Reviews (page 2 of 14)
some great fusion jazz. not quite sure why it's so widely considered one of THE greatest albums of all time, though. not a fan of the short vocal section that captain beefheart provided on "willie the pimp", which makes me quite worried for the albums he has on this list.
Genio Se siente demasiado vanguardista a pesar de tener ya casi 60 años desde su elaboración Rock psicodélico del más alto nivel, en su mayoría instrumental y con adiciones poco convencionales pero que le dan mucha personalidad al álbum Me gustó mucho y de verdad que a pesar de ser en su mayoría canciones de larga duración se siente como un ratito bien llevadero Recomendable y reescuchable, va creciendo poco a poco en uno
Really fabulous guitar playing that bored the shit out of me.
I keep forgetting that Frank Zappa is more orchestral than I think. I associate him with Ozzy Osborne and his ilk, but this is not heavy metal in the slightest. Not sure why I made that mental connection. It's quite good.
Really liked this
After my experiences with the other Frank Zappa albums on this list, I was not optimistic. I expected the same sophomoric experiments and weak production as the Mothers of Invention records, but the first track, a jazz rock instrumental "Peaches En Regalia" raised my hopes. After one track, it already feels like the best Frank Zappa record I've ever heard. "Willie the Pimp" relishes in its grimy lyrics, but the groove and the instrumental vamp is totally worth getting past the lyrics. The Max Bennett/Shuggie Otis on bass, and John Guerin/Paul Humphrey on drums, the rhythm section is about as in the pocket as it gets on an album. With Ian Underwood's excellent woodwind punches or Don 'Sugarcane' Harris/Jean Luc Ponty violin solos it all provides a fertile garden for Zappa's tight arrangements and guitar whimsy. After hearing the rest of the album, I think I actually dig this version of Frank Zappa. When I think of the accolades accorded to him from other musicians over the years, this must be the kind of work they were thinking about. As a drummer, I was always impressed his arrangement of The Black Page for Terry Bozzio. HOT RATS brings all the ear worm jazz rock and funk sounds that would dominate the 70s music score landscape about couple of months early. I'll take this any day over a Blur/Oasis/Bob Dylan/Neil Young/Nick Cave album.
Monday, 5 October,2026 Great day, great album! Hot Rats is in my all time list!
Peaches en regalia is good. The rest of the album is a bit of a mess, but far better than the previous Zappa album on this list. It's just too fancy for a regular listen, and I am not about to sit down to really get into it. Although I'm happy for those that do.
so strange
Hot Rats... More like Hot Jams 🔥🔥🔥
For years I have heard the legends of Frank Zappa. This is my first full album listen front to back and it did not disappoint. It did not blow me away either but I am interested in checking out more of his catalog. I think his albums would take many multiple listens to let it really sink in.
Fav: Son of Mr. Green Genes, It Must Be A Camel L: Willie The Pimp (not because of Captain Beefheart singing but because I thought the music wasn't as good) 4 I think this might be great to put on in a certain mood. Had enough variety to keep me from getting tired of the jamming. Cover: 3 That's a really harsh pink to look at Name: 3 Minecraft Parody: I would call the album Hot Bats (because the bats are always flying into lava) and Piglin the Brute (Willie the Pimp)
Yessir W: Peaches En Regalia, the gumbo variations, it must be a camel L: ? 4/5
carina da ascoltare mentre fai altro
REALLY FUN. GET INTO ITTTT
Better than the other Zappa record previously assigned. Still, I'm not much of a fan of noodley psychedelic rock.
I did enjoy it but some songs just didn't move me a lot especially the 2 shorter songs at the end of the album good jazz album though all around. 7/10
everybody here sounds like a great musician and I definitely respect weirdos like Zappa who go their own way. Unfortunately I'm not a huge fan of crazy endless jammin' .......
Ok so I think we’ve acknowledged the fact that as much as I enjoy a nice beat or beautiful instruments i do find myself also placing importance on lyrics. Which is why this album fell flat for me. Great guitar playing but songs went on for too long meaning I’d get bored half way through…my interest would pique in the beginning and then slowly fall away as I realised that this was just it…just not my genre I think
Enjoyed Willie the Pimp a lot - less so the sax assault in The Gumbo Variations. Some very funky moments - but then let down by some interludes that sound like incidental music from 70's TV shows.
Zappa! I feel enlightened and cooler for listening to Frank Zappa. I thought he was more rock than jazz, but that was pretty much a jazz-jam. He gets an extra star for being cool.
This may be my favorite Zappa album. Really good and jammy. Just plain good music.
Good jazz fusion
“Peaches en regalia” is an all-time great instrumental classical-jazz-rock-freakout jam. The rest of the material ranges from pretty good to annoying (as the Zappa spectrum tends to run).
Ok
Not bad
An excellent instrumental album and Zappa gets to shoe off his guitar virtuoso. Definitely one of his best from a huge catalog.
Weird. Up and down on quality but there is something about experimental noise music that vibes with my brain.
There’s some great guitar work on here, can see why people rate him highly but some of these songs are llllooonnngggg
Jazz Fusion is my least favourite music but this didn’t sound like jazz fusion to me. We had this in our household over 40 years ago as my Brother had bought it. I don’t think I’ve heard this again for about 40 years either but I really enjoyed it
The album cover is so dracula playing the organ iykyk
I’m a Zappa head. Sorry bout it. Hot Rats is a desert island record for me.
There are lots of Zappas. Zappa the Satirist. Zappa the Provocateur. Zappa the Avant-Gardist. Zappa the Guitar Hero. “Hot Rats” feels like the genesis of Zappa the Consummate Composer. Not that Lumpy Gravy doesn't predate this, but this is even more of a statement of intent for Zappa. I honestly do not know if I've ever heard Hot Rats as a whole album until today, but I've heard every song on here out of context. My mother is to this day a massive Zappa fan, so I grew up with, well, a sanitized Zappa. I still prefer that vibe 9 times out. So Peaches en Regalia may as well be etched in my ear. Really, the one-two punch of Peaches and then Willie the Pimp would be enough for an alien to have a fair idea of what Zappa is all about. The former is somewhere between joyful and stately; the latter, an extended sleazy vamp of guitars and beefheart rambling. You do also sort of wonder where Zappa got his naming conventions from, because there's something weirdly appropriate about Peaches, but maybe less so about, say, It Must Be a Camel. If there's a weak point here, it's probably Son of Mr Green Genes, but I think that's largely because I prefer the plodding march of the Uncle Meat original to this speedier (but much longer) Green Genes Variations rendition. The rest mines a lot of jazzy veins, but largely with Zappa's already clear musical vision intact. With the snarky lyrics out of the equation, we really start seeing the song craft speak for itself. I will say, as an aside, I have been noticing that there are a lot of songs that I know front to back (like PeR) that I think have been remastered for the worse. There's a fear that the digital era will eventually lead to everything that once existed becoming some weird other thing. Anyway, not a fave Zappa but a classic and an important one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fun, zany and one of Zappa’s best. I’ve never understood the 10/10 praise it gets, but it is really fun. Standouts are peaches en regalia, the gumbo variations and it must be a camel.
Jam sessions with some electricity injected into its veins. A lot of jazzy and rock sounds all mashed together in one big swirl of sound. Some parts feel much more experimental like your almost tipping off the tracks but its core stays consistent to me throughout. I am starting to see why his name has been ringing out as much as I've seen. Very interested to see how his sound evolved in the future.
Excellent rock / jazz fusion album. Peaches En Regalia in particular is phenomenal, but Willie The Pimp is also pretty great. The whole album is just some great jams with very talented musicians. Not the kind of thing I'd listen to every day but very enjoyable every now and then.
Альбом как будто имеет вкус, какое-то печение или торт ...
Ah, something more interesting for a change. I quite like Zappa and his work. Most of "Hot Rats" is instrumental, which I didn't expect. The only vocals on the album are supplied by Captain Beefheart of "Trout Mask Replica" fame. My favourite track is "The Gumbo Variations". 3 stars for "Hot Rats".
Overall: 8/10 This is a crazy album. It's kind of jazzy, but a bit too weird to fit in. It doesn't seem to take itself seriously and Zappa seems to be throwing anything out there that sounds interesting. I had a blast with this and it might be my favourite Zappa that I've heard. Fav Song: The Gumbo Variations
More hippie nonsense. This one wasn't too bad tbf, couple of good bits
Banger. Great sound
N2l
Fully expected to hate this album, psych jazz rock fusion stuff like this is usually so tedious to listen to, but Hot Rats maintained a fun, funky atmosphere throughout.
Zappa is at his best when there’s no singing. Probably worth a relisten to this one. RYM: Y (#114) Saved a song: N
I've listened to some Zappa, but not a lot,and was expecting something weird here. But no, this is not weird, it is just energetic, exciting and full if fun. That 43 minutes went so fast.
Simply way too much instrumental for my taste. 2 stars or D+.
Really interesting instrumental playing. Like the groove underneath all the weird bits.
not my cup of tea.
Struggled a lot with this one. You can hear how influential it is, and see it shifting genres and driving something in the music following it… but I can’t listen to 12 minute songs straight of 16 tracks layered on each other
Started it okay, than I just thought it was terrible
funky
When an album is largely thought of a masterpiece from a legendary artist, even by their standards, you sit up and take notice. This album jump started FZ into the next phase of his artistry. A stunning achievement.
Funky
The first three tracks were quite good (although his vocals threw me off)
An explosion of noise and colour, swinging between jazz-inflected ruminations and florid psychedelic detours
Love me some Zappa
Warm rodents Some tracks are interesting and complex, but falls apart a bit towards the end. I liked the first couple of songs, but then it just became hard to listen to.
I own a Honda Jazz.
Wasn’t sure what to expect here, but was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed most of it. He’s a believer in long songs apparently. Anyway - I ended up listening to it twice and except for the entirely too long sax solo in one of the songs- it was a very good album. Also - you know you are going to get different when you are listening to an artist that named his kids Moon Unit and Dweezil. 😀
Honestly, when I listened to this a few months ago, I thought it was the worst thing I’ve ever listened to. Now, I’ve been through the wringer, and this isn’t even close to the worst; it’s just not for me.
I have conflicting thoughts on this album. On one hand I find Zappa's whole "look at me I'm eccentric" schtick a little tiresome. One the other hand some of the instrumentals early in this album were legitimately awesome. I wish there were more vocals, because even good instrumentals can be hard to listen to for 43 minutes straight. Still this album was in line for a 4 star review before the Saxophone solo on "The Gumbo Variations" reminded me why jazz was a mistake.
Refer back to my previous opinions on never-ending guitar.
I guess I didn't hate it
A lot of annoying noises that I wouldn't exactly call music. Only sometimes though, mostly it's fine.
Very much on the fence with Zappa, veers from "nice tune" to "what the fuck is this shit", often within the same song. Good opening track and Green Genes is also a good one. Gumbo Variations, it's just too long. This gets a bit too guitar and other instruments wanky but given that this album is nearly all instrumental that's preferable to Zappa's singing in all honesty. 5/10
I was never a huge fan of the satire aspect in Zappa's music. I definitely respect it, but I find little to empathize with from a musical perspective. That's why I thoroughly enjoy Hot Rats. It doesn't rely on the listener's ability to understand the intricacies, workings and the absurdity of society, but is just pure musicianship on display. And it's a lot of fun! Peaches en Regalia is one of my favorite compositions (it's my ringtone!). The guitar shredding is such an ear tingling sound, but Ian Underwood caries the song with his whimsical backbone. Willie The Pimp is spectral blues, if such a thing exists, and Son of Mr. Green Genes is transcendental, while Gumbo Variations show Zappa as a profound composer of long-form intricate compositions. It's also fun seeing the cast that were instrumental in creating this masterpiece: Captain Beefheart, Jean Luc Ponty, and a fifteen-year-old Shuggie Otis. As much as Hot Rats is Zappa's masterpiece, it's also a CV-level accomplishment for these guys too.
Great Album
0.9/5 I guess I don't get the hype. The music is obviously amazing but it all just sounds the same after awhile.
I am a bit biased when it comes to Zappa
behemoth
Finally a record that exercises my mental acuity. 5/5.
Preliminary note: I am not looking forward to this. Introductory note: it was okay. The album is exactly what I remembered it being like, and it's just not for me. I can recognize why people love it, I can recognize the artistry that's gone into it, and I really appreciate the somewhat weird instrumental choices across the tracks (like the flutes, lo-fi violin, and the weird rattling noise during Willie the Pimp). But the endless noodling, paired with ironic detachment Zappa's known for, are just not my thing. Any moment that does peak my interests simultaneously remind me of other acts that center the psychedelic and soul components much more, and that I'd much rather be listening to instead. In addition, albums like these really do not pair well with my own inherent hyperactivity and anxiety, so I'd much rather avoid them (another example of this is Yes - Close to the Edge, of which I can easily recognize the brilliance, yet can't stand listening to at all). Despite all this, I understand why people love this so much. This is probably the kind of album that grows on you more and more every time you listen to it, and you should take the time to let it take root before you try to rate it. I just don't have the willpower for that. Therefore, I'd rather leave it unrated. This app won't support unrated scores, so I'll do 4 to keep the global stats the same. Auxilliary note: why is the bass so quiet in the mix, TURN IT UP! Guitarist-composers should work on their ego problems.
what fun ear candy!
Essentially one long long jam, but a cool jam!
Fun but for me too silly
Favorite Song: Son Of Mr. Green Genes Least Favorite: It Must Be A Camel
my son has spent a not inconsequential amount of his life trying to get me to listen to and appreciate frank zappa and honestly it's never taken. it's still not really taking with this, although this is probably the most accessible album for me? i added "peaches en regalia" to my music library. i saw someone else refer to the song as the theme song for a 70s tv show that never happened and: accurate. the rest is mostly jazz, which i can take or leave. 3/5
Groovey...
He had a lot of fun making the album, i had less fun listening to it. Still great riffs
This is like riding a bicycle uphill during a outpour of rain while you're late for an important college lesson. I don't know if that's good or bad.
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 42
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.