Reviews (page 7 of 14)
really nice grooves i thought i would like this more but maybe im not gonna force myself to rate it higher
Not for me. Would not buy.
Sounds like the beginning of psychedelia. Pretty good listen. Probably better with an edible
Didn't really like the vocals in the second song Did not like the 12 minute song Liked Peaches en Regalia Very groovy vibes, lots of tangy guitar
Easy 5 out of 5. Strong start with Peaches en Regalia and it doesn't let up until the very end.
Seminal Jazz fusion.
Not what I expected from Zappa. Much more instrumental.
Pretty much just 40 minutes of Zappa going crazy on the guitar and it slaps
Jamz
Hmmm, kind of liked it.
I should have liked this more I think?
Enjoyed this a lot, very jazzy, also a surprisingly good running album
Perezon
"Tryna buy some pussy with a third party check." Kind of sums up the entire album, I like to imagine that this was someone's uncle and this went HARD for the late 60's to early 70's pipeline. But that check has bounced and some bits are just funny.
Absolute banger
Anyway, Hot Rats is pretty good for a Frank Zappa album. Frank not providing any vocals automatically bumps it a star or two. "Peaches en Regalia" and "Willie the Pimp" are the standouts for me, with Captain Beefheart swooping in to save the day on the latter. 3.5 stars.
3.5
This, *Apostrophe (')*, and *Over-Night Sensation* have historically been the only Frank Zappa studio albums I've really enjoyed thoroughly. All at solid 4½ star ratings. This one is probably my favorite and I think it is probably because it is mostly instrumental. His lyrics get really silly. I appreciate them but I'm at a slight arm's length at them, but I don't think that they're bad at all. In fact there are songs on both *Apostrophe (')*and *Overnight Sensation* that I can see where *Weird Al* gets his influence. But still it's lo e reading a comic book for insight. I do need to get this on LP because it is honestly just a great jam all the way through. Whether it is bizarro psychedelic to its Jazz/Rock fueled moments, I find myself eating this up.(9.55) ★★★★½
The most I have ever enjoyed Zappa, but he has a limit. 3.5 stars
Hot Rats is pretty good for a Frank Zappa album. Frank not providing any vocals automatically bumps it a star or two. "Peaches en Regalia" and "Willie the Pimp" are the standouts for me, with Captain Beefheart swooping in to save the day on the latter. 3.5 stars.
3.5
Hot stuff. Zappa has done several dozen brilliant albums but this one is particularly top drawer. It rocks. It stomps. It jazzes. It goes bluesy goosey. It proms harder than the proms in its own freaky way. A forward thinking wide-scoped fusion masterpiece with genius monster musicianship throughout. 5 rats out of 5.
Mostly instrumental.
Groovy. First time with Zappa, and I loved this.
Zappa, man! I feel like I’m not the target demographic for this tbh
Wild, but that last track totally lost me.
It’s unlikely I’ll ever have the energy to listen to t something this fast paced, but if I ever do, this will be where I go.
The first song started and I figured this album was going to be a hot mess. But then it got better for a few of songs until that horrible screechy sax started. So my initial instinct was correct, this is a hot mess.
Ich hatte keine Ahnung was mich erwartet. Hat mich dann sehr überrascht etwas ähnliches wie Jazzrock zu hören. Es hat mich jedenfalls an Brand X, J-L Ponty, Mahavishnu Orchestra erinnert. Spannend.
Complex and hard to access but also listenable. Great guitar tones. Out there instruments. Willie The Pimp is silly. The musicianship is top notch but I don't know who this is for other than music students.
Well its interesting, I'll give it that. Would not listen, once is more than enough, but not an awful listen either.
Why didn’t someone tell me I love Frank Zappa? Fantastic album start to finish. All the stars.
Love it
Not bad, but not my personal liking.
Albums like this is why I started this project. I knew virtually nothing about Frank Zappa beyond my father’s opinion growing up that he was a no good, drug-addled, unproductive, rabble-rousing troublemaker hippie. Consequently, I knew even less about his music and had no idea what to expect this morning. What a delightful surprise. The arrangements don’t appear terribly technical, skilled, or complex playing but the free flowing, jam-session vibe really works for me. Willie the Pimp is a real banger. In fact the first 3 songs are really good. The last 3 not as much - I like the funk of Gumbo but the horn becomes too much. On first listen I decided ‘it’s probably a 3 but I’ll give it a 4 to ensure I come back later.’ On second listen I concluded solid 4, no doubt. Thanks dad. 4/5
At times, 5 stars. Others, 1. I don’t know where to rate this.
This is the worst blues album I have ever heard.
Wouw.. more weird than actually good
Very haphazard and long form songs. Sound very of the time but not my style
First time ever listening to Zappa by choice. Mainly bc I never wanted to be one of those Zappa guys who swears by everything he does and can't go two minutes without mentioning his name. On one hand, Peaches En Regalia is one of the greatest pieces of music I have ever heard and I loved every second of it. On the other, I was 6 minutes into Gumbo Variations before I started to enjoy it and then it just kept fucking going. So idk, its massively excessive and wanky, but somewhat captivating and well put together? I don't know if I can give it a 4 as an album but there is a lot here I like. Will probably find my way back to it at some point in the near future.
Needless fiddly wankery. Peaches en Regalia (6/10) Willie the Pimp (6/10) Son of Mr. Green Genes (5/10) Little Umbrellas (5/10) The Gumbo Variations (3/10) It Must be a Camel (3/10) 4.7/10
Jazzy, Jammy, Instrumental, Flowing, congruent. Don’t know where one song ends and another begins.
Monotonic
Frank Zappa as a public figure was interesting. This album, not so much.
Ett par höjdpunkter och allmänt en härlig vibe. Weird men välgjort!
Det här var inte så spännade
Bra för instrumentellt
I didn't mind this album too much, but I know it won't stick with me. I'm not he biggest fan of instrumentals, which this album *almost* entirely is, but I see the appeal. The best song was the opener, so it was a downhill ride for me. I asked Beau if he's ever listening to Zappa, and his response was, "I don't mind him. Kinda weird though." Which got me excited for something interesting and this doesn't deliver. Favorite song: Peaches En Regalia
Surprisingly I enjoyed this.
I love Zappa - this is not his best album (that would be apostrophe, one size fits all or over-nite sensation for me) but still has to be five stars. I can see why this is on the list with peaches on it but would have liked to have seen some more albums on the list.
Peaches En Regalia 4 Willie the Pimp 4.4 Son of Mr. Green Genes 4.3 Little Umbrellas 4 The Gumbo Variations 4 It Must Be a Camel 4 Score: 4.116666667
Instrumental jazz with weird lipstick.
This was a really fun record. Glad I listened. Grooved all the way through my commute.
This ain't music.
Meh
Great playing. Some jams get boring after a while.
Really enjoyed listening to this album for the first time.
I didn't really enjoy this. the first few songs were nice and polished, but at some point it stops being music and starts being noise. it wasn't bad but I wouldn't seek it out
Yeah good, Willie the pimp stand out. Had heard the odd Zappa song here and there but nice to get into an album. Definitely would recommend
Ну че ебать Фрэнк Заппа он зе морнинг из deep purple круто ниче не сказать
This is a half decent album. There are a lot of long instrumental pieces which were not bad, but carried out too long for sure for some of them. On the other hand there are some instrumental pieces that were epic! ("Peaches En Regalia") It has also popped in my heat whenever there was singing that it is so Beetlejuice core.
Not my pale of bobbing apples. Gave it a go but failed to capture me.
Not my jug of juice.
Nein von mir
This album made me feel physically ill. The guy can clearly play instruments well but why is he using is talents for evil?
Not for me.
I probably like this more than most people. Pretty groovy and weird. Made me wanna burn one which is funny considering how zappa felt about drug use. Got a little long by the end
Enjoyable through and through. Though I can't remember a lot about it hours after listening to it, when I did have it on, I was always hearing something grand. A well-blended mix of jazz and psychedelic composition. (8/10, 5/5 on this scale)
I liked this more than I liked The Mothers Of Invention albums we've had. I don't think I'd listen again but there were songs on it that I enjoyed. It was experimental without being as weird as the Mothers songs. I thought a lot of the songs went on too long though. Some of them I enjoyed at the start but I had either gotten bored by the end or it had moved to a place I didn't like as much. Fav song: Peaches En Regalia Least fav: It Must Be A Camel
Feels like something someone looking like frank Zappa would make. Sounded like someone who thinks they’re in flow state composing in a tv show but then it cuts to reality and they’re doing shit. I like Willie the pimp though Specific rating - 1.9 Fav song - willie the pimp Least fav - it must be a camel
Without giving it much thought I would’ve landed on a 3. But i just found myself grooving and I know Tim would give it a 5, so I’ll go with 4.
I may not listen to much jazz, but this was an experience, and I dug it. My Dad fucking loved Zappa, so extra points for him. It was groovin, it was jazzin, it was rock n roll. I can picture my Dad with his eyes closed, smile on his face, arms out, moving to this. What a time. Hell yeah.
I'm halfway through this and inst-rating 5 stars. I've heard Peaches before and really loving this so far.
My son called this album a "fever dream." He's not far off. This is a wild album. 5 stars.
Jam seshhhhhh
One time some people said to me that this music sucks, so I lined them all up & clonked their heads together like coconuts
Reminds me how much blues influenced rock.
Better than I expected. Still pretty kooky though :)
Pretty cool but not sure I'd listen again
♫ Listening to "The Gumbo Variations" by Frank Zappa (Hot Rats, 1969) ♫
banggggerr
he cooked
best Zappa
OH GOD IT'S SOOO GOOD. 9/10. I LOVE THIS. "Peaches en Regalia" sounds like a theme from a TV series you used to watch as a kid. There is something nostalgic yet optimistic about this whole project . First track lands at the top 20 of my favourite songs for sureeee
First listen for me and very much enjoyed. It's one I will need to return to so I can appreciate it more.
not too fun
Gotta give some love to Zappa - He's sometimes weird, often great, very talented.
Pretty wild ride, great musicianship in these winding tracks. You can always count on a Frank Zappa album to at least be interesting, and this one is no exception.
Not sure I like the instrument choices. The orchestration is strange and great as always
Still not really sure what I just listened to, but I enjoyed it.
Zank Frappa #hotratssummer
As a fellow untalented fake freak, I loved this. But fr, I've always been deterred by Zappa's apparently wacky sound and especially the vocals but this had some real cool instrumental grooves.
I have a lot lot lot of issues with frank zappa... primarily I think he's untalented and a fake freak (worst offence imaginable) but sometimes the stars align with him and something interesting comes through in his albums... anyways I know im being a bit pedantic and not explaining myself much but he sorta represents all the worst things about the hippie movement to me (i.e. he's racist, stupid and has nothing to say) but i also liked this album enough LOL so fuck it 4 stars
I know Frank Zappa from the PMRC hearings in 1985, but I have never listened to much of his music. This album has some very engaging jazz/blues fusion music that I really enjoyed listening to.
It's been a long time since I last listened to this. It's not bad. Kind of Acid Jazz, except Zappa hated drugs so not an appropriate descriptor. There's some great musicianship on display, but aside from the standout Willie The Pimp there's not a lot of memorable tunes.
Strange and intriguing jazz fusion. Haven’t heard much like this before. Refreshing and somewhat unsettling.
Elevator jazz
Not his best to me but still five
kind of Zappa's prog
Perfecto. Sonido estupendo, canciones largas... un sonido que incita a la psicodelia... líneas de bajo chulas, no quiero nada más.
This has character and I kind of like it but some of it just goes on too much for four stars. 3.5
This was not my normal jam but I really got into it. Would listen to more.
Funky
This greatly exceeded my expectations. The first two tracks absolutely whip, the first sort of struck me as pleasurable in the same way a Henry Mancini soundtrack is, and the second genuinely rocked, which is not something I expect in the jazz fusion world. The rest sort of wore on me and got pretty same-y, but overall a good listen and something that may enter the rotation as background/working music. Will probably check out other Zappa as a result, which is also contrary to my expectation.
Didn't finish it but enjoyed what I heard.
This is a very cool album. It mixes blues, rock, and jazz. This album is CRAZY! I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. This record changes second by second and I think it’s incredible how Zappa could fuse many different styles into one. This album is really cool!
Jazzy psychedelia is not my general vibe, but this hit me at the right moment to enjoy it. 3⭐️
Love it
Better than a lot of his stuff
Interesting album. Don't have too much to say about it. Overall enjoyed the fairly experimental sounds of the album. Sections really reminded my of the Ocarina of Time OST. Perhaps it was the generous usage of woodwinds.
Rats off to ya!
Shit sandwich
Pretty interesting ablum.
Ehh, DIDNT really jell with it
Very cool album. My first time listening to Frank Zappa! I loved it.
Great musician.....horrible songs. I'm sure I just don't "get it"
Much better than 90% of other Zappa I have heard
I appreciate the music, but it's not my jam. 2/5
I really wish I could like this more. Just find it uninteresting, I don't know.
Great album. The highs are high, and when you think you've reached one peak you're surprised to find that you really had just got to the foot of the mountain.
Really impressed with the opening tracks, and find that Zappa succeeds here when I treat the record like the work of a composer who is using rock and prog instruments, instead of trying to fit his work into the idea of a band writing rock songs
Gosh this is so self indulgent. The songs are so long my word. Yes I get it, he's very talented, I don't disagree. But it just seems to go on and on. Five minutes is long enough. 45 minutes long and only 6 songs is crazy. Overall: 2/5
His most accessable album. My problem with Frank Zappa is that his guitar solos are often too long and often overstay their welcome. Even 5 minutes of noodling can get boring. I'll make an exception for Willie the Pimp because that's a fun jam track. I like of the sense of humor. It walks a fine line between not being serious and chin stroking pretention.
The rats are, in fact, hot
Zappa was a genius. Always an enjoyable listen.
Um dos melhores discos que já peguei aqui na lista. Álbum patrício. As composições aqui são brilhantes, surreais. É o tipo de disco que merece ser ouvido muitas e muitas vezes, dedicando total atenção, pois toda vez que você o roda, nota-se algo novo. Todos os músicos aqui em forma magistral. Verdadeiramente fantástico. 5/5
More Vocals would be welcome from Mr. Zappa, still a round thing. Every Song was good but The Gumbo Variations was my least likeable one. They was doing too much but it was still an interesting listen at least.
comfortable for rainy day
Another one I own a physical copy of. I love me some Frank Zappa. He is weird in all the best ways. Peaches in Regalia fucking rules. This album fucking rules. 4.5 ⭐️ because I have to be in a Zappa mood.
When I saw Zappa I was afraid we were in for some avant garde bullshit that I wouldn't get....but this album rips. Psychedelic bluesy jazz fusion is everything I didn't know I needed. 4.5 stars.
Talent, but not my jam
Album raro pero ta bien
I was expecting something much different than this
Probably the only jam band (or jam album, I dunno...) that I'll ever really enjoy. This is another one that hit me toward the end of undergrad and it was the right time and the right place for stuff like this. Peaches in Regalia is an all time favorite.
Very experimental, very jazzy, very avant garde. I’m sure this blew peoples minds back in the day. I’m giving it a solid 3 because I respect it and respect Zappa for being different.
it’s no Tiddies & Beer or Why Does It Hurt When I Pee? but it is a work of art
Oh to be a fly on the dirty ass wall of whatever drug den this album was created in
It wasn’t bad, I just didn’t like the style
Some of this was just grating. Other parts were really good.
Fuck. Another masterpiece!!!! 5 *'s
Not as crazy as I was expecting. Actually kinda boring and inoffensive but I didn’t mind it. Played it in the background while I scrolled my phone.
Willie the Pimp has been one of my favorite songs for years, not sure how I came across it. Might have been a Spotify mix. But I love the gritty blues vocals from Captain Beefheart not to mention the epic guitar solo afterwards. That being said, I have tried other Frank Zappa stuff in the past and I just do not like it. There is something special about Willie the Pimp though. So I saw this album show up, which I have not bothered to listen to outside of the song Willie the Pimp and thought I'd give Frank Zappa another try. I listened to this album and I could do without all of it but Willie the Pimp, such an incredibly awesome song! I am torn as to what to rate this album, it will be heavily weighted because of the song I mentioned before, Willie the Pimp. I mean I am almost considering giving this album a 4 because of this one song. Hot meat, hot rats Hot cats, hot zits
Niet gelusiterd
Wasn't bad but a bit monotonous.
Hot Rats is a surreal ride—a psychedelic rock-and-roll circus shaped by a wide range of influences. You can hear traces of rock, blues, jazz, classical, even beat vibes…all filtered through Zappa’s unmistakable avant-garde lens. What’s most striking is how purely he leans into artistic freedom. Unfiltered, fearless, and entirely nonconformist. A subtle genius, really. Cheers to doing it all his own way.
Despite my best intentions to investigate the work of this zany genius over the years, all I can recall on the spot about Zappa are his novelty tracks "Bobby Brown (Goes Down)" and "Valley Girl"; the latter I no doubt heard on Dr. Demento's show when I was a kid. So here I am finally listening to this funky as hell record I've been seeing in used vinyl bins my whole life, (and just as long loving the cover art with its rad juicy weirdo photo and perfectly kerned Helvetica typeface). And what can I say? I AM GROOVIN' ON THE FREAK SCENE, MANNNN. It's not hard to be transported to the mindset of peak far-out, wig-flipping, hairy jam-out weirdness from when this dropped in '69. But what is also remarkable is to hear the 1:1 influence this has had on modern stuff like Animal Collective, Ween, and King Gizzard. The musicianship is stellar and the compositions are engaging. Definitely of a time and of a place. (It's probably also had an influence on 90s hippie jam bands I can't stand, but you can't win 'em all.) The album ends on a great free jazz skronk-fest, which is fun and chaotic and reminiscent of the stuff I used to do with a band I was in. I probably should have gotten into this more when I was younger and a little more adventurous, but hell , I'll take it at any age. After all, "when the going gets weird, the weird go pro." - Frank Zappa
First time really listening to Frank Zappa. He sounds like the musical representation of Tom Robbins. I like the experimentation and jazz influence, but probably not something I'd listen to every day.
Great album, fantastic guitar work
I normally find these albums that are “weird for the sake of weird” to be obnoxious, annoying, and off-putting. In a strange turn of events I found this album oddly charming, and almost delightful. I have to say I enjoyed the instrumental tracks on this record a lot more than the ones containing vocals. I really did not care for the vocal style used here at all. As for the instrumental tracks, there was really a lot to like here, you can tell it was recorded with relatively rudimentary equipment, but that almost adds to the funky charm of Hot Rats. This isn’t something I’d actively seek out to listen to, but I certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came on. 3*
In Zappa’s earlier work with Mothers of Invention, like ‘We’re Only In It For the Money’ which we previously reviewed, the listener kinda gets the impression that they’re on the outside of an inside joke about what is music, anyway? It feels strangely nihilistic, as if to say music is dead and we’re dancing on its grave. We’re reanimating its corpse in a grotesque way and we’re laughing at those who find it in poor taste. In this solo effort, I get no impression that Zappa is anything but sincere — this is music for music’s sake, and it makes it clear that the anti-music from Mothers of Invention was being driven by someone with a lot of musical intelligence and intuition. And Zappa is very much in charge on this album: in addition to playing guitar, bass and percussion, he is also credited as writer and arranger of all songs on the album and the album’s producer. The opening track, “Peaches en Regalia”, is a fantastic track, a fantastic opener, and I wish it were longer. I found this to be a theme throughout the album — my favorite tracks tended to be the shortest. “Little Umbrellas” and “It Must Be A Camel” are both around or under five minutes, and were both two other favorites from this album. That is probably my biggest complaint with this album—it spends too little time one really cool, jazzy, intricate songs like those and some parts of “The Gumbo Variations”, and more on blues rock extended jams like “Willie the Pimp” and most “Son of Mr. Green Genes” that I found to be slightly less creative although not unenjoyable to listen to. Overall, this album is just really fun to listen to and will catch your attention at several points in each song. Not your typical guitar album; high replay value. Strong 8/10 Playlist pick: “Peaches en Regalia”
8 minutes of enjoyment and 33 minutes of a jazz fart.
I’ve never listened to much Frank Zappa but I knew this album would be pretty out there. It was a strange mix of different genres but I didn’t mind it. I gotta stop doing these reviews days after listening because I forget half the album… anyway this was good!
me estresa que sea casi todo instrumental perooo, las partecitas que escuche no estaban mal. not my cup of tea.
Interesting music.
High point: Willie the Pimp! I could listen to this kind of jamming forever. No wonder Trey is such a fan.
Imagine ween were self-serious pricks
Not for me.
I know Zappa is a little “out there” this was a struggle. I like Joes Garage but won’t be revisiting this in the future I don’t think.
Really enjoyed this. It’s a musical soundscape with some great tracks
Quite liked this one. Willie the Pimp was a real highlight. And the Gumbo Variations was also a good listen. Perhaps dips slightly in places after a great start but overall a surprisingly nice listen this morning.
I loved the first two tracks and the bold enthusiastic style of this album. Let down by the last two tracks that just went too far with the sax.
Shit jazz prog noodling vs great Zappa psych guitar solos. Fight! It’s a fun album, but only half of it works for me. Willie the Pimp (which always sounds to me like Fairport Convention on acid) and The Gumbo Variations are the standout tracks. The jazzier stuff just ain’t my bag.
Some good tunes by Zappa
Real hard and real groovy. Crazy that this came out in 1969. Bitches Brew but rock.
Maybe this could grow on me but not after one listen. Not massively compelled to revisit.
Not my fave, sorry Frank!
I’m generally hot and cold on Zappa. Some stuff is just too weird for me. This is pretty decent for most of it. The Zappa documentary from 2020, aptly named “Zappa”, is fascinating.
Pretty fun
I never really got into Zappa. This is a mostly instrumental album, very bluesy, not too jazzy. A fun listen. Don’t know enough about Zappa to say if it’s a definitive piece though.
- J’ai pas encore commencé l’écoute, mais ma première impression est que je vais aimer ça ! Enfin un album qui est dans mes cordes. - Très fort ! J'ai adoré ! Rien à redire ! Enfin de la bonne musique ! - Frank a fait d’autres albums dans le même genre : Waka/Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo et Sleep Dirt (à écouter !) - Plus d’albums comme celui-ci, SVP !
Good I like Willie the pimp and the gumbo variations
My favorite Zappa record. Perfectly off-kilter, heavy, melodic, and weird. Five of six tracks are instrumental. Although his comical lyrics and non-sequiturs are integral to the Zappa sound, he was first and foremost a composer of unique melodies and wild soundscapes. Zappa's early-career talents are on full display on this record. "Peaches En Regalia" is one of his fullest, catchiest compositions. "Willie the Pimp" is the only track with lyrics (Captain Beefheart) and features some of my favorite guitar playing. "Son Of Mr. Green Genes" is a mash-up of the first two to close out the first side. "Little Umbrellas" is a breather which eases you into the second side of the record. "The Gumbo Variations" is controlled chaos with dueling sax and fiddle (or is it some effect on the guitar? idk) "It Must Be A Camel" brings it all home with wonderfully jazzy motifs from a different planet. It's not a perfect album, but it is immensely enjoyable and I haven't tired of listening to it over the years.
Hippie experience. Discordant but expert instrumentation.
8.5/10. Frank Zappa was one of the most-brilliant musicians to ever live. I don't really know why I listen to him so rarely. This is a really cool jazz album!
Mostly instrumental. I see why this is on the list - interesting layering of different sounds. I think this could be good background listening grooving music for me.
I did not enjoy the singing, but everything else was surprisingly good! I guess I judged the album by it's cover
BAZINGA! A solid five stars for this one. One of my favourite albums of all time.
Groovy
Very cool.
I didn’t need to listen to this. I know it well. It’s a fascinating blend of improvisation, composition and production. Peaches en Regalia is an all time classic. It Must be a Camel was my under appreciated gem this time.
Well that was better than the last Zappa related album (in it for the money) I had to sit through, though that’s not difficult as that was some of the worst shit I have heard so far. This is a solid blues jazzy rock record from the late sixties. After a few listens Could definitely listen to it again without prejudice as a piece of music, if I can try not to get bogged down in the mythos of Zappa. 3 Star.
A classic!!
Great instrumental album, first time I've really heard something from Zappa and it didn't dissappoint
I own Freak out by the Mothers of Invention, so I was looking forward to this one. Very surprised to find out it was an instrumental album (with the exception of Willie the Pimp). Gotta admit loved it. No track really stood out but you can't deny the musicianship. Not too messy and unstructured but just enough improvisation to keep you listening. Nice
I was pleasantly surprised with how chill this album was. No real bops but definitely a lot of jams. Does that make sense? To me it does.
Don't know what I expected. This wasn't it.
h: peaches en regalia
Kinda weird. In a good way. I like the bluesyness on some of the tracks but I would prefer more shorter tracks rather than so few 9 min tracks.
This album is fascinating, and I’m not sure what to make of it. His jazz sensibilities are excellent, though I hate the other accoutrements and psychedelic components.
Now I thought I knew what Frank Zappa sounds like - guess I need to listen to other Frank’ albums if there are some more like this. Really enjoyed the mostly instrumental songs. Standouts were "Willie the Pimp", "Son of Mr. Green Genes” and "The Gumbo Variations".
When Zappa doesn’t have some kind of intellectual axe to grind he is much more interesting. Add in Sugarcane Harris and you have something pretty marvelous.
Rock instrumentals that sound fresh even after all these years. Favorite track: the gumbo variations other picks: peaches en regalia, willie the pimp,
funky!
Interesting album for sure. This album feels like it should be impromptu jazz. It's not my flavor but it's definitely somebody else's
awesome! Very creative, ahead of its time.
Do you have to be on psychedelics to enjoy psychedelic rock?
5/10 Backgroundly unremarkable. 5-30-2025
Probably my favorite jazz album I’ve heard to date, very fun and vibrant sounding album. Could hear a lot of personality in his instrumentation and it sounded great. Favorite Track: Son Of Mr. Green Genes.
This album rocked. One of those 1960’s releases where I can see the DNA path lines to like 20 different bands in the contemporary. The genre shifting within tracks was rad as hell. I think the entire experience was probably enhanced by the fact that I was running around town to grab light beers. Jazzier tracks were a bigger hit for me (Little Umbrellas / Peaches) but there’s something to enjoy in each of the 7+ min tracks lol.
Straight up jammin'. Comes really close to 'jazz' while staying pretty solidly in 'rock' groove. Varied instrumentation and interesting sounds and production techniques. The harshness of the violin in The Gumbo Variations (and the ridiculousness of the vocals in "Willie the Pimp") holds this back from a 4.
Unexpectedly vibed with it. I felt like it was the soundtrack to an old crank hoarder as he went about his scruffy life, being cantankerous.
too silly
-ehh it sounded weird sorta eerie and not my thing
guitar is fire
Incredible album. First time listening to Zappa and I am not disappointed. The freedom of each note played, the pure madness of the guitar and sax solos, how each song has its own feel and identity. Will be coming back to it for sure. 8,5/10 fav songs : Peaches in Regalia & The Gumbo Variations
I prefer some of his stuff with lyrics like "A Ship Arriving Too Late to Save A Drowning Witch". This was nice, but I don't think that I'll listen to it again any time soon.
This was not what I expected, in a good way. I had associated Frank Zappa with offbeat experimentally weird music, which this is, but it also had skill (I didn't know he was a renowned guitarist!), jazz/classical elements, and was approachable. I spent some time trying to figure out which song the beginning of Little Umbrellas reminded me of. Not Swan Lake, but something like that? Especially liked Gumbo Variations and Willie The Pimp
Not what I was expecting. More jazz rock than anything else?
Didn't really know what to expect, but it wasn't this. Appreciate his talent, but as an album it seems to be just a bunch of jams that were thrown together.
This was fine. Probably my favorite of the albums I've gotten so far that are largely (if not entirely) instrumental. I just didn't love how long and meandering they felt, but the instrumentality is impressive. It's completely middle of the road for me though
𝘏𝘰𝘵 𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘴 is what happens when Frank Zappa decides to behave — at least a little. Stripped of most of his trademark absurdism (minus a dash of Beefheart chaos and some delightfully odd titles), this album dives deep into jazz-rock fusion with surprising accessibility. Tracks like 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 don’t just groove — they glide, twist, and sparkle. It’s experimental, yes, but with enough structure to welcome even the Zappa-curious. A wild ride, but one with seatbelts.
This is the 121st album I’m rating. I hear this one is much better than We're Only in it for the Money. Adding to my Playlist - Peaches en Regalia, Willie the Pimp, Son of Mr. Green Genes, Little Umbrellas, The Gumbo Variations, and It Must be a Camel. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. All in all I liked 6/6 songs. Much better than the other album. This is great and some of the best jazz I've heard. Probably the 3rd best jazz album I've heard in my life behind.
Much better than 'We're Only in it for the Money' while Hot Rats at times feels like the joke's on you it never feels like one big joke as 'We're Only in it for the Money' did however well played and bursting with creativity that joke on wax was. Hot Rats is well edited and sometimes I think that's the big factor in evaluating if a Zappa album is great or a done in one listen. 'We're Only in it for the Money' felt like Zappa just pressed record & went batshit crazy. This jazzy cosmic rock of an album is largely instrumental (Captain Beefheart does vocals on Willie the Pimp) and benefits greatly from not having Zappa's at times idiotic vocals crapping all over the music. Sometimes less Zappa is more.
Interesting. Hardly any vocals. Time changes, tempo changes, it's a fun jam album
Damn, I didn't know Zappa was chill like that. It feels like a 43 minute long guitar solo, and I say that with every ounce of appreciation in my heart. Damn good funk.
Each of these songs take a while to get going but hot damn are the jams tasty. Put it on half-burnt toast by adding violin solo's and sell it.
Vrhunski album! Baš baš dobar. Dugo vremena sam mislila da ne mogu slušati Zappu, ali eto očito je Tihin utjecaj ostavio traga 🤣 baš sam guštala! 4/5, 8.5/10
Highlights: Peaches en Regalia, Son of Mr Green Genes In a nutshell: hot jams This goes down smoothly compared to the Mothers of Invention album "We're Only In It For The Money" I had a few weeks ago. More prog blues and jazz fusion tunes than avant garde rock here. Also, Frank looks like a stoned clown peering out of the empty pool on the album cover. And if you go to the official YouTube playlist, some tracks have this creep playing peekaboo to the music. Overall: 7/10
Awesome
I was born to a Zappa track: The Torture Never Stops Hot Rats is a much more accessible but even more satisfying collection of sounds - vivid and cinematic. The studio isn't so much an instrument as another musician. Tasty and tasteful playing all over the place! Favourite tracks: Willie the Pimp, The Gumbo Variations
He sure do guitar.
Great vibes, would be cool to see live for sure. It does become noise at times when it feels like a jam by great players. Like im not listening to songs im hearing people go ham. And thats cool in its own ways
spunky, and i feel like this would be so enjoyable to listen to under any influence. def need to listen to more
I respect Zappa and all, but I’m not a huge fan of long, meandering jam tracks.
Very sophisticated jazzy jams. Some jarring moment prevent a top score. “Gumbo” and “Green Genes” were favorites.
I love Peaches En Regalia, and the next couple were good. But the last 2 or 3 seem suspiciously like jazz. And that didn't sit right with me. 3.5* rounding up for Peaches.
Hell yeah.
drei bis vier
Good Album. First time listening to Zappa. I would listen again!
Real good. Peaches en regalia will always be one of my fav pieces of art ever it is absolutely perfect. Some of the Jams get a tad boring but green genes is soooo sick
want to give this a 5 but i also don't like long songs.... it'll be a true 4.5
Delightfully weird and funky jazzy surreal. Obviously lets a number of genres into his soul.
i'm giving 4 stars to an instrumental jazzy vibes album who am i
Great album. Shows off Zappos musical talents.
Solid
This was cool
A nice surprise. I expected this to be very experimental, and although it was experimental, it was quite accesible. Solid musical basis, with good and extensive soloing.
Man I know who Frank Zappa is but man what a crazy album! Lol I've never actually listened to one of his albums but it was different! Not necessarily bad but different!
I saw the artist and rolled my eyes. I regret that. This was amazingly good.
Interesting use of the instruments! I liked it.
Niin että instrumentaalilevykö tämä olikin? Oli kyl parempi mitä se mothers of inventor vai mikä olikaan. Kuunneltavaa kai kuitenkin.
ok
I’m conflicted on this. It’s alternating between psychedelic (meh) and Ornette Coleman influenced Acid Jazz (sign me the fuck up) So I guess a three?
This will be the first time I’ve listened to an entire Zappa album. I know some of his songs from radio play but he’s otherwise been off my radar. It was an interesting blend of rock, fusion, and even a just plain weird. Some of it dragged out a little too long, but overall, I enjoyed listening.
My favorite Zappa studio album. Peaches en Regalia is one of the best instrumentals ever set to record.
It was ok, I'm guessing there are some other Zappa albums to come
Really not my style.
https://rateyourmusic.com/music-review/JesseOverPessi/frank-zappa/hot-rats/256004839
kinda cool
Not my thing, but I can imagine it working in the background at the right party in my youth. He is definitely talented. I made it all the way through, listening in the car on the way to work. It is a strong 1 star in that I somewhat enjoyed it but can't make it to 2 because I wouldn't give it a second listen or recommend it.
Enjoyed listening. Great guitar!
This is the kind of music I would pay to avoid.
I didn't know anything about Frank Zappa except that he was a hippie era guy who did A LOT of drugs. I went into it not really sure how I was going to like it, and honestly, I really enjoyed it. I don't know that I would listen to it with other people around or all that often, but it was worth the listen. It was definitely weird. The drummer had it going ON, and there was specific instrumentalist later that really hit it too.
70s porn soundtrack?
Another album of noise from zappa
Zappa can shred.
Не слишком привычная для моего слуха музыка, но послушать иногда можно, когда хочется чего-то необычного. 6 из 10.
Up and down
Good music, but boring and longgg. I don't mind all that much when i am in the mood for some instrumental. but thats not now 3/5
This was actually pretty good. 🤩
Very noodley
Good guitar man
Got this album rec from Willie The Pimp and he never steers me astray.
Not sure I understand
This is easily a top 5 Zappa record and the best of his more jazzy instrumental based work. This and Overnite Sensation are great intros to his stuff.
Hot Rats Used to be one of my favorites. It’s been a long time since I head this album. My dad was a big Zappa fan so I grew up with this one. Peaches en Regalia is a special one to me and has always been one of my favorite tunes. Didn’t know that Shuggy Otis played bass on Peaches. Willie the pimp and Gumbo variations is cool to hear Zappa’s take on the one chord jam. Zappas guitar playing is super unique- cool to hear how it evolved to the sound he had in the 80’s on GUITAR. Cool how the tempo is faster when the riff come back at the end of Willie. Gumbo gets to a strange place when it peaks. I like the how the rhythm section shapes and peaks and keeps things interesting through the long solos that can get pretty far out and textural. Cool jammy loose 60’s feel it’s a bit different from his 70’s and 80’s stuff. Little umbrellas is a cool tune with such a weird vibe, I like the upright and drum sounds. It must be a camel was my favorite this time (aside from peaches) really cool tension and release and works really well at the end of the album- the harmonic rhythm and more complex composed stuff is refreshing after gumbo variations.
I never really got into zappa. Not necessarily something i would listen to again but i enjoyed listening to it, was way more interesting than most on this list. 3 for me but 4 for the project
The horn players and drummer should be out of a job
All instrumental.
wow this is funky and i liked it
Stone cold classic
Holy crap. This is incredible. Here we have my final album on the list to prominently feature Frank Zappa. I've listened to both of the Mothers of Invention albums on the list and liked them both. Freak Out! especially was a highlight. But this solo album of his? Hot Rats? I'm speechless. This album is a genuine masterpiece. Unlike the Mothers albums on the list, which take more of a full-on avant-garde approach to music, Hot Rats shows strong musical sensibilities through its stellar jazz-fusion compositions. The Mothers albums on the list focus more on their lyrical themes, supplementing them with avant-garde compositions that aren't the easiest on the ears. Hot Rats is still a fairly unconventional album, but in a different way that appeals to me even more personally. You see, Hot Rats is mostly instrumental, so there really can't be a focus on satire like the Mothers albums. Instead, Hot Rats shows off compositions that are full of musical talent that is used in crazy ways. The jazz-fusion style is the kind of thing that I just adore. Zappa's guitar solos are stunning in their own right, but they're heightened even more by the additional instrumentation. All 6 songs on the album captivated me entirely. The one song with vocals, "Willie the Pimp" is pretty cool. It features Captain Beefheart on vocals, which is good because I need a primer for the inevitability that is my first time listening to Trout Mask Replica, whenever that ends up being. I don't know what to say. Hot Rats is peak music. It really just speaks for itself. 5/5.
Muzicaal en experimenteel, niet super vibey
Well, this sure makes me regret not listening to Frank Zappa earlier in life. Amazing record. Rocking, progressive, and jazzy in equal measure. Experimental in sensibility, but listenable and irresistible as hell. I have to hand it to all the old rock bores who go on about Zappa being on his own level... Maybe they had it right this one time. 5*
Impressive? Yes. Good? Not sure. In parts it is brilliant.
not my thing
Not my thing.
This album made me grow a mustache I can’t remove.
Zappa, especially + Beefheart, is where so much prog rock wanted to go but never could, too bogged down by pretensions, whereas the former, at least on this record, is all about substance and the goods. Few rock/blues artists can take a turn into European classical form w/o either being utterly overwrought or feebly intellectual, but Zappa doesn't go there to be cool, or to learn precision or perfection, but b/c there's something there that has the potential to pop and swing. 'Willie The Pimp' defines a classic, the best instrumentals are 'Little Umbrellas' and 'The Gumbo Variations,' and the whole gestalt does have a cinematic quality (Zappa's design apparently). I only wish we got more Beefheart - I guess he's the ultimate draw for moi.
I really didn’t expect this First listen was in the car on a long journey. Ok but not really the environment to concentrate on a ‘new’ album. All I can recall about that listen is that there weren't many words. Which I thought was odd since my only real solid experience of FZ is “Joe’s Garage”, which is FULL of words. Second listen on headphones. This is what I imagine the Muppet Show band, y’know the one with Dr. Teeth, Zoot, Animal, Floyd, Lips and Janice would release if they made an album. An excellent accompished jam, with all sorts of unusual instrument sounds coming through. Really liked it. But I did miss the studenty lyrics. I think there are more FZ albums on the list I haven’t heard yet. I look forward to them.
experimental..ad hoc-ly. They created some tension and discomfort but didn’t give me the solution.. I felt lost sometimes.. I might need to pay extra attention to appreciate the album but I didn’t want to. I prefer lying in my bed to be pleased. I like that it still has some jazz gene.
I dug this on my commute to work today. It was interesting enough to keep me engaged, but also had some weird spots. I haven’t really listened to Zappa before but I would be excited for more.
First time ever listening to a Zappa album and I can’t say I fully understand the hype, but I do understand how he can mesmerize musicians. It was a little lengthy but the composition and instrumentation is so interesting that it doesn’t seem like a longer album. It was fun to sit back and have no idea where a song was going to take me. Can’t say I’ll be taking a deep dive into his discography, but I’m sure we’ll have more of his work in the future.
Jazz-Rock? Rock-Jazz? Not sure what to call it. If you like long meandering instrumentals then this is for you. I got bored about halfway through "Willie The Pimp" though. I feel bad giving this a low score because I do think it has it's merits. The songs aren't all the same which is tough on an instrumental album, but I get so bored with long electric guitar solos. The first and last songs are the more jazzy side that I like. I'm glad this is on the list, but I'm not going to go back and listen to it again.
Meh. Classic rock van de 60’s, ik ken het onderhand wel
Þetta var nú meiri steypan. Flottur gaur samt.
Of flóknar tilraunir fyrir mig.
what a guy. love the way he says hot rats. Would I listen again: sure Deserves to be on this list: yes 3.6
Pretty good music to just listen to, and watch the world go by 8/10
A total shock to me. I find Zappa a bit incoherent occasionally and this was a jam from start to finish.
Very good! I loved it. Listened to some of his other albums the rest of the day.
Some interesting sounds, but way too much jamming. Might be fun to play, but not listen to on an album.
It doesn't seem right to call an album featuring a Captain Beefheart vocal and three 9+ minute jams "accessible", and yet, contextually, this still may be the most accessible Zappa record I've heard. I don't know if it's my favorite of his, but it's definitely up there. I'm never personally bothered by the song lengths given a) the energy of the performances and b) their persistent movement. The musicianship is obviously top-notch across the board (shoutouts to Ian Underwood and Sugarcane Harris are certainly in order), but there's a certain rawness to it that isn't always on display in Zappa's music. Big fan. 4/5
nstrumentally, this is probably Frank Zappa's strongest release including everything he did with the Mother Of Invention.
The worst elements of free jazz and some of the worst elements of rock, combined into an album I don’t want to listen to.
this is the exact kind of album that made me want to do this challenge—it’s a record i’ve been meaning to listen to for ages and is constantly referenced and yet i’ve never actually sat down to listen to it. obviously i know who frank zappa is but i can honestly say i don’t think i’ve ever listened to a full song by him or the mothers of invention. so this is as good an excuse as any. even tho he had beef with the velvets. ok update i listened to it. well it’s kinda doing too much. but i think it’s still quite good. i doubt i’d listen to it in full again but i understand its relevance and importance to music history…still i’ll never forgive frank zappa for being a meanie bo beanie to sterling and the other members of the velvet underground. also RIP miss christine 💔 fav tracks: peaches en regalia; son of mr. green genes; it must be a camel
this was pretty cool!!! so interesting and impressive. it feels like all the insane guitar riffs and energy that i didn’t like about yesterday’s metallica album is channeled in a good way here. i just like that this sounds like a bunch of talented musicians going crazy together.
Enjoyable listen. Zappa’s music is so abstract it kind of creates a genre of its own.
A movie for your ears indeed. I really enjoyed a lot of this. Some of it was a bit over the top or left field, but that’s Zappa. Each song almost plays as its own soundtrack which depending on the setting can be a welcomed change.
Fun listen and nice grooves. The sax in gumbo variations went a lil off the rails for me but overall enjoyed it.