Hot Rats

This is an all time great in my opinion! It’s a no skip album to end all no skip albums. It’s insanely deep with a TON of variety and energy. It’s wild to me that this album exists at all. It’s some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard while also being classic Zappa silliness. But with this album the humor and sarcasm doesn’t take away from or distract from the album. It’s just pure perfection! Genuinely I think peaches en regalia and little umbrellas might be two of my favorite songs of all time. This is genuinely the greatest accomplishment of Frank Zappa’s entire career!

Of course the best Frank Zappa album is the one where you see as little of him as possible. Or like most notable, or most well-known Zappa album? Something like that. What I'm trying to say is this album is awesome, but I didn't expect it from the guy who made "WHO ARE THE BRAIN POLICE???" and that kinda makes it more awesome. So just to start off, "Peaches en Regalia" is a fucking revelation. Not even 4 minutes but so much energy and life packed in. It's so uncharacteristically lush for Zappa, and so so SOOO beautiful. I saw somewhere that it's supposed to be a "movie for your ears" and damn if it doesn't sound like it. Every like 15 seconds something completely new turns up and it's astounding to hear. The saxophones, the flutes, the strings, it's all so pretty! "Willie the Pimp," while a much different song, is quite similar in its excellence: it just keeps changing slightly as it goes on and on and on.... the fiddle is also a really great touch. It gets so crazy near the end to the point where it begins to become almost like a really drunken, bluesy krautrock song. "Son of Mr. Green Genes," while great, is much less of an outright revelation than the first two songs, and more of a regular, everyday 8-minute jazz fusion track. Same with "Little Umbrellas," though that's only 3 minutes. "The Gumbo Variations," though... another insane song! I still can't believe how long this song goes on and still manages to be interesting. It's so incredibly layered! 13 minutes and not a dull fucking second! And then the last song functions sort of the same way that "Sunday" from Nick Drakes Bryter Layter functions, a nice little instrumental outro. So basically how this album functions for me is that it has 3 songs that blow everything else of the water, with the slightest bit of dead space, and a lovely little outro. Very beautiful! 9.6/10

Top album

For my money, one of the greatest guitar albums of all time. The arrangements are top of the line and the musicianship is unmatched. Easy 5/5

A l'époque j'empruntais beaucoup de CD à la bibliothèque du cégep Marie-Victorin. J'étais tombé sur Hot Rats un peu par hasard, la couverture m'intriguait et je connaissais Zappa de nom parce qu'un autre étudiant en jazz en parlait. Je l'ai fait roulé en boucle et j'aimais bien le mettre le midi quand j'animais la radio étudiante. Toute qu'un énérgumène ce Zappa!

Лучшие усы в музыке

Лучшая песня: Willie the Pimp Худшая: The Gumbo Variations Приятный прогрессивчик

Can't believe I got Hot Rats the day after buying it on vinyl! Spooky. One of my favourite albums ever and one I listen to more than any other, mostly as a background for working.

Finally. I always thought there was something I was missing about Zappa. It seemed like I should be into him, but everyone I heard was a bit cheesy. The secret ingredient is him keeping his mouth shut

(91/100)

this fucks

I wasn't familiar with this artist, but the album was a 100% success. The sound is very reminiscent of Deep Purple. However, this album focuses on the instrumentation, and the sound is fresher. The guitar part is more diverse, with constant guitar passages and a developing melody. However, the overall sound of the instruments is similar to Deep Purple, including the organ and drum parts. The use of wind instruments and double bass as a bass line is highlighted, particularly in the song Little Umbrellas. In general, this is a more jazz-influenced version of Deep Purple.

What a great album! Absolutely loved it!

5/5 no notes whacky lyrics, long ass solos, what's not to love?

Rinsed this album from 2022 onwards - play ‘Peaches En Regalia’ at work as much as possible it’s PERFECT, the best Frank Zappa album other than Apostrophe, such a great opener to what can be one of the biggest deep dives for 20th century music I can think of, beautiful stuff.

Herlig

Har alltid holdt Zappa på en armlengdes avstand. Men denne var jo dritfet!

Jazzic

Its one of the best albums of all time. And its almost everything im not into. But it easily gets over that hurdle for me. Its wildly creative and fun. It zigs and zags all over the place but it always works. Its damn near a perfect record. Do yourself a favor and give it a spin. Easiest 5 of my life

3/16/26. Love this album. Great instrumental jazz-fusion with a big rock edge, and perhaps the chaotic nature of it. It took me a bit to understand Zappa, but this one hits since each track has a great groove.

The guitar playing=iconic. This feels so Betelgeuse-coded

No notes, just vibes

godines

Directly from Frank to my heart

Avant-Gard in all the right ways, lots of unconventional instruments and sounds but still very musical. Very impressive walking such a fine line between a jumbled mess and an artistic musical mess

Ебейший, очень интересный соляки. Я уверен если бы я больше разбирался в теории музыки то я бы ахуел

I was worried seeing the reviews for this would skew my opinion but have no fear! This is great!!!

I’ve only ever known Frank Zappa as the aesthetic inspiration for Peggy’s boyfriend Abe in the later seasons of Mad Men, but man I loved this! It was groovy! It was funky! It made me feel like I was plonked into the middle of The Nice Guys (one of my all time fave movies!!). Gimme more!

Yeah man I can see why weird assholes worship this dude.

My favourite Zappa album of them all.

Brilliant. Frank Zappa is a legend.

Listened to this a few days ago. It’s fuckin PEAK!

Excelente

HOT MEAT! HOT RATS! HOT CATS!!!!!!! 🐈/5

Looooooooooove this one, my favourite Zappa by a mile

93/100. A really fantastic record with so much impressive instrumentation. The few vocals that were included added a lot. It is a beautifully composed and produced album. Jazz fusion at the highest level.

whad did he do to his guitar for it to sound like THAT

I'd love to hear what Frank would have to say about the state of the world in 2026. This is one of my favorites of his and his band during this era is unrivaled.

this got my rats hot for sure

Amazing.

Killer vibe. Great guitar, classic.

Frank Zappa's Hot rats was an album I loved, it's got great instrumentals and every song manages to feel different and groovy while letting different instruments get the spotlight 5/5, fav song: Son of Mr Green Genes

A dense, wildly ambitious fusion of rock, jazz, and Zappa’s restless compositional brain. It’s packed with virtuosity and strange structural ideas, yet somehow stays playful rather than academic. Even when it feels indulgent, the confidence and precision make it hard not to admire. A maximalist statement that mostly earns its excess.

expected unbearable vocals, got mind blowing instrumental jams. perfect

This is so rad. A perfect fusion of well, jazz fusion, and early 70s prog. I still need to do my Frank Zappa homework, and I realize the rest of his discog isn’t like this, but the adventurous spirit I’ve identified with him is all over this album. Listenable and fun. Must-listen #292.

Listening to Frank Zappa makes me think about an Uncle that I never had; an Uncle that smokes too many cigarettes and always has a new side piece (or several) every time you see him. He definitely has many crazy stories and experiences to share, but he passes on before you're old enough to listen. This album is equally brilliant as it is insane. It's all over the place, yet cohesive at the same time. No lyrics, just a performance. And damn a good performance at that.

Kinda my favorite jazz album. Zappa’s guitar is simply amazing on here. Beefheart’s vocals on Willie the Pimp are a career high (along with Zappa’s solo and Sugarcane’s riff) imo. If you wanna get into jazz-rock/fusion or just Zappa in general, you wouldn’t be wrong starting here. Simply one of the best albums of all time.

Frank Zappa wrote music that was both very strange and very, very technical. Sometimes they were novelty songs and sometimes they were polyrhythmic grooves. Surprisingly, he neither drank nor did hard drugs (he did smoke like a chimney). He also had the greatest mustache and soul patch combination in history -- you can just draw the two parts on a blank page and people will recognize Zappa. Is the music good? Yeah, in every sense of that question. But will you like it? Very possibly not -- 'Peaches En Regalia' sounds like video game music (although it's a 1969 album, so the causality is reverse). It's kind of incredible as a work of percussion, though. 'Willie The Pimp' is a goddamn groove and a testament to my recent grumbling that guitars didn't need to sound like steaming garbage in 1969. I'd say that, if you don't like this, listen to it again. Try to figure out what people like about it and ruminate on how tightly composed and intentional it all is. Zappa is the epitome of artists who simultaneously take themselves without any seriousness but take their art deadly seriously. Those two things are in constant tension and probably define precisely why you do or don't like Zappa. He's completely up his own ass and also very apologetic about it. He also wouldn't care if you hated his music but he'd be curious about why. This is fucking great. It's the polar opposite of the Kid Rock I had to listen to last year. This is absolutely weird, eclectic and somehow also infectious. The only real vocals on the album are by Captain Fucking Beefheart and they're great. It's jazzy in a sincere way, it meanders because it's really chasing something and it is, in all, entirely authentic to Zappa. Some people think that rock music's obsession with authenticity doesn't hold up to scrutiny -- that authenticity is impossible, or indefinable. I think that's the musical equivalent of nihilism: just because authenticity can't be defined objectively and universally does not mean that it can't be defined personally and valued. This weird-ass, tongue-in-cheek, pretentious innovation (16-track recording!) is entirely Zappa. It's excellent. Listen to it until you love it.

Interesting and a great listen. For what it is, it's excellent.

Shut up and play her guitar is the best advice Zappa ever took. None of the annoying unfunny comedy bits, just shredding, jazz rock riffs, prog compositions, studio wizardry and virtuoso performances. Sounds like mario music, like a demonic fire pit seance, like classic rock radio run through a kaleidoscope, like a hard bop acid trip, like a funky riverboat.

Damn. I never really listened to him and I can finally see why he's known as a legend.

A really cool instrumental album. I know nothing about Frank Zappa, other than he has a cool mustache, but its almost a little positively silly how the instruments evoke this mood of frolicking around, the energy on this album is great, I think i'd even say I'd be happy if i ever revisited this album. 9/10

Just full of energy

Actual cool stoner-jazz-metal. I've been looking forward to getting some Zappa to properly check him out. It was fun and cool. So cool. So cool, in fact, I keep saying this is cool. I can't even find another word that fits. Funky and experimental. I want to get stoned now. It's banging. I'm not sure if it's truly a 5 to my tastes, but it's so cool that it's getting one.

A show of musicianship on all accounts. Peaches En Regalia is a masterpiece.

After The Mothers of Invention I did not know what to expect here. I'd heard of Frank Zappa, I'd expected to really like Frank Zappa, then The Mothers of Invention made me question that. This albums made me do a 180, bloody phenomonal! I need more Zappa in my life

One of Frank Zappa's first solo releases beyond the confines of the Mothers of Invention, his first foray into jammy jazz-rock, and the first ever album to be recorded on a 16-track, this is a real tasty slab of mostly-instrumental jams. From the ripping guitar solo (and Captain Beefheart vocal feature) of Willie the Pimp to the delightful jazziness of Little Umbrellas and It Must Be a Camel, this album's got delights all throughout, and its 16 tracks of audio make it sound far, far ahead of its time. Easily recommended for any fan of jammed-out rock music!

Zappa is a musical genius, hands down on one my favorites. Keep an open mind and put on your headphones and truly listen.

this is my fave Zappa album, I love this era of freak jazz

I do like jazz.

Peaches En Regalia is one of the fuckiest pieces of music ever written This is one of the most known FZ album. There's 3 Zappa/Mothers albums in this list. If I had my will, I'd add 57 more. Most importantly: Absolutely Free, Roxy & Elsewhere, One Size Fits All, Zappa In New York, Sheik Yerbouti, Joe's Garage Act I, Joe's Garage Acts II & III, You Are What You Is Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST

Clássico absoluto. A mistura de Jazz e Rock que melhor funcionou na história da música. Composições inspiradas e arranjos magistrais. Uma obra-prima.

I never invested too much in Zappa for no reason at all - he was always on my "must explore" list. Glad the 1001 list is forcing me to listen to his albums and this is my favourite one so far. What a stunner! Solid basis by a great rhythm section with of course amazing guitar (and sax) "solos" (can a solo entail an entire song?) Great jazzy psychedelic rock, I love it, a big fat five.

How have I never heard this? Incredible guitar work- gambino variations is CRIMINALLY good

Musically brilliant and there's so much more to come - collaboration with Captain Beefheart, 200 Motels, Flo and Eddy, the Mothers, the satirical writing worthy of Swift - this isn't my favorite Zappa, but it's still a five.

мой

*listened before the project* Crazy in many ways, and it’s one of my favorite albums of this year

Absolutely stupendous album start to finish

The list gave me a beautiful Christmas gift by letting me listen to one of my favorite albums. If you’re only gonna have 2 Zappa albums on this list Hot Rats had to be one.

Awesome and groovy, great for chores and chilling

One of FZ’s best, and deservedly on this list. Easiest 5 so far. This was the first Zappa album I heard. Perhaps the best introduction to his work, and there are several directions to take from here which could determine the outcome for the listener drastically. Oddly, I unknowingly bypassed a lot of his more accessible early-mid 70’s work until much later. Hot Rats is colossal. It’s uplifting, intricate and unique. Still as exciting to me as it was when I first heard it.

Really really dug this.

Masterpiece

Hot Rats! Riotous funk-jazz weirdness; the only Frank Zappa record I still listen to regularly. "Peaches en Regalia" started running through my head the minute I saw this cover this morning. I love that the only vocals on this record are by Captain Beefheart. Best track: The Gumbo Variations, which should have been twice as long If I heard this in a coffee shop I'd stick around to hear the whole thing unless I'd just played it myself recently; there's a limited amount of Zappa that I can do these days. Five stars

So fucking good! I'm definitely buying this one❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 5/5

Peaches en Regalia - 5/5 Willie the Pimp - 5/5 Son of Mr. Green Genes - 5/5 Little Umbrellas - 3/5 The Gumbo Variations - 5/5 It Must Be a Camel - 4/5 Average score: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Complex, technical, energetic may be the best album he did. Wish Zappa would have focused on quality and not quantity. Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon is a book everyone who's a fan of 60's music should read or listen to

Go! Frank! Go out and Zappa to the extreme! Solid jazz fusion album- the 2018 Youtube algorithm has kept me on Casiopea, but I am happy to have this album in the rotation now.

This album feels like it’s from the future. It’s got range and attitude. I had a review written and saved but somehow I lost it, but after the first few chords of Peaches en Regalia I knew this was the business.

Yes yes yes.

God I hope there’s more Zappa on this list.

Complex Sounds!

A glorious ride into Zappa's mind!

If it’s jazz fusion then it’s my favourite jazz fusion record

126 Hot Rats indeed. Una falta de respeto haber escuchado parte de este disco con el parlante de alexa del living. Hace muchísimo tiempo que un disco instrumental (exceptuando algunos que he escuchado ahora con este challenge) no me enganchaba tanto. Escuchar cómo salta de un instrumento a otro, y ruiditos en distintas partes, con texturas diferentes. Lo escucharía de nuevo si no estuviera tan atrasada en esto.

Great! This album has been a favorite from the day it was first released. It's the one where Zappa was a _great_ guitarist. It also introduced me to Captain Beef heart.

90% Best: Peaches en Regalia; Willie the Pimp; The Gumbo Variations Must-Hear? Yes

First Frank Zappa! And potentially the last one here... But a legendary entry, nontheless. Probably an easy 5 stars for this great and unique work of art.

Just had Sgt. Peppers yesterday and then this one! I'm also already quite familiar with. Tempted to give this a 5 Hoping to get some more Zappa, plenty of albums I haven't heard yet! This might the best pure "guitar" album ever honestly

Such sweet sweet instrumentals, what a hero. Can recommend the Zappa documentary to see his clique of musicians in action! This stuff stays fresh forever

Nice. Havent heard this in a while. Peaches is a great opening track and Willie the Pimp a great second track. Captain Beefheart’s cocals suit thos so well. Son of Mr Green Genes has some cracking playing but the drums and bass are a stand out for me. So solid, really driving the songs, allowing Frank to float around on guitar, really play some interesting melodies and scales from regular rock to almost Egyptian sounding. The Gumbo Variations ia probbly my favorite track on this album. All credit to Frank for the compositions and arrangements but the back band on this album stand out for me without overpowering the main cast type of standout. That’s a solid skill. Lordy the violin on this track. So solid good. Looked ip thebnd. Bass player oneof the wrecking crew, srummer played woth Coltrane, etc. bass player dodnt know Frank, got a call to go to thw studio, 2 days recording and there’s Hot Rats. All of which is not to say Zappa is lagging here. Great grungy dirty aound on Willie, lovely clear tone on Camel. Probably one of the less avante garde albums by Frank and for me one of his best albums. If you’re looking for a jazz rock fusion album it would be hard to find better.

Already got

I had a friend growing up who was part of the cult of Zappa and that was pretty much all he played. I had trouble understanding what he liked about it and we would always joke about his "weird" musical taste. Having listened to this album, I think I found my gateway Zappa. This album is incredible. The compositions, the bass, the guitar solos, its outstanding. Peaches in Regalia, Willie the Pimp, and The Gumbo Variations are a particular highlight for me. It must be a camel has that familiar strange time signature, discordant melody, and key playing that I typically associate with Zappa, but it still has the jazzy drums and bass driving it forward, so I even like that one. All in all, this is a great album and I think I need to explore more Zappa!

Brilliant. Great stuff. The rock side of Jazz Fusion and a perfect complement to Bitches Brew.

Evil jazz. Chaos prog. There no doubt Zappa is talented, and wildly creative. Kinda makes sense that the only vocalist Frank got for this was Captain Beef heart, another agent of chaos. Unbelievable creative in its jazz endeavors, unbelievably genius in its prog rock adventures. This album has grown on me so much.

f u vini

Five stars for Peaches En Regalia alone

Man… Hot Rats slaps so hard I haven’t listened to this or as much of Zappa’s catalog as I probably should, but I do think Hot Rats is my favorite Zappa project that I have explored. It must be the best instrumental album of the psychedelic era.

A "movie for your ears". Nobody can describe this frenzied madness better than the man himself. Madcap jazz fusion with a frenetic level of energy, layers of spacey soundscapes, with soaring guitar solos and dirty saxophones, the instrumentation only broken up once by the gritty snarls and shrieking of Captain Beefheart in the fantastic "Willie the Pimp" - if this is a movie, it's one that you can't eat popcorn during, in case you miss something while you chew.

I've been waiting for this album. I can finally give it a 5 star rating it deserves. I love Zappa, and this is one of his finest.

Brilliant!

“That’s where I got the idea for ... the title for the “Hot Rats” album: There’s a recording that I picked up in Europe that had ... “The Shadow of Your Smile” with Archie Schepp playing on it, and he played this solo that just sounded to me immediately like there was this fucking army of preheated rats screaming out of his saxophone. That’s what it sounded like.” Bill Hader adds his perspective: "Girls do not like Frank Zappa. You can't get a girl in a car and play Hot Rats and be like, 'Willie the Pimp.' And they're like, 'Is there any music to this? Is there any lyrics?' I'm like, 'Oh, that's a guy singing. His name's Captain Beefheart.' And they're like, 'Can we put on TLC or something?'"

Superb, just superb.

Really good. Not a 20 but not sure why?

HORNY FOR HOT RATS

One of my IT teachers would always play The Mothers Of Invention album Weasels Ripped My Flesh in class. It was weird, I don’t think I knew if I liked it, but it made a huge impression on me at the age of 15 that the name Frank Zappa was branded into my brain for a time where I would seek out my own taste in music. Years later, when I had started collecting vinyl records (of course) I bought a copy of Hot Rats for £4 before the price of vinyl got stupid. The striking pink and white of the cover along with the bizarre photo of Frank Zappa looming out of that pool let me know I was in for a wild ride. Every song on this album rocks so much. It’s a jam record, it’s jazz, it’s garage rock, it’s all of music at once but also its own thing. Listening to it this time I still found it utterly exhilarating, and listened to it all again as soon as it finished. A wonderful record.

One of Zappa's best and it actually hold up really well. Probably the only time I have enjoyed Captain Beefheart's vocals.

Listens: 5 Standout Tracks: Willie The Pimp, The Gumbo Variations I thought this album was awesome. I was a little worried that it was nearly entirely instrumental, but that didn't end up detracting from the experience at all. The whole thing felt very jammy and improvisational. It's probably worth mentioning that I have literally no known prior experience with Zappa, and so if more of his stuff is like this, I am here for it. Willie The Pimp absolutely slaps (with his pimp cane obviously).

Big Zappa fan. This is one of his best.

Great album! One of my favorite Zappa albums!

Makes the music in my head feel sane. I could close my eyes and imagine the Muppets playing this music. Cheerful and gratifying.

Lekker!

Gran álbum.

I know this album, it's my 8am alarm Only today found out the cover model isn't Zappa Those eyes that so often peered out at me to herald a new day Aren't the eyes I thought they were What consolation can I take? Just another happy illusion of my youth mercilessly corrected Beaten and warped to closer resemble the truth Just another; add it to the list. What a sound though!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zappa. Nuff said. (plus Shuggie Otis on bass!)

pizza salamino piccante

I finally get why people like Frank Zappa, this album really rocks, absolutely awesome

ovo je izvrsno jebote

Love Zappa, plus this being mostly instrumental means the chances of hitting a lyric that didn't age well is much lower.

Lets get weird

My goodness this guy was a musician. He's a hell of a guitarist. The album is groovy and multilayered. Utterly Brilliant!

Hot

unreal. somehow not bored even with no words

Amazing compositions with huge depth, without being so far-out to alienate folks.

So I confess that I had never listened to a full Zappa album before. I knew a half dozen of his bigger songs and had an idea of his persona and larger than life impact on fringe pop culture. After listening to Hot Rats I realize how mislead I was on who this slightly insane individual really was. I loved this album. It fuses together hard rock, jazz, psychedelia, orchestra music with just a touch of satire. I think the playing on this was absolutely top notch and the pure vision of what this album was supposed to be was pretty artistically advanced. I did some reading on Zappa afterward and realize what I knew, or thought I knew, was just scratching the surface. I will definitely go back and listen to Hot Rats again soon.

Damn, this is a great album! Zappa is such a unique and weird guitar player and a phenomenal composer! Also Captain Beefheart is a perfect addition to this album. I ended up listening to this a few times today and then branched out and gave Safe as Milk a spin for good measure!

At last... Not just something I like, but my all time favourite and most played album. I have this on multiple formats and various mixes. Amazing jazz fusion, which as an 18 year old, opened up my music listening world to alternatives to the mainstream. I still adore this album, and play it regularly, 38 years after first hearing it. Heard before ✅️ countless times Listened this time ❌️ no need Revisit ✅️ again and again Faultless ★★★★★ (10/10)

The original LP mix is far superior to the CD release. I'm not sure if they ever released the original mix digitally, but find it if you can.

Funky, I like it. good music to read to for me

love this album

It's Zappa. Not his best, but still really good.

Not too much elevator noise, can be followed and is really pleasant

It was a groovy album that I enjoyed from start to finish. The guitar work is always fantastic when its a Zappa.

Great fusion! Ignore my review three albums ago. Jazz and the violin - especially electric - work well together here. Additional note: I just looked at the credits and Jean-Luc Ponty plays on this album. (I mentioned before that I don’t like jazz with violins, unless it's Jean-Luc Ponty.) When I wrote the above paragraph, I had no idea that Ponty played on this album! Liked Songs Added: Willie The Pimp Gumbo Variations

For my 18th birthday, my dad bought me "Fight With Tools" by The Flobots(which is one of the greatest albums of all time by the way), and this album. This album blew me away then, and it's blowing me away(again). Frank Zappa had no genre; he was Zappa. Period. It's zany. It's fun. It's mainly instrumental this time around. You're better off not reading this review, and just listening to it without having any expectations. Favorite Track: "Willie The Pimp".

This guy is truly pushing the boundary of music. I struggle to even put a genre label on this. It’s so cool and so innovative and like nothing I’ve ever heard before. I don’t need to hear a ton more albums like this, but I need to hear this album many, many times.

Know of the name, but never listened. I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Rock/jazz/psych rock, what a groove.

Banging!!!!

Amazing. One of the best jazz albums.

Phot

The fact this isnt even his peak says alot, because this is as perfect as jazz-rock ever got

Y'know, so far the Frank Zappa albums on this list haven't exactly been a big hit with my group--and I gotta admit, that bums me out a little. I'm a big fan of his; I love albums like SHEIK YERBOUTI, YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS and ZAPPA IN NEW YORK. Even if a few of his lyrics and general opinions have aged pretty poorly, I still hafta marvel at his musicianship and how tightly he ran his bands. Seriously, go listen to any of the numerous Zappa live albums that've been released; you'll be amazed. But then, even as much as it disappoints me that my group hasn't been too warm on Zappa, I gotta admit, I can't act too surprised. After all, none of his work from the 70's is on this list, or even anything he did in the 80's (as much as other fans would tell you it's not as good). No, all of the Zappa material on this list from the **60's**... And take it from my: I would **not** recommend a lot of this stuff to a beginner. Of the 62 albums Zappa released in his lifetime, I often find myself coming back to his 60's albums the least, and for what some might view as a shallow reason: they're often his least accessible. FREAK OUT! and WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY are by-far some of Zappa's most experimental records, and therefore the hardest to get into for modern ears. Y'know, this "commercial pop" for "NORMIES, MAN"; this is freak out music for all the freaks and weirdos down in Sun Valley. It's the kind of thing you can imagine Big Important Rock Journalists eating up just because it tries so hard to be unappealing to the ear of the average Joe. Though, of course that's not the only reason my group's had issues with Zappa. The other thing is the **lyrics**: the two albums, particularly WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY, have a lot to say about culture at the exact moment in time they were released, and, well... It's often not great stuff? I remember one fellow group member comparing the satire on these albums to the kind of stuff you'd find on SOUTH PARK--namely, a very cynical, "everything sucks," "douche vs turd" kind of look at the world. It's an attitude that I can understand, but in politics these days especially, I just can't abide by it. (Not to go on a tangent, but anyone who didn't vote Democrat because "Oh, they would've been just as bad"... let's just say I'm not happy with you, to put it in short.) In any case, it's not a fun thing to listen to, especially and particularly not over this kind of "LOOKIT HOW WEIRD AND FREAKY MY MUSIC IS" experimental shit. Now, I still found ways to rate these albums positively. Hell, I was the only person in my group, I'm sure, who gave WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY a 5--pessimistic "everything sucks" lyrics aside, I still really like it musically, and its broad concept of parodying SGT. PEPPER'S. I promise you, I did not give them good reviews just because I'm a Zappa fan. Or not entirely, anyway. But, yeah, believe me, I get the problems my group has had with him. I mean, hell, I'm not 100% on the guy either: he dedicated the last page of THE REAL FRANK ZAPPA BOOK to underplaying AIDs and saying that it was just the government distracting people from "real issues." If he didn't die in the 90's, he sure would have before 2020, and believe me, either way, I do **not** wanna find out if he would've been an anti-masker or not... But anyway, here we come to the final Frank Zappa album on this list. It's the last album he released in the 60's, and it's his last chance to make a good impression on my fellow group mates. So... Do I think it stands a chance of winning them over? Oh, yeah, definitely. For sure. As far back as their reviews of FREAK OUT!, I knew, if nothing else, they'd like this one at least. 'Coz y'remember how I said I wouldn't recommend a lot of Zappa's 60's stuff to beginners? Well, basically, this is one of the ones I would. This is Zappa's second solo album (technically his first, since he only composed and conducted LUMPY GRAVY) and his first dive into one the many facets of the Zappaverse: jazz fusion. It's for sure his greatest, too. That's not to put down his later stab at things (WAKA/JAWAKA and THE GRAND WAZOO), but let's be 100: he never did it better than he did here. Being jazz, there's naturally a lot to look very closely at if you're the kind who likes to do that sort of thing. There's the composed-through tracks, where you can listen in amazement at how tightly-composed they are. Seriously, they're like a damn Swiss Watch, the way they're composed. On top of that, all of the piano, organ, flute, clarinet and saxes were played by one guy, Ian Underwood. That's just incredible, isn't it? Not to mention the drums from John Guerin, Paul Humphrey and Ron Sellico. Then you have the looser tracks, where you can admire the improvisations Zappa does on guitar, and all the intricacies therein. Like, seriously, the man didn't put out, like, CDs worth of nothing but guitar solos for nothing; the man can damn **play**. Let's not also forget the guys who play violin: Don "Sugarcane" Harris on the looser tracks, and Jean-Luc Ponty on "It Must Be A Camel". I especially wanna point to Sugar for just how hard he goes on "The Gumbo Variations", but Jean-Luc Ponty is no slouch either. Really, they're both great. But let's be real: most people aren't gonna listen that deeply. And, hey, fair if they don't, 'coz there's a lot to enjoy just scratching the surface. I mean, have you **heard** "Peaches En Regalia"? That's a top three Zappa instrumental right there, with great melodies and a neat "octave bass" trick and everything. "Willie The Pimp" might go on too long for some people, but I think it fuckin' jams--big shout-out to Captain Beefheart's cameo as the only vocals on the album! "Son Of Mr. Green Genes" is a great, extended take on a song from UNCLE MEAT, highlighting its own neat-o melody; "Little Umbrellas" is a smooth little track to sip a cocktail to; "The Gumbo Variations" blasts full-force with its own solos... And I might not have anything particular to say about "It Must Be A Camel", but I hear the chord changes are pretty phenomenal! And if you're gonna listen to this thing, do yourself a favor and do it for headphones; I don't use "Peaches En Regalia" to test new pairs for nothing. If there's anything I feel like HOT RATS might mean to my group mates, it's that there's much more to Zappa than those first two albums have shown off. Behind all the cynical-ass lyrics and wacky-for-the-sake-of-it "freak out" experimentation, he's one hell of a composer. The man didn't get the London Symphony Orchestra to play his shit for nothing (and if you ask him, it almost was thanks to the recording process, but that's another story). I mean, some of it can be very different--just look at his later Synclavier work--but you can't deny, when he wants to make something good, he can make something **good**. Seriously, go listen to "Strictly Genteel" from ORCHESTRAL FAVORITES if you don't believe me. Or, heck, just listen to this album. Either way's a good time. Zappa was a weird guy, musically speaking (he never did drugs, y'know). He never aimed to make anything commercially viable: his only audience, as he put it, was himself. And even as a fan, lemme tell you, that can be **incredibly** apparent sometimes. I mean, did anyone really **want** THING-FISH but him? But most of the time... I'm just glad he thought to put his music out there for others to hear and judge for themselves. Whether you liked his stuff or not, hey, it made an otherwise normal musical landscape just that little bit weirder... And I don't think I can fault him for that. And at this point, all I can say is: "the modern day composer never dies," "music is the best," and, please, participate in democracy and register to vote. (This has been Official Review #567.)

Even if it's mostly instrumentals, this is still classic Zappa. Solid 5 Stars.

Yeah, I’m at a 10. That was 45 minutes of near-perfect instrumental energy. When you are fully in sync with a band, and truly feeling music as it enters your ears, you’ve hit upon the deepest type of connection you can make with the art form. Every time that happens for me, I know an album is an instant classic to my ears, and there’s no exception here. The only thing I can’t believe is that this is from Frank Zappa, of all people. Color me deeply surprised; I would’ve never expected it to be Frank Zappa that ended up making such an eclectic jazz fusion album. I’ve admired the guy’s musicianship for sure; neither “We’re Only In It For The Money” nor “Freak Out!” were bad at a technical level. Even the worst rating I gave him was a 3, and it’s only because the former felt like an album I couldn’t really put a number to. To pull out THIS though? For 1969, this feels far, far ahead of schedule, in a way that I can’t really describe, but I can only vaguely guess at. I wish I could write more, but much like “Hot Buttered Soul”, the music can say far more than I could. If you hit that point of being in sync, you’ll know exactly why. If it doesn’t click by the absolutely electric *violin* solo during “The Gumbo Variations”, then it never will, & it probably was never going to. If it doesn’t, then you probably won’t enjoy this like I did. For my tastes, though? Easy 10.

193/1089 - Weird Jazz Rock. Very fun listen.

This is possibly the best album of Zappa's career. And maybe I should say: I'm a big Zappa fan. This absolutely a must hear. It's one of the first and one of the best jazz fusion albums ever. And what a pity it is, that Zappa never really returned to this style. Yes, obviously jazzrock was an important part of his style, certainly in the George Duke/Ruth Underwood time of his career, but this is hardcore jazz fusion and his only album as such. Ian Underwood is incredible here. But Zappa himself even more so. I think this was the first time in his career that he really showed himself as one of the best and highly original guitar players ever. Later on he would issue three-disc-sets with only guitar solos, but here his guitar work is an integral - and important - part of the music. The long solo in Willie the Pimp and even more so on 'Son of Mr. Green Genes' are fantastic. Very renewing in tone as well. But there might be an even better performance on this album: Don' Sugarcane' Harris' electric violin solo on 'The gumbo variation' is beyond unforgettable. Fantastic album.

Oh, I LIKED this. First time listening to Zappa and it was a fantastic surprise. Jazzy and psychedelic music that never ever got boring. And I was delighted to discover that Belgian art rockers dEUS used the bass line from Zappa's Little Umbrellas on their debut album. I love when I can trace references and influences like that. This one is going into the Repeat Listen pile.

Easy 5 out of 5. Strong start with Peaches en Regalia and it doesn't let up until the very end.

Seminal Jazz fusion.

Absolute banger

Hot stuff. Zappa has done several dozen brilliant albums but this one is particularly top drawer. It rocks. It stomps. It jazzes. It goes bluesy goosey. It proms harder than the proms in its own freaky way. A forward thinking wide-scoped fusion masterpiece with genius monster musicianship throughout. 5 rats out of 5.

Why didn’t someone tell me I love Frank Zappa? Fantastic album start to finish. All the stars.

I love Zappa - this is not his best album (that would be apostrophe, one size fits all or over-nite sensation for me) but still has to be five stars. I can see why this is on the list with peaches on it but would have liked to have seen some more albums on the list.

Enjoyable through and through. Though I can't remember a lot about it hours after listening to it, when I did have it on, I was always hearing something grand. A well-blended mix of jazz and psychedelic composition. (8/10, 5/5 on this scale)

My son called this album a "fever dream." He's not far off. This is a wild album. 5 stars.

One time some people said to me that this music sucks, so I lined them all up & clonked their heads together like coconuts

♫ Listening to "The Gumbo Variations" by Frank Zappa (Hot Rats, 1969) ♫

best Zappa

OH GOD IT'S SOOO GOOD. 9/10. I LOVE THIS. "Peaches en Regalia" sounds like a theme from a TV series you used to watch as a kid. There is something nostalgic yet optimistic about this whole project . First track lands at the top 20 of my favourite songs for sureeee

Not his best to me but still five

Perfecto. Sonido estupendo, canciones largas... un sonido que incita a la psicodelia... líneas de bajo chulas, no quiero nada más.

Love it

Zappa was a genius. Always an enjoyable listen.

Um dos melhores discos que já peguei aqui na lista. Álbum patrício. As composições aqui são brilhantes, surreais. É o tipo de disco que merece ser ouvido muitas e muitas vezes, dedicando total atenção, pois toda vez que você o roda, nota-se algo novo. Todos os músicos aqui em forma magistral. Verdadeiramente fantástico. 5/5

Probably the only jam band (or jam album, I dunno...) that I'll ever really enjoy. This is another one that hit me toward the end of undergrad and it was the right time and the right place for stuff like this. Peaches in Regalia is an all time favorite.

it’s no Tiddies & Beer or Why Does It Hurt When I Pee? but it is a work of art

Fuck. Another masterpiece!!!! 5 *'s

Great album, fantastic guitar work

- J’ai pas encore commencé l’écoute, mais ma première impression est que je vais aimer ça ! Enfin un album qui est dans mes cordes. - Très fort ! J'ai adoré ! Rien à redire ! Enfin de la bonne musique ! - Frank a fait d’autres albums dans le même genre : Waka/Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo et Sleep Dirt (à écouter !) - Plus d’albums comme celui-ci, SVP !

My favorite Zappa record. Perfectly off-kilter, heavy, melodic, and weird. Five of six tracks are instrumental. Although his comical lyrics and non-sequiturs are integral to the Zappa sound, he was first and foremost a composer of unique melodies and wild soundscapes. Zappa's early-career talents are on full display on this record. "Peaches En Regalia" is one of his fullest, catchiest compositions. "Willie the Pimp" is the only track with lyrics (Captain Beefheart) and features some of my favorite guitar playing. "Son Of Mr. Green Genes" is a mash-up of the first two to close out the first side. "Little Umbrellas" is a breather which eases you into the second side of the record. "The Gumbo Variations" is controlled chaos with dueling sax and fiddle (or is it some effect on the guitar? idk) "It Must Be A Camel" brings it all home with wonderfully jazzy motifs from a different planet. It's not a perfect album, but it is immensely enjoyable and I haven't tired of listening to it over the years.

BAZINGA! A solid five stars for this one. One of my favourite albums of all time.

Groovy

I didn’t need to listen to this. I know it well. It’s a fascinating blend of improvisation, composition and production. Peaches en Regalia is an all time classic. It Must be a Camel was my under appreciated gem this time.

A classic!!

Don't know what I expected. This wasn't it.

Unexpectedly vibed with it. I felt like it was the soundtrack to an old crank hoarder as he went about his scruffy life, being cantankerous.

guitar is fire

This is the 121st album I’m rating. I hear this one is much better than We're Only in it for the Money. Adding to my Playlist - Peaches en Regalia, Willie the Pimp, Son of Mr. Green Genes, Little Umbrellas, The Gumbo Variations, and It Must be a Camel. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. All in all I liked 6/6 songs. Much better than the other album. This is great and some of the best jazz I've heard. Probably the 3rd best jazz album I've heard in my life behind.

Much better than 'We're Only in it for the Money' while Hot Rats at times feels like the joke's on you it never feels like one big joke as 'We're Only in it for the Money' did however well played and bursting with creativity that joke on wax was. Hot Rats is well edited and sometimes I think that's the big factor in evaluating if a Zappa album is great or a done in one listen. 'We're Only in it for the Money' felt like Zappa just pressed record & went batshit crazy. This jazzy cosmic rock of an album is largely instrumental (Captain Beefheart does vocals on Willie the Pimp) and benefits greatly from not having Zappa's at times idiotic vocals crapping all over the music. Sometimes less Zappa is more.

Hell yeah.

Delightfully weird and funky jazzy surreal. Obviously lets a number of genres into his soul.

I saw the artist and rolled my eyes. I regret that. This was amazingly good.

My favorite Zappa studio album. Peaches en Regalia is one of the best instrumentals ever set to record.

This was actually pretty good. 🤩

This is easily a top 5 Zappa record and the best of his more jazzy instrumental based work. This and Overnite Sensation are great intros to his stuff.

Hot Rats Used to be one of my favorites. It’s been a long time since I head this album. My dad was a big Zappa fan so I grew up with this one. Peaches en Regalia is a special one to me and has always been one of my favorite tunes. Didn’t know that Shuggy Otis played bass on Peaches. Willie the pimp and Gumbo variations is cool to hear Zappa’s take on the one chord jam. Zappas guitar playing is super unique- cool to hear how it evolved to the sound he had in the 80’s on GUITAR. Cool how the tempo is faster when the riff come back at the end of Willie. Gumbo gets to a strange place when it peaks. I like the how the rhythm section shapes and peaks and keeps things interesting through the long solos that can get pretty far out and textural. Cool jammy loose 60’s feel it’s a bit different from his 70’s and 80’s stuff. Little umbrellas is a cool tune with such a weird vibe, I like the upright and drum sounds. It must be a camel was my favorite this time (aside from peaches) really cool tension and release and works really well at the end of the album- the harmonic rhythm and more complex composed stuff is refreshing after gumbo variations.

Stone cold classic

Holy crap. This is incredible. Here we have my final album on the list to prominently feature Frank Zappa. I've listened to both of the Mothers of Invention albums on the list and liked them both. Freak Out! especially was a highlight. But this solo album of his? Hot Rats? I'm speechless. This album is a genuine masterpiece. Unlike the Mothers albums on the list, which take more of a full-on avant-garde approach to music, Hot Rats shows strong musical sensibilities through its stellar jazz-fusion compositions. The Mothers albums on the list focus more on their lyrical themes, supplementing them with avant-garde compositions that aren't the easiest on the ears. Hot Rats is still a fairly unconventional album, but in a different way that appeals to me even more personally. You see, Hot Rats is mostly instrumental, so there really can't be a focus on satire like the Mothers albums. Instead, Hot Rats shows off compositions that are full of musical talent that is used in crazy ways. The jazz-fusion style is the kind of thing that I just adore. Zappa's guitar solos are stunning in their own right, but they're heightened even more by the additional instrumentation. All 6 songs on the album captivated me entirely. The one song with vocals, "Willie the Pimp" is pretty cool. It features Captain Beefheart on vocals, which is good because I need a primer for the inevitability that is my first time listening to Trout Mask Replica, whenever that ends up being. I don't know what to say. Hot Rats is peak music. It really just speaks for itself. 5/5.

Well, this sure makes me regret not listening to Frank Zappa earlier in life. Amazing record. Rocking, progressive, and jazzy in equal measure. Experimental in sensibility, but listenable and irresistible as hell. I have to hand it to all the old rock bores who go on about Zappa being on his own level... Maybe they had it right this one time. 5*

A total shock to me. I find Zappa a bit incoherent occasionally and this was a jam from start to finish.

Very good! I loved it. Listened to some of his other albums the rest of the day.

Zappa's a cool weirdo

LOVED this album

Oh no, I actually liked this. Zappa feels like a big can of worms to open, but now I may as well. I listened to Live-Evil by Miles Davis yesterday, so I was primed for some jazz-rock fusion. I remember a couple years ago, when I mostly just listened to alternative rock and singer-songwriters, thinking that I wasn't bald enough to "get into" jazz, prog etc. Now my hairline has receded some more, I suppose I'm ready. The day I get a Grateful Dead album and decide to go down that rabbit hole, all my other large discography artists/bands will go out the window.

One of the greatest albums of all time

The first time I ever heard this album was when my dad took me to see Dweezil Zappa on tour, phenomenal album

Need on vinyl

the second Peaches En Regalia hit i was like "UNF. YES." Son of Mr. Green Genes is a phenomenal song.

Every Zappa album feels different from the others. This is basically a 40 minute over the top jam session, and I love it for that. Zappa's playing is excellent here, as well as the rest of the bands really. I love the energy of it and how its Jazz that sounds like Rock. Captain Beefhearts on Willie The Pimp are nice to hear as well. A lot to love about this one and I keep coming back to it often.

I would see this movie

10/10 album cover. I love basically everything that Zappa has influenced (especially Ween, Primus, Steven Wilson, etc) but I've never really given his discog a listen. Holy shit, it's amazing, it manages to be "outsider music"-level weird while still having mass appeal composition. His resolutions are unpredictable and offbeat and deeply satisfying. Yes, people should hear some zappa before they die.

One of my faves! From the anthemic Peaches en Regalia to Willie the Pimp with Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa shows he's a master of composition and orchestration! And a great guitarist to boot!

I remember when Frank wrote this. He was off his rocker at the time. Me and Len weren’t sure what was happening but he was constantly going on about eating rats but they were too hot. He was literally screaming ‘Hot Rats’ at the catering staff for the entire Houmous & Chutney set. It was really off putting! 4.5

This was exactly what I needed today. Incredible music, not a drab moment, but no words. I found it relaxing but also stimulating, perfect after having masters-degree-brain-static for a few days. Listened to this eating huge ripe strawberries and feeling like I'm in sophisticated luxury

inevitably, the Zappa Album For People Who Don't Like Zappa is a tiny bit less enthralling to me as someone who tho far from being an expert has heard his discog up and down and has a lot of reluctant but deep attachment to his art. i didnt realize till this listen how like...Normal the melody palate on here is? obviously u get a few weird spicy parts but on the whole if ur comfortable with Rock Music this shouldnt be a hard listen, even if u dont have much experience with jazz! the improvised parts are not as overtly fusiony as the likes of waka jawaka or the grand wazoo, and the composed parts are not as modern classical-y as many of his other excursions. the "disappointment" of this record is that zappa's artistic personality at least to me feels a lil muted on here, ultimately. but that is ofc also the appeal...and besides which, the personality it does display is the personality of Hot Rats!!!!!!!!!!! very few albums in history have ever had more color, combining garishness and lushness into a low-key psychedelic palate that has all the expansive freedom without any of the hazy vagueness. its rly just incredibly lucid and disciplined the whole way thru, but if was anyone other than frank zappa there would be no possible way to perceive it as (relatively) uptight. honestly this has never been one of my personal top favorites of his records, but its one of those albums i cant ever imagine not sounding good, its just full of what Music Is For. and for ppl who's affection doesn't extend beyond this record, id recommend the more modern classical-style Burnt Weeny Sandwich...different appeal than hot rats, but still lacks zappa's reactionary/juvenile aspects, illustrates his non-rock composition tastes in more adventurous ways, and tho the tracklist is not wall-to-wall individual bangers like hot rats its more about the overall sequence and symmetry, seemingly throwaway pieces coming together into a greater whole that builds and releases tension beautifully :)

So very Jazzy. The opening track is incredibly smooth, but leads in to a Captain Beefheart appearance. Things get wilder from there.

This album is like a musical blitzkrieg. Pretty fucking sick. It has moments of musical genius (Peaches in Regalia and Son of Mr. GG) and also has some completely deranged chaos. Haven’t read other reviews so this may have been said, but if you were to make Rock Jazz I think this is what you’d make? Sounds very pretentious but this album is incredibly rich. Constant weird and interesting turns. I’ve listened to peaches en regalia and son of mr gg many times but it must be a camel was my favorite new discovery. I heard son of Mr. Green Genes described as regal by a friend and I think that’s a perfect description. Also just the right amount of Cpt Beefheart. I hope we get Trout Mask Replica (for the discourse) I’m on a business trip and this album reminded me that life is and can be strange and interesting (unlike meetings in NJ OR

Ive been anticipating some Zappa since the beginning of this! Although this albums requires some attention & a few spins to digest, I think its incredibly worthwhile -- "A movie for your ears" was how Zappa put it and I agree. Im starting to like every song pretty much equally, but if I had to pick a standout it would be The Gumbo Variations. That song grooves so hard Just a reflection on the period that this was in -- this came out in 1969. Initially, that was truly mind blowing to me. Eventually, I started to see this as a part of jazz fusion which was still in its enfancy. Then after more thought, it started to make sense. Bitches Brew had already dropped and weather report wasn't too far after Hot Rats. Im kind of left sitting here wondering why Zappa wasn't more in my ears previously versus the others /shrug

I wish I was cool enough to say this is a record I've listened to a lot already. Like a lot of music I discovered in middle school and high school - I found Zappa through Phish - specifically their Peaches cover (same goes for "Roses are Free" - sorry Ween boys). At the time, I loved that combination of long guitar-driven compositions and improv over jazz changes. Back then, I listened to alot of Zappa's greatest hits, but never beyond that. Looks like that album is called "Strictly Commercial", but the only song from Hot Rats is Peaches, so this was pretty much all new to me this time through. This whole album is weird and incredible, front to back. It's hard to pick a subset of songs that stands out, but that sax solo that builds into the violin solo in Gumbo is excellent. So many "hell yeah" moments on one album. Still love Peaches as a composition, and Green Genes is a nice revisit of that approach, before the album seems to head in a slightly different direction in the second half - feels a little more heavily jazz influenced than the more prog rock front half. Wish it was a Friday album - definitely need some more relistens on this one. Was just listening to Little Feat's live album "Waiting For Columbus" this weekend, and had no idea that band was started by two dudes from the Mothers of Invention. George Lowell "claimed to have played uncredited guitar on Hot Rats." Me too George, me too.

Frank Zappa’s work is generally brilliant, but listening to the pure musicality of this mostly instrumental record is especially wonderful. Not that I don’t also love the Captain Beefheart track!

Absolute genius. Wild

Fantastic

Fuck. Yes. Instrumental jazz-rock perfection. Bold dynamics coupled with supreme musicianship. This gets the head bobbing and the brain cooking with its complex layering. The guitar serves to compliment and not to muddy the music, a delicate balance that is executed expertly. Wonderful!

Jazzed up by the zapppa

Awesome, fun and funky and weird

zappa never fails to entertain me, love his weird little antics.

HOT MEAT HOT RATS HOT ZITZ HOT WRISTS HOT RITZ HOT ROOTS HOT SOOTS When Ian comes in with the sax in “Peaches” I get EMOTIONAL

This was a really satisfying listen. So much of the iconic wackiness you'd expect from Frank Zappa, but also surprisingly accessible and direct. No b.s.ing, no wasted time. Just 43 mins of kickass groovy instrumental rock, with some stellar performances from all the musicians on the album. Probably the most accessible inclusions of wind instruments and violin I've ever heard as well

Great one

Spectacular! I have a new appreciation for Zappa as a musician and composer.

This is a beautiful, essential instrumental record. It’s Zappa at his most musical, a jazz-rock masterpiece with crazy good arrangements and some of the best playing of his career. The sound of this album is insane for its time: super clear, layered, and way ahead of most rock records back then. The opener “Peaches en Regalia” is one of his most iconic moments ever, bright, melodic, full of life and it pulls you right into the world of the album. From there, the whole record becomes this mix of jazz brain and rock attitude: long solos, tight grooves, weird details everywhere, and yet it always feels controlled and purposeful. The only track with vocals, “Willie the Pimp,” still feels like part of the same world, just louder, dirtier, and built around that rough Captain Beefheart vocal while Zappa goes wild on guitar. The rest of the album keeps building that mood, and the closer “It Must Be a Camel” feels like the perfect ending, dreamy, strange, almost like you’re waking up from the trip. It’s one of the best-sounding albums of its era, packed with creative ideas, sharp playing, and solos that never feel boring. A true classic.

Every song is a gem. Incredible playing

From what I knew of Frank Zappa I expected this to be a difficult listen. I was surprised with how much I really enjoyed it! Creative and solid energy all throughout.

Zappa has soooo many albums but this is the one to own. This is Zappa coming into his own

My feelings about my father are complicated. It's hard for me to look past his immense failures as a father. There are so many memories though of the times that he clued me in to who he was as a person. Really early on, before my friends started playing Amish Paradise, I remember my dad having Weird-Al In 3-D on cassette. I don't remember him ever playing it but I remember inheriting it after. I also remembered that he used to joke that he wanted to name me Dweezil or something like it because of Frank Zappa. I've always kept Zappa at a distance because of my father. It was a step too far into his realm. When I listened to this, I went into the basement and smoked half a joint and tried to build a coat rack out of spare lumber and screws only to give up after 15 minutes because it was too hard to do without a bench vice. In that moment, I had a perfect transcendental experience. I saw the beauty in the futility of our lives. I saw the depths of Zappa beyond the wonton crassness. I saw the depths of my father beyond all the pain he caused me into the pain that was caused to him. I saw who I was as a person and came to terms with it. (Also, it just fucking whipped. I'm going to go listen to it again.)

the big frank! probably his least obnoxious album? even the other mostly instrumental ones have some hokey bullshit, this one sticks to the jazz-rock outside of a Beefheart verse. seeing dweezil zappa live was one of the more formative experiences i've had as far as getting into more experimental music & i got VERY into zappa stuff for a while after that. this album has always stood out to me as the most """"sophisticated"""" he ever got while still infusing his sense of comedy into the composition (like the never-ending ending of Gumbo Variations or the stupid blues mellotron thingy on Green Genes). there's glimpses of jams like this on some of his other records but nothing quite matches the spontaneous cohesion of the band on this 5 stars for the multiple violin solos & Beefheart screaming one of my alltime favorite openings to an album too update: listened to this 4 times over the weekend and fully cemented my rating; Willie the Pimp has one of my favorite gtr solos period & Peaches has that legit emotional range brother. also did you know that's not Zappa on the cover

willie the pimp!

Simply one of the best "Fusion" records of all time. Nothing for the genre focused, but an expression of freedom from convention. If they'd just reconsidered the bass drum sound on Peaches...

I've always liked this album but I've never counted it among my favorite Zappa albums. I think now I have to. It's really great and I'm glad I had a chance to give it a close listen. I sometimes love orchestral meandering groove Zappa even more than pointed poppy satirist Zappa. Today is one of those times.

It's very fun. Solid listen Will I listen to again: 100%

Shits groovy as

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

Top, top album.

Pure unadulterated bliss, 5 stars every day

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

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

5 stars without a doubt!

Steaming Rodents

This indeed felt like a movie

Awesome

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

A new favorite

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

Love me some peaches!

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

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

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

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

hot rats make me crazy

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

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

Hot

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

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

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

Favourite tracks: peaches en regalia; Willie the pimp

Uniformly excellent!

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

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

Very nice

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

10/10 Frank Zappa är ett geni!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Absolutely love the experimentation and expression here. Frank Zappa is a weird looking dude, and his voice sounds like the troll under the bridge in my hometown that I had to solve riddles for to get to school, but his skills on this one are clear. The guitar's sound fantastic, and I love the use of a standup bass on a few of the songs. It adds a very unique feeling inside an already unique sound, especially for '69. Favorites are Willie The Pimp and Son of Mr. Green Genes

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

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

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

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

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

Ol fave

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

Absolutely perfect

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

Really enjoyed this one

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lyrics/Vocals: 5/5 Instrumentals: 5/5 Vibes: 5/5 Overall: 5/5

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

Great

The whole experience feels like a movie and I found myself loving every song. Though it dragged a bit by the middle with The Gumbo Variations but still, great record from a great musician.

At the top of the list of musical geniuses of the 20th century sits Frank Zappa. Any other questions?

The genius, Zappa! Previously, in the past, I tried to get in touch with Zappa's work. I heard, if I'm not mistaken, Joe Garage, I don't remember the year (guess it was realeased in 79). Anyway. It wasn't a good experience at the time. I was around 15 or 16 years old and as I gained musical maturity, getting to know new genres and sharpening my ears as a musician, I had in my mind that it was just a matter of time before I heard Zappa once again and then I would have a good experience. I was fucking right! It's truly different from anything I've ever heard, and at the same time it's everything I've ever heard before. I still need to process it properly because musicality like this cannot be processed in mind overnight. So I'll just leave 5 stars and walk away confused for a while...

Amazing tracks all throughout here, not one stinker. Cool!

I’m glad Zappa showed up. I love this album so much. Inspired me to take on Joe’s Garage after. I’ll probably take a deeper dive.

I expected I was going to hate this when I hit play, and I absolutely loved it. Outside of one terrible vocal part, the entire album is fantastic

Loved this so much. I love how much Zappa embraces goofiness in this and ends up fully committing to a sound unlike any other. Such an influential album. Best Track: Peaches En Regalia Worst Track: It Must Be A Camel (only just)

No duds

a marvelous merry-go-round of sound. zappa is unmatched when it comes to odd experimentation in his albums, and this album in particular is a shining example of his genius. combining progressive lines with experimental motifs and charming, almost ringing strangeness, this mostly instrumental album is like no other. it's just so silly. i love it. is zappa okay? who knows!!

I prefer this Frank to the one with the Mothers of Invention (and I really like that Frank)