Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
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Free Music Notes for Hot Rats
Free Music Review: Zappa Shuts Up and Plays His Guitar
Hit: 5 Stars
Zappa liked to run his mouth and he liked to ruin great compositions with awful lyrics, but Hot Rats was spared of this and what a blessing that is as it is possibly the greatest Jazzy Rock instrumental album to ever be released. The compositions/improvs are awesome, the songs are not only worth study for musicians but are extremely catchy,compelling and never bore. I have had this album for several years and never grow tired of listening to it. No matter what the length of the songs, they always feel so short as this album just takes one to another place. The one track with vocals "Willy the Pimp" is an awesome, bluesy track featuring none other than Zappa friend and artistic genius Captain Beefheart aka Don Van Vliet on lead vocals and Doc Sugar Cane Harris on fiddle. Zappa proves himself to be a brilliant guitarist, improviser and composer via this masterpiece. All songs are great, but the two biggest standouts are Son of Mr. Green Genes (probably the greatest song that Zappa ever penned) and the extended jazz, blues and rock fusion masterwork Gumbo Variations. Oh, and don't be surprised if it takes you weeks to get the infectious Peaches en Regalia out of your head. I also recommend (for starters,by Zappa) The Grand Wazoo, Shut Up and Play Your Guitar, and Yellow Shark. He truly is one of the world's most underappreciated and greatest composers.Free Music Review: If you only have one Zappa album, this is the one to have
Hit: 5 Stars
It's been 10 years since Frank passed on, and we may have forgotten about his more outrageous nature. United Airlines actually features an entire channel of Zappa music this month (1/04). However, he left plenty of albums to remind us that this was a muscian who really pushed the edges.Some of those pushes are pretty hard to take (e.g., "Weasels Ripped My Flesh), but Hot Rats stands out as a signature Zappa offering. The first song, "Peaches en Regalia" is the single best thing he has ever done, and was a jazz-fusion classic before the genre even got started. "Willie the Pimp" and "The Gumbo Variations" are also strong. "TGV" has been restored to its full 17 minutes on the CD after getting trimmed for the LP.
The album has fantastic musicians playing with Frank: Lowell George, later of Little Feat, on guitar [2 members of the Feat started their careers with the Mothers of Invention]; Don 'Sugercane' Harris on fiddle; and Ian Underwood, sax and keyboard virtuoso. But the strongest is Frank, and he proves that he is one heck of a guitar player.
For those of you who lament the amount of risk being taken in contemporary music today, buy this album. There is more risk (and reward!) achieved here, than in the last decade's worth of pop.
Free Music Review: 100% GENUINE TRUE COMPLETE MASTEREICE
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is simply one of the best recordings ever made, period. Not going to get into the whole Zappa thing and compare different albums he has done, but let's just say that all the mother's releases befor HOT RATS were just a warm up. This is one whole different level. Pure music executed with perfection in every way, there are no flaws to be heard. Five stars just ain't enough. Musicianship...5 stars. Composition...5 stars. Coheisiveness... 5 stars. Production...5 stars. Instrumentation...5 stars. Originality (1969)...5 stars. Groove...5 stars. Solos... 5 stars. Ability to be played over and over and over and over without getting tired of it...5 stars. Ability to be listened to under almost any circumstance (in the car, shower, having sex, cleaning up, meditating, relaxing, building clay figurines, as a backdrop to a cheesy sci-fi flick, etc.)...5 stars. Ability to astound the listener with how one individual could compose and produce such detailed material by himself at the age of 28... 5 stars. I could go on, but there just aren't enough stars. Timeless. Frank really outdid himself on this one, hell, he really outdid just about ever other composer, guitarist, and producer in existance, past , present, and most probably future.Free Music Review: Fantastic!
Hit: 5 Stars
I was searching through my parent's record collection one day, when I stumbled across a certain Frank Zappa album. I'd heard a bit about him, so I put it on. Now I generally listen to metal, but Zappa's guitar work and the trippiness of the music intrigued me. Now, the record has found its way to my room.Take a moxture of rock, jazz and even a bit of funk and blues. Throw it all into lengthy improvisations and catchy yet serious melodies and you have Hot Rats. Willie The Pimp is definately my favourite song on the album. Not many people are capable of creating such lengthy guitar solos that never get boring. Captain Beefheart's vocals are also very cool on this track. They are also the only vocals on the album - it is mostly instrumental jamming music. This album is new for me in that it has inspired me to listen to other forms of music. Hot Rats is simply a fantastic album.
N.B. I am reviewing the original vynil version that I have in front of me now. The CD re-release is meant to have some significant changes like some additions and lengthening of songs and some different mixing in the sound. Something about Zappa feeling that no song was ever finished. Either way, buy it now!
Free Music Review: Amazing MUSIC
Hit: 5 Stars
This is AMAZING music. This is not overproduced commercial pop-metal-emo-screamo-pseudo-smooth product. Frank Zappa wrote unique creative music which is instantly recognized as his own. This CD has complex, brilliant melodies which are sometimes polyphonic in nature followed by guitar (and other) solos which reflect how Zappa's ability to truly improvise was clearly beyond most other guitarists of that time (or anytime).
It is very sophisticated rhythmically and melodically; his influences included Stravinsky, Varese, Webern, and R & B music from the Fifties. This is not jazz in the sense of Miles or Coltrane, but it is not always rock either. It's Frank Zappa music. Peaches, Green Genes and Gumbo Variations especially have very complex melodies with many overdubbed counter melodies. Hours of repeated listening are required to really appreciate the craft, depth and beauty of this music. You can't play it once and disgard it as useless, the same way you can't play Stravinsky or Boulez and after one listening and say they aren't masterpieces.
Buy this music and give a chance-it could change your life.