as they can remember and they take home all they can name. If you listen to Hot Rats enough times you will win all its prizes. As it is with the half dozen times I’ve heard Hot Rats - I always find myself struggling a bit and falling back on ‘Cuddly Toy! Cuddly Toy!’ the prize no one really wants but which everyone knows was there. This is Zappa’s guitar solos. They are just wallpaper. He is a very good musician and he knows his scales and his tricks and he is fast but he has nothing to say as a guitar player. Why is there so much of it? It is the weakest section of Gumbo Variations by far. Most of Willie the Pimp is a waste of time. 2/5
Boring. Two stars.
Is this what good jazz is? It’s better than the rest of the jazz albums popping up these past couple weeks. It still tests my patience. It got old real quick. I’m going to be generous here because I found the first song rather favorable.
Hmmmm. Not really my thing. It’s OK in small doses, but as an album there’s just too much of it. One listen was enough.
Soundtrack songs
I will say that there are definitely some fun little guitar jams on this album, but I need a little more than that, especially for the length of the songs. Only having one track with vocals, singing about a pimp, and drowning out a funky lead guitar riff? Come on, man. If jazz psychedelia is your thing, then go for it, but this is not even close to an album that I would intentionally put on for anything other than background noise.
I think there is a point at which you are trying too hard. And this album is three avant-garde saxophone solos over that threshold.
Jazz meets rock'n'roll. Mostly an instrumental piece of work that synthesises jazz with rock sounds. Piano, guitar riffs, saxophones etc. Interesting sound. Not sure I would listen to it again but I appreciate the originality of the sound and the experimentation that Zappa boldly pursued.
I normally like a nice rock album but this was not it for me. I’m usually more of a lyrics than sound person so listening to a 13 minute song with almost no lyrics at all is just not it for me. I did enjoy the sound of the album but when the songs are that long it gets old fast and starts to give the same feeling of listening to an electronic album.
Fumadón saxofónico
Mingus-esque songwriting and arranging with Duane Allman-esque jam band sensibilities. It's like mixing plaid with stripes; it takes a genius to pull it off. Zappa is certainly a genius. But I love plaid and dislike stripes. One either enjoys listening to jam bands or one doesn't. If, like me, you don't, then regardless of how great you think his mind-blowing heads and arrangements are, the 80-85% percent of this album occupied by self-indulgent soloing is just taxing.
My uncultured mind can't separate this from elevator music.
Oh, thank God, another Zappa album. Granted, this one has "Peaches En Regalia", a great composition that I really enjoy. The rest of the album takes that virtuosity and turns it into faux-Jazz wankery. As an alternative, I might suggest the album "Flex-Able", by Zappa alum Steve Vai. It's weird and has it's fair share of wankery, but at least it's not another Frank Zappa record. I'll throw "Hot Rats" and extra half-star because it spares us from Zappa's ridiculous lyrics and singing.
4/10 - There was a lot of interesting stuff but not necessarily in a good way. It was a lot of Frank just messing around on the guitar. Some of it sounded like it could be in a video game especially the beginning of Son of Mr. Green Genes.
Jazzy and funky instrumentals, but did not like the lyrics in the song that had it. Felt more like background music.
You know those scenes in the 70s and 80s Disney movies like Robinhood where they are just running around or fighting a slapstick type battle ... This is probably the band that was playing the back ground music. Lucky for them, I love Disney's Robinhood.
Certainly an interesting listen; didn't hate it, but can't see myself going back to it any time soon.
Mostly instrumental only. Tough on the ears; not an album you need to hear twice; great musicianship, but rock jazz fusion is not easy to enjoy.
Sounds like a guitarist who won't shut up while we all wait to start rehersal
Idk one of those technically good but not for me ones 2/5
It's fine to listen to. Jazzy
I mean, fine for what it is -- essentially a jam album. It's just not MY jam.
I fell asleep.
Sounded like chaotic jazz.
very instrumental...
Jeg forventede noget sjovt. Men fik filmisk jazz. Willie the pimp er ret sej selvom den er 9 minutter lang. Det var nok noget i den retning jeg havde forventet hele albummet ville være. 🤷 Ikke albummets skyld, men det er svært at score højt når man skuffer. 🙃
This was not that great. Very 70s. Felt corny.
This is terrible.
Whatever
I found it a bit underwhelming. I usually appreciate musical eccentricity, but here I felt disconnected from the actual music. The long, drawn-out instrumentals left me wishing for the songs to finish. I’m not sure why this album is on the list.
Jazzy rock, really not my thing
5.4
Not for me. Nice jazzy/jammy moments but a little too wild
I've played this a few times and always struggled - I dunno why but this feels like purposeless noodling to me for the majority. Captain Beefheart and the saxophone lifted it from a slog that the rest of it felt like. Maybe one day I will grow up and come round to this album but as of today it's a no.
Goes a little to hard in sax.
Not great. Felt like a mixture of lift music and music for adverts!
Terrible
Wasn't the biggest fan but i suppose it wasn't awful
Loved Peaches in Regalia, not so much the rest
I don't particularily like long instrumental jams. At least track 1 and 3 are pleasing to the ears, and track 3 has some excellent bass playing. Then comes track 4 and is absolutely horrible, and drags track 5 along the destructive path. It's a shame, 'cause there's a lot of great playing going on.
I don't get it. Doesn't feel cohesive, like a bunch of ditties put together within a song... a jam session where a melody is picked up for a moment and then dropped, without ultimate direction. Granted, some interesting sounds, and an interesting fusion of rock and jazz in a psychedelic sense. Fave track is maybe 3, Son of Mr Green Genes. Least fave is 5, The Gumbo Variations.
No. 2/5
ok
Vibey but also pretty fuckin weird
It's nice and all, but I just can't get that excited over an instrumental album.
Not my thing
Arvostan hyvää soitantaa, mutta ei ole minua varten tämä.
A little too much like Captain Beefheart with it's atonality.
Pretty mid
Hot Rats is pretty much a Jazz/ Jam Session album. I had heard of the name and am glad I now get to associate a work to the artist. One of my favorite tracks was Willie The Pimp, the solos were interesting and captivating. The saxaphone on The Gumbo Variations was also quite good. Although it's not what I'm accustomed to listening to I would have this album run in the background and could get work done. It's not one of my favorites but a good work to know of.
Had a nice, smooth vibe to it, but I am not a fan of albums without lyrics. Felt a little repetitive to me.
sometimes it's good to be challenged by an album. sometimes you spend your drive home quietly muttering "what the fuck frank zappa" over and over.
This was interesting. Not a huge fan, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever heard. I thought Frank Zappa's music was supposed to be more weird.
You know what, 2.5. When placed in context with everything else the generator has given me this week, this has: very few vocals, it had some good rhythm, it's called Hot Rats. I'm still rounding down because some of the saxophone(?) squealing got really really grating and the song with vocals was not great and also nine minutes long.
Not for me 2/5
Not a fan. I knew very little about Zappa before listening to this album. Based on the bits I'd picked up about him in pop culture I expected this album to be very weird. Relative to my expectations, this album was fairly tame. Some songs were actually decent (e.g. Peaches En Regalia). But some songs were way too jammy and annoying (e.g. Gumbo Variations).
Ok.
Zappa with a guest appearance by Captain Beefheart, just as weird as you might imagine. The band is good and Zappa is an extraordinary guitar player
I had a friend who was obsessed with Zappa. He’d smoke a shit ton of pot while putting out the paper at night and crank Frank. I enjoy some of the melodies here, but I’m not stoned all the time, which is why most of this sounds like just a bunch of noise.
Lipsahti vahvan alun jälkeen ärsyttävän puolelle. Mennään nyt kuitenkin kakkosella.
Really liked when this album ended
Zappa. Just Zappa
Not for me
Ratshit, batshit, dirty old twat! 69 assholes tied in a knot! Hooray! Lizard shit! FUCK!
Первые две песни интересные, остальные будто простой джаз, не распробовал.
He’s always hit or miss with me
I always thought people didn't like Zappa because his music was inaccessible. It's just boring! They just noodle along them start another noodle. It's not good enough to be jazz, just very, very dull.
Really, really weird and funky album.
Frank does the “mess around”! Love Zappa - this is not my favorite- basically instrumental but it definitely has its moments
Nice and creative but not for me
There are some real good grooves hiding under the screaming guitar. But Zappa just can’t let the guitar breathe even for a couple of seconds.
Gets a bit too much
164 albums into this project and this is the second Zappa album I’ve listened to. One I think is enough. I have heard exactly zero Rolling Stones albums so far.
Music ok
All that I knew about Frank Zappa before listening to this album is that he had crazy hair, a crazy mustache and crazy names for his kids. Appropriately enough, this album is a crazy mix of jazz, funk, rock and psychedelia that bounces around all over the place. The album is mostly instrumental with crazy lyrics from crazy Captain Beefheart on just one song. Technically very accomplished, but it’s all a bit much.
Dieses Album braucht wohl etwas Zeit um sich reinzuhören. Habe es dann aber sein gelassen.
Also fine. Makes me a little anxious as background work music.
It's a bit long a lot of the songs. They're interesting at the start but go nowhere.
Idk not a big fan of this. Largely forgettable.
Überwiegend instrumental. 6 lange Songs. Für die richtige Stimmung ok, für den Alltag nicht geeignet. 2/5
Album of Riffs
High 2. Good background music
Of it's time
Quite psychedelic, very 70s. Just not my favourite style
Here's my problem, I am not a fan of rock instrumentals. I find them very repetitive and too long. I do like classical music, though. This was just too much guitar solo for me. I did not enjoy it.
Eh
Could never get into Zappa. As much as my father would've liked me to
that's a nope
I couldn’t find my way with it. I couldn’t make it make sense. I could feel into bits of it but as a whole, it didn’t work for me. 2
Expertly composed, but just not my jam.
I only liked peaches en regalia
Difícil de digerir
Strange and surprisingly brief.
Those are some hot rats but as with the previous album on the list, however the competence of musicality it just fades to the background with nothing to pull me back.
Clearly did not do enough acid in college to get Zappa.
I expected words for some reason. I won't hold that against the album. Interesting for sure. I would never complain about it being on, let's say that much.
More psychedelic than rock
Some of these ten minute long songs feel like they're twenty minutes long. Pass.
Not anything that stood out for me.
God, this was hard for me to engage with. It was jazzy, proggy, I don't know. I think it was good? If you like this sort of thing? I really don't.
I don't know.... I'm kind of impressed that this came out in 1969, it seemed ahead of it's time. I find the title kind of annoying because it seems to be trying too hard to be odd for the sake of being odd which seems to be a Frank Zappa thing. At times the music was too "out" or avant garde for me and in some songs the noodling and jams went on for way too long. I'm not a big fan of this type of rock/ jazz fusion if that's what you want to call it but there were times I was feeling it. As an overall listening experience it was better than a 1 but didn't really earn a 3.
It's fine, Zappa is whatever, this is about as middle of the road as you can get
Yay....more jazz... This list is doing a good job of turning me off of jazz for the foreseeable future.
I was expecting more variety in everything. Lot of extended weird guitar jams that lacked structure and cohesion.
Never listened to an album of his before. Best track was Willie the Pimp, coincidentally the only one with a vocalist. That one had enough going for it. The rest was just too jazzy for me, apart from The Gumbo Variations which I kind of enjoyed. A mid to low 2
Not too bad, I was expecting super weird, but got (what I consider) relatively normal jazz psyche fusion. It will get another play. A low 2.
Alas, I couldn't even finish it, I was bored to tears. There's something I'm not getting about this style of instrumental music, and while I'm sure it's technically solid, it's just so dull and samey! I don't know.
Trippy rock jazz - 2.5
This stuff bores. Not as insufferable as the last one of his I got though
This wasn't for me, I typically don't like jam sessions like this
Love Zappa, one of the most underrated guitarists ever. But this one isn’t my favorite of his
aw more jazz fusion again… yeah it’s fine but i don’t want to listen to it.
“Peaches en Regalia” is a great song. The rest is just so so but I’m also not the biggest fan of jazz fusion. I want to rate this higher. I want to appreciate Zappa. This album didn’t do it unfortunately. Maybe it’s just me
A 13 minute song that has violin solos that sound like guitar isn't up my ally, I'm glad I heard it, but I don't need to hear it again.
Would give it a 1, but “Peaches En Regalia” is a 5/5 track sooo…
well, I like this one better then the "mothers of invention" that was in the list earlier. But really don't see the need for more then 1 "frank zappa" album to be in the list. Willie the Pimp had a catchy lil beat.
Pretty avante guarde -- even now!
I had (and have) no idea who Frank Zappa is, I heard something about him somewhere, sometime, and this album did not change anything. I didnt feel anything. NNN
# 181 : I could listen to it, its ok, Only one track stood out and I even had to skip a few tracks to get it over with. But I Will not go back to Frank! I liked Son Of Mr. Green Genes
Jazz fusion. Not my thing. It just sounded like he was playing with his little brother’s toy instruments.