Wednesday, 18 June 2025

A Quick Look at Frank Zappa

  




Frank Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestral and musique concrète works; he additionally produced nearly all the 60-plus albums he released with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. His work is characterized by nonconformity, improvisation sound experimentation, musical virtuosity and satire of American culture. Zappa also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. He is considered one of the most innovative and stylistically diverse musicians of his generation.



Albums


  
Freak Out! (1966) 


Zappa's messy, sardonic, clever, and somehow boring debut album. I think the lack of authenticity and emotional engagement is what puts me off this album. I have tried over the years, but have not got into it. This is not my jam at all. It's loose, playful, self-indulgent, and only occasionally musical. It's more like Monty Python plays the music styles of the early Sixties than proper rock music. But, hey ho, it's somewhat sneeringly amusing, if that's what you're into. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 
Score: 4

Continuing the same ideas as the debut album, but now tighter, better produced, more focused, less messy, more musical, and more imaginative. Also, more confident rather than sneering. This is, for me, a better album. 



Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 
Score: 5


We're Only In It For The Money (1968)
  
Continuing the mocking, sneering approach of the first two albums. The music is mostly spoof - a bit like the Barron Knights on acid, but sometimes it is more developed, and has the feel of Zappa's jazz-rock. The confidence and smoothness and attractiveness of the rare moments of serious music serves as a balance to the condescending whimsy of the lyrics and general approach, but still too much mockery to be fully likeable. However, for me the most approachable and somewhat balanced of the albums so far, though still not an album I'm going to play often.


Inner sleeve image as used on original
release instead of the intended cover

The cover was a parody of Sgt Peppers. Ho ho. How clever. How artistic. How meaningful. How so like The Barron Knights on Kool-Aid. 


AllMusic
Score: 5

  
Lumpy Gravy (1968)

Zappa's first "official" solo album (previous releases were under the Mothers of Invention name). This is an instrumental orchestral album with very annoying spoken insertions and some additional slightly chaotic musical moments. There is nothing here for rock music listeners. 



Wikipedia
AllMusic: 
Score: 3


Doo Wop music without the passion and commitment. There is the sense of a band caught between their love of this music, and their desire not to be taken seriously (oh, look, we put in musical jokes, ha, ha); as such the music lacks depth, authenticity, and power. It is, ultimately, a mockery. And not a good one. Boring. 

Compare with true Doo Wop: Flamingo Serenade by The Flamingos, The Coasters by The Coasters, Dedicated to You by The 5 Royales, Presenting by Dion and the Delmonts, etc. 


AllMusic: 
Score: 3

  
Uncle Meat (1969)

There are ideas here, and there is music, and sometimes the music is attractive and the ideas work, but on the whole it lacks cohesion, organisation, and sense of how to bring things together meaningfully, artistically, and aesthetically. This is, despite claims made for innovation and experimentation, rather typical of the period. A number of folks were trying out musical ideas - some more successfully than others. 

Some other 1969 albums: White Noise - An Electric Storm; Art Ensemble of Chicago - Tutankhamun;  Soft Machine - Volume Two; King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King; Man – 2 Ozs of Plastic With a Hole in The Middle; Mighty Baby - Mighty Baby; Van Der Graf Generator - The Aerosol Grey Machine; Third Ear Band - Alchemy; Cromagnon - Orgasm; George Harrison - Electronic Sound; Lennon & Ono - Life With The Lions; Pink Floyd - Ummagumma; Amon Duul - Phallus Dei; Can - Monster Movie; etc  

Though it has its moments, the jokes are thin, and the paying around is too much, Not an album for repeated play. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 
Score: 3  


   
Hot Rats (1969)

I loved this album when I first heard it way back in 1971, and I have continued to love it ever since. Zappa puts all the sarcasm and pissing about to one side, stops trying to be clever and experimental, and just grooves with some finely judged electric guitar focused psychedelic jazz-rock. It is not just a great Zappa album, it is a great album full stop.  

Is it one of the greatest albums made? No. It is a little too measured and polite for that. And while attractive, the music doesn't really take me anyway. It's very attractive though, and easy to listen to as it is quite harmonic. 



Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 
Score: 7 

 
The first track feels like a step backwoods. We are back in the 1968 world of  pastiche and doo wop. After the musical sophisticated and concentration of Hot Rats this throw away jokey nonsense is a profound disappointment.  But then we move into more original though tentative work. However, after the fluid confidence of Hot Rats the hesitant "just playing it for laughs" along with the throw away knocks and noises a la Varese, doesn't sit well. It's not much of a surprise to learn that these are pieces left over from earlier recordings. Ho hum. 


AllMusic: 
Score: 3 

 
It's an arresting cover - I recall my thirteen year old self being struck by it when I browsed through the albums in my local music shop.  As with Burnt Weeny Sandwich this consists of tracks left over from previous recordings (mostly 1969) that hadn't been used. But unlike that album, this is live music with more of a blues and jazz improvised feel to it. There is an orchestrated quality which (for me - your mileage may vary) detracts from the immediacy of the music. 



Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 
Score: 



Discography

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