Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
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Free Music Notes for Hot Rats
Free Music Review: One of Zappa's cleanest and most tenjoyable albums
Hit: 5 Stars
`Hot Rats' was Frank Zappa's first solo album, not under the name of `The Mothers of Invention' and one of his most purely instrumental fusion works. It may not be his most original because, like Pete Townsend of The Who, Zappa was constantly copying phrasings from one album to the next. The very first track, `Peaches en Regalia' has riffs in it which appear in songs on many of his early albums.
While this is not done by `The Mothers of Invention', some `Mothers' musicians perform on the album, including Zappa's main man on saxes, Ian Underwood. Zappa also has some fairly heavy duty guest artists such as Captain Beefheart on the only vocals on the album, Sugar Cane Harris and Jean Luc Ponty on violins on two different tracks, and the very young Shuggy Otis on base on the first track, `Peaches En Regalia'.
What is most distinctive about this album aside from the fact that it is almost purely instrumental is that it is the purest sample of Zappa's fusion of Rock, Jazz, and modern classical, as done by one of his musical inspirations, Edgar Varese.
When this album was first released in 1969, I thought it was the apotheosis of Zappa's music and it was hard to imagine his getting any better. I still think it is one of his tightest albums compared to some of his later sprawling efforts such as `200 Motels', but it may not be as entertaining as `The Mothers, Fillmore East, 1971' which was the inaguration of the collaboration of Zappa with the two remaining members of `The Turtles', Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan.
This, plus the very first album, `Freak Out' may be the two albums you most want to have if you need a good sample of what Frank Zappa was all about.
Free Music Review: the core of Zappa
Hit: 5 Stars
To say that this album marked the beginning of Zappa's losing his unique crazy sound with the early Mothers is a simplification. It is is a turning point. And from here on he more experimented with all sorts of different styles and giving them his own strange personal flavor than go on creating that unheard of universe of 'Frank Sound'. His dada satire would succumb to downright scatalogical or political humor. But not yet here, even though the Mothers are gone but for the genius of Ian Underwood. Influences of Jazz rock are discernable, yet they are treated like the doowop and psychedelic and classical music on his first albums, not as pastiche, no: they are just spices to flavor the melting pot in which he is brewing that magic brew of which only he had the recepy (and he lost it through the years, only to come up with tastes of it). He is giving more breath to his compositions, stretching them, as someone who is on his own now and no longer propelled by the uncontrollable energy of his gang. And a sadness uncommon for Zappa pervades them: as if he knew that these songs would be the last in their kind. And he keeps silent, leaving the singing to the furious Captain Beefheart who delivers only a few lines, enough though to knock you out in the fashion that some of the best lyrics of Absolutely free and We're only in it for the money did. In the mean time, the matureness of this record gave seed to some interesting projects to come, elaborations of the findings delved up by the highly improvisational playing: look at the Grand Wazoo, Apostrophe and One size fits all that were less original and driven but masterpieces nevertheless.Free Music Review: powerful wonderful and Willi the Pimp
Hit: 5 Stars
Guitarists can jam to the jazz/rock leanings of this massive recording - but Willi the Pimp is my favorite.
I long avoided Zappa due to a couple of distasteful episodes, with less than savory Zappa fans who seemed more amused with his sophomoric jokes than his musical prowess, and well, I don't know what Zappa would have expected. He reportedly disowned those fans who were simply buying his records to hear him talk about eating yellow snow, or lament that it hurts when he pees.
NONE of that nonsense here.
Back in the day I stayed up late to see Zappa on Letterman - and when Zappa was mentioning that some of his earliest records were getting rereleased he rattled off a couple of titles. Letterman snickered at the amusing names (Freak Out, and such) and Zappa shot him a look that I thought was pointlessly over-reactive.
Maybe the 80's Zappa was taking himself too seriously, but it seems hard to imagine.
His long time friend and sometimes antagonist Don Van Vliet is here as Captain Beefheart giving a terrific (though story-filled) performance - and honestly it's such a great "beefheart" tune that it's worth the price of the record just for that bit for Beefheart fans.
Zappa puts guitar playing first here, and it's worth it. The man obviously loved good guitar music, and there's shades here of everything from Sharrock to McLaughlin. While mainly a fusion Jazz record, some of the meandering solos are so satisfying that it's easy to forget that this was one of rock's "weirdos" (or freaks, which Van Vliet HATED).
enjoy
Free Music Review: The one perfect FZ album
Hit: 5 Stars
Famously labeled "the one album even people who don't likeFrank Zappa like", but here's a twist--I like Frank Zappa
quite a bit and I still consider this his finest achievement.
Every track here is a complete winner, and there is no
superfluous humour or bizarro filler which clutters up so
many of his other works. The one vocal, by Beefheart on "Willie The Pimp", is without a doubt the best on any FZ record
ever (good vocalists being one thing Zappa always seemed a bit
short on).
Although there is a lot of jamming and improvisation here, this
is not your ordinary jazz-fusion record. There is a full symphonic sound and complexity to compositions like "Peaches En Regalia" and "Son Of Mr.Green Genes" which makes this a complete rock-jazz-classical fusion and presages a lot of prog rock
to come. And yet, in spite of the length of the tracks and
the prevalence of long solos on "Willie The Pimp" and "Gumbo
Variations", everything has focus, purpose and energy, and most
importantly, rocks HARD. The production here also sounds
rich and full, something missing on contemporary Mothers albums of that period (the CD remix, which you will either like or hate, makes that sound even fuller--I actually prefer it).
A no-nonsense, mostly instrumental FZ album, filled with
stunningly virtuosic playing, complex yet hummable tunes
and a fresh, full sound. One of the most famous works in his
entire catalogue, and a must-purchase for fans and non-fans alike. One of the best albums ever.
Free Music Review: zappa's supreme masterpiece.
Hit: 5 Stars
I am not a huge fan of zappa's music, but I am a huge fan of this album. Nothing else he did ever came close to matching the emotional and intense genius of this music. "Peaches en regalia," the opening track, is a splendid, catchy instrumental, that's goofy and pure fun. Then comes "Willie The Pimp," an intense rock and roll song with frenzied, possessed vocals by Captain Beefheart. It's the only song on the album with vocals: nine minutes and sixteen seconds of mayhem with a great guitar jam that is pure power. "Son of Mr. Green Genes" is a piece of music that wouldn't sound out of place on any fine prog-rock album from the era. Divine and accomplished, an excellent display of zappa's composition talents . For me, the best piece on the album, though, is the epic avant-garde jazz fusion freakout called "the gumbo variations." this is roughly seventeen minutes of wild and inspired playing. A fella named Ian Underwood is the star of the show here, blowing his heart out on saxophone and clarinet in a pure state of emotional frenzy. This great track brings to mind one of my favorite albums of this era, Soft Machine's masterpiece, simply called "Third." "The gumbo variations," would fit right in on that classic Soft Machine album. As I said, I am not the biggest fan of zappa's music in general, but boy do I love this album. "Hot Rats" is a classic that sounds as fresh today as it did when I first heard it in the late seventies. Do yourself a favor and discover this vital music.