Reviews (page 2 of 14)
a voz me irritou um pouco, mas pelo menos tem mais solos (e mt bons)
TL;DR: Transcendent weirdness. Great if you're into whatever the fuck Frank Zappa was doing. Probably hard work if you're not, but that is very much not my problem. BEFORE: I'm a casual Zappa fan and a regular Captain Beefheart fan. I've definitely listened to this before. Should be fun. At least it's not 2 hours long. AFTER: I love this weird shit. Peaches En Regalia is an incredible composition - full of invention in its short runtime. Beefheart's unhinged vocal is a welcome addition to Willie The Pimp before the epic guitar solo. Jean Luc Ponty's violin on The Gumbo Variations is genuinely jaw-dropping. The whole album is just superior, energetic instrumental music that mixes rock, blues, funk and jazz. It's hard to reduce to highlights and lowlights so I didn't bother to try, and this is definitely one of those love-it or hate-it propositions. VERDICT: 5 stars. No notes.
1. 5 2. 4.5 3. 4.5 1. 4 2. 4.5 3. 4
Excellent. As a teenager in the early 80s, I never understood what people "who knew music" liked about Frank Zappa (and of course, none of my friends were into him, so I didn't have the wise counsel of 16-year-old peers to explain it to me). Coming at it without expecting a typical rock song structure now, I definitely see how it blends jazz and rock into something very interesting.
Definitely interesting, starts off listenable, and then gets very experimental with a lot of squeaky horn usage, unfortunately is used in the longest song and takes up to much of the overall album.
2.5
good
This is my first Zappa ever, this is some groovy shit. I know his whole thing is he does everything, but this is some good, unique sounding jazz influenced weirdness. He does something almost no one can seem to figure out which is make a 6 minute guitar solo feel like someone singing instead of like someone showing off how fast they can play a scale. And then when he does sing it’s so weird and so charming. This record rules I’ll be throwing it on a lot.
My second Zappa album in the past week, and I like this one a fair bit more than his debut with the Mothers. There's a soundtrack-like quality to this album, which I imagine is partly due to it being a mostly instrumental album. Reading some of the information behind it just now, it seems that was intentional. It's really interesting jazz music, Frank Zappa brings his trademark psychedelic sarcasm to the instrumental tracks in a really unique way. Also, the album art features infrared photography, which is another little bonus in my book. I really enjoyed this one and it is one I could imagine myself buying and listening to frequently. Favorite track: "The Gumbo Variations"
Je m’attendais à un truc hyper bizarre après Freak Out! donc un peu étonné voire déçu, j’en attendais un peu plus. Néanmoins c’est du bon son qui groove surtout les 2 derniers merci pour ça
First real notnintovthe vocals. Willie the Pimp jams. A few other moments too. Mixed bag overall.
A couple of the tracks were OK, but overall not a big fan of the whole jam band thing.
Tuneless noise
favs: willie the pimp little umbrellas rating 1.6/5
Generally speaking, I like mildly Frank's music and mildly don't like his jokes. This album is largely instrumental, so mild advantage: Zappa.
Veldig bra faktisk.
Blending jazz with psych rock works for me, there wasn't a song on this album that I didn't enjoy
This album made me realize I just don’t like his voice and his skill as a lyricist. Whenever there is no words, I can get behind him, at least here I can.
Jazzigt, funky och kul album. Visste inte att det var nästan helt och hållet instrumentalt, men blev positivt överraskad.
A lot of interesting sounds on this one
Gotta respect Zappa...but only in small increments.
Peaches in Regalia : 4 Willie the Pimp : 3 Son of Mr. Green Genes : 4 Little Umbrellas : 2 The Gumbo Variations : 3 Maybe Zappa isn’t my cup of tea. There’s portions of songs I really love, others that I dislike. 3/5. Will probably won’t listen again.
This was a fresh listen, and I can see why it is considered one of the greats, especially in the jazz-rock fusion space. The production is extremely well put together, and Zappa's guitar playing has so much flair and technical style, and has certainly opened my eyes to jazz-rock fusion and blues rock. Favorite Song: Son of Mr. Green Genes Score: 86/100
This albums a bit mad but it’s also brilliant. An incredible jazz fusion album
Best Track - "Willie The Pimp"
Dances on the edge of chaos, a jazz-prog spectacle that demands your attention. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Peaches en Regalia - Willie the Pimp - Son of Mr. Green Genes
i dont think i understand
"hot rats" is an apt name for this blazing psychedelic jam record. impressive & enjoyable, but im not likely to revisit it. 3.5
Groovy jazz fusion with a sprinkle of blues rock. Not much to say about it.
He’s doin too much in most of these. Parts sound good but the song as a whole is a lot
I thought this was incredible but I also completely get why you guys....did not
my 2nd favorite zappa studio album.
Experimental noise rock that makes sense. Really unique and diverse soundscape that prompts some inventive and creative thinking. Zappa set himself apart from everyone else, and even still to this day. I never was big into Zappa, but I appreciate what he does. This record is solid.
Surprisingly listenable!
eeeeeee
I don't know Zappa's music. This had alright instrumentals but idk if it's as exciting as it probably was when it came out. Back half got super meander-y 3*
Gets it a little too far into the weeds experimental wise towards the end but it was worth the ride
Not a fan. 1/5
Weird and goofy to start. Then it kinda jams. Although don’t like his voice. Then there’s weird experimental jazz. Then horns and hard rock. And some killer guitar. And then mellow jazz rock fusion. And then noisy experimental something. What is going on? Keeps you off balance if nothing else. I think there’s a lot to appreciate and like here. There’s also some experimentation that doesn’t really work as well and just sounds odd. I’m about 50-50 on this record really like/really don’t like. I think if I spent enough time with it, I’d get more out of it. And if I was tripping balls. Giving this a 3. Some is a 2, some a 4.
2.5 - Some pretty drawn out songs but not bad overall
meh.....some songs were way too long.
sige ako na maglagay ng lyrics
Too too too jazzy
I had a friend in high school who was a fan of Frank Zappa. He made me listen once and it probably was too weird for my smooth teen brain, because I spent the rest of my adolescence mocking that friend for liking Zappa. Boy, was I a stupid asshole. This is honestly pretty good. I love purely instrumental music. But I also like my music a bit more melodic. The artistry is in full display here, but the deconstruction can be borderline cacophonic, especially in the last two songs.
So from what I remember there were 7 questions and I got about 20 minutes of prep time. Question 1 was why am I a good fit went into punctuality and that question 2 was about what skill is best and I said analytical. Question 3 was about inclusivity in workplace question 4 was about time management question 5 was about independent and group work question 6 was about a task I’d never done before and how it worked and question 7 was can’t remember good album
This is my third Frank Zappa, I think? Why the hell is this included? I feel like I understand him less with this in the mix. Thanks a lot, you stupid, stupid editor.
RATING: 10/10 HIGHLIGHT: Son of Mr Green Genes LOWLIGHT: The Gumbo Variations
No fav song
Rats were indeed hot. Interesting stinky jazz type vibe
Mais um álbum instrumental genérico... Saco isso. É bom, mas o que tem de mais? Por que pegou um lugar dos outros álbuns dos Beatles?
18. avgust 2026. 13.38h mislim da mi je ovo prvi put u zivotu da sam svjesno upalila njegovu muziku and guess what i liked it! best: peaches en regalia, son of mr. green genes
Yes! Finally! Some super elite ball knowledge.
Some nice guitar-work and some nice jazz-rock pieces on. But sometimes a bit weird. Weak three stars. 2,5
Is it a three or a four? It's certainly not higher or lower. If we compare this largely instrumental album to the 808 State largely instrumental album I received yesterday, it's a light and day difference. This one has so much more variance, depth, technical ability versus yesterday's looping and repetition. On that alone it deserves more than a single star difference. Alice Cooper is basically the daddy of modern rock. But Frank Zappa was Cooper's daddy. This is on the more zany scale of Cooper's style of music, without being completely obtuse or outlandish. It's accessibly weird. But do I need to listen to it again? I grooved to a few of the tracks and those will end up in my 100s albums playlist, but I'm doubtful over listening to the conplete album again. It does begin to exhaust before the end.
Probably one of the best instrumental albums I’ve ever listened to
Listened
It’s very repetitive and long. It’s at least a little interesting
There were some fun tunes in here, but it the jamming gets pretty stale after a while.
En mä nyt oikein lämmennyt ⭐️⭐️
muy cool. banco.
I've always associated Frank Zappa, the owner of a massive mustache, with extremely experimental, challenging music, though I can't recall a single song by him offhand. Overall, I can say that expectations were met. While this solo album doesn't feature much psychedelic trash circus, it does offer some very interesting experiments with jazz, blues, and classical music. The album is almost entirely instrumental, with only the second song featuring Captain Beefheart's slight wail; however, the wails are more than offset by Zappa's seven-minute guitar solo that follows. The album also features saxophone solos, a diverse rhythm section, and an overall festive atmosphere. A diverse, upbeat record; despite their length and complexity, the songs don't feel drawn out. Perhaps the best entry point into Frank's discography!
not bad, kinda zoned out listening
I didn't realise that Frank Zappa had no lyrics - enjoyed it
I’m sure to the trained ear this is extremely innovative impressive work from very talented musicians, but it just doesn’t do it for me
3.0. Love the Gumbo Variations
Ok, I definitely get how a lot of the music I love came from this now. I like it.
Awesome jam album with incredible variety of instruments. Funky, great drumming, fun to listen to.
Saxo-rat. For some reason, I always thought Frank Zappa was a big rock guy. I suppose that is true in this album, to an extent. Not quite my jive, but probably incredibly distinct and original for the time, and definitely one of the introductory projects for modern rock of the late 60s and 70s. Ah yes, there's the rat, hiding inside of what Must be A Camel. Jesus wtf.
Yep. That sounds like music.
What. Oh Zappa.
I put off listening to this one because, of everything I know about Frank Zappa, his music never really seemed like it would be for me. I was correct. I was lulled into a false sense of security by how fun the first track is (the entirely instrumental Peaches En Regalia) and I thought to myself ... maybe this won't be so bad after all? Then the singing started. The haunting, gravelled vocals of my nightmares. Which, mercifully do not last the whole album but I which I found actively unpleasant. I'll give it a 3.5 because the album as a whole is definitely not *bad*, it's just very much not for me.
I can't properly rate this album as I hit a deer while listening to it and totaled my car.
Instrumentals are not for me nor should they be for anyone. A lost 1/2 star right off the bat. Save it for movies. And another And another There’s a mood for this, I get it but it’s not the mood I’ve felt ever. There must be better from him but I’m afraid I probably won’t seek that out. Pass As in I pass in this And I guess it’ll get a pass because it’s not horribly sounding it just horribly chosen songs to represent it.
Frank Zappa, the sexiest weirdo in the history of music.
I like the jazz influence, but I don’t think it would ever make my regular rotation.
Man, I've tried with Zappa. This is my first attempt with Hot Rats though. It wasn't the worst, but I really didn't like it. It is just so much. It's a racket of cacophony. It doesn't ever really land into something coherent to me. I guess it is just not my style.
This was kinda groovy. Normally I steer away from the more avant garde stuff, but this has plenty of rock at the core. The bass playin is sublime, the rhythm wah parts are among the best I have heard. It is like the soundtrack for an acid drenched 70s scifi show. It's too iteresting for passive listening and too mad for sustained active listening. I'll be back.
Ooh this is fun. I was transported back to a different time..
Lots to absorb with this blending of rock and jazz delivered by musicians at the top of their game. It meanders at times, as did I.
Different and not unpleasant. Start better than the finish.
I knew the day would come when I'd have to face my Zappa reckoning. And I'm wondering why I left it so long because it was pretty bloody good. The jazz-tinged-vibe is great. Even the extended soloing went down well, Zappa's unbelievable improvisational talents keeping everything interesting. Back to back listens earns it a full 4*
I feel bad giving so many things 3 stars at the moment. But honestly that’s just where I am with them. Maybe listening to an album a day is starting to get to me. Again I enjoyed this one while I was listening to it. But I can’t see myself coming back to it.
Never heard this before. Utterly insane and I enjoyed it.
5.2
Ein langes Lied — gut als Hintergrund-Ding, wozu man aber auch grooven kann. Glaube ich wäre gut für Kinder, irgendwie? Für musikalische Bildung?
I’ve heard and read a lot of good things about it, so came in with high expectations as I’ve never actually heard anything from Frank Zappa. I was slightly disappointed but still thought it was an interesting, worthwhile album to listen to. I’m not much into the jam band style longer pieces but thought the ones leaning more into the Jazz side of things were decent.
Strikingly groovy momentum the whole way through. The bass is always doing something interesting. My favorite track "The Gumbo Variations" feature solos that reach extremes in tone and pitch range.
So good. Changes genres just about every song but continues to kill it on every song in the guitar department.
Frank, those are the hottest rats I’ve ever seen or heard. This fucks. Incredible torn between a 4 and a 5 here, but will be generous on the basis that I thoroughly enjoyed it and would give it a 4.5 if I could.
Mostly instrumental. Not bad. Some songs I’d listen to again, they’re good, but I’m not sure what the context for listening would be. Giving it a 3.
Immediately, I love it. 2 minutes in and its a BOP! Little umbrellas made me a lil sleepy.... its taking a chiller tone which is totally fine but also its like 10 am on a workday and I havent slept well this week so not helping. haha I keep finding myself wiggling and groovin' :) Overall, hot rats was great... a nice instrumental jam sesh.
Groovy but the improv goes on for way too long. 2/5
This is quite forward-thinking for 1969! Opening track is a multi-genre instrumental medley. Bit of rock, jazz, movie soundtrack(?), bit proggy/jammy. Track 2 even moves on to something funky! And the production is surprisingly good too. Nicely layered and panned Hmm, the style stays pretty much the same from track to track, and it does get boring.. Best track - Peaches En Regalia, Willie the Pimp 3 stars, almost a 4, but it couldnt sustain the interest
Good instrumentals
I’ll have to revisit this one maybe with different headphones because there were a lot of noises/frequencies that were just kind of hurting my ears. But I loved the idea of what I was hearing.
(8.6) Willie The Pimp is one of my favorite Zappa songs
Really liked this one. Unusual for something of its era.
I'm putting this with my other funky albums.
Amazed at how much I didn't hate this, given the experience of listening to a Mothers of Invention album previously.
Hot Rats? More like hot streak. Very much my jam.
Sounds great! Jazz fusion is always a yes.
Okay, cool, dude
Liked the first two tracks. Most of the others were okay. The penultimate track was too jarring
Too jazzy for me, sorry, Frank.
I'm hot for rats.
I liked the first song, the rest all blended together into some kind of neverending trip.
He is not something that has worn well with me as he had greater appeal during that era
I get why this is viewed as an approachable Zappa album. There are zero unfunny doowop parodies. It's well played I guess but all a bit bloodless to my ears. There's way better fusion stuff out there. I recently settled on rounding up 2.5s to 3s. I shouldn't punish this because of the other Zappa stuff I can't stomach at all.
Grooooovin! Instrumental jammers
Kinda crazy, rounding up. Love first 2 tracks and the camel one
I had heard Peaches en Regalia a hundred times but hadn't realized it was from 1969. What an absolute unit of a collection of songs. I love Zappa, but my only critique (and not worthy of anything less than a 5) is that Willie the Pimp reads as pretty gross and racist. But that bass riff just can't be fucked with. Hell yeah.
I used to listen to Zappa when i was younger. I thought he was cool, the older i get the more I find his persona, with his superiority complex and mean spiritedness obnoxious, but i can't deny that a lot of his music still holds up. That being said this album is not for me. There are some very nice compositions but the second it goes into improvisation i am loosing all my interest and i start thinking of something else. When it comes to improvisation, Zappa always seemed like a one trick pony to me. Masturbatory jumping around the scale is not for me. I don't mind that he's not melodic and i like how he uses rhythm, but these solos go nowhere.. for ever.... will not listen again.
did not listen, tried the first one or two songs and then DNF
Peaches en Regalia - 5/5 Willie the Pimp - 5/5 Son of Mr. Green Genes - 4.5/5 Little Umbrellas - 4/5 The Gumbo Variations - 5/5 It Must Be a Camel - 4/5 I had known that Frank Zappa was a weird dude when I found out what he named his kids, but at least his music was funky enough to back him up on that decision. I love how most of this was essentially just one big jam session with some excellent solos to boot. Some people have described this as a prog rock album, but it seems to be more of a jazz rock album with some of those elements in here. That's not a detriment to me, it was still a great time to listen through. Overall: 5/5 Favorites: Peaches en Regalia, Willie the Pimp, The Gumbo Variations
Slightly too scatty to be a 5
Exceptional songwriter. Cover photo gives the same vibes as the music.
It is almost imposible to listen. Even though I respect Zappa's music influence, this one is close to a total disaster
Didn't know what to expect, pleasantly surprised. Couple of tracks drag a bit but never tempted to skip.
I feel like I could smell Zappa through the speakers. I really liked some. Really really hated other bits.
Keepers: Willie the Pimp, Son of Mr. Green Genes The Gumbo Variations would be but is too long. 2.5 keepers out of 6 (42%) 0 bangers (0%) 3 stars
muito foda mesmo.
[4/5] jazzy rocky fusion. groovy and interesting but meandering in some places. nice blend of lots of styles. idk why the rats are hot. 3.5. track notes: 1. colombian energy initially. smooth 2. funky jam in the middle is v nice 3. very nice saxophones and build ups. wacky races 4. ringtone for the local temple crossed with studio ghibli 5. intense screaming saxophone 6. mandatory lock in to understand what’s going on
This is the very definition of "has no right to be as good as it is". Wacky, but listenable. Zappa at his finest.
I was worried but this rocks really hard
If a zig zag line was music. Went on a bit long
I loved this, so fun. Good vibes. Honestly like the heavily instrumental angle, wasnt a big fan of the one vocal track. 4/5
pretty good tbf sounds distinctly american can't describe it any other way
1) The Gumbo Variations 2) Willie The Pimp 3) Son Of Mr. Green Genes Least Favourite: Little Umbrellas
Super kooky, but super engaging. Zappa’s best, in my opinion. Mostly because this effort is absent of any smartass lyrics.
I am sure this is a 5 star album for someone, but that person is not me. If you love instrumentals and drugs, this is probably for you.
I don't think Zappa and I are operating on the same wavelength, but it sure is something
You know I’ve got a zappetite for this dude. Peaches En Regalia and It Must Be a Camel are particular faves, but tough to rank them when there are only six songs
Don’t know that I really got this one.
now this is an album that makes you think "huh?" "what?" "how??" Zappa was ahead of his time. hot meat hot rats hot cats hot damn
It's the good stuff
I liked this a lot more than I was expecting
Bluesy, jazzy, funkadelic…I quite enjoyed this one overall. Other than the one vocal track which I really didn’t like. 3.5/5
I can see what he’s intending on, but half of it is just weird. Other parts are fun jam-sessions but not worth coming back to again
1. Peaches En Regalia - it’s giving pokemon town music in the best way 2. Willie The Pimp - really good, i’m impressed! dragged on way too long though, so replay value goes down significantly. still a great tune 3. Son Of Mr. Green Genes - really really good 4. Little Umbrellas - not as good as the previous tracks 5. The Gumbo Variations - 12 MINUTES? oh boy. 6. It Must Be A Camel - a really solid track, enjoyed it Conclusion: The album’s worst enemy is it’s length. Otherwise, it was a great listen and I will definitely return to most of these tracks
I first heard Hot Rats when I was sixteen years old and it remapped the neural pathways in my brain.
I thought I’d first heard this here but I guess I learned about it somewhere else. Anyway I love this album as it has the Zappa things I like and little of the things that I don’t care for.
Música instrumental, legal pra trilha sonora de algo mas pra ouvir no dia a dia não
I liked everything but his singing, loses one point. This could be a 5 star album
Okay! Absolutely no experience with Frank Zappa. Don't know what to expect. This is exciting. So it’s mostly just vibes. I dug it.
Never heard this before
An (almost) instrumental album with great guitar playing was a great way to start the day today. I really enjoyed it throughout and its definitely something I see myself coming back to.
dense, complex, jammy. it's the type of stuff that i didn't knew to expect from Zappa, being my first album from him. beside that, i think is a hit or miss. it's a really specific type of music and maybe it doesn't work with everyone. particularly, i'm accustomed to the meandering and noisy qualities of jam, but can be a turn off if you think about it.
I don't usually listen to instrumental rock, but I'm glad I got to listen to this. Yes, the songs are never ending, but they are also never boring. 7/10
Pääosin instrumentaalia 2. kappaletta lukuunottamatta. Genre vaihtelee Jazz fusionin, blues rockin ja instrumental rockin välillä, ja saattaa olla sekoitusta kaikista näistä. Tapahtumarikasta musiikkia vaihtuvilla teemoilla. Vaikka musa onkin instrumentaalia, niin se silti vie kuuntelijan matkalle. Biisit on pitkiä, ±10min.
Funand funky!
All rock should be played by jazz players
Quite enjoyed the instrumentals in the last few tracks
its now hell time for my 601th album. i might have to be that stupid with a flare gun again. but wait a minute, what do you mean that this is actually good? 4/5
A bit too much going on, not enough vocals.
Not riveting but interesting enough to have on in the background and into my earholes.
I'm delighted that this album resonates with people. I am not one of those people, and I hope this never crosses my ears again. Rating: 1
Somewhat surprised this is rated highly as it has a lot of the hallmarks of one of the bottom ten. Always chaotic, occasionally melodic - I particularly enjoyed the bass playing; he seemed to be enjoying himself.
I think I liked it, but this passed me by without as much active listening as perhaps it deserved. Sounded like eavesdropping on a bit of a jam session at times and, whilst there were some more off the wall musical melodies at times, nothing as extreme as some of the work he ended up doing as his career progressed.
6 songs I knew Zappa was a geat guitarist, but whenever I tried to listen to some of his work, it was very tedious. This album is very much the same, although it has enough pleasant sections to warrant it 3 stars. It ranges from groovy and fun to boring and dragging several times just within one song. Pretty good as background music, but I found actively listening to some of the longer songs to be tiring.
I liked the instrumentals, but not as just instrumentals. I wish there were vocals or something to supplement it. I’m tired at work, so bad time to listen, but needed more. I don’t mind instrumentals, not my favorite, but this lacked for me.
I'm not sure which genre to put this. Jazz? Not really. Did I enjoy it? Not really!
Zappa was always known as alternative. This album confirms that.
Eh
Weird again
This album is a treat for the ears me thinks. Not sure why he thinks rats are hot....
"A movie for your ears". We shall see. So, sometimes I wish I had avoided the wiki pages. I could listen to these instrumental tracks again, though they are very very long. Zappa was a serial cheater, but apparently not a pedo, so there is that.
My first time listening to Frank Zappa. Wow! Fantastic musicianship. Will listen again.
Not quite jazz, and not quite rock, Hot Rats displays the best of both genres. It's unpredictable and loosely structured like jazz. But it's also full of guitar riffs and solos, with a heavy use of drums and keyboards that keep the songs moving forward despite mostly lacking verses or choruses. It adds up to an album that is definitely not a traditional rock album but which is still quite easy for non-jazz fans to enjoy. Given that most of the solos are from guitars, the improvisation comes across as jamming. And despite the lack of form, there are some great - and catchy - melodies here. While I wouldn't mind a few really killer riffs or memorable moments, it's still a ton of fun.
Bastante excéntrico, improvisado, psicodélico y raro. Por momentos bastante difícil de seguirle el ritmo
Surprisingly, closer to jazz than just about anything I could think to compare it to. Funky, psychedelic jazz. I do love jazz, and I kind of liked this, but it’s also definitely its own thing, and I can’t say it completely won me over. I wasn’t feeling great, and it was a little hard to listen to. Still, I probably liked it more than I didn’t, and it’s certainly original.
Didn't mind this.. lots of jazz. 3/5.
Having never listened to Zappa but being quite aware of his reputation... that's about what I expected. 4/10
Weird. That would usually sum uo Zappa - but nt in this case. "weird" because Frank displays some amazing finger bleeding guitar work on this album, which is a joy to listen too... even though it is dated
No pudo grabar así en 1969. Simplemente no tiene sentido. No sé cómo hizo. Un genio absoluto. Álbum para escuchar y quedar totalmente ido. 9/10
What a start!! Guitar riffs for days. Smooth and engaging. Loving it! Only six songs but each pack a punch cuz the album sits at 43 minutes. Zappa is a legend and music influencer and game changer! Damn! "It Must Be A Camel" where have you been all my life?! The composition and fun. Mmmmmmm. 5/5
What did I listen to
This is a pretty cool album. Bit of a vibe, really. Enjoyed some of the guitar solos and you can tell Frank Zappa was seriously talented. It just didn't quite grab me though. I liked it while it was on, but I probably wouldn't rush back to it. That's mainly because instrumental albums aren't usually my thing. Feels like the sort of album you'd stick on during a hot summer afternoon with a few beers. Just sounds like a load of really talented musicians having a great jam together. One thing I do love about this project is that I'd probably never have listened to this album otherwise, so I'm glad I gave it a go, even if it wasn't one that'll end up in my regular rotation.
Eh, really wasn't feeling this album today.
✸ First time ever listening, and Zappa is really good at playing guitar (complimentary, obvious, etc.) ✸ This isn't my usual style or genre of music, but I'm having NO problem listening to songs that are 8+ minutes long. My attention is grabbed. ✸ Horn sounding like an angry goose on The Gumbo Variations. ✸ Overall, really interesting, really complicated, and only sometimes discordant or annoying (subjective opinion, etc.)
Didn't expect to enjoy this but had an absolutely great time
This album wasn't really what I thought it would be, but it was nice leaving it in the background. It makes for a good soundtrack set of songs and it's overall not too bad.
Moments of cool and original, with at least 3 songs I would listen to anytime of the day. Overall though, probably not putting this on unless I want to hear one of the 3 songs that are worthy.
Very cool, love the 70s jazz style, it doesn't move me in the same way that classic jazz does but I do like the off beat aggressive nature of this. 3/5
I like and respect Zappa for the genius and eccentric creative artist he was. I like some of his work (Joe’s Garage) . Am not familiair with all of enormous catalogue. I know the cover of Hot Rats but never listened it. This is some kind of freestyle jazz which is probably great but is not really for me. I give it 3 stars for the guitar solo’s
A: Nån ha rökt gräs o sen gått in i en studio o vibea o lekt rockstjärna. Vet int i vilken kvantitet ja sku lyssna på det här. Komppar B2s kommentar om att det är producerat långt innan sin tid. 3/5 D: En visionär. Visionerna var visserligen från andra dimensioner, men bättre så. Absolut ikon. David Bowie wished he was him. Med tanke på hur gammal musiken är ökar min respekt ytterligare, han måste ha blivit skuffad in i en massa skåp som ung. Förstår kristallklart varför han ville ge en intervju till just Leena. Mot slutet föll den lite av men total legend. Visste inte dom tillverkade sådana här karaktärer före 1980. 5/5
I think that the record belongs on the list. Some parts are cool, but it doesn’t really hit me at the same time.
It must be a camel and Peaches En Regalia are good!
Honestly what a pleasant suprise. This was not what I thought it’d be. Tries lots and achieves lots with its experimentation. The jazz elements were my favourite and I even enjoyed some of the jarring jazz elements that I have found challenging before (think I’m becoming more open to it as an art form) I don’t think I’ll listen again but I thought as a whole it was great.
Found this a bit confused, just too many ideas for me really. Maybe it's just not the album for a heatwave
Sounded like overdosing on magic mushrooms
Solid jammy, jazzy listen
Not sure if this is a must listen, but I certainly had a fun time. And it was my first Zappa, I believe!
My favorite things I’ve heard from Zappa. I may understand his musical genius now. It’s an amazing album that straddles rock, blues, psychedelia, jazz and more. The musicianship is astonishing.
This is a fairly significant record for Zappa in the late 1960's. At the most immediate level, because of the fact that Peaches En Regalia had such an impact, but also because it's a good example of the increased compositional sophistication seen during this period, With the exception of the blues oriented composition, "Willie The Pimp", featuring Captain Beefheart, this record is exclusively made up of instrumentals, They largely remain within the genre of rock, but there is a definite jazz influence, both in terms of the instruments and the composition. There are moments where this does in fact sound a bit more like a jazz record, but Zappa's approach to the guitar tends to limit that. There isn't much else to say other than I like the record and its already in my collection.
4.2
Wow! This is so cool. Crazy jazz rock fusion stuff.
I’ve heard some Zappa that I like but this was not that
ziemlich rockig mit Fusion Elementen. Am richtigen Tag vielleicht ganz nett.
Perfect for wine night.
I love it, but some parts are rough
He got all the instruments out of the library, and wanted to get his money's worth. Very bizarre, including the weird little comedy character at the start of track 2. Credit where it is due, the first 30 seconds of 2 or 3 of them would be good theme tunes for snooker highlights on the BBC, but then just goes on way too long.
lovely noises Frank This genuinely gave me a headache
The opening 10 seconds of the opening track is just perfection. The rest that follows isn’t bad either
1969. Zappa dedicated the album to his newborn son. Recorded with a new technology: 16-track analog recording.
Liked the first song for the most part. I think each song has a lot of cool sounds and groovy parts but it always gets interrupted by some annoying grating sound part way through, might be worse on headphones, but I don’t want to bother trying to listen to this again on speakers. Overall the album gets really fatiguing over time, there’s not much downtime between songs so it feels like noise. I wanted to give it a 3 but after writing my thoughts it feels more like a 2 lol
It took risks. But I didn’t find it enjoyable to listen to
lukewarm rats 😐
Zappa again? So soon? Just randomness, I guess. This one more enjoyable. I didn't know there was so much talent there.
By far my fave Zappa. Willie the Pimp fucking rocks.
not a big zappa girl tbh
My kind of sound
Es uno de esos álbumes que no envejecen con el tiempo, porque nunca intentó sonar como su época, sino como el futuro, hasta hoy.
No thanks, not in my Q zone
Freaky musical genius who definitely is an acquired taste. The talent is undeniable and the music enjoyable.
All instrumental - no denying FZ is a good guitar player, but missing his lyrical wit here. 3/5
Didn't have high hopes going in, but this is great. The instrumentaln tracks all maintain an energy that's sometimes lacking in this type of thing. Little Umbrellas was a bit weak and some of the later tracks are less exciting, but overall a really great album
This is just Zappa showing off for 45 minutes. One for the guitar folk, but wouldn't say it's his most enjoyable album.
This albums a bit mad but it’s also brilliant
Mucha instrumental, pero mola
Notable Textzeile: Hot meat, hot rats, hot cats Hot ritz, hot roots, hot zits (Hot wrists) Hot suits, hot cysts Die Textzeile ist vor allem notable weil das ja fast ein ganzes Album Instrumentals sind. Und dieses Lied auch 7 von 9 Minuten. Konsequent inkonsequent so to say. Insgesamt in seiner jazzigen-Improvisiertheit nicht über die Maßen nervig aber auch nichts was mich richtig flasht. Vermutlich hat ihn das Radium in seiner Nase schon ordentlich verstrahlt - Geld verdienen und Erfolgreich sein will man mit sowas jedenfalls nicht. Muss ja auch nicht der Anspruch sein. Gibt sicher irgendwo Leute die das für den großartigsten Shit halten. Ich bin neutral.
Ich stelle mir bei Zappa immer vor, das er so Kinder Comic-mäßig wie ein sekundärer Schurke lacht (Hihihi!) wenn jemand seine Musik tatsächlich hört. Oder, in diesem Fall. Jim Henson Ratten. Hihihi, motherfockers
Elaborate Elevator Music
Liked this more than I thought I would. It has a wild ferocity in the playing.
3.5 Fun album. Much better than I had expected.
Did not expect I’d like a Zappa album this much.
First Zappa album I ever made it the whole way through.
Oh boy. Here we go... Odd. Organised noise. I'm too sober for this weirdness.
Really enjoyed this and i'm not sure why as there are so many red flags and things i normally don't like!
Probably good, just not my thing
Really enjoyable, felt effortlessly technical, great stuff
The one and only genre bending jester, maestro of mercurial mischief, Mr. Franklin Zappa! With this 1969 bluesy-jazz masterpiece he presents the world a gift, dedicated to his newly born son; Dweezil —HOT RATS!
I do not like Frank Zappa music. Or so I thought. When this album popped up there was a strong feeling of dread. Then, there was little to almost zero Frank Zappa singing and it wasn't that bad! So... maybe it's Frank Zappa singing that sucks.
It's good. Peppy, different. I liked it. It was a surprise. 3.75
la verdad muy buena musica, alguna no tanto. un 3. digno, me gusta, disfruto de esta musica, pero no me cambio la vida.
So, this is an instrumental album which largely feels like a jam band. Not normally my favourite. There is one vocal song so the verbal jokes are less obvious on this one. However, there is still a whole lot of musical references. Most of the cuts feel safe. Maybe that is in retrospect but nothing feels too out of place here. Part of me always goes back to the fact that Zappa signed Alice Cooper for their first two albums. The danger and anticipation is missing from this record. The production comes through. I'm hoping that there is at least one more Zappa album on this list.
B+
So weird. So jazzy. So jammy. So great. Rest in power Zappa
vibe
Very cool but not really my vibe. The songs are sooooooo long
1) Jazzy intro. *** 2) Funky beats. Nice bass tone that carries the rhythm section. Zappa's guitar wiggles through the spaces in time. ***** 3) Nice shifts of pace. Strong organ and piano segments. ***** 4) Interlude - tidy **** 5) Equal parts incoherent and sublime. The drums are fantastic and keep the frantic pace. I'm not a big sax man but can appreciate the licks. I'm a big sucker for an organ however, and those little short sharp tones that cut in from 8 minutes are a thing of beauty. Zappa is going off on one here... The drop at 10 minutes into drum and bass only is lovely. ***** 6)Not sure I needed this after the previous track. Still - nothing wrong with this one either. *** This one is probably going to be 4.5/5. It's everything I like and my first foray into Zappa. Only 133 albums to go!
Good music, felt more conventional, which is to say I got a bit bored lol
Funkadelic!
This was absolutely nothing like what I was expecting to hear from Zappa; always thought his stuff was way out there bizarre but this had a very pleasant psych blues sound, musically. Lyrically, I admittedly did not catch much.
Is that hot rats as in "these rats have been in the sun too long" or as in "damn idk bout you but Mickey and Minnie be lookin awfully fine these days"
I have a hard time getting into a lot of the Zappa canon somewhat due to not usually caring for his boomer brand of satirical lyrics. Albums like this and "The Grand Wazoo", where the focus is basically entirely on instrumental improv rock, are his best material for my own tastes. 9/10.
8/10 This was a nice, mostly instrumental, jazz fusion album. I especially enjoyed the first half.
very cool, amazing for studying
This album was really nice to get lost in after an exhausting day at work. There's always something interesting going on, but the sounds aren't overwhelming. It just feels freeing listening to the album. It pulls many different influences together into a strange cocktail that could easily become utter nonsense, but Frank somehow pulls it off. Heart and centre are the guitar solos for me. Overall there is such strong musicianship at play here that impresses me a lot. Could maybe use one or two songs with more structure, but the jam-esque quality i'm usually not that fond of works for me on here. (And how much fun is It Must Ce A Camel?)
One of the reasons why I jumped into this project headfirst is the exposure to unknown or untried artists. Frank Zappa, who I never listened to before, is one of them. I get the feeling there's a general consensus in mainstream pop culture that he was a cool guy. Anyway, I didn't like this record.
I don't know if I have much to say about this, because it's mostly just a group of really cool instrumentals along with one song where Captain Beefheart shows up to say some things, but Hot Rats is a solid jazzy rock thing if that's what you want. Groovy 60s/70s movie soundtrack, basically. Cool shit if you're game. Also, all rats are hot.
This was a ride. I had no idea that this was what Frank Zappa was like. Great listen.
Not my taste of music . I respect frank zappas music . Zappa was a controversial figure. Zappa had diverse musical influences that led him to create music that was sometimes difficult to categorize. Favourite track: peaches en regalia and litte umbrellas
Love this record! Some of the little pinky riffs and solo phrases are deeply embedded in my brain. Such awesome free phrasing. And yet - it feels very nicely planned and arranged and quite formally composed in a lot of places. I always feel like it zips by so quick and am surprised to remember that it's a standard album length
Oooo, I really liked that. some of the Saxophone got to be too much. But towards the end of the album, I made the stank face where the musicians were just going off.
Willie the pimp is a force to be reckoned with 😂 and I couldn’t explain why. He is so odd… yet still accessible. 4.1.
This was great. Didn’t care for the vocals on the second track but they were short-lived. Psychedelic jazz rock! Not everything hit perfectly, but there was party to like. 8/10 Most Excellent
This was ok! Not my favorite but I liked the music and enjoyed it more than I expected i would.
Fun listen. Tracks 2 and 3 are my favorites.
If you are ever in danger of taking this whole 1001 Albums list too seriously, or believing it to be an actual arbiter of quality and essentialness when it comes to the history of popular music, consider that the list contains no less than three (3) albums by retro regressive, nostalgia riding, classic rock cosplaying dorks The Kings of Leon and just one (1) solitary entry from the long, wild, weird and bogglingly amazing discography of Frank Zappa. Zappa was many things - virtuosic, iconoclastic, scatalogical, pig heading, insanely prolific, prolificaly insane - but you can never say he wasn't forward focused. He would've hated KOL. Zappa deserves far more representation on this list. This album slaps hard. Listen to it and remember to distrust all authority, including this list.
I usually cringe and hide from frank zappa because , honestly I don’t get it. I appreciate him but for the most part it sounds like noise. This album was OUTSTANDING! Pure excellence! I loved it!
I have to be in the right mood for Zappa and today I was not.
I'm not really sure there are words to describe this. Loved it though
Fun jam session. But not something I'd really return to. A whole extra star for "The Gumbo Variations" though. Absolute banger.
Starts off really good, but gets tedious towards the end. Not my favorite of his works, but I will return to it.
We know is album is fire. If you don't like Zappa, you can cut through some of the corniness of some of his other work and just listen to the sick talent that is Zappa and his crew.
Yes! I'd forgotten how joyfully loopy Frank Zappa albums are. I went through a definite phase in my 20's, but it has been a very long while. I had a blast revisiting this gem.
I’ve never been further than dabbling with Zappa. This was the best experience I’ve had so far, and I will return to this album.
More words have probably been written by people who hated Zappa than those who loved him. I'm not going to improve on any of those. I get that it's not for everyone, but I think it's worthy. Probably amongst his most consistent work too, even if it's lacking in the lyrical humour department.
Tiresome jam band stuff, the never ending guitar solo
Yes Frank Zappa, somehow not really an artist I listen to, but when I listen to an record I'm always intrigued by the music. Also this lovely jazz-rock album.
Not my style,un poco densa,me estresó que no empezara a cantar.
Prog jazz? Interesting. Not memorable.
Okej do kawki
9/10
I'll admit to having been extremely gunshy about Zappa following my unpleasant experience with the proudly repellent *We're Only in It for the Money*. So I was very happy to hear Zappa getting out of his own way here by (a) abandoning lyric-writing for the most part, and (b) ceding much of the floor to Ian Underwood's keys, horns, and woodwinds. My primary complaint is really that this isn't quite jazzy *enough*; these players are clearly capable of changing keys and times within a song and should be doing a little more of that, lest the whole thing get same-y. But there are plenty of strong moments (I personally prefer the front half of "Son of Mr. Green Genes," plus Don Harris's sublime violin work on "The Gumbo Variations") and there's nothing here that doesn't work. On the whole this is fun and enjoyable jazz fusion; turns out "shut up 'n play yer guitar" is good advice.
This was a great listen. Loved this album.
No es mi onda 💜 es como medio experimental¿? Nose not for me
Enjoyable
This was a surprising listen for me. I was really turned off by The Mothers Of Invention stuff, so hearing this was a welcome sound, even if it is jazzy. I'm gonna give it another listen but so far: Biggest Hit - Willie The Pimp Biggest Miss - Little Umbrellas Hidden Gem - Son Of Mr. Green Genes
Enjoyed it a lot. Really nice melodies
Peaches en Regalia is great. The rest, meh.
it was pretty fun album. probably will listen to it again
The saxophone sounds like when a fly gets stuck between your blinds and windows
Esto estuvo MUCHISIMO más entretenido de lo que pensaba, es background music para mi, pero una muy muy buena
This shit made me feel like a cartoon character 4 stars
The only Zappa album I've ever heard is Joe's Garage, which I kind of enjoyed. This is mostly jazz-rock instrumentals with the exception of Willie The Pimp. Some really great guitar work. I need to check out more Zappa.
The rats are indeed hot. However, instead of preening, perhaps they could do something about this guitarist who has been soloing for going on nine minutes now.
I had a boyfriend a million years ago who LOVED Frank Zappa. And I must say - he was right
Hot trash
It always seems like I should like Zappa more than I do, what can I say? I'm.just not that interested
MASTERFUL AND CAPTIVATING.
629/1001 2026.06.04
This was fun! Way less weird than I thought it would be. Great musicianship and arrangements.
I can see why this is on the list. Not sure it is for me.
I probably liked it more than most but it got exhausting after 42 minutes
I finally get why so many people say Frank Zappa is overrated. This album did nothing for me. While listening I felt mostly indifferent with a slightly silly atmosphere hanging over everything, but that’s about it. There’s no real emotion, no depth, nothing that actually sticks with you. The instrumentals feel like a bunch of notes synced together trying hard to sound like music, but they never quite reach anywhere meaningful. It’s all speed and technical showing off with no melody or soul. Sure, it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever heard, but it’s also far from impressive. The whole record just feels like Zappa showing how clever he is rather than making something actually enjoyable or memorable. This album only confirmed what I suspected — he’s way too overhyped as an artist. Once was enough.
this did not interest me
Having never heard this or really Zappa, I was expecting something much more divisive! Coming off the back of a weekend where I went to see Maruja, a band that combine elements of jazz into rock, this makes perfect sense to me and makes it perhaps fairly unsurprising that I think this is brilliant! A great, captivating energy throughout, underpinned by a groovy bluesy rhythm and those piercing moments of jazzy guitar, keys and brass. I basically had to stop work for about 40 minutes to just listen to and appreciate it.... why did nobody tell me about this?! The 3 extended jams are the best 3 tracks on here and its hard to pick a fave between them.... but it's all good!
Ok I’ll stop backing the blue. 4.
Very cool album. Haven’t listened to much Zappa, but this one was really interesting.