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jackhammer · 05-04-2008, 04:34 PM

2: FRANK ZAPPA-HOT RATS

I had to have Zappa in here but which one? His discography is huge and I freely admit to knowing perhaps about only 25% of it, so I have chosen an album which is not neccessarily one of his more experimental albums but one that I adore. Hot Rats is a mainly instrumental album with only track 2 Willie The Pimp having vocals (courtesy of Captain Beefheart) and could be described as Jazz Fusion. There are some extraordinary guitar workouts on here spliced with saxophones, clarinets and flutes.

Later Zappa releases feature his customary wit and genre hopping but as there is so much to hear I reasoned that a cohesive release would appeal to the unitiated.

It is also very well produced and is an album that took full use of early 16 track recording. Tracks such as the aforementioned Willie The Pimp benefitting from this with the immense guitar parts and brass work allowed to breathe due to a lack of compression.

If you love great rock guitar music then this is one album you should definitely hear and for the unitiated it is a relatively accessible slice of Zappa.

Willie The Pimp:

Welcome to zappa.com - The Official Frank Zappa Website

05-04-2008, 04:34 PM	#19 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	2: FRANK ZAPPA-HOT RATS I had to have Zappa in here but which one? His discography is huge and I freely admit to knowing perhaps about only 25% of it, so I have chosen an album which is not neccessarily one of his more experimental albums but one that I adore. Hot Rats is a mainly instrumental album with only track 2 Willie The Pimp having vocals (courtesy of Captain Beefheart) and could be described as Jazz Fusion. There are some extraordinary guitar workouts on here spliced with saxophones, clarinets and flutes. Later Zappa releases feature his customary wit and genre hopping but as there is so much to hear I reasoned that a cohesive release would appeal to the unitiated. It is also very well produced and is an album that took full use of early 16 track recording. Tracks such as the aforementioned Willie The Pimp benefitting from this with the immense guitar parts and brass work allowed to breathe due to a lack of compression. If you love great rock guitar music then this is one album you should definitely hear and for the unitiated it is a relatively accessible slice of Zappa. Willie The Pimp: Welcome to zappa.com - The Official Frank Zappa Website __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”