THE BEST OF FRANK ZAPPA

I could write a pun here about these tracks being 'strictly commercial', but apparently there is actually another Frank Zappa compilation with that title (and apparently it has the same track- listing as this one plus four........ making me and 5 other people, complete idiots).

Anyway, these tracks really are rather on the commercial side of Zappa, and that isn't surprising because it was released by a record company, the operative word being company. Most of them are pretty good though, and can be seen as a light introduction to the music of this amazing musician, which is so vastly abundant that it would be impossible to do a compilation featuring songs from every one of his albums. Perhaps then, it would be more honest to call this package 'The Best of Frank Zappa's Singles and Commerical Album Tracks'.

There is one song from 'Hot Rats', one from 'Weasels Ripped My Flesh', three from 'Over-Nite Sensation', two from 'Apostrophe', one from 'One Size Fits All', one from 'Bongo Fury', one from 'Zoot Allures', two from 'Sheik Yerbouti', one from 'Joe's Garage', one from 'Tinsel Town Rebellion' and one from 'Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch'. So that covers the 70's quite well but ignores the 60's material and features nothing in the jazz-rock/avant-garde vein that Zappa is known for. Incidentally, the best tracks are loaded up to the front of the album, with the only later highlights being 'Joe's Garage' and the excellent live closer 'The Muffin Man'.

Buy this if, for whatever reason, 'Strictly Commercial' isn't available to you. Otherwise, buy that album..... or buy a more comprehensive box set......... or just buy some Frank Zappa albums! Start with 'Apostophe' and work backwards (if you like jazz) or forwards (if you like silly humour).