Reviews (page 7 of 14)
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.
Zappa is one of those people I feel like I should be a bigger fan of but never full clicks with me. I never "want" to listen to more. I listened to this. It was great! Like... really good! And yet my first instinct after the album was over was to go listen to Gordon Lightfoot (rip), and not more Zappa. I am waffling between 3 and 4 here. I think my brain says 3, since it didn't connect with me that much, but my heart is saying 4 because I know it's great and I think the fault lies within my stars.
Jazzy cooooooooool 3.5/5
This was not what I expected, but in a good way.
My dad showed my Zappa and the mothers of invention when I was a teenager, so I was expecting this to be way weirder. I was pleasantly surprised! Yeah some go too long, but others like peaches and umbrellas are really nice!
4.0
J'ai beaucoup aimé cet album qui me semble particulier, seul dans son genre. J'avais l'impression d'écouter une personne qui expérimente, joue pour elle-même, sans tenter de plaire aux autres
"a movie for your ears"
Very cool
It’s 1969 and the Mothers of Invention are dead, having given birth to Frank Zappa’s solar eclipse of an ego without knowing what to do afterwards. Now, the virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, satirist and beloved anti-establishment figure spreads himself all over the close of the decade, mashing himself up into extended, bluesy, psychedelic-leaning jams. “Hot Rats” is perhaps Zappa’s most famous record, as much a brush with the mainstream as he’d ever be willing to admit. It’s also the only record of his I’d heard before this project, so I’m going in with some much-needed familiarity. First off, “Peaches en Regalia” is an absolute triumph: dense and diverse, memorable and accomplished. It brings all the talents of Zappa as a guitarist and an arranger into sharp focus with a structured, rigorous composition, cycling through distinct hooks with endless panache. Some are on flute, some on guitar, with a glorious saxophone break: it all works brilliantly. It’s become one of Zappa’s signature tunes, and deservedly so. The jazz number “Little Umbrellas” is of a similar length and equally disciplined, with a sleepy double-bass giving way to languid saxophone, organ and flute solos. The rest is nowhere near as structured or embellished, hanging on improvised jams with a smaller core group. While it begins to border on indulgent and shapeless by the end (“It Must Be a Camel” is a little superfluous) the performances are accomplished and expressive enough to allow Zappa and co. to pull through. Captain Beefheart’s vocal feature, at the start of “Willie the Pimp” before he seemingly gets bored and goes for a joint, gives a wonderful gruff flavour, and listen out for the ratchet playing early in the jam section to drive this one home. “The Gumbo Variations” has such a strong attack in its opening riff, with excellent saxophone, violin and guitar solos, and fluid bass work, that I can’t harbour too much animosity towards its length. “Hot Rats” was described by Zappa as “a movie for your ears”. While its lack of lyrics is a shame, at least this allows Zappa’s guitar work (arguably his greatest asset) to take front and centre alongside an ensemble of very talented musicians. Mercifully, no lyrics also means no dodgy misogynistic overtones like those which muddy the waters of his other work. What we’re left with is a group of great musicians playing to their hearts content, and it’s difficult to argue too much with that.
i don’t love Zappa’s stuff when he’s singing but this album is mostly instrumental so i liked it a lot!!
I should listen to more zappa - 4 stars
perfekt att plugga till
Yes, it's groovy and one admires the unique vision and commitment to same. And yes in a more just world Zappa would've realized richer commercial rewards, but it's not hard to understand why he wasn't. This is sprawling and fun and certainly interesting (perhaps that's the dominant trait) but it's also sort of indulgent and abstract. And while vaguely jazzy (mostly in its free-forming), it's not jazz actually, so those of us who prefer jazz would not be fully compelled. "Gumbo Variations" is best of a pretty strong lot overall.
Wow never heard anything like it before
The instrumentals are really amazing here. I love the guitar work and the electric fiddle in "The Gumbo Variations" is sweet. Zappa's voice sounds kind of scary sometimes, but he really does not sing enough for it to take away from the album.
It's not my usual cup of tea at all, but I'll be damned if I say I didn't enjoy it, the long ass songs can drag and honestly, that's not bad. The skill on display goes crazy
an all time favorite of mine. The music is simply extraordinary.
Liked it a lot more than I thought I would
Fun, weird, funky shit
Never been a huge fan of other Zappa albums, but this jazz-fusion one was pretty damn good.
Honestly, if I want to listen something without paying any attentions to lyrics, this is it. It's fun and rocks.
Pretty brilliant really. Nice stinky stonky music and no weird Zappa-risms/questionable lyrics.
I wouldnt listen to it regularly but I liked this
I'm on the fence about Frank Zappa. This album has lots of what I like and little of what I don't. The Gumbo Variations wander off a bit in places. 4.5
The prowess is so evident, it’s fun and funky but a bit ephemeral
A delicious rush
Really loving this one
The very unappreciated Frank Zappa. I hardly heard any of his stuff growing up in the 70’s.
It's a rich brew
Just the right amount of psych.
absolutely fucks.
I've seen Zappa described as less rock and roll artist and guitarist and more composer. When listening to Hot Rats through this lens you gain an appreciation for Zappa. I was never a big fan by any means, but also never really understood his music until I started listening to more avant grade styles to see what the big deal was (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu, etc). 4.5/5.
4-
Frank Zappa released something like 412 albums during (and after) his life so the great thing if you like Zappa is that if someone doesn't like one of his albums, you can steer them in almost literally any other musical direction with another of his releases. Of course with some of them you might need to be mindful of the audience as some of the lyrical content gets a bit *questionable* let's say. Only leading with that because this one barely has any vocals/lyrics at all ("Willie the Pimp" - which incidentally is most definitely not Frank on vocals). If you're immediately turned off from/by instrumental albums this is still worth a spin or two - there's a rock/jazz feel to it that has just the right balance - it doesn't go off into too esoteric a space nor does it simplify to the point of boredom. I'd put myself in the "I like Zappa" category (emphasis on *like*, not love) and one of the things that might be impossible for me to extricate from my enjoyment of this album is that lack of vocals. I actually like Frank's voice and *some* of the vocalists that he had through the years but on too many of his albums the lyrics were often a 30 year old's idea of a dirty middle school song - completely distracting at best and downright stupid at worst. "The Gumbo Variations" is the one that is just too long. Venturing dangerously into "jam" territory which is like....get on with it already. In a vacuum though I'll just call this record "cool" - some memorable and catchy musical phrasing throughout. This is the Zappa album that can be mostly enjoyed by musicians, nerds, geeks, rockers, sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, and dickheads alike. 7/10 4 stars.
listened to again still one of my favorite Zappa records
9/10
Soft 4
this shit makes sense to me
The first two tracks are absolutely incredible but I do feel the album peaks quite early. The rest is pretty good but nothing sticks out as much as those openers. Still a banger though
Strange confession on my part: I can't quite explain why, but I've never really listened to Frank Zappa. He kind of checks all the boxes for me in what I enjoy in music, so that's the strange part. Anyway, now I have. Thank you, 1001 Albums project! Although this album is a bit too on the late-60s psychedelic production style for my tastes, I absolutely and totally hear the incredible virtuosity and talent expressed in the art he's making. Wow. Okay, I'm in. More Zappa to come.
o bom de ter ouvido todos os albuns do zappa é que eu aprendi a apreciar qualquer album so pelo fator criatividade. solos, uso diferente dos instrumentos, mudanças de ritmo melodia e tom do subto nada. tudo isso me deixa impressionado. outro fator é que eu sei do que esse maldito é capaz de fazer numa guitarra, e aqui fica claro. o bom de ter ouvido todos os albuns do zappa é que eu aprendi a amar todos albuns dele que não são impossiveis de ouvir.
wild eclectic
Great debut record. Mixes genres (psychedelic rock, garage rock, doo-wop, r&b, etc.). Pretty accessible for a Captain Beefheart record, but is just enough “out there” to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The vocals were definitely the low point here LOL. But the instrumentals? Groovy and fun and here for a good time.
Love the jazzy rock sounds of this album, didn't need vocals
Much more accessible than the last Zappa I listened to. Enjoyed it quite a bit. Reminded me of riding round lost lake too, which is a bonus.
There's some rats
Jazzy
un flash me encantó!! 8.5 / 10
It sounds classy, but it has your pants off in about five minutes... and last time you checked, you didn't need to sit in a fridge to ensure your rectal comfort. That's Willie the Pimp. Frank is getting weirder... somehow. But not weird enough yet. The music gets even better, so does the humour.
This one was super dope, loved the zany feel
Ovo je moj privi Zappa album. Mislim da si ga neću sama pustit ponovo ali je ovako bio jako ekscentričan i slusljiv.
ovo mi je najdraži njegov.
090126 15:57 3.5
Funky as hell. Love it!
8/10 legendary Frank Zappa, a lot of good and funky progressive music
No lyrics So much I don’t know
Really cool album, Zappa can get a bit weird and experimental, but this one was a bit more "traditional" in a sense of rock albums of the day.
Perfect blend of groovy and weird. Will definitely listen again
Weird in the best way
Really cool instrumental album. Lots of guitar but also jazzy
Riktigt bra, man hör zappas kompositör-talang.
Weird and wonderful
Some of those guitar pieces grab the listeners by the throats and commands a listen. Some of the stuff got a bit weird, but it’s all very entertaining
Get Weird!
I've listened to quite a lot of Zappa, but not this one particularly. Kinda weird to listen to an almost entirely instrumental Zappa album! The goofy lyrics are usually one of the main appeals... Fave track - gotta be "Peaches En Regalia" for that soundtracky my-life-just-became-a-weird-70s-tv-show vibe...
No other artist sounds quite like Frank Zappa. Combining jazz and psychedelic rock with how own bizarre sense of humor, Zappos’s first album after The Mothers of Invention is a fascinating window on his musical psyche.
My favorite Zappa album. I've always liked his humor (though it does get kind of nasty sometimes) but this album he shows his musical chops.
Un essentiel de Frank Zappa grâce à Peaches En Regalia.
Great LP with some lovely meandering Jazz rock tunes. Love the "Gumbo Variations" and "It Must Be A Camel"
Ah monesti tämmöinen tiluttelu on vähän turn off mut tästä tunne välittyi hyvin. Meni ihan tanssiksi.
Still not a huge Zappa fan, but it was a good record
liked it a lot, had a very improvisation jazz sound.
It's fine, not great.
Highlights: cool instrumentals overall jazz fusion not from japan (wow!) -it must be a camel (why does it sound like it's from zelda from time to time?) -son of mr. green genes liked: it's ok, i enjoy instrumentals a lot, more jazzy than i expected from frank zappa
When Hot Rats by Frank Zappa appeared as the recommendation I thought, "Oh boy, this is going to be a doozy." I know of Zappa, and have heard clips of various tracks. The only songs that I have heard all the way through are "Valley Girl" and "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow", neither of which have made me want to listen to more Zappa. I know that many people list Zappa as an influence or admire his unconventional approach to music, but I have not heard enough to appreciate that point of view. Hot Rats was a good surprise. I may have heard a portion of "Peaches en Regalia" before, and I liked listening to the full track. My two favorite tracks were "Son of Mr. Green Genes" and "Little Umbrellas". Even though "Little Umbrellas" was relatively short, those two favorites had an interesting progressive rock feel. Other tracks on the album (e.g. "The Gumbo Variations", "It Must Be a Camel"), didn't just have a prog-rock sound. More specifically, they reminded me of King Crimson during the 80s. I'm not an immediate fan of every part of the album. For example, there were these repetitive violon squawks in "The Gumbo Variations" that detracted a little from the listen. But after my first full listen to the album, I'm curious about a second listen to find out what else I might hear. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Zappa gets such a bad press
This gets to 4 on the strength of Peaches en Regalia alone. The other stuff is fun and beautifully played, but once you’ve heard Peaches it’s a high bar.
Zany artist Frank Zappa mostly restrains himself into making this jazz rock classic. Favourites: "Peaches En Regalia", "Willie The Pimp", "Son Of Mr Green Genes"
Wow I'd never heard of Frank Zappa but this is super cool. I understand this is different to some of his other work. I love how there's so many video-game sounding sections in Peaches en Regalia. It's really nice focus music for while working. Super inventive and unusual. So many different themes in here and I want to do some more research about this guy and his music.
I don't know an awful lot of Frank Zappa but got into this and enjoyed reading about his life. A mad life he had! Lots of genres covered here: blues, jazz, classic rock but all a bit experimental. Loved it!
Wahoooo! This is mad, I love it. Willie the Pimp was wild. I've heard of Frank Zappa and kind of knew who/what he was but don't think I've ever delved, now I've delved and I am happy about that.
4.5
Not a huge Zappa fan but this album is actually really good.
Zappa is all but revered by friends whose musical opinions I take seriously. But I haven’t always found his music easy to get into. I liked this right from the start though, and thought the whole album was fantastic.
I was previously completely unfamiliar with anything by Frank Zappa, and for the most part, jazz rock. I enjoyed this album. Personal high point was the use of a jazz violinist. I wasn't even aware they existed.
I go into this having listened to some of his work and struggled to enjoy it. I hope this experience will be different. Sounds like an interesting jam session, I am enjoying it more than I expected so far. I think the reason I like this album more so far is that it is mostly instrumental. I really liked the guitar solo on Son of Mr. Green Genes. Overall a fantastic album.
Perhaps the absolute best representation of the jazz fusion era of Frank's career. He was an enigma, a one of a kind talent. He could dabble in many genres and could produce stellar albums in those styles. This is one of them. From Peaches en Regalia onwards, Hot Rats is a relentless force that sounds as fresh now as it did in 1969. There are plenty of memorable moments throughout, peaking at The Gumbo Variations: twelve minutes of some of the finest playing Zappa ever did. Highly recommended. Favorites: Peaches en Regalia, Son of Willie the Pimp, The Gumbo Variations, It Must Be a Camel.
It's a really weird, mostly instrumental jazz/funk/prog-rock mash-up and I love it - that is I absolutely loved the first 4 tracks and wasn't that keen on tracks 5 and 6 which were a bit too dissonant for me. Easy five stars especially for the first 3 tracks but the last 2 bring the album down a bit.
Just a blistering combination of jazz and rock. Sounds spontaneous yet controlled and methodical. The instrumentation is insane. Only one song on here I didn't particularly enjoy, luckily it's the shortest here ("Little Umbrellas"). Favorite tracks: "Willie the Pimp", "The Gumbo Variations"
Frank Zappa was an icon when I was young, but I didn't really know why. He was one of those celebrities who was famous for being famous. It was a big deal when "Valley Girl" came out when I was 14, but again it was probably the Valleyspeak it brought attention to and his daughter's name being Moon Unit that were more famous than the song itself. Somehow this rock-jazz fusion was not what I expected. But then although this is an acclaimed Zappa album, there is no "typical" Zappa album it seems. In any case, it certainly doesn't sound too "experimental" or "out there." I sometimes get very restless with the longer pieces, but I didn't with this album, so I give it credit.
I have never listened to a Frank Zappa album (that I recall), but I was anticipating more lyrics...and absurd ones at that...for some reason. So, this was an unexpected dominance of jazz fusion instrumentals. Fine enough!
Fun, mostly instrumental fusion of rock, jazz, blues, and funk, with appearances by Captain Beefheart and Jean-Luc Ponty(!). I would call it unexpected, but when I stop to think about it, I have no idea what to expect from Frank Zappa. At any rate, I quite enjoyed it.
Rockin', bluesy, jazzy. It's a really good overall rock'n roll album. Can't really say I like his voice, but still...
Peaches en Regalia and other instrumentals
Zappa was the absolute man. Unironically one of the most talented musicians ever, but sadly underrated because.. uh.. I guess people don't want to listen to a guy singing about how he can take an hour on the tower of power as long as he gets a little golden shower. Those people are weak. This album is some proggy psychedelic jazz mix. "Peaches En Regalia" is a classic, "Son Of Mr. Green Genes" was probably my favorite of the three long songs on the album and "Little Umbrellas" is also really good. Not the biggest fan of "The Gumbo Variations", which goes completely into jazz hell territory. Overall a very solid album.
I have always appreciated Frank Zappa but when ever I listen to his work I always feel like I am missing something. It is like I am not privy to some kind of in joke and I would suddenly get it if I got told what the reference meant. Or like the comedy of Monty Python, I will just never get, no matter how many times it gets explained to me. Having said that, I still enjoy this album and consider him and the other talented musicians on this geniuses. It is just that I probably won't rush out and listen to Hot Rats again for a while.
Always been a fan of this record and Zappa’s jazz arrangements (even still have a CD single with Peaches En Regalia / Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up). Sometimes it seems so unlikely that the same guy who created Sheik Yerbouti and Joes Garage also created Peaches, Little Umbrellas, and It Must be a Camel.
Zappa, like his rats, are a dish best served hot.
Very jammy and cool album. 3.5 stars!
I have never listened to Frank Zappa for more than maybe one song on a playlist playing at a restaurant or bar or something. Had no idea how much I would enjoy it. Very "far out" at times but also seemed very organized for entire 12 minute tracks. Loved it.
Frank was the shit. The most underrated musician I can think of. His music is borderline genius but it wasn't "radio worthy". I hope he doesn't end up as a footnote in 20th century music.
Don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't a nearly full instrumental album, but then again, I really know nothing about Frank Zappa. This album has been described as a "movie for your ears," and I get the description after listening. Smooth jazz fusion that tells a fun and engaging story.
And I thought Neil Young was eclectic. This is what, rock meets jazz? I've listened to a couple Zappa albums before, but more straight ahead rock (from the 80's maybe?). The first track is pretty short so I didn't really notice the heavy jazz motif until I got past track 2; clear as I go back to it. Most of the album felt like jazz fusion with electric guitar and a rock feel. I was thinking that it sounded like some of the jazz albums on this list and then read that Shuggie Otis is featured on the album, so yep. The second track felt like quintessential prog rock and it was pretty damn cool. I would've liked even more of that but tracks 3 and 4 were still pretty cool. Track 5 was up there with track 2 - slick. On top of Zappa, Ian Underwood was pretty impressive on the sax (and other woodwinds).
Apart from his reputation as an extravagant, sometimes difficult rock artist with free-jazz and musique concrète proclivities, I didn't know the first thing about Frank Zappa. This record was a surprisingly pleasant listen. I've browsed through other Zappa album deemed important by certain critics and fans, and now I know that immediate pleasure is not the first thing that comes to my mind with these high-conceptual and/or tongue-in-cheek recordings. *Freak Out*, by the Mothers of Invention, is the only one of those records I found genuinely enjoyable on first listens. The rest is really, *really* for the fans, I think. Two things stand out in *Hot Rats*, though. As in *Freak Out*, the lush arrangements provided by horn and reed sections is a huge plus. But in *Hot Rats*, there's something that not even *Freak Out* can boast about, and it's the hard grooves. Some drums are in a funky mode that's particularly lively, almost krautrock in their intent. And when they don't, they swing in a slower yet as efficient fashion, hereby supporting jazzier cuts that are equally satisfying. I barely noticed all the tracks were all instrumental except one sung by Captain Beefheart. I was too much taken in the soundscapes. Obviously, I'm a rookie when it comes to Zappa, so I can't really judge this effort in a broader context. But I understand he's an acquired taste anyway, and you can't rush things with an artist as productive and unhinged as him. Let's just say that *Hot Rats* does sound like a promising entry point, at least, just like *Freak Out* was on a more classic-rock, partly parodic, mode. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 975 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 9 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 7 (including this one) Albums from the list I will *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 8 Albums I might not be able to judge (some might end up on my final list but it's because I recognize how culturally important they are): 1]
This is one that I have on vinyl, an original press that belonged to my dad ❤ I obviously had to bust it out for this. I don't have a great deal of experience with Zappa, outside of this album, but I do really dig this. It's a great listen top to bottom and that fuses jazz with prog rock at the time. Great stuff
A master piece.
Frank Zappa is weird! But he pulls together some pretty great jazz rock that really pushed the genre. A lot on instrumental craziness that ultimately the reason why this album is on here. Fully worth the price of admission.
Finally, a good album. It's been almost two weeks since this thing has generated anything that's cracked a 4. It isn't Zappa's best, but at least there's some representation on this infernal list. Why is this the only Zappa album on here? Boring-ass REM and U2 have four albums apiece on this thing, and they couldn't spare a second slot for a guy whose discography is over twice the size of both of those mundane bands combined?
Not bad.
Muy instrumental, pero con un toque rock/psicodélico, que lo hace agradable de escuchar. No había oído gran cosa de este artista. Buena nota
I wish I was half as cool as this guy obviously was
Awesome instrumentals. Fluid and complex. Really enjoyable to listen to when you are working on something creative.
Zappas first really strong album
Good, probably more revolutionary at the time
Ja va kinda distraherad när vi lyssna men för sidners skull blir de en fyra 😎
Zappa brings bangers
Nifty
Thoroughly enjoyed the loose nature of the songs. Willie the Pimp was a standout
I was into this album, good sound. Have not listened to Zappa before
Weird and wonderful and fun. Just a whole lotta noodling and soloing and creativity that was really enjoyable to listen to. Favourite Tracks: Peaches En Regalia, Little Umbrellas, It Must Be a Camel
I have never listened to Frank Zappa but I liked this album, I didn't expect it to have jazz inspiration/piano but I enjoyed it. Favourite songs: Willie the pimp, Little umbrellas
Weird and good, funky.
Never listened to Zappa before. Some crazy instrumentals!
"This music is wobbly like jelly!"
Excellent album. Second only to Sheik Yerbouti in his discography
Cool guitar
Very much right up my alley. Awesome instrumentals, such a fun listen.
I like guitar, and this album was a lot of it. Frank Zappa is a really good guitarist, I prefer the kinda slower rather than funkier/jazzier style Zappa has, but the point is he is a very good guitarist. the begging of willie the peep was weird, but the guitar was insane in all the songs. I enjoyed it.
expected 60's stoner music, didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did
Played it a couple of times, doesn't happen a lot with albums in this list. Hence liked it
Never took the time to listen to this album properly but now I did: the Gumbo Variations is 5* - the rest is 3*-4*, so a very decent Frank Zappa album overall: 4*.
Hot Rats consists of instrumental jazz-influenced compositions with exhaustive soloing. Zappa described the album as “a movie for your ears.” Thank you wikipedia ;) (7/10) FT: Peaches en Regalia
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Willie the pimp, Som of mr. green genes
Enjoyed this. Proper eccentric and meandering
3.5
Shreds hard! Liked it
Thought this was excellent other than the sax solo in The Gumbo Variations. Totally killed my enjoyment of the song.
Enjoyed this a lot - free flowing guitar and a great sound in parts.
Impressive guitar and interesting experimental rock sounds. Tracks are incredibly well produced, especially for 1969. Super accessible too despite the avant nature. First three tracks are memorable and energetic. Quiets down after that with an interesting smooth jazz track. Last two tracks are fairly forgetful but have impressive aspects for sure, like the cosmic rock of "It Must Be A Camel."
Enjoyed quite a bit. Fun album
Sorry folks but I like this one!
Sometimes the dissonant parts were really grating, but overall this was really creative and cool, I especially liked the last track 8/10
Lots of groovy stuff going on here, but there are some production issues on the wind instruments that make parts of some songs tinny and hard to listen to. Still, the free form rock flow of this album makes it a fun listen. 8
Dels que conec, és sense dubte l'àlbum més jazz de Zappa. Sense perdre de vista la seva habitual inventiva experimental i búsqueda de nous sons, és un disc clarament jazzero, gran part d'ell instrumental. Sempre m'ha tirat més aquesta visió que la dels seus primers treballs, massa en búsqueda del xoc i l'experimentació...
good jazzy music
I like that this is mainly instrumental. Songs feel like they go on forever tho. Very jammy. Some of it's almost jazzy. Four stars.
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did ! Brilliant !
I've always enjoyed this album. An early entry point to the eclectic world of Zappa. The blues of Captain Beefheart is excellent as is the electric violin (and guitar of course!).
Not really what I expected given what I thought I knew about Zappa and had heard from him before. I figured it would be a lot more avant-garde and experimental. In any case, it was still some pretty great jazz-injected prog rock.
One of the first Jazz adjacent albums that didn't feel challenging to listen to in any way. Quite enjoyable honestly.
Great quirky, fun fusion album. Definitely revisit both the album and Frank Zappa.
Not what I was expecting, liked it, v good
Who else is this funky and fun? I mean, come on.
Frank Zappa is serious business (musically speaking). You may or may not like what he did (it may be hard on some ears) but there's no doubt that his creativity was out of this world and that his mastery of music genres, composition and instruments was exceptional. The musicians that played and recorded with him were always all extremely gifted and talented. In the case of Hot Rats, not only does he showcase his mastery of the guitar, but also of the technical aspects of recording, using an almost unheard of (at the time) 16 tracks to create the many layers in the album's tracks. Like it or not, this is definitely a "must listen to album".
Concerned when I noticed an 18-minute song. But guess what? I didn't hate it. Maybe don't love it, but really enjoyed this album and listened to a few songs more than once. Lots of instrumental, but good stuff. Great background music. Teetering between a 3 and a 4 but solid addition to the list. Glad I heard it. And I'M LISTENING AGAIN!
Listened walking thru town on a lovely day and matched the vibes perfectly. Very out there and very complex but a solid listen. Will try again and get more in depth with it. Been on my list for a while.
One of (if not THE) easiest Zappa albums to get into. Peaches en regalia is one of my favourite songs, it's a masterpiece. It's his first album without The Mother's and this new lineup is tight!
Starts off with fantastic psychedelic experimental prog, which only just begins to tire towards the end of the album.
This is amazing. Like nothing else.
Fun Energetic album with that Zappa jazz flair
A solid album that truly demonstrates how well Frank Zappa can improv with a multitude of different instruments. It is considered “rock” on Apple Music but I would consider it to be more jazz focused. Will certainly be listening to more of Frank Zappa in the future.
Schön rauer Rock. Jedes Stück gefällt mir erstmal sehr gut, geht mir aber meist nach ein paar Minuten ein bisschen auf die Nerven. Jedenfalls so beim nebenbei hören.
30th June 2021 Listened on my phone in the kitchen while working, the day after England beat Germany 2-0 in the euros. Really liked this, predominantly instrumental which I can see being amazing live. Nice cameo from Captain Beefheart on one of the singles, vibey and funky with some tasty guitar solos thrown in.
Prog Rog & Psychedlia met and had a pretty amazing baby in this album. Zappa's vocals can be a bit alarming and pull you out of the experience, but largely this album is instrumental and has several large jams.
Disco bien progresivo, con tonos psicodélicos y de jazz (esta última parte no me gustó tanto), tocado por excelentes músicos. Un álbum que volvería a repetir. 4.5/5
Great psychedelic cut. Guitar tones are great, riffs are amazing and solos blow your mind away. I really enjoyed the Captain Beefheart vocals on the second track (the only vocally-instrumental track on the record), which stand out in particular. The album starts strong, and, close to the end it ALMOST gets a bit too much of the same, but it drives the fine line of intriguing just enough until the end. One of the best Zappa records, honestly.
Good fun, I'm surprised their were so few vocals, every other Zappa album I've heard has them. I still prefer some later Zappa but I enjoyed this, looking forward to there being more Zappa on this list, I've only listened to a few of his but they're great
Jazz rockero instrumental, un crack el tipo
I bought this album in 1971. Always liked it, and I've gotten to appreciate it beyond. Peaches en Regalia.
Excellent throughout - not my usual thing but really creative harmonies and interesting guitar work
I kojeny Zappa na liscie, teraz juz solowo bez mateczki inwencyjnej, albumik z wczesnego okresu tworczosci, drugi solowy albumik i jeden z nielicznych pickow wystarczajaco poprawnych polityczno kulturowo, zeby znalezc sie na takiej liscie, bo jest to albumik praktycznie w calosci instrumentalny, poza pierwszymi dwoma minutami williego pimpa, ktory posiada wokale od kapitana wolowegoserca, z tego co pametam to chyba wszyscy muzycy ktorzy graja na tej plycie pracowali juz z Zappa w inwencyjnej mateczce, wiec ogranie juz bylo i zostalo skierowane w calkiem nowym kierunku, po satyrycznych plytach matkowcow tutaj mamy uczte instrumentalna, 9 minutowe traki gdzie Franek imponuje swoimi gitarkowymi skilsami, czy drumuje niczym tysiacreki siwa, ale jednak nie to stanowi o tym, ze albumik jest tak dobry jak jest, bo jest, a to z powodu dopieszczenia kazdego dzwieku jaki mozna uslyszec, jest to jeden z pierwszych albumow nagrany na 16 trakowej, podobno wlasnorecznie zorganizowanej przez Zappe, maszynie rikordujacej, co daje mozliwosci intensywnego overdubowania co od razu slychac zwlaszcza na takich trakach jak willie the pimp, gdzie wokale instrumentale i dodatkowe efekty blyszcza, na plejce mam juz wlasnie williego, wiec dorzuce tylko peaches en regalia, czyli trak najbardziej kojarzony z ta plyta, nie tylko ze wzgledu, ze dosc radiowy czas jego trwania, ale tez jako opening definiuje, ze bedzie to albumik rokowo podobny, bo influencje jazzowe sa bardzo wyrazne, wiec muzyka fuzji i awangardy jak by to okreslili na diszczogu
Crazy stuff
great album! a great psychedelic jazz album that i will definitely listen to again! 4.2*
Pretty Dope 1 good song with lyrics
Interesante, instrumental. No llega a ser demasiado psicodélico.
love these tunes, jazz influenced, alternative rock I believe.
Always a great listen.
Loooved the instrumentation on this record. Glorious!
so up until now, I've never listened to much of Frank Zappa's work, but man, that album was nuts. it just felt like a jam session on a plethora of drugs, but in the best way possible. I'm definitely adding this album to my work playlist.
The genre is definitely some kind of Jazz rock fusion. It sounds really nice the way it was laid out into long ballads. The soul and emotion from this album were quit incredible.
I mostly liked it. Less than half of my play through I got annoyed at how long or weird a song was. It was mostly pretty enjoyable and would definitely listen to it again.
Funny how Frank's weird personality comes through even in instrumentals. Not surprised to read that Captain Beefheart was involved with this one. Could hear the Beefheart influence on Tom Waits especially in "Willie the Pimp." I enjoyed this album, but I do wonder given FZ's vast discography whether this deserved to be on the list. Still, 3.5 rounded to 4 for me.
I’ve always had reservations about Zappa. This was a really groovy album. But I’m still not sold on some of his other works.
crazy rhythms n sounds. zappa at it again
A sonic treat to the ears... there is so much going on at any point of this mostly instrumental album that it is hard to unpack on a single listen.
Most enjoyable Zappa album to date. Perhaps I should explore more of his earlier stuff.
A pretty cool fusion album, some weird parts but overall really enjoyed it.
Veel beter als verwacht, echt een virtuoos
Hilarious and brilliant
this entire album is just one massive shredfest. and that's pretty cool. energetic old school rock instrumental. jazz blues feel in a few songs. not many words, but not many needed.
Some killer extended jams in here. Very raw sound but also very well arranged. Haven't listened to much Zappa but this shows me that I should
jesus, what a carnival. send me into the ether with this on the stereo. fav track: willie the pimp
It's very interesting, it has some great sounds, but I didn't really like listening to it. I think it might have been because I was working during it, if it is supposed to be like Frank himself says, a movie for your ears, then it's probably best to pay attention to what is being played. Having it in the background in a party would probably be pretty good.
Some good sounds
Zappa is so fun. Such a talented musician. I really enjoyed this one.
cool instrumental album, had some good fun listening
Like it
Tja, det Frank Zappa. Peaches en regilia dog, meget lækkert
Not at all what I expected but sill very good
Patchouliiiii
Zappa at its most digestible
4/5. Jammy jazz-rock with lots of emotion and cacophonous solos from my different instruments. Great working music, but too wild for it to be universally liked.
Overall, I really dug this album and I think it's a good album to have on in the background while vibing. Peaches en Regalia was definitely my favorite and I really want to find the perfect playlist to put it on.
Jazz fusion and not what I expected from my preconceptions of Zappa
It's a masterpiece, but not for everyday listening.
Some incredible jams. Just Frank Zappa doing Frank Zappa things. Best track: Willie the Pimp
This was the first Zappa album I listened to in HS. Willie the Pimp is underrated and Peaches En Regalia still slaps
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
No fav song
Rats were indeed hot. Interesting stinky jazz type vibe
Some nice guitar-work and some nice jazz-rock pieces on. But sometimes a bit weird. Weak three stars. 2,5
Listened
There were some fun tunes in here, but it the jamming gets pretty stale after a while.
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.
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.
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.
I like the jazz influence, but I don’t think it would ever make my regular rotation.
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 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.
5.2
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.
So good. Changes genres just about every song but continues to kill it on every song in the guitar department.
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.
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.
Amazed at how much I didn't hate this, given the experience of listening to a Mothers of Invention album previously.
Liked the first two tracks. Most of the others were okay. The penultimate track was too jarring
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.
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.
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
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.