Hot Rats

There's no doubt that Frank Zappa is a brilliant musician. The beats he creates are all head bobbing and hip swaying etc. However, his vocals are all 'comedic' in their weirdness. It's not what I like. I'm wondering if there is an album produced by Frank Zappa, but not performed by him. Even still, the songs on this album are way too long.

absolutely fucks.

Too freaky for me I am afraid.

Não consegui perceber a conexão do rock com o jazz. Mesmo sabendo da qualidade e importância, não funciona para mim.

Now that's some jazz I can get into. Very experimental.

Hot Rats has been the only Zappa album I listen to straight through. I know it pretty well and I love it. I'm not a fan of Frank Zappa in his entirety, though. I love a lot of his songs throughout his catalogue, but it rubs me the wrong way when he pushes the 'weird' too much. This album is a showcase of Frank Zappa's musicianship, composition and production skills without ever bugging me. I concede Captain Beefhart (I really don't like his music), but even here he fits in, doesn't spoil the mood and Willie the Pimp is an incredible jam after that. I know it's a whole lot of jam on this album, but Frank Zappa knows how to carry it and that's what I come to him to hear. This got me in the mood to keep rolling, so I followed it up with Waka/Jawaka.

I've seen Zappa described as less rock and roll artist and guitarist and more composer. When listening to Hot Rats through this lens you gain an appreciation for Zappa. I was never a big fan by any means, but also never really understood his music until I started listening to more avant grade styles to see what the big deal was (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu, etc). 4.5/5.

No lyrics

4-

gah. nah. no. i don’t like. i like his name but that’s kind of it. i feel like it was just something i had to get done with. there was potential but it wasn’t put to use. i understand why people would like it though.

Frank Zappa released something like 412 albums during (and after) his life so the great thing if you like Zappa is that if someone doesn't like one of his albums, you can steer them in almost literally any other musical direction with another of his releases. Of course with some of them you might need to be mindful of the audience as some of the lyrical content gets a bit *questionable* let's say. Only leading with that because this one barely has any vocals/lyrics at all ("Willie the Pimp" - which incidentally is most definitely not Frank on vocals). If you're immediately turned off from/by instrumental albums this is still worth a spin or two - there's a rock/jazz feel to it that has just the right balance - it doesn't go off into too esoteric a space nor does it simplify to the point of boredom. I'd put myself in the "I like Zappa" category (emphasis on *like*, not love) and one of the things that might be impossible for me to extricate from my enjoyment of this album is that lack of vocals. I actually like Frank's voice and *some* of the vocalists that he had through the years but on too many of his albums the lyrics were often a 30 year old's idea of a dirty middle school song - completely distracting at best and downright stupid at worst. "The Gumbo Variations" is the one that is just too long. Venturing dangerously into "jam" territory which is like....get on with it already. In a vacuum though I'll just call this record "cool" - some memorable and catchy musical phrasing throughout. This is the Zappa album that can be mostly enjoyed by musicians, nerds, geeks, rockers, sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, and dickheads alike. 7/10 4 stars.

listened to again still one of my favorite Zappa records

Funky Jazz not be so horrible tho

Very good zappa

A jazz rock masterpiece and easily in my top 5 by Frank the great.

Better than I expected. I'm not a fan of Zappa; I think this album being mostly instrumental helped. Some of the sax was a little too obnoxious but otherwise it was a decent listen.

nope

9/10

Soft 4

this shit makes sense to me

I liked _bits_ of this. But then there was some stuff that veered a little too far into the free form jazz that I just can't be doing with. For most of the journey though it was a decent enough wander.

Surprisingly enjoyable.

The first two tracks are absolutely incredible but I do feel the album peaks quite early. The rest is pretty good but nothing sticks out as much as those openers. Still a banger though

Strange confession on my part: I can't quite explain why, but I've never really listened to Frank Zappa. He kind of checks all the boxes for me in what I enjoy in music, so that's the strange part. Anyway, now I have. Thank you, 1001 Albums project! Although this album is a bit too on the late-60s psychedelic production style for my tastes, I absolutely and totally hear the incredible virtuosity and talent expressed in the art he's making. Wow. Okay, I'm in. More Zappa to come.

o bom de ter ouvido todos os albuns do zappa é que eu aprendi a apreciar qualquer album so pelo fator criatividade. solos, uso diferente dos instrumentos, mudanças de ritmo melodia e tom do subto nada. tudo isso me deixa impressionado. outro fator é que eu sei do que esse maldito é capaz de fazer numa guitarra, e aqui fica claro. o bom de ter ouvido todos os albuns do zappa é que eu aprendi a amar todos albuns dele que não são impossiveis de ouvir.

wild eclectic

Great debut record. Mixes genres (psychedelic rock, garage rock, doo-wop, r&b, etc.). Pretty accessible for a Captain Beefheart record, but is just enough “out there” to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The vocals were definitely the low point here LOL. But the instrumentals? Groovy and fun and here for a good time.

Love the jazzy rock sounds of this album, didn't need vocals

Much more accessible than the last Zappa I listened to. Enjoyed it quite a bit. Reminded me of riding round lost lake too, which is a bonus.

There's some rats

Easch song (or should I sa piece) has something that I like, but in the end a little too abstract in approach and execution for my tastes. 2.5 stars

I've been dabbling in Zappa lately so was excited to listen to this. Turns out not my favorite! Willie The Pimp is one I was already familiar w/ & is def my num one for the album. I despised The Gumbo Variations...minus 10 stars for that jam.

Devo avere più tempo… primo ascolto pesanti Mi dà un po’ sui nervi

Meh.

Jazzy

Psychedelic jam music. Early prog-rock. I like the fullness of the instruments; horns, guitars, synths.

un flash me encantó!! 8.5 / 10

It sounds classy, but it has your pants off in about five minutes... and last time you checked, you didn't need to sit in a fridge to ensure your rectal comfort. That's Willie the Pimp. Frank is getting weirder... somehow. But not weird enough yet. The music gets even better, so does the humour.

mahti albumi KUUSI KYMMENTÄ LUVULTA... yksi sana... musicianship.. NERO, JA EI PUHUTA ROOMAN RUHTINAASTA... täyttä häkää koko tuotoksen ajan laatu on katossa kiinni son of mr green genes on yli muiden.

This one was super dope, loved the zany feel

Love a good instrumental but was not prepared for the sheer amount of saxophone

Love the instruments used in peaches en regalia Chaotic but in a good way!

Groovy, weird, enjoyable Funky brass instruments

Incredible Album. Got that Zappa Flair from the get go.

Wasn't what I was expecting. Landed up enjoying it more than I thought. Put me into Bobby Brown Goes Down, which is now added to my favorites playlist Seems like an interesting bloke Classic name

Ovo je moj privi Zappa album. Mislim da si ga neću sama pustit ponovo ali je ovako bio jako ekscentričan i slusljiv.

ovo mi je najdraži njegov.

090126 15:57 3.5

Funky as hell. Love it!

8/10 legendary Frank Zappa, a lot of good and funky progressive music

Wild and inventive with some splendid passages.

Quite easy going, it'd make for good background music at times but that's about it.

Peñazo que no es para mí. Mira que me gustan Pink Floyd o los Doors que tenían sus momentos psicodelia, rock progresivo, pero a Frank Zappa nunca he terminado de cogerle la gracia.

No lyrics So much I don’t know

I don't know this album and just got one listen in. Liked what I heard and will definitely give it a few more goes.

Really cool album, Zappa can get a bit weird and experimental, but this one was a bit more "traditional" in a sense of rock albums of the day.

good

Jazz, blues, rock, solos interminables. Suena a liberación.

Perfect blend of groovy and weird. Will definitely listen again

Weird in the best way

Really cool instrumental album. Lots of guitar but also jazzy

Nothing grabbed me

Fire shit

So.. this sounds like I’m listening to an neverending jamsession. It’s making me very nervous.

<b>LOVED</b> this one!

Didn't realize that this is Zappa. Intricate and widely varied.

This album is kinda cool but I think I’m more a fan of Zappa’s other work. This is more jazz than expected and I did find myself skipping towards the end of The Gumbo Variations. Highlights: Peaches En Regalia

Riktigt bra, man hör zappas kompositör-talang.

Absolutely amazing find. Great instrumentals. Cosmic rock mixed with jazz.

Weird and wonderful

Nice and jazzy

All I hear are hippies dancing with abandon at Woodstock, melodies are non-existent. Some of the songs start out good and made me hopeful, but about 30 seconds in the musicians' drugs kicked in and all reasonable structure crumbled into a pile of sounds.

Zappa is an artist I just have never listened to. I dunno why. I should listen to him since everything about him is what I like, but yet I never have. I think this was a fantastic entry into his - very extensive - discography.

Decent background music so long as it stays away from the skit-style vocals, but not an LP I would consider essential listening by any means.

Some of those guitar pieces grab the listeners by the throats and commands a listen. Some of the stuff got a bit weird, but it’s all very entertaining

A fun listen

I've always thought of Frank Zappa as basically absurd/silly. Which is sometimes fun, like a weird candy, but not a main dish. This was not absurd. This was good. Still playful at times, but not silly. 3 (good)

Get Weird!

Like it a lot more than I expected. Would I put it on again? Unclear. 3/5

I need to start writing my reviews at night….. I remembered I liked it?

This album is technically marvelous and musically vibrant. Any given track features only a handful of performers, and yet each sound like a group the scale of an orchestra was involved. I really appreciate that the instrumentals were left to stand on their own.

Jazzy

I've listened to quite a lot of Zappa, but not this one particularly. Kinda weird to listen to an almost entirely instrumental Zappa album! The goofy lyrics are usually one of the main appeals... Fave track - gotta be "Peaches En Regalia" for that soundtracky my-life-just-became-a-weird-70s-tv-show vibe...

No other artist sounds quite like Frank Zappa. Combining jazz and psychedelic rock with how own bizarre sense of humor, Zappos’s first album after The Mothers of Invention is a fascinating window on his musical psyche.

My favorite Zappa album. I've always liked his humor (though it does get kind of nasty sometimes) but this album he shows his musical chops.

Good background noise

Begon best aardig, hoewel ik altijd dacht dat dit niks voor mij was. Uiteindelijk kwam daar dus ook wel weer op uit; Het duurde allemaal te lang en te veel 'moeilijk doen'. Jammer.

Dat was verrassend goed te hebben, maar helaas bijna volledig instrumentaal op wat geschreeuw na.

Hmmm ik kan mn aandacht nooit zo goed houden bij instrumentale muziek. En dit is heel veel instrumentale muziek. Zit best goed in elkaar en ook best leuke stukken maar in het geheel is het me toch allemaal wat te wazig.

Peaches & regalia ken ik als tune van de Snob2000 en vind ik best een leuk nummer. Verder vind ik Frank Zappa’s muziek nogal intensief. @gijs, mocht je de snob2000 niet kennen; je zult het fantastisch vinden.

I mean, it’s fine. It’s just not my thing. I get that it’s technically accomplished and it’s an interesting fusion of genres and influences. I just wouldn’t want to listen to it more than once.

the nuts

Un essentiel de Frank Zappa grâce à Peaches En Regalia.

Apart from the first song, ‘Peaches in Regalia’. The rest of the album is the embodiment of Hot Rats. In all senses of the word it shouldn’t exist.

Ambiance idéale pour se relaxer dans le sauna (chambre)

envie de jouer au solitaire en ligne

Great LP with some lovely meandering Jazz rock tunes. Love the "Gumbo Variations" and "It Must Be A Camel"

Started well, but the guitar solo's plus saxophone get boring fast

Great tunes. Total flash

Holy fuck, come let’s get lost in music. A fascinating and exhilarating listen

So Hot Rats has a big groove to it which goes down well, doesn't really drag all that much and is largely enjoyable. Doesn't scale great heights but it's definitely better than a lot of Zappa stuff by reputation anyway. Son Of Mr Green Genes a personal favourite on the way to 3/5.

I was not expecting to like this having read the description that 'because Hot Rats largely consists of instrumental jazz-influenced compositions with extensive soloing, the music sounds very different from earlier Zappa albums', but actually it's really quite good, isn't it? Suffers from the same issue as almost every instrumental album in that it goes on a little too long and gets repetitive in places, but the sound is great and it's a super background soundtrack to get some work done to. Loses it's way a little towards the end, but I think it gets a comfortable 3.

svolítið mikið rúnk en áhugavert. Verður leiðinlegt eftir því sem líður á. Skemmtilegt að deus hafi stolið bassa ú little umbrellas

Vitttuuuuu miten kova! 5/5 ainoot laulutkin taitaa olla Beefheartin eikä Zappan suusta

Ah monesti tämmöinen tiluttelu on vähän turn off mut tästä tunne välittyi hyvin. Meni ihan tanssiksi.

Kiinnostavahkoa jazziinkin menevää rockia

Still not a huge Zappa fan, but it was a good record

liked it a lot, had a very improvisation jazz sound.

Sometimes I think that I might respect the music of Zappa more than I like it. Some of his music is outstanding, while some of his work doesn't do much for me at all. This is something of a middle of the road album for me. The first 2 tracks are pretty great but then I start gradually losing interest. I'll be blunt, I like the humorous Zappa best. Give me Sheik Yerbouti any day. This is fine but it's not quite what I want from the man.

It's fine, not great.

Cool instrumental stuff. Frank Zappa is much more talented than I have him credit for

Songs with no direction. Pissing in the wind.

My first Zappa album and I absolutely loved this. One of the best jazz fusion albums Iv heard.

Highlights: cool instrumentals overall jazz fusion not from japan (wow!) -it must be a camel (why does it sound like it's from zelda from time to time?) -son of mr. green genes liked: it's ok, i enjoy instrumentals a lot, more jazzy than i expected from frank zappa

Oh, so it's just jazz? Way less obnoxious than I expected it to be

Amazingly as he has such an off-putting vibe, this is a good album.

When Hot Rats by Frank Zappa appeared as the recommendation I thought, "Oh boy, this is going to be a doozy." I know of Zappa, and have heard clips of various tracks. The only songs that I have heard all the way through are "Valley Girl" and "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow", neither of which have made me want to listen to more Zappa. I know that many people list Zappa as an influence or admire his unconventional approach to music, but I have not heard enough to appreciate that point of view. Hot Rats was a good surprise. I may have heard a portion of "Peaches en Regalia" before, and I liked listening to the full track. My two favorite tracks were "Son of Mr. Green Genes" and "Little Umbrellas". Even though "Little Umbrellas" was relatively short, those two favorites had an interesting progressive rock feel. Other tracks on the album (e.g. "The Gumbo Variations", "It Must Be a Camel"), didn't just have a prog-rock sound. More specifically, they reminded me of King Crimson during the 80s. I'm not an immediate fan of every part of the album. For example, there were these repetitive violon squawks in "The Gumbo Variations" that detracted a little from the listen. But after my first full listen to the album, I'm curious about a second listen to find out what else I might hear. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

nice, love frank! 100\5

Also not the biggest fun, but nice to have listened to.

Dense jazz fusion and a rock blues track. Has some great moments and love the groove on 'Little Umbrellas'. Nice to appreciate Zappa without having to ignore odd things said in silly voices. Not sure ever going to get repeat listens from me, but appreciated it.

Brilliant

Zappa gets such a bad press

This gets to 4 on the strength of Peaches en Regalia alone. The other stuff is fun and beautifully played, but once you’ve heard Peaches it’s a high bar.

Peaches En Regalia alone gets 5 stars...I'd go 3.5 and almost 4 on this album but I am not sure I would come back and listen again so holding in the 3 star range.

I mean, it's some good instrumentation, but it does feel incomplete to me without vocals. Guess I'm just too much of a pleb to get it.

Not what I was expecting, but post-Hendrix and maybe Miles jazz-rock instrumentals.

Beetje een gekkie op een gitaar. De muziek is vrolijk maar voor mij een iets te hoog pingel gehalte. **

I appreciate it, but I don't enjoy it.

Zany artist Frank Zappa mostly restrains himself into making this jazz rock classic. Favourites: "Peaches En Regalia", "Willie The Pimp", "Son Of Mr Green Genes"

This is Jazz/Prog-Rock. Not bad by any means, but not really my style. 3/5

Not my bag

Meni najdraži zappin album

I remember the first time I heard Frank Zappa. I was shocked at how cogent it was, given what you always hear about the guy. The instrumentation, songs and arrangements on this record are really elaborate and beautiful at times. I like those moments. But then, there are songs like "Willie the Pimp" and I'm fine never hearing those again. Zappa was a collaborator with Captain Beefheart. I think he might sing on this record too. I recognize his voice. I prefer Captain Beefhearts records.

I always dismissed Zappa as being unnecessarily weird, but I actually kinda dug this album. It was definitely weird, but also had a New Orleans bluesy/jazzy thing that was actually unique and interesting.

Unintelligible to me. My ears aren't sophisticated enough to decypher this as music - it's just a technically competent jazz noise.

Wow I'd never heard of Frank Zappa but this is super cool. I understand this is different to some of his other work. I love how there's so many video-game sounding sections in Peaches en Regalia. It's really nice focus music for while working. Super inventive and unusual. So many different themes in here and I want to do some more research about this guy and his music.

I don't know an awful lot of Frank Zappa but got into this and enjoyed reading about his life. A mad life he had! Lots of genres covered here: blues, jazz, classic rock but all a bit experimental. Loved it!

Wahoooo! This is mad, I love it. Willie the Pimp was wild. I've heard of Frank Zappa and kind of knew who/what he was but don't think I've ever delved, now I've delved and I am happy about that.

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.

05/23/2022 Kinda fun but also kinda boring and a little too weird.

4.5

Not a huge Zappa fan but this album is actually really good.

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.

I’d give it a 3.5 if a could my feelings towards this album are better than neutral but only marginally so

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

Hot shite

C'est intense, beaucoup de guitare mais la musique est bonne. Un peu etourdissant vers la fin. 3

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.

Not at all what I was expecting. Largely background music.

Rats could have been hotter.

lukewarm mice

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.

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.

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.

Guitarra de Zappa. Brutal. Vinilo.

Agradable. Instrumental rockjazz fusionprogressive rock

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.

LP

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"

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.

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!

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'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!

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”.

Rockin', bluesy, jazzy. It's a really good overall rock'n roll album. Can't really say I like his voice, but still...

Wank

Peaches en Regalia and other instrumentals

1.5

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Not sure what i just listened too.... Is this rock jazz? Not awful but not my thing.

Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. Some great guitar work, but too jazzy for me. I want lyrics.

Zappa is an acquired taste, I enjoyed it

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

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.

Zappa, like his rats, are a dish best served hot.

3.5/5

Frank Zappa mades a original and rich compositions. I never listenend to Zappa but I knew about him.

great album, I’m always in the mood for some jazz-rock - 10/10

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.

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.

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.

Considering I hated the Mothers of Invention, this was a huge surprise. Virtuistic, clever, groovy, complex.

Very jammy and cool album. 3.5 stars!

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.

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.

3.4 - solid and epic instrumental album, but my favorite track was probably the only one with vocals - Willie the Pimp

Awesome, had forgotten how good it was. Kids not so keen.

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.

Bueno

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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]

Not my favourite Zappa but cool instrumental album.

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!

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.

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

Weird and cool.

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.

A master piece.

Very odd - been in my life for 50 years because my muso dad was on the good drugs. Never listened. Might not listen again.

Solid

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.

Brilliant fusion of jazz and rock. One of Zappa's very best

There is no way of dieing without listening this.

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.

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

objektiv gut, subjektiv null meins

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?

Merkilega áheyrilegt, svona fyrir zappa :)

Ein ungewaschener Nixon Albtraum jammt sich ausm Rattenloch wie ein Entertainer auf Dope. Ziemlich gniedelig und gut. 3.4

Wow - Haven't listened to this before and was pleasantly surprised!!!

Wild ride with far too much saxophone for my taste

Not bad.

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.

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.

Muy instrumental, pero con un toque rock/psicodélico, que lo hace agradable de escuchar. No había oído gran cosa de este artista. Buena nota

I wish I was half as cool as this guy obviously was

Great jazz album! I find myself humming Peaches en Regalia occassionally.

Awesome instrumentals. Fluid and complex. Really enjoyable to listen to when you are working on something creative.

Zappas first really strong album

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.

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.

Good, probably more revolutionary at the time

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.

What a legend.

Сейчас звучит скучно. Одна гитара, рифы, искусно, но нет спасибо

I cant. im sorry but i cant. yes i know you're THE frank zappa ...

Probably my favorite frank Zappa. album. Awesome stuff. Peaches in regalia.

Cooles Album!

Nicht schlimm aber definitiv zu besonders

Ja va kinda distraherad när vi lyssna men för sidners skull blir de en fyra 😎

Zappa brings bangers

Nifty

Thoroughly enjoyed the loose nature of the songs. Willie the Pimp was a standout

I was into this album, good sound. Have not listened to Zappa before

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

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

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.

I really liked it!

I greatly enjoyed listening to this album. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed all the songs, as I don't think there's a single one I dislike.

Weird and good, funky.

Not a fan. Too many extended jazz type solos. Not my cup of tea. looked forward to it ending 1/5

I do like some Frank Zappa....but definitely not this album

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

Never listened to Zappa before. Some crazy instrumentals!

"This music is wobbly like jelly!"

A bit too strange for me

Excellent album. Second only to Sheik Yerbouti in his discography

Cool guitar

Very much right up my alley. Awesome instrumentals, such a fun listen.

besser geht nicht

Abstract af

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.

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

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?

Kinda decent for some of 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.

expected 60's stoner music, didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did

Guitarra de Zappa. Brutal.

Played it a couple of times, doesn't happen a lot with albums in this list. Hence liked it

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*.

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.

2nd Listen. Not my favorite Zappa record. It seems good though. It is starting to grow on me.

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

Absolutely cracking album! Even bough the vinyl after listening to this!

3/5

an interesting fusion of rock and jazz

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Willie the pimp, Som of mr. green genes

Enjoyed this. Proper eccentric and meandering

3.5

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*

Always loved Peaches En Regalia but not familiar with the rest of the album

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.

Bit intense and experimental, but not bad

Mostly enjoyable, except the end of The Gumbo Variations. I liked Peaches en Regalia the most.

Shreds hard! Liked it

1969 - Artful Jazz & Rock

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?

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.

Thought this was excellent other than the sax solo in The Gumbo Variations. Totally killed my enjoyment of the song.

Really interesting on the whole, let down a bit when it goes full on self indulgent jam session.

Enjoyed this a lot - free flowing guitar and a great sound in parts.

weird and good

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.

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."

Enjoyed quite a bit. Fun album

Not a bad track on the album. 5 stars.

First two tracks were unbearable, so I turned it off.

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.

Had fun but not something I'm going to put on and listen to anytime soon. Good jams, thought I'd enjoy the vocal track more than I did. "Zappa dedicated the album to his newborn son, Dweezil." Alright, man Saved: Peaches En Regalia*, Son Of Mr. Green Genes

First listen. Love other Zappa albums. Not getting this one though.

Some fun sounds, I wish there were more lyrics.