Hot Rats

I have to say this is more like it! A great album choc-full of weirdness and ideas. I never quite got this many-moons ago but i'm liking it now. Must be an age thing?

Never really listened to Zappa before but more fool me, this is brilliant! Can hear so much in this that he’s influenced, wild it’s from 1969 too, his son Dweezil played King Tut’s in Glasgow which I only discovered recently, will listen again

Oh wow, what a revelation! Great album.

Nice record but at some points it’s too much. But still a great piece of art.

The Zappa album to listen to to understand the genius of Zappa is the greatest hits selection ‘strictly commercial.’ But due to white boys thinking greatest hits lack credibility, you have to hear every album they praise. We get this, we’re only in it for the money, apostrophe, joes garage maybe Broadway the hard way, so ensuring curious but unfamiliar listeners get an overwhelming introduction to difficult, idiosyncratic brilliance. This is a disservice because Zappa is his own thing. He’s not strictly commercial. In fact he, like Prince later, struggled with corporate interference so did his own recording and distribution. Like Prince too there’s far more in the vaults than can be released in Zappas children’s lifetime. So Zappa is a study in himself This album is five stars. Many, hearing it for the first time will give it three. Peaches en regalia is what would happen if you took steely Dan and gave them more advanced musical theory. Willie the pimp is the only decent thing van Vliet did. It’s one of Zappa best lineups. . Lowell George later of Little Feat, sacked by Zappa for reasons unclear, plays rhythm guitar. Ian underwood. Jean luc ponty. Shuggie Otis. Just magic. Listen. But understand that it’s challenging. And it’s not the whole of Zappa. Listen to strictly commercial. Then you can dive in to everything else.

yeah I guess it grows on you. Perhaps ideally enjoyed with the right low dose psycho-active ingredients, or surrounded by happy and loving and Patchouli scented people in loose fitting clothes, spontenously free form dancing. I've never listened to this much Frank Zappa. He is definitely worth listening to once or twice. So this album, amusing and adds pepp on a friday afternoon - quirky - happy - unconventional - inventive - very Zappa... An interesting diversion. Not the greatest of all time by any stretch. But a style definitely worth it. Its good music if youre into live rock blues rock psycho zydeko experimental etc. Its growing...

In the early 90s, when I was about 20, I worked at Scratches, a small record store in Newtown that sold a lot of second-hand records. One of my tasks was to test play all the second-hand tapes and CDs before they hit the shelves to make sure they were in playable condition. It meant that I spent a lot of time listening to records I would not have otherwise chosen. One day it was my responsibility to listen all the way through to Shut Up and Play Your Guitar, a double CD of over two hours of Frank Zappa live guitar solos. No songs, just solos, all edited together. It was interminable. A lot of my friends were really into Zappa. Dave, for example, would invariably play Weasels Ripped My Flesh whenever he could control the stereo. I was complaining to another friend, Jeremy, about listening to two hours of unrelenting Zappa guitar solo, and he replied that he had, in fact, himself attempted to make cassette compilations of Zappa solos from bootlegs and other live recordings. A professionally edited CD would be ideal in his opinion. I couldn't believe there was a market for such a thing. Personally, I was never convinced about Zappa. I mean, I can admire what he does and it was a relief that he didn't take everything _too_ seriously (at least by way of comparison with most jazz-rock or prog, which is a pretty low bar for levity). But I was never able to buy into the Cult of Zappa. His arrangements were too ostentatiously clever. His famous 'sense of humour' was never actually that funny. You only have to watch his ill-fated appearance on Saturday Night Live to see that. Or read an interview with him. Or about him. I watched the Zappa documentary and he didn't seem like a bundle of laughs. Mark Allen wrote in Classic Rock: "All the boys in my house at college thought it was hilarious ... a cryptic genius working at the coalface of the avant garde .... But the girls thought different. To them, Zappa was a grotesque and irksome pervert whose soulless music knotted the knees and brought dance floors to a shuddering halt." The girls were right on the money, in my opinion. Some random observations about Hot Rats: - the general lack of vocals means that the most egregious failings of Zappa's 'humour' (mean-spiritedness, intellectual snobbery and sexism) are largely avoided - Willie the Pimp is the best thing Captain Beefheat ever appeared on, and it's got a terrific blues rock riff - while heralded as "jazz-rock", this is improvisational rock, and not a lot of jazz in it - Zappa can squeeze out a passable guitar lead, but he really only has a limited range, and it starts to get a bit dull after a while - Gumbo Variations and It Must Be A Camel can be a challenging slog to get through, but not nearly as obnoxious sounding as many people say Hot Rats is a listenable record (especially side 1), but I'm not in love. I'm certainly not going fight Zappa-freak collector scum to pay $100 or more for a vinyl copy.

Favourite tracks: peaches en regalia; Willie the pimp

Interesting but not for me

Uniformly excellent!

Whatever

Wow! I was thinking typical gross lyrics but this was so good, it blew my mind! So jazzy and progressive. May you be smiling in Heaven, cause this is brilliant (and unexpected) I listened to it twice and then found “The Hot Rat Sessions” for a mind blowing set of studio cuts

I found it a bit underwhelming. I usually appreciate musical eccentricity, but here I felt disconnected from the actual music. The long, drawn-out instrumentals left me wishing for the songs to finish. I’m not sure why this album is on the list.

Better than expected

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.

Not a big Zappa guy but I think this is one of his better ones. I love his collaborations with Captain Beefheart, like Willie The Pimp. I don't know many - or any, actually - Zappa fans who are not males musicians. It's weird because when people say, for example, that Rakim of Eric B and Rakim is your favorite rapper's favorite rapper, that makes you want to check out Rakim. But when they call Zappa a "musician's musician" it has a negative tinge. It's explaining why you might not like it, where I guess the thing about Rakim is explaining why you need to check him out more.

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.

Got off to a great start but was a little inconsistent. I really enjoyed Zappa's jazzy (dare I say fusion?) approach. The first track, the Peaches one, was my favorite but the sax on the Gumbo track was especially amazing. I wasn't a fan of the last track or of the Little Umbrellas one. Still, I'd be happy to hear this one again.

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

Jazzy rock, really not my thing

5.4

Not for me. Nice jazzy/jammy moments but a little too wild

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.

I've played this a few times and always struggled - I dunno why but this feels like purposeless noodling to me for the majority. Captain Beefheart and the saxophone lifted it from a slog that the rest of it felt like. Maybe one day I will grow up and come round to this album but as of today it's a no.

Goes a little to hard in sax.

Not great. Felt like a mixture of lift music and music for adverts!

Yes

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

++*: Peaches en Regalia, Willie the Pimp, The Gumbo Variations ++: Son of Mr. Green Genes, Little Umbrellas, It Must Be a Camel 10/10

Got lost in this and loved it

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.

Zappa chads won... They fucking won....

Terrible

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.

Boring

I'm not a Zappa fan, but this was a surprise. Mainly instrumental, very jazzy. Massive overdubbing making this sometimes a bit overloaded. Still not my kind of music, but I recognize this as an outstanding and important work of art.

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.

Zappa can be a bizarre and sometimes inaccessible artist, but Hot Rats is a surprisingly easy listen. Make no mistake, this is a jazz album. It's not art rock, math rock, experimental rock, or any of the other cliche, poorly defined categories most commonly thrown towards Zappa. It's jazz, with fusion elements; highly melodic, and thoughtfully arranged. Yes, it has the hallmarks of a lot of cliched funky music from the 70s, often called "porno music" but an active listen reveals outstanding musicianship and truly sophisticated arrangements that must have been charted out for the musicians. This isn't my style of music and I don't imagine I'll listen to it again any time soon. But's is a solid, high quality release, worth of a full four stars.

reaaally not a fan.

Wasn't the biggest fan but i suppose it wasn't awful

Very nice

lowkey hard AFFF it’s jazz it’s rnb it’s rock it’s EVERYTHINGGG (word to doechii)

Surprised how much I enjoyed this Very entertaining

Frank Zappa was truly one of a kind. He always had a fun, playful, comical, and quirky side, and that’s the side of him I really connected with. But beneath those characteristics, there was some serious musicianship, and he always pushed the boundaries as far as possible. On this album, you really get to see his more serious side. This release is an instrumental jazz fusion and prog rock album, filled with complex, intricate, and multi-layered compositions, with some heavy blues influences. It’s also known for its groundbreaking production and use of studio technology. When you listen, you’ll notice how crisp and clean this album sounds, especially compared to many other popular records from the same era.

This is a great album. Favourite tracks are Willie The Pimp, Son Of Mr. Green Genes and The Gumbo Variations 4/5

Frank brings the hot rats to you hard and fast.

Prog wizardry. I hear so much of bands I would come to enjoy in this. Mainly dream theatre. Clearly a foundational artist for progressive music.

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.

This just in: area woman does not care for Frank Zappa. As much as I appreciate him as an interview subject, raconteur, and overall Guy--his advocacy against the PMRC is especially laudable--his music was so devoid of feeling for me that there is simply nothing to grab onto. Maybe a shred of a hook at the end of 'Willie the Pimp,' but then it's over right as you're settling in. His guitar tone is maybe the one musical attribute to which I could give some credit (supporting and producing Captain Beefheart notwithstanding). It's a distinct sound that's both precise and murky, but leaves me feeling absolutely cold. Sorry, fellas, I hate to get wrapped up in my own gendered personae, but I can't quite cross the nerdy Rubicon to appreciate ol' Francesco here.

10/10 Frank Zappa är ett geni!

I haven’t listened to much Zappa, but I know his reputation, so I was ready for some crazy stuff. It wasn’t as nuts as I thought it would be. Definitely a journey. Definitely experimental. But it was kinda cool. Very cool, actually. And very catchy. It has a real jam-band vibe to it, but it’s an interesting mix of blues, funk, rock, jazz (maybe even some klezmer?), and random sound effects thrown in. The lyrics to Willie the Pimp are kind of yikes, but the music is fun. Son of Mr. Green Genes is like going on a wild journey through some fantasy video game world. Also, as a Philadelphian, I’m (embarrassingly) just learning where local band Mr. Greengenes got their name from, so that’s fun. Little Umbrellas feels like a big departure from the songs before it, moving into more free jazz compared to the bluesy rock of the earlier tracks. It’s still interesting to listen to, but it’s kind of a jarring shift in mood, especially since the next track goes back into bluesy rock. The closing track It Must Be a Camel returns to the mellow free jazz, another cool but slightly jarring track. I’m tempted to knock the score down a smidge only because of the way the two jazzy songs interrupt the flow of the album, but it’s still so good that I’m willing to round up. It’s probably a 4.5-4.75, but I’ll give it a 5 rather than a 4.

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

How good is this album, honestly? Amazing from the start to finish, bangers only, incredible riffs and guitar solos. This guy was not afraid to experiment, that's for sure, with his albums being either genius or straight up unlistenable. Now I have to listen to few remaining records in his discography that I haven't heard yet (around 50 albums). Good luck me.

Loved Peaches in Regalia, not so much the rest

never heard this album Willie the pimp track 2 is great rest is a bit jazzy for me so far and getting on my nerves

NGL. This is just too out there. At the end of the day, I just like nice pop songs. When I was in high school, System of a Down was big and I couldn’t ever get into them because they, as I used to say, “keep going out of their way to be weird.” Well, maybe this is where they learned that from.

Zappa is always great

3.5 Fun album, like a groovy, jazzy, experimental movie soundtrack

I don't particularily like long instrumental jams. At least track 1 and 3 are pleasing to the ears, and track 3 has some excellent bass playing. Then comes track 4 and is absolutely horrible, and drags track 5 along the destructive path. It's a shame, 'cause there's a lot of great playing going on.

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.

I don't get it. Doesn't feel cohesive, like a bunch of ditties put together within a song... a jam session where a melody is picked up for a moment and then dropped, without ultimate direction. Granted, some interesting sounds, and an interesting fusion of rock and jazz in a psychedelic sense. Fave track is maybe 3, Son of Mr Green Genes. Least fave is 5, The Gumbo Variations.

Frank Zappa was truly one of a kind. He always had a fun, playful, comical, and quirky side, and that’s the side of him I really connected with. But beneath those characteristics, there was some serious musicianship, and he always pushed the boundaries as far as possible. On this album, you really get to see his more serious side. Hot Rats is an instrumental jazz fusion and prog rock album, filled with complex, intricate, and multi-layered compositions, with some heavy blues influences. It’s also known for its groundbreaking production and use of studio technology. When you listen, you’ll notice how crisp and clean this album sounds—especially compared to many other popular records from the same era.

Gotta give it credit for how different it is, but I wouldn’t just casually listen to it.

Would be need to be a certain mood from this but still excellent 5*

Hot Rats is Frank Zappa's second solo album, and the first released after the dissolution of the first rendition of his band, the Mothers of Invention. Hot Rats is primarily a collection of instrumental pieces. These are technically complicated, jazz-inspired compositions, with frequent solos from the musicians. Zappa recorded the album with a 16 track system, which was unusual at the time. It allowed for overdubbing, and layering instrumental track to give the work its depth. This is potentially Zappa's best work, and regarded as one of the first, great prog rock albums.

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR (vegan) Artwork: 🩷🪮🌳 Mix: 🎧😘🤌 Musik: 🙃💊🎸🎻🥁𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ Wertung: 🐀🐀🐀🐀/5

No. 2/5

One I've heard before, but years ago. While I was in my mid-teens, even. First thing I'm going to say is that the genres on the page are wrong. This is jazz. Call it jazz-rock, jazz fusion, whatever, the way the dynamics are played with here is extremely similar to jazz and the instrumentation, while not exactly 1 to 1 with Miles Davis' first quintet, isn't too dissimilar from something like his second quintet. So approach the album with that in mind if you haven't heard it before, because I feel it's what makes the album. It's not just guitar virtuosity throughout, hooks come in and out in a very natural-feeling way and the "jams" change dynamics in a really satisfying way - listen to the drums at any point during standout track "Willie the Pimp". While it's still the only Zappa album I've heard in full thus far, and while it definitely feels like it lacks the attitude present in key tracks I've heard from later on in his career, it's excellent. 8.5/10

3.35 yhyy psechedelic -- Nii tykkääks sä jostain psykedeelisestä rockista sit.............................................huor...............................

Good lord I love this album. I recommend listening to this first and THEN reading about the production; because you’d be surprised to learn just how few musicians Zappa worked with to create these 6 songs that sound so rich and deep; it’ll blow your mind that he wasn’t using a fully fledged jazz band section you’d see in studios/theatres. Instead, he took advantage of a homemade 16 track and made heavy use of overdubs. But putting the impressive DIY technical aspect aside, though. If you love long form, loose, fusion jazz with a sprinkle of phenomenal rock ‘n’ roll guitar work - I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t love this. Zappa described ‘Hot Rats’ as a movie for your ears, and he isn’t wrong whatsoever. It’s an absolute blast from start to finish. ‘Peaches en Ragalia’ almost sounds like the perfect opener to a movie, and makes a perfect transition into the incredible ‘Willie The Pimp’ - which takes you on an exciting eclectic musical journey with varied and exciting guitar work; and you can almost hear the horns being stretched to their limit. ‘Son Of Mr. Green Genes’ is a bit more retrained, yet still has that sense of anxious urgency at times. ‘Little Umbrellas’ sees things really take a more chill approach; more piano based than the other tracks featuring great use of the flute and clarinets. ‘The Gumbo Variations’ is another long form epic, putting the guitar and saxophones to incredible use. Things finish up with an almost perfect end sequence with ‘It Must Be A Camel’ - with some of my favourite drum work in the entire record. This is definitely one of those albums that can make a listener fall in love with a particular genre. In ‘Hot Rats’ case this is long form fusion jazz. It’s a technical and musical masterpiece in almost every respect.

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.

Not familiar with Zappa's music, but enjoyed this one. A lot of it has the vibe of a car chase in a 70s cop movie, but I dig that. Understand why some see him as a genius. Musically very proficient and original. 4/5

My favorite part about Frank Zappa is just how deep the rabbit hole goes with him. He has several 5 star albums that vary in style and theme but somehow always sound like him. He's got the skill to match any prog-rock or jazz composition legends. Most impressively he has managed to create multiple bands featuring and fostering top tier players in the industry. Flo n Eddy, Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, George Duke, Ruth Underwood, Ian Underwood, Chester Thomson, Jean Luc Ponty are all world class musicians. These artists have solo careers and went on to play in bands like King Crimson, Talking Heads, Genesis, and Mahavishnu Orchestra. He's played with Pink Floyd before; that's a good watch on youtube. He's covered now obscure Doo-Wop legends but also Led Zeppelin. Frank Zappa fought the PMRC and took on many senators wives. There's just so many strings to follow with this interesting fellow. Anyways, my top 5 FZ songs are probably Black Napkins, Whats New in Baltimore, Sofa, Peaches and Watermelon. Favorite albums are OSFA, Roxy, Sleep Dirt, Wazoo, Them or Us, Uncle Meat, and the sublime Freak Out! Favorite deep cut is Revised Music for Guitar and Low-Budget Orchestra RIP FRANK

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

Great musicians, upbeat music to get you going

ok

Kinda cool, very jammy and experimental makes it a really interesting listen at least. 6/10

I’m familiar with Frank Zappa as an influential musician and composer, whose work tends to be either improvisational or satirical. His second studio album Hot Rats leans towards the former, as he went about writing as if it were a soundtrack for a movie. The album certainly gives that impression of a movie. Starting at the opening credits bombast of “Peaches en Regalia”, we are then introduced to our main character “Willie the Pimp”. This is followed by an action-packed sequence in “Son of Mr. Green Genes”. We have a middle act breather where revelations come about in “Little Umbrellas”, leading to the climax of “The Gumbo Variations”, and followed by the closing credits roll of “It Must be a Camel”. Not only does this album capture the whimsy and excitement of such a movie, but it’s also well executed as Zappa, Ian Underwood and the other session musicians worked wonders for a mostly instrumental jazz fusion album, save for “Willie the Pimp” with the gravelly voice of Captain Beefheart. The only complaint I have is just how long the climax went for “The Gumbo Variations”, clocking in at nearly 13 minutes. It’s certainly well composed but feels like it goes on for longer than it should. Still, I enjoyed this movie of an album and wouldn’t mind rewatching it again in my ears. Give it a chance.

Vibey but also pretty fuckin weird

Absolutely love the experimentation and expression here. Frank Zappa is a weird looking dude, and his voice sounds like the troll under the bridge in my hometown that I had to solve riddles for to get to school, but his skills on this one are clear. The guitar's sound fantastic, and I love the use of a standup bass on a few of the songs. It adds a very unique feeling inside an already unique sound, especially for '69. Favorites are Willie The Pimp and Son of Mr. Green Genes

Probably the least weird thing I’ve ever listened to by Zappa. I loved this. Very jazzy and groovy.

tdra54edjzufgliurseawtezr

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

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

Super trop cool l'album mec! De la bonne musique d'albums! 👌🚨🤯🔥💯🦵🫳🌭🌭🌭🌭

YES du bon Zappa, que dis-je, de L'EXCELLENT Zappa! Sa fusion expérimentale entre le jazz, le rock, le psychédélique et le funk est rondement bien mené, créant un riche univers musicale complètement unique et profondement Zappaesque.

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

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.

Coming to Frank Zappa non-contemporaneously must be how osme people feel about King Gizzard these days. Just an immense collection of eclectic songs. This is a great place to start though and one of my favorites. Jazzy, jammy, funky. I don't know why I don't listen to Zappa more often anymore.

This Zappa fellow has incredible aura.

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

#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.

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

Kinda weird but I'm into that.

It's nice and all, but I just can't get that excited over an instrumental album.

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

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

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.

I have never been a Frank Zappa fan, nor have I known one. What I've heard, I don't like very much. This is completely different. 90% instrumentals with fantastic guitar. Also, a name I haven't see in years, Jean-Luc Ponty on violin. Will definitely listen again.

cool instrumental parts

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.

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

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.

Not my thing

Ol fave

Arvostan hyvää soitantaa, mutta ei ole minua varten tämä.

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

bueno

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

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

A little too much like Captain Beefheart with it's atonality.

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

Great BG tune Good for getting stuff done

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.

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

The album that put Zappa on the map. Dripping with Beefheart and solos from all sorts of instruments. Peaches is the standout song and go to for any Zappa fan with its constant shifting and changing. A necessary touchstone album and deserved of being on this list.

I like the idea of Frank Zappa. I feel he is spoken about as a musician with integrity and personality. But his body of work is quite intimidating. 'Hot rats" is apparently at the more 'accessible ' end of his spectrum. And, sure enough , it has a progressive jazz feel from the off. I'll listen again and I'm sure it will grow over time.

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.

Not what I was expecting, quite pleasantly surprised.

Absolutely perfect

No creo que sea el momento en que lo entienda, tal vez después. Aun así es bueno

good jazzy record, probably wont come back to it

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

Anything by Zappa gets 5 stars from me.

I knew Frank Zappa's name before starting this project, but I didn't know anything about his music. I've reviewed one Mother's of Invention album so far, but this will be my first Frank Zappa solo album to listen to. I enjoyed Freak Out!, so I expect I'll like this album as well. Overall, this album was pretty good. I liked the jazz structure to the songs, and the musical arrangements were varied and interesting to listen to. These songs had an experimental feel to them, but they still managed to feel accessible. I enjoyed the first half of the album a bit more than the second half; I felt like the second half was a bit more restricted in terms of structure and sound than the first half, and the overall sound suffered from that. I wasn't really expecting something like this from Frank Zappa, but I don't think this is the type of album I'd listen to again. It's not that it was bad, but it's just not really my style.

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.

Did not realize this was almost ALL instrumental. I started listening to The Mothers of Invention with 'we're only in it for the money.' Drove my sister nuts! But it's been hit or miss with Frank, some outstanding stuff and some not so much. THIS is pure magic. I love when he just plays, and that's what you get with this.

Really enjoyed this one

Pretty mid

Zappa is a god, and Hot Rats is a book of his holiest tome.

This is a revelation! The musicianship is incredible; the arrangements wonderfully complex; and the shifting styles disorienting like a carnival ride - it all left me a bit breathless and joyous in a bit of a new way. I could do without the masturbatory 70s guitar solos (he was always ahead of his time!) from the first two songs, but overall an ever-shifting landscape of challenging musical joymanship! Not all at what I expected from the fella who in my childhood memory would’ve otherwise forever have been the “don’t eat yellow snow” guy….

Compositional genius. Music that surprises and grooves and laughs at you and itself in the most serious of ways. Milla thinks each track sounds like choosing another map in Mario Kart!

One of my favourite Zappa albums. Peaches en regalia is one of the best album openers of all time! I really appreciated the back half of this album more on recent listenings. Classic Zappa

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

Hot Rats is pretty much a Jazz/ Jam Session album. I had heard of the name and am glad I now get to associate a work to the artist. One of my favorite tracks was Willie The Pimp, the solos were interesting and captivating. The saxaphone on The Gumbo Variations was also quite good. Although it's not what I'm accustomed to listening to I would have this album run in the background and could get work done. It's not one of my favorites but a good work to know of.

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

Had a nice, smooth vibe to it, but I am not a fan of albums without lyrics. Felt a little repetitive to me.

Dużo ciekawych dźwięków. Taki trochę jak The Doors w brzmieniu. Bardzo dobre 5/5.

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

I like this a lot more than I anticipated! A lot of the songs gave video game soundtrack vibes.

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

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

Lyrics/Vocals: 5/5 Instrumentals: 5/5 Vibes: 5/5 Overall: 5/5

Frank Zappa is a virtuoso musician! This is definitely an album I should have heard before I died. What an outstanding album!

Great

The whole experience feels like a movie and I found myself loving every song. Though it dragged a bit by the middle with The Gumbo Variations but still, great record from a great musician.

At the top of the list of musical geniuses of the 20th century sits Frank Zappa. Any other questions?

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

I did not know Zappa did Jazz!

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.

sometimes it's good to be challenged by an album. sometimes you spend your drive home quietly muttering "what the fuck frank zappa" over and over.

This was mostly inoffensive until it wasn’t. I’ll never be high enough for Frank Zappa I don’t think

This was interesting. Not a huge fan, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever heard. I thought Frank Zappa's music was supposed to be more weird.

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

You know what, 2.5. When placed in context with everything else the generator has given me this week, this has: very few vocals, it had some good rhythm, it's called Hot Rats. I'm still rounding down because some of the saxophone(?) squealing got really really grating and the song with vocals was not great and also nine minutes long.

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

Not for me 2/5

The genius, Zappa! Previously, in the past, I tried to get in touch with Zappa's work. I heard, if I'm not mistaken, Joe Garage, I don't remember the year (guess it was realeased in 79). Anyway. It wasn't a good experience at the time. I was around 15 or 16 years old and as I gained musical maturity, getting to know new genres and sharpening my ears as a musician, I had in my mind that it was just a matter of time before I heard Zappa once again and then I would have a good experience. I was fucking right! It's truly different from anything I've ever heard, and at the same time it's everything I've ever heard before. I still need to process it properly because musicality like this cannot be processed in mind overnight. So I'll just leave 5 stars and walk away confused for a while...

An instrumental album of absolute insanity

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

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.

Amazing tracks all throughout here, not one stinker. Cool!

More like Room Temp rats

A bit too weird for me.

I’m the son of Mr. Green Genes

Not a fan. I knew very little about Zappa before listening to this album. Based on the bits I'd picked up about him in pop culture I expected this album to be very weird. Relative to my expectations, this album was fairly tame. Some songs were actually decent (e.g. Peaches En Regalia). But some songs were way too jammy and annoying (e.g. Gumbo Variations).

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

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

I didn't like this album at all. I had no enjoyment while listening.

first song is pretty good

Fairly self indulgent rock/jazz. Doesn't really say anything just a stream of musical notes, whose order isn't particularly important.

I’m glad Zappa showed up. I love this album so much. Inspired me to take on Joe’s Garage after. I’ll probably take a deeper dive.

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?

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

Just good music. And so different too.

Ok.

i enjoyed this - type of thing i’d like love but not listen to in my free time

Really cool, liked this a lot.

Zappa with a guest appearance by Captain Beefheart, just as weird as you might imagine. The band is good and Zappa is an extraordinary guitar player

Interesting...

Fire!!!

Uh? Don’t know Zappa’s music. First time listening. Great guitar player but the music is bad

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

I had a friend who was obsessed with Zappa. He’d smoke a shit ton of pot while putting out the paper at night and crank Frank. I enjoy some of the melodies here, but I’m not stoned all the time, which is why most of this sounds like just a bunch of noise.

Blues Rock apparently means loosing the part which makes Rock fun and the part which makes Blues heartfelt.

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.

Lipsahti vahvan alun jälkeen ärsyttävän puolelle. Mennään nyt kuitenkin kakkosella.

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

I expected I was going to hate this when I hit play, and I absolutely loved it. Outside of one terrible vocal part, the entire album is fantastic

Interesting album

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.

3.5☆/5 07.08.2024

Interesting, but all over the place

Loved this so much. I love how much Zappa embraces goofiness in this and ends up fully committing to a sound unlike any other. Such an influential album. Best Track: Peaches En Regalia Worst Track: It Must Be A Camel (only just)

No duds

Very groovy, a lot of piano. Sometimes it seemed all the same, which was a bit tiring.

Really liked when this album ended

Nuts for 1969, very experimental, can't see myself returning to it though

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

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

What is this trash?

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

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

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.

Zappa. Just Zappa

#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. Song added to playlist: Peaches En Regalia I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

Not for me

Ratshit, batshit, dirty old twat! 69 assholes tied in a knot! Hooray! Lizard shit! FUCK!

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.

a marvelous merry-go-round of sound. zappa is unmatched when it comes to odd experimentation in his albums, and this album in particular is a shining example of his genius. combining progressive lines with experimental motifs and charming, almost ringing strangeness, this mostly instrumental album is like no other. it's just so silly. i love it. is zappa okay? who knows!!

Very strong 1.

Hoop moeilijk doen, maar af en toe wel echt lekker

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would! 3.5 stars.

Первые две песни интересные, остальные будто простой джаз, не распробовал.

3.5 Love the horns

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

He’s always hit or miss with me

I always thought people didn't like Zappa because his music was inaccessible. It's just boring! They just noodle along them start another noodle. It's not good enough to be jazz, just very, very dull.

I prefer this Frank to the one with the Mothers of Invention (and I really like that Frank)

Some of it was interesting, some of it was really annoying, a little was great.

Really, really weird and funky album.

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

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

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.

Day 22 - June 23, 2024 I am now 20, and holy cow, what a wild album to celebrate to. It's quirky and odd in the most charming way possible. If I have to tell someone what my brain sounds like, it's Hot Rats. 5/5

I enjoyed this mostly instrumental album. 4/5

Musically really interesting, but not something you’d be listening to on repeat. 3.5

Not a fan

Frank does the “mess around”! Love Zappa - this is not my favorite- basically instrumental but it definitely has its moments

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.

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

Liked this a bit more than I thought I would...

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

This sounded like overstructured, overdone arrangements,over and over again! Not….my…cup…of…tea! Better than Bjork though.

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.

hot rats

It's like the forefather of dubstep.

Hauskaa progressiivista rockia. Osittain aika jazzia myös esim It Must Be a Camel ja Little Umbrellas. Paras: Son Of Mr. Green Genes

Nice and creative but not for me

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

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

funky to the max

Favorite Zappa album so far

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

Dude, It's Hot Rats...

One of the best by Zappa. Great recording

A true genius

5-

muy interesante, me latió

Crazy mfer Zappa, wild album

Already listened. Grade B

"Hot Rats" is the second solo album by American musician, composer and bandleader Frank Zappa. The album was the first after the dissolution of the Mothers of Invention with five of the six songs being instrumentals. An apt description is instrumental jazz-influence compositions with extensive soloing. It was one of the first albums to use a 16-track recorder. Frank played guitar, octave bass and drums and his main collaborator, Ian Underwood, played piano, organ, flute, clarinets and saxophones. There were a lot of other musicians who also contributed. Commercially, it hit #9 in the UK and #173 in the US. One of Frank's most well-known songs "Peaches en Ragalia" opens the album. A drum and piano roll starts the song which goes to horns and keyboard for the melody. The song moves around....well, all these songs do. There's a great horn mid-section. Ron Selico killing it on the drums. Captain Beefheart sings the only album vocals on "Willie the Pimp." A down and dirty sound opens things up....more bluesy. Frank has an absolutely epic seven-minute guitar solo. Another highlight is Don "Sugarcane" Harris on the electric violin in the intro and outro. "The Gumbo Variations" has a nasty, bluesy guitar intro with the sax in the background. This nearly 13-minute long song is one of horn and guitar solos. I think Underwood used every horn he had. Some of the solos are layered. Some more stud drumming...this time by Paul Humphrey. The album closes with "It Must Be a Camel." The structure is pretty much the same with individual and layered solos of guitar, piano and horns. Jean Luc-Ponty on the violin. This song more in jazz area. This is a complex album with instruments coming in and out. They're layered at times. It is evident that Frank took full advantage of the 16-track recorder. Of course, the musianship is just top notch with some impressive solos especially Frank's guitar ones. This is one of my favorite Frank albums. Besides, some of the song titles, there's nothing gimmicky or sarcastic going on which can annoy me in some of his albums. An album worth listening to if only for the musicianship and/or the wonderful "Peaches en Ragalia."

This album is wicked fun.

yesssss i love this hahaha I slap you on the chest as I drop dead on the couch like a boulder breaking through a trampoline

Knocking a star off because halfway through Gumbo Variations I was feeling very jam band-ish. That being said, I like the music! Have never listened to Frank Zappa. I understand why he is a favorite and probably inspiration to Trey Anastasio. I liked Son of Mr. Green Genes best, Little Unbrellas least.

hot rats

There are some real good grooves hiding under the screaming guitar. But Zappa just can’t let the guitar breathe even for a couple of seconds.

"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.

What a strange ass album. Grateful that Borno sent me down the path to listen to his congressional hearing on parental advisory music. Additionally, Linc Dawg showed me one of this better songs: Watermelon in Easter Hay