Reviews (page 9 of 13)
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
Maybe this could grow on me but not after one listen. Not massively compelled to revisit.
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.
Good I like Willie the pimp and the gumbo variations
Hippie experience. Discordant but expert instrumentation.
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.
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.
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.
h: peaches en regalia
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
5/10 Backgroundly unremarkable. 5-30-2025
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.
too silly
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.
Not what I was expecting. More jazz rock than anything else?
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
Interesting. Hardly any vocals. Time changes, tempo changes, it's a fun jam album
He sure do guitar.
I respect Zappa and all, but I’m not a huge fan of long, meandering jam tracks.
drei bis vier
Good Album. First time listening to Zappa. I would listen again!
Solid
Interesting use of the instruments! I liked it.
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.
It was ok, I'm guessing there are some other Zappa albums to come
https://rateyourmusic.com/music-review/JesseOverPessi/frank-zappa/hot-rats/256004839
kinda cool
Enjoyed listening. Great guitar!
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
Very noodley
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.
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.
The entire album didn't really hold together for me but I did very much enjoy the first two tracks. And for that reason I am rounding up. 3/5
Pretty good, enjoyed the listen. Didn't really ewoke any emotions so can't get too high. Listened to other Zappa stuff too and it was pretty good.
Fav: The Gumbo Variations
Enjoyed Willie the Pimp a lot - less so the sax assault in The Gumbo Variations. Some very funky moments - but then let down by some interludes that sound like incidental music from 70's TV shows.
There are elements of the album I really like, and the jazz feel with rock and country fiddle creates some great moments. Psychedelia is alive and well but does not subsume everything else. For the moments of clarity and excellence, there is a propensity to extend songs into wandering jams. It's not Grateful Dead messy, in fact it remains quite tight throughout, but those jams highlight a lack of not knowing what else to do with the songs. Where that's avoided i.e. 'Peaches En Regalia' it yields the finest results.
Enjoyable background music but probably won’t revisit. Nothing stood out other than Captain Beefheart singing on one song.
It was good. A bit chaotic but by design.
Fun guitar rock, no lyrics
Another Album that I've never listened to before, I did enjoy this, not what I was expecting. A great instrumental album. 3.5/5
Aight
Didn't like Willie the pimp, liked all the others somewhat, guitar has excellent tone and feels alive, interesting instrumentals, 3/5.
Truly never heard any of his stuff. Going to check this out. Very interesting Psychedelic. Cool stuff.
wow!! that was actually really fun! so it took me 50 yrs to fig out what all the fuss was about w Frank Zappa, I learned about him when I was like 13 and Valley Girl came out w Moon Unit : ) what a badass musician!! I'll bet he was super fun to hang out with, what creativity
Inspired jamming. Really enjoyed the creative and instrumentals. Frank should not sing LOL.
I am no fan of Frank Zappa. Maybe thats on me. Maybe I'm just too simple. Maybe he's too puerile. Maybe maybe maybe. I don't know. But what I do know is this album is actually listenable. And avoids silliness. And even when it wanders it still seems like there is some semblance of a plan. I enjoyed this as much as any Zappa related projects. Not sure it passes the "listen again" test. But maybe...
The king of weird. Peaches En Regalia is a great way to kick off the album, and is my favorite song on here. Zappa is a creature that stands alone in the world of music. I think many folks tried to imitate him, and that's okay in my opinion. Good album, but too short. 3.69.
Listened to more than I expected of this one. I dig the first few tracks.
3.4
3.0
I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Upon seeing that it was basically instrumental and some of the tracks ran close to or over 10 minutes I'm not sure what I expected. Definitely some weird sounds in there. Overall though, it was a good listen.
I knew of Frank Zappa, however, I was not familiar with his music. This was a pretty cool album. I hated the singing, I wish the whole thing was instrumental. Kind of reminds me of a really watered down King Crimson. Yeah I didn't know what to expect going into this, and the album art is really weird and doesn't really give a good image to the music at all. Nice Jazz-Rock fusion, right up my alley. However, not quite a 4 star album
I don’t know if Zappa is always instrumental but Hot Rats certainly is. Surprisingly it’s pretty good. I prefer Side A that is more rock and has more guitar. 6.7/10
Lots of noodling.
I think this is the highest I can possibly give a Zappa record given how much I cannot stand him. It feels like he's trying to make something earnest and not just using his talent to play class clown for once, which I appreciate. The problem with this is that the second half is a 4 or 5 and the first half (which is much more Zappa) is a 1 or 2. It alternates a lot between genuinely really good jazz fusion whatever the fuck but also rock and roll guitar solo wankery.
Never been into Zappa but quite intriguing.
every song. is so long. fun tho
Interesting sound, Some parts feel like being on psychedelics. The Gumbo Variations is my favorite track with the best use of electric guitar, the rhythm created pleases the soul
point6.
I was going to skip this one, Zappa being not my cup of tea. But I'm glad I listened. More fusion jazz, less middle school humor.
3.5 -- did enjoy
3 stars
I don’t listen to enough predominantly instrumental music to feel like I can give a worthwhile opinion on this. It was good and I’d listen again.
This certainly is an album that doesn’t get boring. Even the long ass instrumentals stayed interesting to listen to. But interesting is as far as I’ll go. There were some parts that just didn’t click with me and a lot was too chaotic, and I don’t think I’ll relisten to this again (I won’t put this on for fun, at least). However, this sounds way ahead of its time. So props to that I guess. 3/5
Was nervous after having The Mothers of Invention, but this was a pleasant listen. Some good moments.
5/10…jazz-instrumental-rock-fusion
Lots going on but not going anywhere.
Methodical with some nice sounds. Basically no vocals. I liked this but didn't love it. On the 3 side of a 3.5.
I'm grateful to have gotten this album, as Zappa has always been a pretty big gap in my musical knowledge. And I can tell there is a lot of interesting stuff going on musically here - the rock and jazz elements combine with an anarchic energy to make something that still feels fresh all these years later. That said, I don't think I have a refined enough ear or understanding of theory to really feel moved or hooked by much of this. More than anything, it probably comes down to huge sections of each song having a meandering and improvisational feel (as a lot of jazz does by design), and that's just not my taste. I can recognize the innovation and originality going on, but it just doesn't do a ton for me personally.
Weird as fuck. Every song is more than 8 minutes. What is wrong with him? He's dead. Thank god. Just kidding! I love Frank Zappa. Cool last name. Did you know they named a bacteria after him? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propionibacterium_acnes_type_zappae Anyways, this was nice and kind of jazzy. But I liked it better than the other jazz album you assholes made me listen to. I especially liked the first track, which was more short and sweet and had an interesting oriental edge. Hot Rats is good, but I would not listen to it much again. I like Don't Eat The Yellow Snow. Long Live Frank Zappa.
7/10. Probably one of them I needed to give a second listen to but didn't. First largely instrumental of the challenge and I definitely thought some of the stuff he did with the guitar was super cool and interesting but at other points he lost me or it felt quite generic, especially for an instrumental. Overall a cool, complete experience that keeps you on your toes.
Unexpected but cool? Don’t know if I’d go back to it
Never really got into Zappa. Liked the first 4 songs.
Frank Frank Frank Frank Frank. Frank at his best. Unique and slightly jazzy
01) Peaches en Regalia - 7,0 02) Willie the Pimp - 7,0 03) Son of Mr. Green Genes - 6,5 04) Little Umbrellas - 7,0 05) The Gumbo Variations - 5,5 06) It Must Be a Camel - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,42 (64/100) Current ranking: 342/463
What has that freak done to his strings? Also would rate this as 3,5 stars, but sadly that's not possible
As with most things, this benefits when Don Van Vliet is present and suffers when he’s absent.
I've heard a few Zappa albums previously, but this one caught me off guard, as most of the tracks are instrumentals. Frank Zappa is known for his satire and strange concepts, but without Zappa's weird vocal presence, this is so different. Long guitar solos and a jazz fusion-influenced, psych-rock sound that is upbeat and interesting. Zappa is such an underrated guitar player, he shreds like I've never heard him before, but the lengthy solos do get a bit much after a while. Even so, this is a Frank Zappa album I can actually listen to start to finish without thinking about turning it off.
pretty good, got redundant
Not my Jam but very talented
Masterful musicians and I know it was important for the fusion of rock, jazz, blues, etc. But it's a lot of just jamming. I don't want to ever listen to it again.
Pretty cool, nice sax parts, little boring at times.
My spouse's absolute loathing for one of The Mother's of Invention albums on here had me prepared to loathe this, but, it wasn't bad. Probably because it was primarily instrumental. There are moments of obnoxiousness, which I think is basically Zappa's intentional default state. And really, there's no excuse for working with Captain Beefheart, but I agree his appearance here is probably his best aural effort on record. It'd probably still be better without him. I think that whole song is a bit sus, tbh.
My only preconceived notion about Frank Zappa was he was a weird guy from the 60s so I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this album. Pretty much rocks front to back, band is super tight, and production is top notch. I often get bored when there’s no lyrics but but the music is more than interesting enough to keep my attention. I’m always hesitant to overrate an album after 1 listen so I’ll stick with a 3 but it might be a 4
3.5 Musicianship is on another level and very interesting. Maybe too interesting to be on a regular rotation for me.
I don't known if it's the fact that this is a solo album for Zappa, or that he just found a different, more listenable sound at some point, but this is so much better than The Mothers of Invention album I had before. For one, it's coherent. For another, it has some great jamming, which I'll never turn down. I do kinda wish some of the tracks were shorter, but I can't really complain. Zappa's a weird dude, and I didn't particularly love "Willie the Pimp." I got the impression that he was doing a black voice, and any song about pimps or whatever just is a little off-putting. Bummer, because it has some of the best solos of the whole album. Overall, it was fine. Didn't blow me away, and honestly lost my attention at time. Three stars. Also why the hell is it called "Hot Rats"? What a gross name. Standout Tracks: The Gumbo Variations
I’ve tried time and time again to get into Zappa. As a massive music junky, I feel like a failure for not resonating with Zappa in his prime. Again, it’s that brain-jazz barrier that refuses to meet within my noggin. I can totally see the appeal. Objectively, it’s no doubt that this is some great stuff, but subjectively, my brain is eagerly awaiting to move on. I think eventually Zappa will wiggle his way to my frontal cortex and everything will click, but I’m not there yet. I will say though, it’s crazy this came out in 1969. 3.6/5
Not an album to listen to while sick with flu.
I didn't think I would like this album given my last few Zappa experiences, but this was pretty enjoyable.
Some pretty decent jams, probably more enjoyable live versus on a studio recording
Feels both very funky, jazzy, and avant garde... there were moments in songs that I really enjoyed (parts of Peaches en Regalia beginning & motif, Willie the Pimp riff & guitar solo towards the end, Little Umbrellas) and there were other parts that I really didn't enjoy (most of the chaos in Gumbo Variations) listening to. Not knowing the history of this album, I could see how this album influences other artists and music. It does feel very defining.
2.5 - would’ve been closer to 4 stars but I really didn’t like the second song
Like the instrumental songs well enough, but eh
Bit Jazzy
This one is Zappa but instrumental (with the exception of the beginning of "Willie The Pimp", where some dude named Captain Beefheart sings for a bit). This is his first solo album, and it's very different than Freak Out! This is basically a jazz album, though definitely a bit more on the jazz rock side. It's like if Steely Dan were way less smooth and more experimental. I'm always bad at rating this type of thing. I'll take everyone's word that it was revolutionary (they did seem to get this very big sound from only a few musicians, which is impressive), but to me it was just good. Enjoyable, that's all. Favorite song: Peaches En Regalia Other: Willie The Pimp, The Gumbo Variations 1/24/25
I really liked the first few songs, but the longer jam songs started giving me anxiety lol.
Don't care for it
Groovy, mostly instrumental, easy listening. After some searching, some highlights were his work ethic (60 albums in 30 years), guitar skills (said by Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix to be the best guitarist ever), and this genre being prog rock featuring unique composition and drum chops. Honestly, just sounds like musicians having fun and going off so I fw it.
Either a 2 or a 3. The music is good, I just really prefer songs with lyrics. I also prefer shorter songs. 12 minutes really is too long for one song.
Freaky!
My dad had this on vinyl and the image stayed with me. I always assumed it was just mad, but it turned out to be some quite nice instrumental jazz.
1/2
I enjoyed this more than I expected. Never been a huge fan of Zappa but this was quite good
Mira, usualmente FZ no es de mi gusto, pero este disco y todas sus incursiones en el jazz me van de maravilla.
Fantastic instrumentals, especially Zappa's guitar work. 3.5/5
Good guitar
music that is great for restaurants
Artiste connu de nom, mais jamais écouté. Bonne surprise, 5 morceaux sur 6 sont instrumentaux, avec des bonnes parties d'improvisation réussies. Je m'attendais à un disque plus barré, on m'avais vanté FZ comme un compositeur de musique très expérimentale. Là on un album plutôt typé jazz/rock de bonne facture. Par contre je trouve que le son a assez mal vieilli, je ne suis pas sûr d'intégrer cet album à ma collection. En tous cas il me donne envie de découvrir d'autres albums de cet artiste. =>3.5/5
I really liked some of this. Not enough to rate it higher than a 3. Parts are actually annoying, but the good parts make up for it.
Started off well but the 11 minute song was not fun. Went a little too hard on the instruments.
Not as weird as I expected which was a pleasant surprise. Definitely interesting and enjoyable but for me it's a little difficult to get really invested in the album when there's no lyrics because the songs all tend to merge.
Polarising album for me, really liked some songs (Willie the pimp) but disliked others (gumbo variations)
Great thinking music
Agree with others who have said this feels like a score to a movie that doesn’t exist. Did like large swaths of this. But the few times someone started singing I was aggressively turned off. 3/5
Good guitar in this. But other than that 😬
Enjoy the ‘satirical meets impressive musical proficiency’ that’s included in nearly every Zappa project.
This is #day131 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... how about "a movie for your ears"? Honestly, this is my first time listening to Zappa, and if it weren't for this challenge, I probably wouldn't have. But I don't mind that I did, because now I know more. This album is a virtuosic, funky fusion, very much of the '60s and the hippie era. And I'm definitely into that. Plus, the album cover is just awesome. I'm giving it a strong 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day132.
Whilst jazz fusion does make me break out in a rash, this was miles better than the other Frank Zappa stuff I've heard.
I would describe it as Jazz rock. More enjoyable than Jazz, but after a while still a bit much
It's cool for what it is, but I don't find it too exciting or emotionally gripping so it doesn't quite become memorable for me
normal beats
Solid instrumentation and just crazy enough lyrics
Oh! Frank Zappa! Now there's a recording artist one is *supposed* to really like but I've always struggled with his work. This album is in my collection, but I cannot remember the last time I played it. Time to break it out for a play...I think I originally bought this because Captain Beefheart does vocal on Willie the Pimp, which is my favourite track here. The rest of the album's tracks are instrumental, and with strong jazz-rock leanings I'm ambivalent about them.
Good in a weird way
5.5/10. The second track is pretty good but too avant garde for my tastes. Kind of sounds like background music but the guitar is very well done throughout
It's ok. The songs are really long and I have to be in the right mood for this kind of music.
I don't usually listen to this genre, but I liked it
Cool album. I don't think I'll want to hear it often, but when presented with it, I enjoy it.
Hoeveel ik Frank Zappa als artiest en alles waar hij voor staat in dat wereldje, zijn muzikale traject valt altijd net een beetje buiten mijn preferenties. Zijn anti-jazz is uniek, komisch, prikkelend en zeer kundig, maar het is ook erg uitdagend. Het vraagt wel erg veel van iemand die allergisch is voor 5 minuten aan ''doelloos'' gerammel. Maar dat neemt niet weg dat hij op dit album wel een beetje breekt met die trend, en zowaar langere prog-jazz/rock op de mat legt die wel aanspreekt. 'Willie The Pimp' is gewoon een banger, en Captain Beefheart's featuring is echt precies wat de track nodig had. En 'The Gumbo Variations' grooved behoorlijk. Maar over de gehele lengte is het gewoon niet écht mijn dingetje, al doet het een goede poging me over te halen. 6,5/10 Highlights: Willie The Pimp The Gumbo Variations
Dit is zo onwijs muzikaal. Het is rock 'n roll infused met jazz. Het is experimenteel maar ik vind het geen moment vervelend om naar te luisteren. Tuurlijk is het geen smooth-jazz maar ik vind het juist tof dat je de zoektocht van Zappa hoort naar de lijntjes. Soms is het daarbinnen, dan weer net daarbuiten. Ook al is het niet een album wat je iedere dag wel een keer wilt opzetten, de muzikaliteit spat hier vanaf en dat vind ik heerlijk tussen al dat hardrock-geweld waar ik me -eigen schuld- nog doorheen moet ploeteren. 6,5/10 Highlights Willie the Pimp The Gumbo Variations
Classic Zappa
Great music for in the background, but didn't really strike me and keep my attention
Intermittently interesting hippie noodling.
most of this is bluesier than i like, and i worry i'll never learn what makes a jazz record objectively good vs. not good, but "peaches en regalia" is quite lovely
Did not expect a mostly instrumental album. Not soothing enough for thinking/working music. But it’s ok.
3.5 After the laborious, 2.5 hour, drums and bass exercise of yesterday, I just wanted something palatable and easy. Then I got Frank Zappa. My heart dropped. I don’t like Zappa. But I fought on anyways, bc that’s the project! Turns out - this is actually pretty good! It’s just jazz Zappa, not troll Zappa. Is this what they call “acid jazz?” I liked it! There’s a couple moments where he gets silly and annoying but for the most part this is straight forward instrumentals that I honestly quite enjoyed!!!
I feel like I've gone into a jazz bar on acid
most sane Frank Zappa album
What a relief! Was dismayed to see Frank show up after suffering through a Mothers of Invention album last week. This album is a pleasant, mainly instrumental, bit of jazzy psychedelic rock music. Turns out not having Frank’s vocals was an essential improvement. Impressive guitar work here.
Good, solid rock
That's not my taste in music. But ok. Psychedelic.
Tering, wat een gitaar
Interesting listen from 1969
Really incredible technical album. Can't say I loved it?
Didn't hate it half as much as I expected. No desire to listen again but enjoyable as a one-off
Again, because I'm in a good mood today.
This was fine, but not sure why this was on this list.
I’ve never heard Frank Zappa before but I think if I had to guess I’d have expected it to be exactly this
There was some good stuff, it was just a bit lackluster
Enjoyable. First track is a standout
5.5/10
I really liked this, but it could either be annoying or really great - 3.5/5 Standout tracks: - Peaches in Regalia 5/5 I'm obsessed - The gumbo variations 2/5, the saxaphone in this was horrific
Very vivaby. Very jam band.
Zappa in general I am in to, but I don't know, for some reason I wasn't really feeling this particular flavor of jazz fusion this morning. In general though this is a great and important record. I'm in to it.
Interesting but not for me
okay, just not my thing
I personally don't love a mostly instrumental rock album. It was good, and extra points for how cool the album name is.
I remember getting this album after buying a later one ("Jazz From Hell") and reading a review that said that "Hots Rats" was his best album (along with "Uncle Meat"). I can definitely see why the reviewer said this about "Hot Rats" (not so sure about "Uncle Meat", though), but after hearing this album years ago, I realized that I'm simply not much of a Frank Zappa fan, much as I want to be. So while it's interesting to listen to it again, I remain bemused and largely indifferent. "Willie the pimp" is probably the best of the mercifully short playlist, in part simply because it has lyrics (and sung by Captain Beefheart no less), but also a pretty great jam. Sorry, Frank--your genius is wasted on me.
The tone qualities of the clarinet and saxophone are not my favorite things. But it is groovy af, so there's that.
Nice to listen to in the background
Easy to vibe to, some tracks more than others, could listen to again but probably won’t.
Liked this more that I thought I would. 3.17
Zappa’s a seriously unlikeable artist. His ostentatious musical projects are undermined by a pretentious sophistry that lacks any kind of actual substance. The music press have long pegged him as one of the most astute social critics in popular music, but all I’ve ever heard from him is a petulant form of contrarian iconoclasm that would make Christopher Hitchens wince. In short, I don’t really like him. All the same, this is his first instrumental album so you are immediately spared Zappa’s boneheaded attempts at “satire”, and instead you get a record that actually grooves along quite nicely. Does it devolve into listless noodling at points? Of course. But if nothing else this album has given me an appreciation for the frustrating effect of Zappa as an artist. It’s probably one of my favourites that I’ve heard from him, Side 1 in particular was a relentless jolt that only occasionally lost my interest. Even if Zappa obviously believed his music deserved to be read on a more intellectual level, you’ll find this one far more enjoyable if you just take it for what it is: a good jazz-fusion record.
Another “genius” that I don’t think I will get. I actually got this. I liked it. Kinda blusieish. Will the pimp had great guitar work. Pleasantly surprised here. This is what I am here for. Hit the wrong button. This is three stars.
It was another "better than expected" experience. I was expecting it to be completely "out there" garbage and there were several moments when it veered towards that, but it course corrected pretty quickly. Quite jazzy, I was expecting folk \ rock type music. I wouldn't put it in any "greatest albums of all time" lists, but it was eminently listenable.
Just OK.
Never heard this before. More listenable than I though it would be, but probably not something I'd go out of my ready to listen to again.
Not my favorite zappa album. Still pretty good though
Ok listen.
Holy Shrimps Batman, those first two songs are bangers. Everything else after that is eh. I think I just preferred the guitar over the horns a lot more and the first two songs have insane guitar riffs/solos throughout that keep me entertained more than the rest of the album.
A lot of a lot Shreds on guitar Kinda sounds like circus music
Frankie Z guitar jizzin on the Tracks. Peaches en Ragalia is great though.
A little too psychedelic for me
No es nada comercial. Muy instrumental pero interesante.
43:19 album length, six songs. Sigh.
Ok
Enjoyed this (completely?) instrumental album! Not what I expected. Fun, active, a little edgy but never abrasive.
Interesting musicality.
lowkey hard AFFF it’s jazz it’s rnb it’s rock it’s EVERYTHINGGG (word to doechii)
Again something I’ve never heard before. There was a lot going on at the beginning with Peaches En Regalia. So many elements, many of which I dig but felt a bit much & I was worried I wouldn’t like the rest of it. But as we went on there’s some very cool jams, in particular Son Of Mr Green Genes & The Gumbo Variations.
Listened Before? N This was way better than every other Zappa album I've heard. He's usually such a dumbass edgelord, hearing some serious-ish music was refreshing. It's too bad he didn't spend his career writing jazz or he may have been considered a great musician instead of a footnote. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Peaches En Regailia
3.5 Fun album, like a groovy, jazzy, experimental movie soundtrack
I hear the groove, I don’t feel the groove
Frank Zappa's music generally makes me feel like I wouldn't have liked him very much as a person. This album is interesting, but too much noodling for my taste.
It’s a not too bad funky jam.
Gotta give it credit for how different it is, but I wouldn’t just casually listen to it.
Enjoyed this album, though it drifted a bit at times. Will check out more Frank Zappa now though!
One of a handful of shock artists from the 60's and 70's that actually had some talent. HIs music is diverse and complex, and often hard to enjoy. Setting aside his narcissistic personality and cult status, (which I'll admit clouds my musical rating) this album jams along nicely. My older brother had a large poster in the 70's of Frank sitting nude on a toilet, presumably taking a shit. Later that poster ended on the wall of the only bathroom in a shared house, and I had to stare at his ugly naked self far longer than anybody should. My brother had a kinship with Zappa. Weirdos need leaders too. That's America.
ugh, I immediately cringed when I saw todays album. I'm just not a fan! I'll give it a try though. I don't understand the big hype around this guy. There's some alright guitar on Willie The Pimp. And the lyrics say "pussy" so that's cool lol "You're tryna buy some pussy with a third party check" kinda bold for '69 heheh 69. That one is a 9:23 min song! and there's another one on this album that's nearly 13. Son of Mr. Green Genes is all instrumental and pretty jazzy. A pretty specific title for a song without lyrics. Little umbrellas is also instrumental and even more jazzier. I like this one. Turns out the rest of this is jazz. Which I can deal with. Glad I gave it a chance. 3 stars instead of 2 on this one.
Like this one got some funky bass lines but feel like some of the songs drag a bit and I get a little exhausted listening to it
Kinda cool, very jammy and experimental makes it a really interesting listen at least. 6/10
It turns out when you leave the wankery lyrics aside, the music is pretty good.
Had reservations, but actually liked this one. 3.4/5
One thing that surprised me as I entered my 30s was that out of nowhere I started enjoying jam music a whole lot more. However, I don't like it *that* much.
#86 is an album I had already listened to. It's an important piece that clearly draws from jazz influences. I think it's a little too much instrumental for me, I like Zappa's bizarre lyrics. Still a decent and important work.
By far the best Zappa we’ve heard. Still not entirely my thing but at least it didn’t feel like a joke. High 3.
Nog zo'n bekende naam waarvan je denkt: is dit het nou? Vrolijk experimenteel getoeter en gitaarspel, grotendeels instrumentaal. Best aardig hoor, maar er blijft weinig van hangen.
Vaak is Zappa te veel experimenteel met rare geluidjes enzo. Die zitten hier ook wel in, maar het zijn toch voornamelijk klassiekere (bluesrock) instrumenten. Er zit een goed tempo in, wel iets teveel nadruk op de blazers soms (klarinetten en fluiten). Maar ook een speelse gitaar, die lekker los mag gaan. Hele vette basloopjes eronder. Het geheel is wel een beetje alsof je naar een actiescene in een matige 70s B-film zit te kijken. Het is een beetje de witte variant van de blaxploitation misschien. En dat vind ik toch ook wel lekker om naar te luisteren. Het vergt wel veel van je concentratievermogen, zoveel drukte qua instrumenten en geluiden. Er gebeurt zoveel, dat het veel energie kost om te luisteren. Ik snak soms even naar een Stardust slaapliedje van Willie Nelson, die ik hiervoor heb moeten luisteren. Ik trek dit niet elke dag, maar gezien de rest vd Zappa gekte, is dit zeker toegankelijk te noemen.
Edgelord music. I could feel the Cheeto dust caking my fingertips and the Mountain Dew staining my teeth as I listened. Sometimes, I mean that as a compliment, especially when Zappa adds in strange instruments and cool tones over tight compositions (“Peaches en Regalia,” “Little Umbrellas,” the first half of “Willie the Pimp”). But most of this record is just meandering solos over the barest jazz structures, to the point where it sounds not only monotonous, but maybe insulting to jazz as a genre? Although Zappa is taking a piss so hard that I can’t really tell if that’s the joke or if he actually does hate jazz, like his irony loops back around to actual hatred. At its best, Hot Rats is quirky and fun, but it’s far from breaking jazz apart. At its worst, it fully believes it’s breaking jazz apart, and if you’ve ever heard any other jazz album in your life, you know it isn’t doing that. It’s jazz and art rock for 4chan weirdos and their archetypal predecessors. It’s not poorly made or a hard listen, but its cute little highlights won’t inspire a relisten, and the rest truly would’ve benefited from being a more difficult, complex listen. But whatever. If I think about it for much longer, I’ll end up hating it, so I’m happy to just shrug my shoulders and move on.
Not saying it's bad it's just mad
interesting-experience music
Frank Zappa as a horror clown? The album is much older than Pennywise. I like some of Frank Zappa's stuff. Some of it is certainly brilliant, but too exhausting for me. That's how I felt about this album. I listened to it all the way through. Some things were great. In the end, I was glad I'd finished it. I probably won't listen to the album again so soon. 3/5
Zappa. Some like him, some don't
Not a bad bit of bluesy background music. I've softened on Frank a little tad more.
Absolute chaos !! Been a long time since I have listened to Zappa, maybe 30 years - I used to like his fun stuff but this was real chaotic. Superbly talented guitarist and musician but this was just too much now I’m in my 50s. Got a headache.
No creo que sea el momento en que lo entienda, tal vez después. Aun así es bueno
It’s a weird album. Mostly instrumental but not so avante garde that it’s unlistenable. More of an off take on composing an orchestra.
This was quite the display of talent, unfortunately as someone that is not musically inclined much of this was lost on me.
Wasn’t expecting a instrumental. Super talented artists obviously.
An instrumental album of absolute insanity
Well, I don't really know what I expected, but it wasn't this. I've heard about how "weird" Zappa was for years, but I definitely didn't expect a jazz-adjacent instrumental album. It's not bad, I'll start there. It's "experimental," sure, but not so much so that it's weird. There are horns, there are some odd time signatures thrown in, it all tends to be a bit free flow-y, but it's pretty standard stuff, really. A couple songs kind of give me a bit of a Phish vibe, which is blech, but overall, It's really just fine.
More like Room Temp rats
A bit too weird for me.
Zappa's name is famous enough that I knew of him and had some expectation of experimental noise rock - but this was jazzier and funkier with a TV theme song vibe. Some songs go too jam band towards the end, but didn't mind this.
It started out cool enough, but then it got to the sax part of Gumbo Variations. It just went downhill from there. I got this about 550 albums into the list, after Captain Beefheart and Trout Mask Replica. I can see how this is a gateway drug to those.
Pretty sweet. It was Good Friday vibes
anal bum a day 6 one of zappa's most eclectic projects. I don't know much about this album but I do know that people LOVE zappa. I'm just going to see how it goes and write what I think after listening. alright yeah it was pretty fire, the playing on this album is great not many thoughts on this one 7.5/10
first song is pretty good
Great musicians that know their stuff but it just sounds too much like a jam band session for my taste.
It was good… but a bit noodly, no?
Just good music. And so different too.
i enjoyed this - type of thing i’d like love but not listen to in my free time
Interesting...
Really enjoyed majority of this album, until the end where I absolutely hated the rogue saxophone going wild Shame because it would have scored higher! 3 ⭐️
Solid jazzy dad rock.
A less weird Frank Zappa
Rock-forward, jazzy, bluesy, frenetic, energetic. Zappa lyrics can get a little silly at times, so this is a nice (mostly) instrumental album. A lot of folks consider Zappa to be a genius, and he may be; he's definitely an innovator and unique musician. Or maybe "composer" is a better term. This was good, but of its time. 3.4
Interesting psychedelic instrumentals mostly. This is earlier stuff than I knew of his. I appreciated the use of clarinets.
Multi genre, soul, jazz, psychedelia. Crazy good bass, ridiculous jams. Willie the pimp is a standout. Challenging but very interesting compositions for a first time Zappa listener. Each track twists and turns and brings you along for the spin. Gorgeous sounding record, everything is mixed so clean. Big weird vibes.
Fun! Violin was kewl.
Interesting, but all over the place
Very groovy, a lot of piano. Sometimes it seemed all the same, which was a bit tiring.
Nuts for 1969, very experimental, can't see myself returning to it though
Look, I am willing to admit that this is some fun spastic instrumental album, if you are willing to admit that it is also exhausting and obnoxious.
#270. He's clearly a good musician, but the question is: do we care? And I suppose I can only speak for my self, but no, not really. There doesn't seem to be anything there to draw you in despite the clear level of talent. 3/5: it's fine, I guess.
Listen I love instruments more than the next guy so obviously this album provides that in volume. It just has to be the best I’ve ever heard for me to sit and listen to an entire project of it. This was good but not great.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would! 3.5 stars.
Three songs in and it is pretty wacky, but not in a bad way. Wacky sax. I liked it overall. Was fun and interesting, but I do not think I would search it out to listen to again.
Zappas done better
Some of it was interesting, some of it was really annoying, a little was great.
Never took much notice of anything Zappa did whilst he was active. What I had heard did not appeal. A few years ago I was at a Christening party and had a conversation with a stranger about music. I was telling him of my love of Progressive Rock and he said I would like Zappa then? He was surprised that I didn’t as he classed it as prog. Since then I have heard/read many features (including UK Prog Rock Magazine) who all cite Zappa as a Prog trailblazer. So I have since been listening to Zappa in hope I could do a massive catch up. But thing is I still don’t get him. This album is good and I want really to like it but I cannot go beyond just above average. Some good extended guitar work which deserves more than a second listen. Also like the jazz influence. Not bad but I still fail to see the Prog Rock within it. 3/5 24/6/24
Peaches in Regalia sounds like the soundtrack for an indie sidescroller game. Not a fan of Van Vliet's vocals on Willie the Pimp but its only a small portion of one track. Most of the rest of this is jazz, more or less. I found bits of it enjoyable, but mostly self indulgent.
Musically really interesting, but not something you’d be listening to on repeat. 3.5
Teilweise etwas zu lange Stücke und mir etwas zu jazzig.
Frank Zappa es una figura singular en la música. Virtuoso y multiinstrumentista, outsider por decisión propia, sus discos permanecen ajenos al éxito comercial pero no de crítica y aclamación por unos pequeños pero fieles seguidores incluso hoy en día (suyo fue uno de los primeros conciertos virtuales con Hologramas). Hot rats presenta otra portada icónica (no es Zappa ni tampoco es una tumba) y una serie de temas, todos instrumentales salvo Willie the pimp (cantado por Captain Beefheart, pero con un espléndido solo de Zappa de 7 minutazos). El tema más conocido del disco y de su discografía es el inicial Peaches en regalia, aunque en mi opinión la clave es The Gumbo Variations (una maravillosa fusión con saxofón, violines, guitarra, batería...) como el resto del álbum es un ejemplo de composiciones complejas con toques de rock, jazz, progresivo y algo de blues. It Must Be a Camel cierra el disco con otra gran canción en la que en apnas 5 minutos cabe de todo. No apto para todos los gustos (es un disco perfecto para melómanos y también para expertos de conservatorio, jazz, chanantes, cuñaos y postureo) , pero al menos se debe intentar una vez en la vida salir de la zona de confort y este disco te lleva donde tú le dejes. Editado en 1969 año de otros discazos como Abbey Road, Tommy, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), Nashville Skyline, Let it Bleed, The Stooges, otros tres de la CCR, dos de MC5, otros dos de Led Zeppelin, In the Court of the Crimson King, Hot Rats, Trout Mask Replica, Ummagumma, Stand, Hot Buttered Soul, The Gilded Palace of Sin, el 3º de la VU, Dusty in Memphis, Elvis in Memphis, Odessa, debuts como los de Nick Drake, Van der Graag Generator o Can...
listened while playing sudoku (intensely) and not much stuck with me. it was all fun but just not riveting for me.
Liked this a bit more than I thought I would...
3.5 I've never listened to Frank Zappa and didn't recognize any of the top 5 songs on his Spotify page by name, but I saw a shoutout to Captain Beefheart in the description, which made me nervous. Really loved Peaches En Regalia. The rest was a little weird but no where near as bad as I was expecting. Even enjoyed a lil Beefheart.
Hauskaa progressiivista rockia. Osittain aika jazzia myös esim It Must Be a Camel ja Little Umbrellas. Paras: Son Of Mr. Green Genes
That was a fun album
As odd as the Zapman is, he sure knows how to rock out with some funky jazz rock fusion. This album being mainly instrumentals was a pretty good showing of how good musicians can make jamming sound so good. This wasn’t anything exceptional as a whole but it’s a fun listen to enjoy the sounds of some funky guitar piano and drum work. 6.6/10
This was surprising, at least good background music. The instruments were well played.
I enjoyed listening to it except his saxophone skills it was so whiny and off key
I was gonna give this a 4 until “Gumbo Variations”. That song single-handedly brought this down a star. The saxophone sounded awful he sounded like a dying sheep bleating out its last breaths. Also the fiddle (or violin I dunno even what it was) sounded equally as bad and the song just kept going and going and going. Otherwise I found the first half of the album quite enjoyable. It was fun, funky and sounded good. For that it gets a 3.
had no idea what to expect with this album but was very pleasantly surprised. the layering of instruments and melodies kept it very interesting. vocally-could have done without vocals on Willie the Pimp. 3.5 stars due to that
Already listened. Grade B
"Like James Brown for neurotic Jews" sums Zappa up pretty well. Love the horns, a little too crazy and wild for my tastes to really love it. Good background music.
Zappa had some licks
Pretty jammy
Too jazzy?
Alright
Giving Mario Bros. background music in a very good way
Still amazing riffs??? I'm not great at paying attention hahaha.
A lot of guitar rock out over jazzy proggy tunes. Practically cop show jazz. Did I mention there's a lot of guitar rockin' out. It's Jazzy and pretty much an instrumental album. Jazzy and chaotic sometimes.
Fun, groovy rock album
Okay, intramental.
Though I was able to enjoy some of this album, I still don't understand why there are so many people who see Zappa as God... Having said that, I did appreciate the music.
Totally instrumental except track 2 which had captain beefheart on it (Camden reefer) Enjoyed this but think I made the mistake of putting on the next album which was the machito one - it was an instrumental overload and my experience beyond suffered
Super experimental but quite enjoyable
More unexpected groove! Has some contemporary musical moments (for being a 1969 album) and some really nice and fun music! “Peaches En Regalia” is definitely my favorite, as I think it’s the grooviest tune of the album. I think it’s interesting seeing how short the album is, only having 6 tracks, but longer songs to make up for it.
3 Zappa does jazz - aka, a person I haven’t been the kindest on does a genre I’m not the biggest fan of… and it turns out to be probably the best thing I’ve heard from him. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not earth-shattering by any means, but for 43 minutes and 19 seconds, I found myself in the mildest of grooves - hell, even Captain Beefheart’s garbled singing on Willie The Pimp kind of worked for me. As someone not normally drawn to a lot of instrumental music, I thought this was paced well and that each song felt unique - not quite to a point where I feel I have much to comment on in particular, but if you’re a fan of jazz (or even jam records), I would imagine you'd probably be a big fan of this. For all the shit I’ve thrown his way, I’ll give Zappa credit for his musical evolution and maturation here. I definitely wouldn’t say that I’m any kind of newfound fan of his by any means, but I would consider this at least deserving enough of having him removed from my list of “Worst Artists” on the site. That probably won’t happen given that it’s technically The Mothers of Invention that are listed, but I’m willing to acknowledge the invisible asterisk.
I can appreciate the technical prowess but it doesn't make me feel anything
Experimentele jazzrock waar gelukkig amper bij gezongen wordt. Experimentele muziek kan sowieso al wat zwaar aanvoelen en als de zang dan ook nog te experimenteel is wordt het een doodvonnis. Gelukkig is dit dus 90% instrumentaal, als het niet meer is. Het wordt niet gruwelijk abstract en dat is ook een plus. Geen gekloot met continu wisselende maatsoorten oid. Bij 'The Gumbo Variations' klinken de koperen blazer en het viooltje alsof er iemand met een kettingzaag achter Nils Holgersson aan zit. Ik ben uiteindelijk opgelucht als die 13 minuten erop zitten, maar ik kon het enigszins hebben omdat de instrumenten redelijk netjes om de beurt een solo afsteken. Het album viel me mee en ik vond het voor één keer wel leuk om te luisteren, maar een 4 zou waanzin zijn.
Eh maybe just not my thing.
pretty groovy, mostly enjoyable
Maybe a tad too experimental for me
Only one song has vocals, raging background music
A very strange and interesting musical trip. Definitely felt like an acid trip. I am glad I listened to it. I liked the more chill songs like little umbrellas and peaches en regalia. Other songs are a bit too full on for me.
Great musically but much rather listen to this live in a bar than playing the whole album
Если послушать 1 раз, то хочется оценить низко. +мы не шарим за контекст, который любому американцу прям с детства знаком это интересная работа для тех, кто шарит (я не такой)
Крепкий просто фьюжн. Но я не понимаю его без контекста, так как уже были более крутые фьюжн алкоальбом: квас с виски
Agradable. Instrumental rockjazz fusionprogressive rock.
Väldigt intressanta solon. Även om låtarna är långtråkiga första lyssningen så blir de bättre sen. Tycker dock att Joes Garage är mycket bättre.
frank zappa was on some good drugs
They can jam that's for sure. 2.5 rounded up
I can’t say that it is bad but I really can’t stand this kind of music
It was pretty alright.
I like Zappa, but I‘m not musically strong enough to survive a whole album :D
Better than I thought, honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy those rats but they were pretty hot! Good background music
Quirky and interesting. I find Zappa much more tolerable when I don't have to listen to him sing. Probably wouldn't listen to this again but there is some cool instrumental music and great guitar solos on this record.