Eric Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Somehow, I have never gotten around to investigating Frank. The size of his catalog is overwhelming and I really don't care to follow what AMG says. So, FZ fans, where should I start?? The only album I am remotely familiar with is Zoot Alures, which a buddy had in high school, but that was many years ago ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 (edited) Somehow, I have never gotten around to investigating Frank. The size of his catalog is overwhelming and I really don't care to follow what AMG says. So, FZ fans, where should I start?? The only album I am remotely familiar with is Zoot Alures, which a buddy had in high school, but that was many years ago ... ← It was the first one I got. Overnight Sensation is a good entry point too. Uncle Meat. Studio Tan. Edited July 15, 2005 by 7/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 I thought "Hot Rats" was a good place for me to start... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 The Verve & Bizzare stuff is still what I like best, but keep in mind that I've come to believe what somebody once said - that the Zappa you hear in your adolescence is that which you end up liking the most as an adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Freak Out was first, got my attention and I finally lost interest. Buy something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Burke Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Freak Out was first, got my attention and I finally lost interest. Buy something else. ← Freak Out is the only one I could possibly listen to anymore. I don't like a lot of screwball antics in my music. (The Rutles excluded, of course.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 The Verve & Bizzare stuff is still what I like best, but keep in mind that I've come to believe what somebody once said - that the Zappa you hear in your adolescence is that which you end up liking the most as an adult. ← That's how I made my suggestions. Of course, in the pre-Cd era, I owned it all. I'm also a big fan of the instrumental music from the '90's. LSO, Jazz from Hell... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 The Verve & Bizzare stuff is still what I like best, but keep in mind that I've come to believe what somebody once said - that the Zappa you hear in your adolescence is that which you end up liking the most as an adult. ← I was 24 when Freak Out was issued. Am I disqualified? Frank was a bit older - was he pandering to teens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 I'd start with Apostrophe w/all the Yellow Snow/Cosmik Debris biz....then move to Over-Nite Sensation w/the great 'Dinah-Moe Hum'...and on to One Size Fits All and the smokin' guitar on 'Po-Jama People'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 a good representation of all that is Zappa can be found on Lather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Freak Out was first, got my attention and I finally lost interest. Buy something else. ← Chuck, you didn't hear anything interesting on Uncle Meat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILLYQ Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 The only one I can take anymore is 'Shut Up & Play Your Guitar'- no goofing around or attempts at juvenille humor. What i find so frustrating about Zappa is that he'd have this great tune going and then ruin it with the comedy stuff. To my ears it sucked the life out of his music and diminished it greatly. That's my $0.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Freak Out was first, got my attention and I finally lost interest. Buy something else. ← Chuck, you didn't hear anything interesting on Uncle Meat? ← That one didn't piss me off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DatDere Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 "Roxy and Elsewhere" is my favorite. Some juvenile humor on that one, but the band is very tight and some of the instrumentals are jaw-dropping. Another personal favorite is "The Grand Wazoo", mostly big band stuff with little vocals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 The Verve & Bizzare stuff is still what I like best, but keep in mind that I've come to believe what somebody once said - that the Zappa you hear in your adolescence is that which you end up liking the most as an adult. ← I was 24 when Freak Out was issued. Am I disqualified? Frank was a bit older - was he pandering to teens? ← Disqualified, no. Overqualified, maybe. The point that whoever said that was trying to make, I think, was that Zappa's music, almost all of it, is rooted in a bird-flipping type mentality that's never going to be able to chill out and enjoy the pleasures of "normalacy", if only in passing, and that's an attitude best accomodated by the adolescent and still freshly young adult. Not sure that I totally agree, but I certainly don't disagree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 The Verve & Bizzare stuff is still what I like best, but keep in mind that I've come to believe what somebody once said - that the Zappa you hear in your adolescence is that which you end up liking the most as an adult. ← I was 24 when Freak Out was issued. Am I disqualified? Frank was a bit older - was he pandering to teens? ← Disqualified, no. Overqualified, maybe. The point that whoever said that was trying to make, I think, was that Zappa's music, almost all of it, is rooted in a bird-flipping type mentality that's never going to be able to chill out and enjoy the pleasures of "normalacy", if only in passing, and that's an attitude best accomodated by the adolescent and still freshly young adult. Not sure that I totally agree, but I certainly don't disagree. ← I was about 21 when Freak Out came out. Up to that point I had been a jazz snob, but was beginning to like some of the rock music that was coming out - Beatles, Beach Boys, et al. Freak Out blew my mind - here was a funky rock & roll bar band with a real cynical perspective. Became an avid Zappa fan, bought everything; saw the band live several times, etc. Zappa didn't play favorites - he lampooned the straight people and the hippies. I think Uncle Meat is their masterpiece. However, The CD contains a long bonus track that is completely worthless. I gave up around Apostrophe. The humor was getting more amd more juvenile (and I was approaching 30!). That said, it all sounds very dated to me now. The comedy is a bit stale and forced, the music will be fine and then they'll get silly again. I'd recommend Hot Rats as a good introduction. Peaches En Regalia is one of Frank's most memorable tunes, and the comedy is kept to a minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 (edited) 1. Burnt Weeny Sandwich is my favorite. 2. Uncle Meat (the bonus track is junk, I agree). 'Prelude to King Kong' is fabulous. 3. One Size Fits All is also excellent, as well as most of Roxy and Elsewhere. 4. Freak Out has some great stuff on it, some not so great. VERY interesting use of vibraphone instead of piano. 5. Absolutely Free is mostly excellent. 6. Bongo Fury is the first I ever heard, and I still have a soft spot for it. Bertrand. Edited July 15, 2005 by bertrand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 "Roxy and Elsewhere" is my favorite. Some juvenile humor on that one, but the band is very tight and some of the instrumentals are jaw-dropping. Another personal favorite is "The Grand Wazoo", mostly big band stuff with little vocals. ← Good start here. I would also add "One Size Fits All" (similar style to "Roxy") and "Waka/Jawaka" (similar, mostly-instrumental, jazzy style to "Grand Wazoo"). "Hot Rats" is generally considered one of Frank's masterpieces, so you really can't go wrong with that one, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 1. Burnt Weeny Sandwich is my favorite. Me too. Some great playing, and it's not overly long either. 2. Uncle Meat (the bonus track is junk, I agree). 'Prelude to King Kong' is fabulous. 3. One Size Fits All is also excellent, as well as most of Roxy and Elsewhere. ← Those would work too. And Hot Rats would also be a good one to get early if you're more interested in the playing as opposed to the humor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Dorward Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Freak Out, Hot Rats, Läther, Overnite Sensation, are all ones I like. -- & though I'm sure it'd be apostasy to say it, the compilation Strictly Commercial is as close to a greatest-hits compilation as you'll get & it's often on the stereo in our car. (It's also one of the few Zappa albums I can play in the presence of my 7-yr-old.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 I have to agree with the Hot Rats recommendation as the most obvious place to start if you are interested. We're Only In It for the Money is overall a better album (surprisingly nobody's mentioned it yet) musically than Freak Out though probably not as innovative. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Freak Out, Hot Rats, Läther, Overnite Sensation, are all ones I like. -- & though I'm sure it'd be apostasy to say it, the compilation Strictly Commercial is as close to a greatest-hits compilation as you'll get & it's often on the stereo in our car. (It's also one of the few Zappa albums I can play in the presence of my 7-yr-old.) ← Not a bad compilation, I agree. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckyd4 Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 though I'm sure it'd be apostasy to say it, the compilation Strictly Commercial is as close to a greatest-hits compilation as you'll get & it's often on the stereo in our car. ← That's funny, as I was reading through this thread I was thinking the exact same thing. That was actually the first bit of Zappa that I bought, and helped me find a few other of his albums that I dig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEK Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Zappa that I still listen to: "Freak Out" "Absolutely Free" "We're Only In It For The Money" "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" "Apostrophe" "Roxy and Elsewhere" "One Size Fits All" "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar" Except for "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar", I originally got them all as they were released on LP when I was young and impressionable in L.A.. "Freak Out", "Weasels Ripped My Flesh", and "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar" get the most play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonym Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 For the instrumental stuff I'd have to say 'Hot Rats', 'Waka/Jawaka: Hot Rats' and 'The Grand Wazoo' are indispensible. Maybe the nearest to jazz composition that Zappa got . Others will obviously feel differently about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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