Hot Rats

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Fun, funky and jazzy. Will be listening again. Hot Rats!!

this one took me by surprise! funky, fun, silly, and jazzy ! will be buying on vinyl to play at dinner parties 🕺🏼

A classic mix of Zappa's experimental musings and unique styles

This Zappa fellow has incredible aura.

J'ai bien aimé ça, moi qui n'est pas fan d'albums entièrement instrumental, celui-ci est passé comme dans du beurre. Je pense que c'est l'influence très prononcée de jazz qui rendait ça si intéressant. Je comprends son statut et je ne serais pas contre le réécouter. 7.5/10

Iedereen kent Frank Zappa z’n snor, maar z’n muziek is zo underrated. Geweldig gewoon. Niet zo goed als Apostrophe, maar toch wel een mooi verdiende 2de plaats! 4.4

Kinda weird but I'm into that.

I liked this so much more than I thought I would.

No one Zappa's harder than Zappa, and this albums Zappa's the hardest while still being manageable

cool instrumental parts

Zappa, weer zo'n artiest waar ik veel meer over heb gehoord dan van gehoord. Het schijnt chaotisch te zijn. Maar ik ga het nu ervaren, nu het door de 1001 naar mij toe wordt gebracht. Leuk. Dit album eerst afgespeeld tijdens het schilderen. Op beperkt volume, want de buren zaten ook buiten. Prima klus-plaatje op die manier. De jazzy stukken maken de plaat. Maar het rockende Willie the Pimp laat weer een andere kant zien. Het is inderdaad wel erg druk. Daarna luister ik het in de auto en wat harder. Dan vallen de aparte geluiden met wat meer op. Een ratel hier, een telefoon (?) daar. En (misschien omdat het de tweede keer is dat ik het luister), erger ik me soms aan wat buiten de band springende instrumenten, vooral aan het einde. Het is dus inderdaad wel wat chaotisch, maar ook weer niet te gek. Je moet hier vooral het juiste moment voor vinden. Ondanks het ontsporende gevoel aan het einde, lijkt dit toch alle aandacht gekregen te hebben en zou ik het een kwaliteitsplaat durven noemen.

A movie for your ears. Can sometimes sound a bit farty but otherwise it's a great listen. Some brilliant musicianship on display

bueno

Not as freaky as you would expect from Zappa but still a solid jazzy album.

A hot rat album for a hot day. Not peak Zappa, but a fun listen.

Great BG tune Good for getting stuff done

It's albums like this that suffer the most from this "1 a day" format. I enjoy what I hear on this project, but it's weird enough that it's gonna take time to grow on me. I haven't heard much Zappa beforehand, but that which I have is easily surmounted by everything on this record. I do look forward to liking it more. Also, second Fantano 10 I've run into on the list. First was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and while I can definitely pick my favorite from a hundred miles out, this is still a solid time

Not what I was expecting, quite pleasantly surprised.

good jazzy record, probably wont come back to it

I think it's great addition to the list. It feels like the whole thing is improvised. Instrumental albums are great and these guys knew what were they doing.

Zappa is not really my thing but I think he succeeds at what he’s trying to do on this record. This collection of weirdo Prog-jazz jams is much easier for me to stomach than his juvenile lyric doo wop songs.

I don't think I ever listened to a frank zappa album before... and it surprised me.... I liked it a lot... would definitely listen again.

Street Life has a really unique sounding opening that I enjoyed. But overall, I'm not a huge fan of jazz. I don't think I'm into it enough to appreciate what this album is and haven't really developed the ear for it. So listening to this album was a bit tiring at times. I did get some nostalgia from it though. It reminded me of late night drives we took when I was a kid and the music the live artist that used to play in Downtown Disney. I don't think I'll be coming back to this album anytime soon, but I'm glad I listened.

This is a great album. It really frames up for me what makes Zappa great. He’s weird and out there, but this album shows he is first and foremost a musician.

I really only knew the name Zappa, and that was primarily because of the weird names of his kids and not really anything music related. I wish I had bothered to look into his music because it is so unique. Instrumentals like this are great songs for a drive, for work, for cleaning up around the house. They have a momentum that really encourages my productivity. While it does have some jazzy elements, it doesn't really go too wild. Some Jazz can end up going in a very scattered or circular direction. Lots of excitement, but not really making progress towards a goal. These tracks seem to keep on moving ahead. The heavy sax track kinda takes some detours and the mix has the sax way too loud IMO, that is probably a skip going forward, but otherwise I really enjoyed this. Favorite track "Son of Mr. Green Genes" 4/5

Really inventive and well-executed. Definitely weird, but a legible and interesting mix of genres. Really enjoy the jazzy stuff and the guitar work. Best song: Willie the Pimp

I did not know Zappa did Jazz!

idk what's wrong with y'all, i love guitar music that sounds like i put my earbuds in my mouth and am making weeoeowoeweoeowwwowow sounds with my mouth. 3.5

This album is amazing! What a sound for 1969. Zappa was truly ahead of his time. “Willie the Pimp” is a hit that keeps on hitting, and it doesn’t stop there. This album had me moving and grooving the whole time.

Le music man himself. While I've technically heard Zappa's seminal 1969 jazz-fusion album 'Hot Rats' before, I'm not sure if I was paying attention back then. I say "I'm not sure" because even with this listen, this album feels almost like an instantaneous blur. The first track 'Peaches En Regalia' is constantly changing - but ultimately it orbits a single leitmotif. Still, there's something undeniably adventurous about the varied set of synthesizers here - reminds me of the first level of a video game. Aside from that, you're getting some incredibly psychedelic tracks that are so fun to lay back and get lost in. I love how melodic and uplifting the song 'Son of Mr. Green Genes' is. The bass all over this record rules as well. While maybe not as ambitious as I thought it would be, I almost feel like I enjoyed it more this way. It's an album that flaunts its talents, but also its colors and ability to write sticky melodic leads separated by tight and erratic playing. It's also just wild as all hell.

I’m the son of Mr. Green Genes

Waffled between 3 and 4 with this. But went with a 4, just because this is the type of thing I was hoping to encounter with this list. A famous name whose music I'd never listened to before, but was a pleasant surprise. Was expecting something like Captain Beefheart, but this felt more like a proto-Morphine.

I generally can't stand Zappa, but I could imagine having a moment in my early 50s where I make being a "Hot Rats" guy my entire personality

Really cool, liked this a lot.

Fire!!!

I’m surprised it took this long for Frank Zappa to pop up. Phenomenal album by a highly influential artist.

Interesting album

3.5☆/5 07.08.2024

Frank Zappa seems to be sort of controversial, with a lot of people lauding him as a genius and others simply calling his music noise. It's not mainstream by any means. I feel like most musicians would love this album, the average everyday music fan probably not as much. From interviews and things I've seen about Zappa, he seems like he would have been a really interesting guy to sit down and talk to. For this album specifically - amazing guitar playing. And the tones he gets are unbelievable. Just fantastic throughout and really made me want to listen to this as loud as my ears would allow. Also Max Bennett on bass has to be mentioned - although the basslines are not super complex they are really interesting and played to perfection. Great bass tone too. Particularly on Willie the Pimp. That song has a groove that can't be beat. Production on this album is great as well, nothing overshadows anything else, sound quality is good, levels are balanced. Zappa said this album was "a movie for your ears" and that's certainly an apt description. It sort of devolves into a little more avant garde in the second half that I think most people wouldn't really care for but I like it. The horns on the second half of the album are great, but again not to everyone's taste. This is a hard one for me to rate because while I love it, I'm not sure I would give it 5/5. This is another case where we need ratings out of 10. This would be a solid 9/10 for me but I don't think I could rate it a 5/5. Maybe more like 85/100.

Very nice album with howling solo’s. 4/5

Frank Zappa. This is what you get when you make jazz music out of rock. Extremely noodly, but also extremely well made. He can make the guitar sing when he wants just as well as Eric Clapton. This thing goes nowhere the whole time, similar to the early dead. This album is rock and roll fantasia. Total stoner background music. I love it. I debated whether or not it had a ton of value outside of a smoke session or campfire. This is the prelude to psychedelic rock, its all a complicated thing but anyways this is the sixties hippy music in a nutshell. Zappa is so talented and ny friend Parker says he could like it Zappa would just take it seriously. I think thats the magic, it isnt serious, its shredding an instrument for the fun of it. This isnt procedural, its not epic, its not pop, its a fun jam, and that's pretty cool.

A vibe for sure. Great guitar work. Love the instrumentals.

Hoop moeilijk doen, maar af en toe wel echt lekker

3.5 Love the horns

A strange album. Jazzy rock? It’s hard to define but at least it was interesting to listen to the whole time. You never knew what was going to happen next. Long guitar solo? Saxophone? Some instruments I’ve never heard of? Check.

I enjoyed this mostly instrumental album. 4/5

Groovier than I'll ever be that's for sure.

Way more jazz oriented than I anticipated. I really like this one a lot and way more than I thought it would.

Thought this was a really solid album. Wouldn't say I loved it but was enjoyable. Zappa's pretty talented. 7/10.

funky to the max

Favorite Zappa album so far

One of the best by Zappa. Great recording

A true genius

muy interesante, me latió

Crazy mfer Zappa, wild album

hot rats

Someone give these rats a popsicle!

I am ashamed to admit that I have never been able to get into Frank Zappa. I also have never listened to a Frank Zappa album front to back. I was surprised by Hot Rats. I do like jazz and that's what Hot Rats is more than anything. But it's weird jazz because I know how weird Frank Zappa was. But it isn't bad jazz. I'm not sure if it's a right of passage or something that all dads must like Frank Zappa as soon as they become dads. Or maybe Frank Zappa tapped into the insanity that is being a father. I don't know what hot rats are but I liked them.

irgendwie grossartig chaotisch und hörenswert, wenn auch (fast) ohne gesang.

No sabía que zappa hacía jazzy prog???

Day149 - weird is good and this is weird

Hot Rats in your local area.

Some fun, funky jazz. Fun progressions throughout, and the instrumentals seem to be in dialogue with each other, whether harmonious or bickering; "a movie for your ears" indeed. (Peaches En Regalia practically sounds like a precursor to many videogame tracks.) Have listened to this a couple of times now and it's grown on me quite a bit. Every song seems to have its intrigue (whereas initially the first two tracks seemed to stand out), though The Gumbo Variations sort of peters out towards the end (it'd probably be better as 9 minutes, rather than 12), and It Must Be A Camel is weak as a stand-alone (but functions fine as a more laidback Coda).

I keep getting reminded of this album. Had it in the 70s. It's brilliant. I must buy it.

An hour of crazy jazz rock... Perfect for when you need such a thing.

Enfant terrible, jazzy, rocky, genious

Very enjoyable background music. Favourites: peaches en regalia, Willie the pimp instrumental parts, son of Mr green genes. Always appreciate it when a man keeps his mouth shut and has banger instrumentals. 4/5

Banger instrumentals, not a lot of mid singing, and was easy to listen to while working. Yay! Second album of the day and liked this one a lot more than the previous. Favourite tracks were Peaches En Regalia and Son Of Mr. Green Genes, 4

There’s a fine line between genius and madman - Zappa strides it confidently. Probably his most accessible album but even then it tests your patience at times when it descends into the band having a drawn out jam session.

Lot of edge and grit on this album that exists on nearly entirely instrumentals. What could be "too noodly" or "too jammy" works thanks to the left-field approach to the playing. Very psychedelic, hard hitting, and like all great Zappa often is, overall fun in a dark way.

3.5

Not my fav Zappa album, but peaches en regalia is an all time jam for my money. 3.8.

Summary: Very cool. Jazzy, multi-instrumental, varied, and musically super engaging. A lot of the tracks sounded similar to one another at a distance (i.e. when not close-listening) but it's seriously good overall, especially for 1969. Peaches En Regalia: Fresh, exciting, and almost classical with its structure, showcasing a theme and several brief variations. The variations showcase a wide variety of instruments. A near-perfect track. Willie The Pimp: Strange raspy vocal. I checked later, and it seems this was sung by Captain Beefheart. I'm not surprised. Approaches being unmelodic, but the vocal-sounding guitar and very melodic/dynamic basslines make up for it. The extended instrumental gets away with being largely one chord because of how texturally crazy it is. The music really picks up around the 6-minute part, with some great playing on drums, guitar, bass, and some keyboardy instrument that's very quiet in the mix. Son Of Mr. Green Genes is essentially an extended version of the opening track. It's weaker overall, but the keyboards (I think those are keyboards) and percussion are a highlight. I listened to side 2 without my laptop nearby, so I couldn't write direct notes, but they would've been similar to my discussion of Son Of Mr. Green Genes. Wacky prog rock with jazz elements (also known as "jazz") dominates side 2. It Must Be A Camel was my favourite on this side. It had a lot of personality and energy, and the track name is fantastic. 4/5 Key tracks: Peaches En Regalia, Willie The Pimp, It Must Be A Camel

8/10 Really pleasant surprise, my first Zappa Bluesy rock backbone with lots of jazz, plus world, folk, sea shanty influences Maybe the best jazz and blues in this project so far? Really good, tight band. Incredibly accomplished playing Best: Peaches En Regalia

Absolutely love the first half of the album, and I honestly used to love "The Gumbo Variations" as well. These days, the second half is pretty rough to listen to, but not completely unpleasant. Still a big fan of the album.

The rats were so hot on this one. Sweet jams and jazz fusion. Pretty fun and interesting listen.

This was a super fun listen. It's for sure out there. I really like the psychedelic nature of the songs and how layered they are. It flows really well, despite being so out there. In a lot of jam / psych rock, I'm not able to really pick up on jazz influences very easily. However, this record feels very jazzy in how the songs are structured. Especially the back half of the album, but throughout as well. Its not necessarily an "easy" listen, as it's a bit out there but its really good and really well produced. You can definitely hear the influence that this had on future artists.

The experimental jazz parts are a bit too heavy for my tastes, but I definitely see the appeal here.

This was fun

More Zappa - love it.

I'm conflicted. I hated his voice when he sang but I really enjoyed everything else about the album. I think that gives it 4 stars???

Great stuff. Love a journey

Peaches en regalia automatic 5, hadn't really tried everything else prior to this. Got hung up on the harshness of Willie. However, upon further proper listens Willie is a great break amidst what I didn't realize was an instrumental album. And what a bonus it's sung by Captain Beefheart. All else is quite enjoyable, landing closer to another recent 1001 listen 'A Love Supreme'. Perhaps a little too avant jazz by the end, especially 'The Gumbo Variations', but all in all the album is a great listen, enjoyable on headphones in the backround listened all the way through.

- peaches en rangalia got me feelin' silly - oh these tracks are 4+ minutes but idm - silly instrumental album for the first half, excited for the second - 12 minute song with gumbo in the title instant banger - the gumbo variations got me feelin' something - 4/5, funky ash album

Yeah this album rocks. Only 6 songs but 3 of them are 9+ minutes which I think is a good choice. Great jamming and excellent drum & guitar work. A pleasant surprise. 7.5/10 (3.75/5)

This is an absolutly ridiculous album! The opening track is one of my favourites, and the remainder where no less positively surprising. Zappas guitar solos gets a bit masturbatory at times, but his eclectic composition and arranging more than makes up for it. A lot of his guitar playing is also quite tasty, which is more than can be said about many players.

Most of the stuff I don't really like by Zappa is the vocals and lyrics. I mean, yeah it's funny and different and clever for a while, but then it gets a little irritating. Luckily this album didn't have many vocals.

Фигасе, это Фрэнк Заппа, который ещё не начал шизить. Или уже не шизит, непонятно. Неиронично, даже зашло. По сведению есть вопросики, а так прикольный фьюжн, такой, заводной. Понимаю, почему его любили в Монтрё.

Very funky

You know what? Some of this is pretty nice. I like "Little Umbrellas," which seems to echo Chopin's funeral march.

Was a banger.

Zappa is an education. This album is great. Not my favorite Zappa, but still a satisfying listen.

I was expecting a lot less accessible. Sure, there were some weird parts, but overall that was a jam!

Sonic soundtracks be like: Favourite track: Peaches En Regalia.

now this…is epic

i like the instrumentation and the jazz feel a lot. not a life changing album but can definitely appreciate its impact and influence. best songs: peaches en regalia, son of mr green genes

High experimentation Vocals on one of the tracks almost made this two stars

Great composer and guitarist!!!

I had never listened to frank zappa before. The sound is much different than what I was expecting but I freaking love it.

One of the first albums that got me into fusion jazz in high school

Great instrumental from Frank. Only listened to his other album away from this project. Pretty fun tunes and good vibes.

some quality riffs, lots of randomness. Listened to it on a run and didn’t know where it started or ended but it was pretty sick.

Pre Listening Notes: i have heard this name before but i am not familiar with his music at all. Hot Rats is an excellent name for an album tho lol Peaches En Regalia - there are so many influences going on here! honestly reminds me of a lot of video game music, but also clearly draws inspiration from many different cultures. i hear jazz, some latin, and bits of eastern music licks Willie The Pimp: I was a little distracted listening to this but it was easy listening and i liked the vocals at the beginning. very wobbly and technically interesting! i like the fiddle. lots of diffeeent instruments being used on this album so far Son Of Mr. Green Genes - i love a jazz clarinet i can’t lie. i have never heard anything quite like this though, the instrument choice and swing mixed with what sounds like a bigger band sound (meaning like, my hs band) does still give it an almost video game soundtrack vibe but the guitar and drum set mix it up! Little Umbrellas - starts off very jazzy with the bass and sax (love sax). i don’t really have much to say about this one. i would gladly listen to it while out to dinner somewhere, it’s very pleasant The Gumbo Variations - woooooo!! i like this one the most so far, strong start! as i mentioned before i like sax, so the sax solos/freestyles are welcome! even if experimental Must Be A Camel - a good one to end on, sims up the vibe of the album well. offbeat, experimental. at once expected and unexpected. Not bad! It’s kinda neat to get two famous jazz musicians in a row, each with very different styles. I get the allure of Frank Zappa, it seems like musically/instrument-wise he was doing a lot of stuff i haven’t heard before. experimenting with sound. very technical. i don’t know that i would ever revisit this album personally, but i’m not mad that i had to listen to it. 4/5

Weird and entertaining. Ahead of it time.

An interesting album - I've wanted to listen to this album, and get more exposure to Frank Zappa's catalogue for awhile. Enjoyable and I'll revisit, there were some moments though that strained my enjoyment (mostly parts of "Gumbo Variations".

The guitar on this album was on another level! The jazz influences made for a great listening experience. 3.5

In the distant past I have attempted several times to get into Frank Zappa's music but for some reason failed every time. Maybe I gave up too soon as this is pretty interresting and well worth listening to. Time to explore Frank Zappa a bit more.

Il est de ces artistes qu'on garde longtemps dans un coin de son esprit en se disant qu'il faudra y jeter une oreille parce qu'on les dit importants. Franck Zappa est de ceux qui ne déçoivent pas ! Le jazz fusion joué ici séduit immédiatement l'amatrice de rock progressif que je suis. Quelle richesse d'écoute, ça foisonne de subtilités ! Définitivement un album que je réécouterai, au milieu d'une monumentale discographie qui ne demande qu'à explorée désormais... Y'a plus qu'à !

Funky!

Great musicianship and unique music.

More like, Frank Slappa amirite? I have a soft spot for instrumentals albums but this one was also crazy unique with great writing

Get ready for a sonic journey into Frankland! Love the Gumbo Variations and It Must Be a Camel. Get lost in the sax and find your way out on the endless guitar riff.

Honestly, this was good. I've always liked (most) Zappa in a "he's doing something different, and I support that" way, but this had some good blues riffs apart from the novelty.

This was awesome. I’ve tried to get into Frank Zappa in the past and it hasn’t really worked out. This is the album I needed to hear. Can’t quite give it a 5, but it’s a very, very solid 4.

Not really my vibe; but not baddd

Great album. Interesting and unique instrumentals with lots to say. Would be a 4.5/5 if I could do half stars.

Wow, all the skills demonstrated here are unbelievable but especially the electric guitar!!

Zappa very underrated guitar genius listen to the album apostrophe and you'll see what I mean been a Zappa fan since his early 60's beef heart band stuff

I frankly loved this album. It was short and sweet and yet the songs seemed to go on a lengthy journey. I never looked too much into Frank Zappa before and I found this to be a good introduction. It seemed to me to be toward the jazz side of a psychedelic rock jam band style. The guitar was elegantly woven and the addition of brass brought it to fine art status in my mind. His voice, however sparse, was a sardonic rasp somewhere between Tom Waits and Jim Morrison and was a novel addition although I admit I was happy that the music spoke for itself rather than featuring long and drawn out vocals. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is that there were moments I wished the vibe would change or the music would go somewhere different but as is the spirit of adventure. I also couldn't pinpoint the differences between tracks enough to be memorable. The music is also not as timeless or recommendable as some of the other albums I have given 5s to. Was very pleasantly surprised by this one.

this was crazy literally who is still doing it like this. lovely compositions absolutely nuts…time flies when you’re having fun

Impressive. Pretty much all instrumental. Mostly jazzy with some rock sound, ~alternative~

This was a banger, classic dad music but i liked it

I thought for certain that cover depicted Zappa himself 😂

Love this album.

There is only one Frank Zappa. For ill or naught.

felt 60s movie-esque.

Good "listen while you work" album

Solid album. Fun sounds, a bit much sometimes tho

1. 2.8 2. 4 3. 3.9 4. 3.8 5. 4.4 6. 4.1

Very good. Almost all instrumental and quite well played. Different without being too weird. I do like too weird, and am to undertand that I should continue listening to Zappa to get weirder.

3.5/5

jazz, soul. pretty good chill music in the background

6/10 would listen again. Funky and fun

Ok

Funky

Ok this is hit or miss beautiful. Peaches en Regalia, Little Umbrellas, and aspects of Son of Mr. Green Genes and It Must Be A Camel entrance the mind into pink-sand Japanese beaches, waters glistening in the rosy sunset intertwined with Swiss Alps summers careening thru the foliage with folly folk along with adventurous accolades of accomplishing the highest of climbs in the Appalachians. The man plays and incorporates the fiddle like no other. In the greater scheme of the soundscape, various instruments create this tapestry of art in a distinct and pleasing manner. The fusion of rock and jazz is incredible. Favorite track gotta be the intro, the flutes and horns are lovely. Little Umbrellas at #2, the saxophone, classical piano, and keyboard combo is beautiful. Dilla must have loved this.

It was chill and solid butnliked deep purple more

I thoroughly enjoyed this album!

Psychodelic Rock. Nice listen for a little walk

Unique blend of jazz and prog rock. Love the solos. Great for a long drive

A hit of energy from the very first second. Great melodies and tonalities. The production and sound palette are spot on. Great Jazz album!

Wow

I don't know what this was but I dug it. 4/5

Better than expected

3.6

Awesome album ! 4

This is your jazz on drugs.

Sounded pretty cool. Very unique. I was just annoyed at first but he busted out some cool tunes. Very psychedelic 60s feel

Big fan of Frank Zappa! Didn't know they did a (mostly) instrumental album. They have great live albums, hilarious. Though sometimes odd lyrically. Great overall though!

Pretty dang cool

Some pretty sweet tunes.

Interesting introduction to Zappa. Really enjoyed the opening track.

4.7

Enjoyed

Fun! Way jazzier than I expected

What a surprise! I really enjoyed this album. I've heard some of Frank's other music and didn't really enjoy it, but this album was great!

Zappa! Great collection of music

Minder 'weird' dan ik dacht, en dus best nog een goed album

Frank was weird and not always my cup of tea, but always brilliant. This was a good listen after many years since my last listen.

The jazz-rock fusion here is spot on. I loved the shorter lighter tracks mixed with the gritty longer freak outs. The small bit of vocals from Captain Beefheart are well placed and set the mood for the whole album. I think Zappa himself described this as a film, and it definitely evokes vivid imagery and could easily be a compelling soundtrack. I’ve never really delved into the Zappa catalog, but this one has peaked my interest.

Was disappointed when this album first popped up because I have never been a Zappa fan. This album was a lot of fun though and I liked it a lot. Will be returning to it.

first ever frank zappa album and certainly not the last. the sounds from this album are immaculate and each instrument played their parts incredibly. notable highlights were the drums and bass, they kicked ass. I love the different genre fusions this album has, it has parts hard rock, jazz, funk, and pure noise. fuckin great

I'm something of a devotee to Zappa, and this is one that took me a while to appreciate. Listening to this with the notion that FZ is a modern-day composer — that, like a symphony, every part is constructed and mapped out — that his sensibilities are influenced by modern and classical and jazz music, and that his palette just happens to be (mostly) rock/electrified instruments might help to make more sense of this. Then again, it may not. It's dense, and I don't believe he was concerned about making it accessible, but it's masterful and inventive and evidence that FZ is a serious cat. There are sections of improvisation, and Zappa's guitar playing is in great form here. This is one of those albums that gets better with every spin, which pretty much means it's not likely to appeal to the casual listener.

I hadn't heard a lot of Frank Zappa, other than his comedy songs about eating yellow snow, STDs, or Valley Girls. This wasn't what I expected at all. No idea why this is classed as Psychedelic Rock when it's clearly Jazz Fusion. I can see the criticism that sometimes the guitar solos sound a little bit mechanical, but I still enjoyed this very much indeed. The second side wasn't quite as remarkable as the first, so a 4 star rating seems fair.

Funky vibes. Really enjoyed it.

Jazz infusion rock?? Weird but very fun album.

Funky! I like that it's mostly instrumental.

started amazing and then 'the drugs kicked in' as someone else said lmao out of tune cellos arent cool come on why..? it falls off but still giving it a 4

Still just as fun nearly 40 years later. 4/5

Jazz straight up.

Loving it - Peaches en Regalia

Experimental jazz guitar braingasm! Loving the guitar solos on Willie the Pimp and the Gumbo Variations! eclectic and surprising album, will be returning

FRANK

yes good

Highlights - Peaches in Regalia was amazing, and then after Willie the Pimp I mostly enjoyed just vibing to the rest of the album. Didn't like - Willie the Pimp - Though not so much didn't like as didn't know what to think about it. The music, especially the guitar solo, is very good, the vocals and lyrics (for being the only song on the album with vocals on, no less) are bizarre, though I do like the delivery of the line "Hot Meat, Hot Rats". Overall - I don't know anything about Frank Zappa except that there is a bust of him in Vilnius. It feels like this is the kind of album to just let wash over you and enjoy the ride without thinking about it too much. Jazz. Weird. So many instruments. Meandering solos. Gave it a 4 mostly because it kind of merged into one long song towards the end of the album and became background music. I don't think I'm on enough drugs for this.

Rating: 8.5/10 Great album, a lot of fun to listen to. Really enjoyed the eclectic mixture of styles and instruments used throughout. The fantastic production and mix also made each individual instrument shine, making for a very dynamic experience. The experimental nature of the album was great, definitely very unique in sound while still being very enjoyable to listen to musically. Favorite songs: Peaches en Regalia, Willie The Pimp, Son Of Mr. Green Genes, Little Umbrellas, The Gumbo Variations. Least favorite song: It Must Be A Camel.

This album was way better than I remember. Prototype for many jam bands that would come after. Weird experimental production and a lot of it feels like a live band in a room energy. Great and weird album

Peaches En Regalia - 10/10 Willie The Pimp - 8/10 Son Of Mr. Green Genes - 8/10 Little Umbrellas - 8/10 The Gumbo Variations - 8/10 It Must Be A Camel - 8/10 TOTAL - 50/60

Listened to this while playing Roll Player solo. I lost. I had a roommate in college who looooved Frank Zappa, so I have listened to a number of his albums. While the jams venture into self-indulgence, there is absolutely no denying that they are all incredible musicians. As a pianist, I was immediately drawn in by the use of piano in the opening moments. Is this an album I'd want to listen to over and over? Not really. This still gets a 4 because of the ridiculous amount of technicality and musical expertise present on this album. I also loved the final track. The horns were particularly satisfying!

A largely enjoyable collection of noodling, funky, proto jazz-rock, although the outstanding Peaches en Regalia is something entirely different. Requires a bit of repeated listening and not for those averse to lengthy guitar solos, of which Frank Zappa was undoubtedly a virtuoso

Really cool jam album that featured a lot of spacey and experimental sounds. I can see why some people wouldn't be into this type of music but I enjoyed it alot especially as background music for working

I was not expecting to like this. I’ve never given Zappa a fair shake. I thought it would just be bizarre experimental noodling. I don’t know where I got that idea but it was ingrained in me at some point. This album was wild! Peaches en regalia while not being as crazy as the other tracks was an amazing kickoff. After that it was nonstop in your face energy. It was by and large an instrumental album and man can this band jam!

Fun, good amount of wacky and wanky

Loved the first track, “Peaches in Regalia!” I struggled to connect to “We’re Only In It For The Money” with the Mothers of Invention, so I was a bit wary of this record before hitting play. But that first track put me at ease—it was inventive, exciting, and rocking. Zappa really shows off his guitar skills on this album, which is exciting to hear!

Blind album, know the name. Glad I finally got the opportunity to listen to this artist. Great listen and super unique and groovy

I'd listened to this for the first time about a year ago. I'd totally forgot most of it. Re-listening, yup, it's batshit crazy and I dig it!

Incredible jazz-fusion album with exceptional performances. This album epitomises the genius of Zappa, not only in his skills as a guitarist but as a band leader and composer.

Delightful. I was already a Zappa fan, so this hit the spot. Although I understand and respect that Zappa is one of those artists that people generally either really like or really don’t like. That Zappa documentary from a couple years ago is decent for that kind of thing. It’s not on this album, but my favorite Zappa song is Apostrophe’.

I run pretty hot and cold with Mr. Zappa, but this, I think, is indisputably great. None of the characteristics that turn me off (“transgressive” lyrics, excessive soloing) are here, just solid tunes, in what is essentially a jazz fusion album.

I’ve heard the criticism before that Frank was better before he realized how good he was at guitar. He’s good at guitar! I’ve always liked Frank and this sounds just like him. I’m luke warm on some (not all) of his lyrics and vocals, so that was actually a plus for me on this one.

Good album. . . not sure what the fuss is about Frank.

Previously rated: Freak Out! (3/5) ********************** Groovy, jazzy, rockin', nice guitar and drums, just a bit of weirdness, barely any vocals. I liked this a lot!

Weird!

dope but didn't listen closely

Zappa is an acquired taste. This is one of his best.

More listenable than I expected, but didn’t fully hold my attention.

4 long live zappa fave songs: little umbrellas, peaches en regalia

Note to self: Zappa's instrumental stuff is much better than the vocal stuff.

Good stuff. This album made me want to shut up and play my guitar.

So much fun. Can’t believe it’s from 1969.

Ver much mostly like this. The lyrics / vocals on Willie The Pimp are tough for me to get into. I really enjoy the jams though. The vocals make up for about 2 minutes out of 43 though. I can tell there’s something really cool going on here. Not sure I can give it a 5, for me. It’s missing something for my taste.

A collection of fantastic musicians. Great bass lines, some unreal runs on the keys and bold brass work. The brass does a great job of adding depth and texture to the mix

Frank Zappa instrumentals >>>> the alternative

Really liked it, but the second song could really have done without the vocals haha

Delirio psicodélico con unas guitarras que te vuelan la cabeza. Raaaaaro. Pero me gustó

I enjoyed this despite the lack of words

Intricate and well made

Really groovy album, not much to say here but it was solid! I would listen again, I love instrumental rock.

Never really understood the appeal of Zappa, but this was a great listen. Didn't really care for "It Must Be A Camel" but otherwise liked this. I guess it's just his lyrics that I don't like.

I really enjoyed this album. I appreciate his E-Guitar skills. 3.7

Famous for the combo of jazz/rock and experimental. Knew him before from: I‘m The Slime, Uncle Remus, Fembot In A Wet T-Shirt, Bobby Brown Goes Down…… This album I didn‘t like so much but still 4 stars! Personal top3 in no order: Willie The Pimp Little Umbrellas It Must Be A Camel

Wonderful. I've tried to get into Zappa a few times but never enjoyed my way through a whole record. I did with this. Good to work to as well, surprisingly.

GOD DAMNNNN: This was such a pleasant surprise. I had heard of this album before but didn't think it would be so good. A jazz style rock album seems like it is made for me and thank the lord I found this. The chord progressions were creative and it just sounded like a pure boogie sesh.

gostoso

Really liked it. Reminded me of omar Rodriguez Lopez music a lot of times.

Divertido, sabroso, raro. Lo amo.

Much more accessible than expected. Just a fun and weird time, with strong 60s psychedelic and funky jazz vibes, like living in a bizarre spy movie. Some tracks are too long for their own good, but otherwise a very enjoyable time. I'm sorry for judging Zappa harshly prior to this. 04/11/23

Dirty, raw instrumentals

Haven't given Zappa too much of a listen. Liked this. Very fun instrumental jams.

Instrumentaali

Yup

Frank

Not all of Zappas records are good, but this one is.

Frank Zappa seems like a guy where if you were spending a day with him you’d be saying a lot of, “Ha ha, ok, let’s settle down, Frank…” I like this one a lot.

Weird and funky

Jazz rock fusion is more enjoyable than I would have guessed. The whole album is a bit too chaotic for me. Track 2 was my favorite.

This is my first listen to Frank Zappa. The style of music surprised me. In the end, I came to appreciate how eclectic the songs are - part jazz, part blues, part prog-rock.

experimental and groovy. frank's kids are named moon, dweezil, ahmet and diva. that all tracks after listening to this album.

The kind of music they play in the weddings in my place.

One of those artists where I haven't known where to jump in and start listening to. Enjoyed this, perfect Sunday morning jams

Insane guitar production, this is great!

Fun and improv based

Good listen, will listen to it again, nice vibes.

Better- and less weird- then I’d expected

Peaches in Regalia is my favorite Zappa song, but Zappa is kinda quantity over quality

Good shit. The whole album could be a movie soundtrack for one of them artsy movies where you’re watching and you don’t really know what’s going on but goddamn it’s good. Willie the Pimp isn’t my favorite.

I enjoyed this more than I expected. The musicianship and the overall quality of the album was a very pleasant surprise. There is so much music out there that I don't know if I'll really seek out any other Zappa music to listen to, but I can say I wouldn't avoid listening to it if I came across it.

i had a very good time listening to this, but my one issue with a lot of music comes again; i NEED lyrics. so, mr. zappa, i must knock "hot rats" down to a 4.

I didn't think I was much of a Zappa guy, but this is actually pretty great! Very jazzy, groovy stuff. A little weird, as was to be expected, but that's all part of the magic. I have no immediate urge to listen to the Mothers of Invention albums again, but I'd throw this one on again in a heartbeat. Maybe Zappa at his most accessible?

nice little tunes

Вторият албум на Запа, който той казва, че трябва да е като филм за ушите на слушателите

Jazzy, proggy, nonsense! Loved it!

What a trip. One thing Ive learned from this list is that Zappa is really good.

This was an awesome album and the description said he tried to make it like a movie track and I could feel that on multiple songs. These rats are indeed hot!

Nice, glad to finally get some Zappa on here! I know him to be a really odd dude, and my exposure to his work prior to today is Trout Mask Replica, a classic weird album that I'm sure will appear on here too. But this album isn't weird at all, it's just impressive rock. Lots of virtuoso instrumental performance, great riffs, not a hint of the weirdness that he's known for (aside from maybe the title). Hell, most of this album is purely instrumental! I'm genuinely impressed by this, and I'm saving four of the six songs which is huge. Well done Frank. Favorite tracks: Peaches en Regalia, Willie the Pimp, Son of Mr. Green Genes, The Gumbo Variations. Album art: Very, very cool art. A pinked-out picture of (I assume) Frank standing in a drained pool, looking like a monster. Setting and vibe reminds me of Black Sabbath's self-titled. The color is nice though, and the title borders are strong. "Hot Rats" is such a funny name for an album like this. 4.5/5

Old school creativity

Awesome improvisation, what a player wow

Jazzy Rock electric guitar. Quite cool

Big fan of gumbo, although I am a sucker for some good jambalaya

Groovy rock blues fusion. Pretty enjoyable

Pretty good album. Only knock against it was when it went a little too experimental/improv for my taste, but otherwise a solid album that I’d listen to again.

Zappa is a master at his craft and he shines on this album, especially Son of Mr. Green Genes. From the first note I was transported to a muddy field, with the scents of skunk and nag champa wafting to my nose while people dance with hula hoops and batons. As the album progresses he leans heavily on the jazz influences of jam music. Captain Beefheart brings the beginning down a little--I'm not a fan of his voice or style. But overall, a very excellent album.

A great jazz record that starts off really strong, but doesn't keep me interested throughout the entire thing. It was mostly pretty fast and complex, which I much prefer to more monotonous music, but there were times it got too busy without pulling itself back together for a while.

Funny, a little bit too long but very enjoyable

Actually quite an enjoyable psychedelic record

One of his earlier jazzier albums. Not my favourite but still pretty good 3.5 but its Zappa so I gotta give it a 4

Classic album. Jazz fusion not to everyone's taste but it certainly grows on you

Charles Schulz once wrote in a Calvin and Hobbes introduction "Bill Watterson draws wonderful bedside tables. I admire that." His point, I think, was that detail matters. Anybody can draw a funny joke, but detail enhances our enjoyment of the experience, and it takes a trained hand to take it to another level. I think about that quote a lot in regards to Frank Zappa. Zappa is well known for not coloring with the lines of rock and roll, straddling disparate elements like avant-garde, jazz, and humor and bringing them into the medium. But I don't think he would have been able to stretch those limits without being skilled at the base medium. He's not someone I regularly play unprompted, but I'm always impressed when I do. Frank Zappa, metaphorically, draws wonderful bedside tables with these songs.

Funky jazz, really lived up to my expectations!

A bit of a fever dream with many things happening all at once. Focusing on each corner of the recording studio makes it easy to digest and enjoy the collection of talent, but trying to take it all in at once is an effort. All in all, a very melodic and fun neurotic album.

Mmmmmmm funky

Pretty snazzy

Frank was a musical savant. This was a good album. Musically just amazing.

This album was cruising to a 5 star rating with stand outs of Peaches En Regalia and Son of Mr. Green Genes. I really liked the variation in each song, and how each song was an absolute jam. The back half of Gumbo and the entirety of Camel were just a little too loose for my liking. Don't get me wrong; I still liked those songs, but they just weren't good enough to give it a 5 star. 4.49 stars for this album.

What a mad start with the first 2 songs. Then goes into an album jam session with Mr. green Genes. Then that jam session never really ended he just added a bunch more instruments. Zappa seems like a crazy guy which is awesome. But I am not surprised that he named his daughter MoonUnit

4/5. Every song was a fun journey except for the last one. I was expecting to hear lots of Zappa’s voice whom I am not a fan of, but loved that maybe 2 minutes of the entire album involved singing. The rest of the album included all jam songs, mixing in trumpet and saxophone elements.

Why did no one tell me how cool Frank Zappa was ???? Best track: Peaches En Regalia

Heard before: yes My tolerance and downright interest in improvisational wanking has sky rocketed in the last year or so, so a re-appraisal of 70s rock/jazz fusion is due. And this one delivers. Incredible to read about the process of overdubbing and live improv on this one (only Ian Anderson on all horns!) - it all feels so loose and purposeful. I expect a level of total control from Frank in the studio, but it sounds so organic here. Top tracks: Peaches en Regalia, The Gumbo Variations, Little Umbrellas

Jazz fusion. Fast paced. Impressive musicianship. Opener "Peaches En Regalia" is the standout.

Whoa, Hot RATS! Before now, I’d only ever listened to Freak Out! by The Mothers Of Invention (prompted by this here generator) and found it interesting enough, albeit slightly gimmicky. Hot Rats is legitimately unique, entertaining and straight up GOOD as an album. Didn’t think I’d enjoy this as much as I did. I now won’t be dreading anything else by Zappa!

Really solid jazzy record. Peaches in Regalia is a certified banger.

Hey lets jam for 45 minutes make up some silly names and call it an album.I liked Willie the Pimp. Good jam

It's okay. Not horrible, but not awesome. I'd listen again if someone wanted to though

really fun and weird

i didn't like the only instrumental songs, but the rest were great

Great progressive/jam rock album with some string jazz influences. All the songs especially the longer ones have a similar structure where a riff or idea is established, followed by an extended instrumental sequence, and then the intro riff again. It works great and despite the length of the songs it never lost my attention. I especially liked Willie the Pimp.

Pretty jam-band feel throughout most of this. Just a nice little groovy ditty

Considering the amount of involuntary Zappa I’m subjected to living with Craig, I was surprised how much I really liked this album. Pretty incredible composition.

First Zappa album for me. Loved all the different instruments used. Very eclectic.

Frank Zappa is kind of funky. I like.

Not perfect (some of the longer songs felt like they dragged a bit too long), but I adore so much of what Zappa accomplishes here that it basically doesn’t matter! Strange without being alienating, unconventional yet intensely catchy—this was great! (Favorite Tracks: Peaches zen Regalia, Son of Mr. Green Genes, Little Umbrellas, The Gumbo Variations)

I really liked this. It was far less wacky than I expected. I'm a fan of acid jazz, so this is good listening. Adding this to my "chill" playlist.

Zappa is one of the GOATs. This album is much more palatable than a lot of his stuff which is nice for when you just want to vibe, compared to his headier material. I'm also always into albums that push recording technology and techniques forward, like this one did with its use of 16 track recording.

I like it. There's so much going on. Favorite song: son of mr. green genes.

Really felt like high quality smooth listenings. Great sound. I’ll be revisiting for SURE. My grandfather would have loved this (he probably did)

It was some nice jazz. I was expecting a little more vocals just because it’s Frank Zappa. 7.5/10

Fun music

I’m not a Zappa fan so let’s see how this goes…honestly pretty groovy

I never know what to expect from Zappa. But I liked this. Superb guitar playing. Can totally hear how this inspired the likes of Steve Vai and John McLaughlin. Also hear some King Crimson vibes. Solid album.

This would get a perfect rating for me a few years ago. Revisiting it, however, i feel like just a bit of it's initial magic is lost on me, even though i still think it's an amazing record.

Frank Zappa is one of those artists who for whatever reason intimidates me. This was my first real experience with his music and it was a good one. He is an excellent guitarist and this is a great album to put on in the background and vibe to.

Wow a Zappa album I can get behind. The Gumb Variations gets a little played out towards the end but sure.

This album is insane. He had a couple of albums like this one where he left his potty mouth behind and just played the crap out of his guitar. His guitar playing is top shelf and the way he fuses with jazz is extraordinary. Zappa plays his best, imo, on Willie the Pimp which is the only song that had lyrics. Leave it to Zappa. I saw that his son Dweezil was touring playing this album but it was either Covided or I never got a chance to get tickets.

In 1969 this would have been pushing the envelope, with the combo of rock, jazz & proto-prog. There’s some crazy guitar playing and Underwood fills out the sound nicely with keyboards and sax. They create such a big sound for (mostly) just the two of them – it’s easy to see why a lot of musicians & technicians of have praised it. Peaches & Regalia is a great start, the theme sounds worthy of a British 70’s spy series. Along with Little Umbrella they sound like they could be Weather Report songs. The others can go overboard at times: the 7-minute guitar solo in Son of Mr. Green Greens; the grating sax solo in the Gumbo Variations. I guess if you’re going to have only one song with vocals, Captain Beefheart is your man!

Given that Zappa has released over 60 studio albums, not all are essential, but Hot rats is one of his best works. Peaches en regalia has always been one of my favourite Zappa songs, and because it’s instrumental it doesn’t have any of his sophomoric humour and it shows how good a writer and musician he is. The rest of the album is also very tight

Not always "good", but always interesting...

Far better than expected.

Totally different from anything else he did. Frank does jazz.

Weird and amazing.