Wednesday, 18 June 2025

A Quick Look at Frank Zappa

  


Zappa is a curious oddity. Clearly intelligent, and a distinct, individual, and somewhat commanding figure. He was also a  pretty decent wah-wah jazz-fusion guitarist. Yet there's a distance to him that is  both interesting and peculiar, along with his almost obsessive interest in smut, schoolboy humour, and endless parody and satire.


But he spent a large part of his music career making smutty comedy records, cheap parodies and pastiches, and  avant garde orchestral music alongside pleasant jazz fusion and mainstream rock music. Often all on the same album. He put out a lot of material in a seemingly unorganised and undisciplined fashion, though would state that a number of the albums were related and part of a bigger picture. He developed a loyal cult following, and gained a bemused respect among the wider rock audience of the Sixties and Seventies, but wasn't a significant force commercially or culturally. He was more spoken about than listened to. A confident and articulate speaker, he was a plausible figure on talk shows, and was clearly able to convince others that what he did mattered, as he gained a fair amount of creative control.  He had a high opinion of himself, and a low opinion of others; and his attitude to women and people of other races and cultures wasn't impressive. He tended to sneer at the creative efforts of others more original and artistic and authentic than himself, mocking them with his own weak efforts at mimicry.  The bulk of his vast output is low quality. There are few pieces that stand out and are regarded as classics. On the whole it is his general attitude of mockery, sneering fun, and an eclectic meld of various genres (none of which he really mastered, though his jazz fusion guitar playing is note-worthy), that people recall. That said, there are some pieces of his - the albums Hot Rats and Fillmore East for example - that are little gems of creativity and entertainment. 


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.

Composer, guitarist, singer, and bandleader Frank Zappa was a singular musical figure during a performing and recording career that lasted from the 1960s to the '90s. His disparate influences included doo wop music and avant-garde classical music; although he led groups that could be called rock & roll bands for much of his career, he used them to create a hybrid style that bordered on jazz and complicated, modern serious music, sometimes inducing orchestras to play along. As if his music were not challenging enough, he overlay it with highly satirical and sometimes abstractly humorous lyrics and song titles that marked him as coming out of a provocative literary tradition that included Beat poets like Allen Ginsberg and edgy comedians like Lenny Bruce. Nominally, he was a popular musician, but his recordings rarely earned significant airplay or sales, yet he was able to gain control of his recorded work and issue it successfully through his own labels while also touring internationally, in part because of the respect he earned from a dedicated cult of fans and many serious musicians, and also because he was an articulate spokesman who promoted himself into a media star through extensive interviews he considered to be a part of his creative effort just like his music. The Mothers of Invention, the '60s group he led, often seemed to offer a parody of popular music and the counterculture (although he affected long hair and jeans, Zappa was openly scornful of hippies and drug use). By the '80s, he was testifying before Congress in opposition to censorship (and editing his testimony into one of his albums). But these comic and serious sides were complementary, not contradictory. In statement and in practice, Zappa was an iconoclastic defender of the freest possible expression of ideas. And most of all, he was a composer far more ambitious than any other rock musician of his time and most classical musicians, as well.




SteveHoffmanForum post


The easiest way to approach Zappa is to view his catalogue in different eras. I'll do a quick outline of what it looks like:

Freak Out! (1966) - Uncle Meat (1969) + Burnt Weenie Sandwich (1970) ... This is the Mothers of Invention era. Three records in this era are regularly cited as a favorite among Zappa fans (i.e., Freak Out!, We’re Only in It for the Money, and Uncle Meat).

Hot Rats* (1969) ... This album stands alone. This is partially owed to its reception by fans and critics, but also because it sounds nothing like the periods before or after it. It's a frequent selection for favorite Zappa album.

Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970) - Chunga's Revenge (1970) ... No real connection between these records other than the year they were recorded. It's rare to see anyone beyond hardcore Zappa fans discussing these records.

Fillmore East - June 1971 (1971) - Just Another Band From L.A. (1972) ... This is the Flo & Eddie (from The Turtles) era. It skews heavily towards parody and absurd humor. Enter at your own risk.

Waka Jawaka (1971) - The Grand Wazoo (1972) ... This era is largely defined by lengthier, jazzier compositions. It's not without absurdist humor, though it's notably more "serious" than the previous era. Some serious Zappa fans might list either of these in their top 5, but it's not often an entry point for would-be Zappa fans.

Over-Nite Sensation (1973) - Zappa in New York (1977) This is home base for most Zappa listeners, hardcore fans and Zappa-curious folks alike. It takes some alternate routes at times, but it never strays too far from a mainstream rock sound, relative to the rest of his catalogue, at least. From this era, Over-Nite Sensation, Apostrophe, and One Size Fits All are frequently cited as favorites.

Studio Tan (1978) - Orchestral Favorites (1979) ... The messy product of an abandoned, ambitious project (later released as Lather) and a record label fight.

Sheik Yerbouti (1978) - Thing Fish (1984) ... It's hard to define this era, other than to say "it's the one with Joe's Garage in it." It's a very important era, but it is mostly continuing to explore the mainstream rock sound with absurdist humor, such as in Sheik Yerbouti, or absurdist drama, such as Joe's Garage. Zappa fans would likely go to great lengths to tell you about how talented Zappa's bands were during this era. Especially his drummers, which included a very young Tony Bozzio and Vinnie Colaiuta. Ike Willis makes his first appearance on Joe's Garage. The length of his playing career with the exacting Zappa is notable. I haven't done the math, but I suspect this era is when most of his Top 40 hits were recorded. Also notable in that it contains the consensus least-favorite Zappa album, Thing Fish. For those of you that know the plot to Thing Fish and can produce a general description of the costumes that Zappa envisioned for it, I encourage you to seek professional psychiatric care.

Does Humor Belong In Music? (1986) - The Yellow Shark (1993) ... This is the final period of Zappa's catalogue. It is primarily defined by topical, humorous political lyrics, laments about televangelists, long-form avant garde compositions, and the Yellow Shark. Again, this part of the catalogue is only inhabited by hardcore Zappa fans.


You won't find consensus on one masterpiece. Too much varied music over too many different eras.

If you like Uncle Meat you might also like Absolutely Free, those were once two of my my favorites. "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" from Absolutely Free is a little dark, but I think it's an album of great focus and coherence where the mix of musical genres, theatricality, and social commentary really work for me. Also possibly Hot Rats.

Many people's favorite is an era I never much cared for: Zappa's mid-'70s work -- neither the fusiony material nor the FM rock "humor" albums. There's some great music in there, like "The Black Page," but for me it' has to wade through the cynicism, even misanthropy, misogyny, homophobia, vulgarity for vulgarity's sake, and general lake of human empathy in Zappa's work to cull the moments of feeling ("Watermelon in Easter Hay") or inventiveness free of misanthropy, anger and cynicism. (Jazz from Hell)

If I return to Zappa's music at all these days, its usually just to instrumental stuff. The Yellow Shark is a wonderful album of chamber music, many of the musical themes first appeared on Uncle Meat. Also his guitar solos albums Shut Up n Play Yer Guitar 1-3.


Avant/ dadaist period is the original Mothers albums Freak Out thru Weasels Ripped My Flesh. 1966-1969 including the FZ solo album Lumpy Gravy. Hot Rats is half ensemble compositions, and half guitar jams.

Flo & Eddie period 1970-1971

"Jazz / Rock" Wazoo, Waka, 1972

1973 and beyond, Zappa arrives at his more streamlined, commercially viable style of music. Overnite Sensation thru One Size Fits All are the probably the best of the lot. And this would include Sleep Dirt, and Studio Tan recorded at the time but compiled and released a few years later.

1976 -1979, lots of cynical smutty lyrics on Zappa in NY, Sheik Yerbouti, Joe's Garage

Orchestral albums: Orchestral Favorites, London Symphony, The Perfect Stranger, Yellow Shark

For guitar heads: Shut Up N Play Yer Guitar, Guitar, Trance Fusion. The first one is highly recommended.

Synclavier albums: Jazz From Hell, Civilization Phase III, parts of Mothers Of Prevention, and Perfect Stranger. Francesco Zappa is the first album of obscure Baroque compositions with no sampled sounds. I'd skip this one.





Recordings

     
Steve Allen Show (1963)

In 1963 Zappa appeared on The Steve Allen Show playing a bicycle. It gives a good sense of what Zappa is about. 



  
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: 10 
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: 9
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. 


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
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: 6
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: 9
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: 9 
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: 9
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. The tracks which focus on melodic guitar jams, such as The Orange County Lumber Truck, are cool. The discordant bits are OK if brief, but they tend to go on too long. The whole, though, is rather messy and not unified. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 9
Score: 4


   
Chunga's Revenge (1970)


Entertaining on the same level as the excellent Fillmore East album, which followed this, though not as focused, balanced, and unified. I recognise the cover, but don't recall the album, so this is the first time I have consciously heard it, and I'm impressed. It's a little patchy, but it has the guitar work that Zappa displayed on Hot Rats, along with the humour that he has displayed throughout his career so far. But here there's more focus on the music rather than the humour, and that works fine. Very likeable, though there are those who dislike this and other albums involving Flo and Eddy (of The Turtles). Your mileage may vary....



AllMusic: 6
Score: 6


Creative, inventive, funny, and with good music. This, for me, is the best of Zappa. 



AllMusic: 6
Score: 8

  
200 Motels (1971)

Messy and not always attractive. And there's a lot of it. But with intelligent editing this would make a good single album. 


AllMusic: 8
Score: 4

Live album with throwaway jokey lyrics and simple fun music. Not great. This is similar in style to Fillmore East, but less focused, less outrageous, less fun, and less musical. 



Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 6 
Score: 3

  
Waka/Jawaka (1972) 


Most of the album, such as "Big Swifty" and the title track, is jazz rock - a sort of continuation of Hot Rats. Even though a little more jazzy and hard than Hot Rats, it is still quite smooth, melodic, accessible, and attractive. It's not great music - but it does what it does quite well. And I like when Zappa gets serious, even (or especially) if it means revealing Zappa as being fairly limited with musical ideas. It makes him more honest and open and vulnerable and appealing. The snidey, sarcastic stuff is like him hiding behind the humour to avoid revealing himself and leaving himself open to criticism. It's easy and safe to mock - much harder and braver to play true and honest.  Having said that, the sarcastic, throw away, humorous stuff, tends to grab the attention more than this.  Recorded with Zappa in a wheelchair due to injuries sustained after being shoved off stage at the Albert Hall in Dec 1971. Zappa plays guitar on all tracks, but the guitar is not the focus, as it is on Hot Rats. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 7
Score: 4

  
The Grand Wazoo (1972)

More jazz-fusion. Quite palatable, though not really my thing. Not as melodic, smooth, and attractive as Hot Rats, though clearly in the same area. Possibly more developed and ambitious than Waka/Jawaka, it perhaps lacks some of its charm and immediacy. There is more focus on Zappa's guitar on this than on Waka/Jawaka. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 9
Score: 4

   
Over-Nite Sensation (1973)

There's no doubt that Zappa produces a lot of material. The question is, would that output be better if he worked on it a little more, and focused on improving it, rather than just spewing it out in often fairly undisciplined haste. There's some good bits here, but overall this is a mess. There's little sense of self-control or intelligent reflection and criticism. Tina Turner and the Ikettes were employed for backing vocals on some tracks, but when Tina revealed to Ike what Zappa was making them sing, he apparently said "What is this shit", and told Zappa not to credit the girls on the album.   The lyrics are puerile, and the music is simplistic pop/funk rock. Easy, accessible, cheap, throwaway nonsense. As wallpaper music it can play away harmlessly in the background, but if you listen to it, then it becomes an ugly album.  


AllMusic: 9
Score: 2 

   
Apostrophe (') (1974) 

Zappa's most commercially successful album, helped by the success of "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" as a single. As with other work of this period, it is messy and largely trivial, though with some good bits. It's a melange of Zappa's sarcastic humour, schoolboy sex jokes, nonsense, jazz-rock,  pop, and general madness - recordings come from different stages of Zappa's career from 1969 (Hot Rats) to date. It's an appropriate summary of his early 70s career.  Side 1 was recorded at the same time and with the same musicians as Over-Nite Sensation, so there's more uncredited Tina Turner on backing vocals. On the whole a more interesting, acceptable, and pleasant album than Over-Nite Sensation. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 9
Score:  5

   
Roxy & Elsewhere (1974) 

Somewhat throwaway, as much of Zappa's material, especially the live recordings are, this nevertheless has attractive and entertaining parts. It is, though, somewhat infuriating that Zappa could be so casual about his music, especially when there is clearly potential to focus and develop the material into something more significant. On the whole this is playful jazz-fusion. Likeable, but without cohesion. "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing" is an outstanding track. Possibly one of Zappa's best, albeit a little awkward in parts. The album is, however, a little long and - of course - undisciplined in terms of material (the playing is tight as always). 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 8
Score: 5 


  
One Size Fits All (1975)


A popular album with some Zappa fans. Guitar focused. Mostly jazz-fusion. Listenable but forgettable, though some say essential. The crazy world of Zappa, eh? 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 8
Score: 4

   
Bongo Fury (1975)

Beefheart and Zappa together on tour in their most extensive collaboration, along with the last incarnation of The Mothers. It is not a popular album among Zappa fans. It could be and should be better than it is, for sure, but as it is, its not bad. 


Wikipedia
Score: 4


  
Zoot Allures (1976)

"The Torture Never Stops" is unpleasant. Zappa has disturbed ideas of what constitutes entertainment. The album is full of simple Cat in the Hat style lyrics based on smutty schoolboy humour and retarded misogyny. It's not funny - there is no irony here. Zappa has spent most of his career writing lyrics like this. Yeah, some people will like it, male and female. And we know he had an obsession with groupies, and they with him. Each to their own on that score. But it is difficult to enjoy let alone admire puerile and somewhat offensive stuff like this.    




AllMusic: 8
Score: 

   
Zappa in New York (1978) 

Live album which at times has the feel of Fillmore East, though without the same quality of unity, theme, story, well judged humour, and atmosphere. This is more of the usual Zappa mess. Stuff happens. Shitty lyrics to simplistic music, and then a directionless guitar solo. And then quite a bit of jazz fusion. Sigh. 


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 3 

  
Studio Tan (1978)


A silly story song, and then some musical doodling. Not good. 


AllMusic: 6
Score: 2.5 


    
Sleep Dirt (1979)

Melodic, reflective, considered, and pleasant. Quite a commercial smooth jazz feel yet there's also hard jazz, some minimalist stuff, Steve Reich, Brian Eno type stuff. Grand, sweeping technicolour film score. It's attractive, amusing, thoughtful, and engaging. Probably his best work since Hot Rats.  


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 7
Score: 6.5

   
Sheik Yerbouti (1979)

 
Zappa likes to mix it up. He records a decent album full of good music, and then follows that with an album of rancid and offensive nonsense songs that, because of the controversy over some of the lyrics, especially the anti-Semitic "Jewish Princess" (defended by Zappa as its OK to be offensive about Jewish women because other people do it: "as if to say there is no such thing as a Jewish Princess. Like I invented this?"), becomes a best seller. He mixes the offensive nonsense songs with some of his wah-wah guitar playing, and bits of music noise. It's all a joke to him. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 8
Score: 2.5 


Orchestral music composed by Zappa, recorded live in 1975, with conductor Michael Zearott. This is the last of four albums - the others being Zappa in New York, Studio Tan, and Sleep Dirt - that were part of a dispute both with Herb Cohen, Zappa's manager and co-owner of Zappa's record company, DiscReet, and Warner Brothers who distributed Zappa's material. What is known is that Zappa gave Warner tapes of the four albums, and no other information, not even album titles, and that Warner released them as they were, but didn't promote them, and they were eventually deleted by Warner, and re-released by Zappa some years later. There is some confusion regarding the later Zappa album, Lather, which essentially consists of those four albums. Some folks say that Zappa always intended the four albums to be part of Lather, and that Warner released them erroneously as separate albums. Others feel that the idea for the Lather box set came later as Zappa's contract with Warner was such that he needed to give them four albums before he could be released, so he wouldn't be giving them that much material as one album. Who knows. And who really cares?  The music on this album? It's OK, but doesn't get me excited or hold my interest. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 6
Score: 4

A bit rambling, hit and miss, and way too long. and essentially pointless as most "rock operas" are (not a genre to mock, as they are essentially self-mocking by their nature, especially when they take themselves seriously). However, it is by and large listenable. Not something that attracts me enough to want to wade through it again (a little self-control or discipline or focus would have benefited Zappa's music enormously, but that's not who he was - part of the appeal for his fans is that he was so excessive in so many areas), but I'm OK with it generally.  The blues guitar on "Watermelon in Easter Hay" is slick and attractive if surprisingly clichéd. The familiarity, perhaps, is part of the appeal. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 7
Score: 4

  
Tinsel Town Rebellion (1981)

A messy album - again; that seems to be the usual case with Zappa. I find his more focused and organised albums to be the most rewarding - Hot Rats and Fillmore East, for example. 



Originally released as three single albums of Zappa's guitar doodles and solos, including Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar Some More (1981), and Return of the Son of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar (1981). Later, all three albums were released as a single unit. The material was drawn from recordings stretching from 1972 to 1980, though mostly consists of live recordings from 1979. The initial premise of albums consisting of guitar based material was well received, so Zappa subsequently released more guitar based albums. I think you  need to be a real fan of Zappa or at least of endless and mostly shapeless electric guitar solos to like this album. The guitar playing is good, but not exceptional. Regardless of the playing ability, though, what one hopes for is some interesting and/or attractive musical ideas, especially when those ideas are shaped and moulded - as here in Man's Spunk Rock, live at Greasy Truckers in 1972. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 8
Score: 4


   
You Are What You Is (1981)


Some funky rock guitar here on "Doreen" - could almost be Prince. As well as jokey country songs, doo-wop, simplistic reggae, etc. Essentially this is a series of largely pastiche songs with silly, throwaway lyrics "I'll be harder than your husband to get along with / Harder than your husband every night". It's variably entertaining overall, and I think certain tracks such as "Doreen" and "Goblin Girl", though there are few moments where one can really get engaged. It is what it is. On the whole I like this album. 



Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 8
Score: 5 



Contains "Valley Girl", which became a critical and commercial hit for Zappa. It is popular because of Moon Zappa's mimicry of the speech of  Valley girls, the California equivalent of teenage Sloane Rangers.  It is on the whole a surprisingly listenable, attractive, and inoffensive album, though typically unsubstantial. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 6
Score: 4


   
The Man from Utopia (1983) 

Mostly tedious and self-indulgent. The half-spoken/half-sung tracks are particularly tedious and self-indulgent. Ho hum. 


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 4
Score: 2.5


  
Baby Snakes (1983)

Seven song extract from the soundtrack to the Baby Snakes film which was based on a 1977 concert which has echoes of Fillmore East but without the magic touch that concert had. I think all the songs had appeared on previous albums. I like it. 
 

Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 7
Score: 4.5 


   
London Symphony Orchestra, Vols. I & II (1983 & 1987) 


Some of Zappa's orchestral pieces, conducted by Kent Nagano. The recordings were done in 1983 by Zappa, though released four years apart. It's a fairly straight orchestral recording. Not really my thing. Quite sombre and modern, though not abrasive. Zappa apparently was not satisfied with the result. 


Score: 3



More modern classical music. It's not really my thing. It just sounds so stuffy and old fashioned. This is slightly more interesting than the London Symphony Orchestra Vols. I & II, but no more enjoyable. 


Score: 3 


  
Them or Us (1984) 




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Thing-Fish (1984)  


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Old Masters, Box I (1985)  


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Jazz from Hell (1986)  






Guitar (1988)  






The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life (1991)
Make a Jazz Noise Here (1991)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 (1991)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5 (1992)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 (1992)
Playground Psychotics (1992)
Ahead of Their Time (1993)
The Yellow Shark (1993)






Discography







Best albums 

Hot Rats (1969) 4+6+8+6+4+2+2+8+3+3 (46)
Money (1968) 6+6+4+6+2+8+2+6+4+3 (45) 
Freak Out (1966) 1+8+8+3+8+6+2+4 (40) 

Over-Nite Sensation (1973) 8+2+2+1+2+3+3+3 (24)
Uncle Meat (1969) 8+1+4+3+2+2+1+3 (24)
One Size (1975) 4+1+1+2+1+2+4+5 (22)
Apostrophe' (1974) 4+1+1+2+2+4+3 (17) 
The Grand Wazoo (1972) 1+1+2+1+1+3+5 (14)
Absolutely Free (1967) 3+3+1+1+3 (11)
Burnt Weeny Sandwich (1970) 2+1+4+3 (10)
Weasels (1970) 1+1+1+3+3 (9)
Sheik Yerbouti (1979) 1+1+2+2+1 (7)
Joe's Garage (1979) 1+1+1+1+3 (7)
Zoot Allures (1976) 2+3 (5) 
Roxy & Elsewhere (1974) 3+2 (5)
Lather (1996) 2+2 (4) 
Cruising (1968) 1+2 (3)
The Man From Utopia (1983) 2 
Lumpy Gravy (1968) 1+1 (2)
Fillmore East (1972) 2 
Make A Jazz Noise Here (1991) 1
Chunga's Revenge (1970) 1
The Yellow Shark (1993) 1 



Sources: 
* Justsomeguy 
* Mojo 
* Best Ever (Mothers) 
* Best Ever (Zappa) 
* UCR 
* Louder 
* FarOut 
* GC 
* IHeart 



Best tracks





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