Well, I can't avoid it forever, so ....
Album title: Hot Rats
Artiste: Frank Zappa
Nationality: American
Label: Bizarre/Reprise
Year: 1969
Grade: B
Landmark value: One of the first albums – not just prog albums – to use the new sixteen-track recording technique, thereby allowing far more overdubs and intricate mixing, something that would definitely become a feature of prog rock, especially with the likes of Pink Floyd and Yes.
Tracklisting: Peaches en regalia/Willie the pimp/ Son of Mr. Green Genes/Little umbrellas/The gumbo variations/It must be a camel
Comments: An almost completely instrumental album, without the vocal high-jinks and other assorted nonsense prevalent in previous albums? Could be a godsend to me. This was Zappa's first proper solo album, ie without The Mothers of Invention, and though it sounds like there's a whole band playing it's basically just him and Ian Underwood from The Mothers, with a few others helping out. Pretty impressive. Only six tracks too, which makes a change from the double albums I've had to endure prior to this. The second track has vocals and they're supplied by Captain Beefheart. It's really not bad at all, more blues/psych rock than avant-garde, quite listenable, even when the Captain starts raving and hollering as he tends to do. Some really fine guitar on this. And fiddle too.
The third track takes it back to instrumentals, and it's nice to hear what a great musician Zappa is without having to endure all that avant-garde stuff he practiced on his previous albums. Great piano work here and horns a plenty too, but the guitar holds centre stage. There's an Arabic/French feel to the next track, “Little umbrellas”, with what sounds like a clavier or maybe tubular bells; a hollow, ringing sound anyway and plenty of organ. Hey, even “The Gumbo Variatons”, which is basically horn-driven and a sort of jazzy jam, can't dampen my enthusiasm for this album. Much better than expected. Pretty slick little bass solo there, and good work on the piano and organ. Long, at over twelve minutes, but doesn't drag or seem a chore to get through.
That leaves “It must be a camel” to close the album, another fine instrumental, quite relaxing and with a slower jazz feel.
Favourite track(s): Nothing I didn't like on this.
Least favourite track(s):
Overall impression: In my opinion, a huge step forward for Zappa as he leaves (hopefully) behind all the
musique concrete and avant-garde stuff and concentrates on what he does best, making music, and very good music, judging from this album. You can hear the advantage gained in having so many more tracks to work with, and it really gives the album extra depth and volume. Wasn't looking forward to this, but it was a much pleasanter experience than I had anticipated.
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