Top 5 Zappa Albums?

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 darkshade wrote:

 jammun wrote:

 darkshade wrote:

 jammun wrote:

I have Lather.  It's another great FZ album.  I wouldn't put it in my top 5 (not today anyway), but it's a great achievement and as you say had it been released as intended would have much more respect.  I believe Warner Bros. deliberately made it appear as bad as possible in hopes of teaching FZ a lesson.  Idiots.

i think they thought it wouldnt sell. Cmon, if i was a Frank Zappa fan back in the 70s and I saw his new album was a 4 LP album, i'd freak out and buy it immediately! 4 LP's worth of FZ music!!

I would have bought it too.  In fact, i did buy it (in a roundabout way, one album at a time, though not sequenced nor presented as FZ intended).

I didn't know the Lather story at the time, so I was confused as to why FZ had suddenly become fond of butt-fugly album covers with no notes, no credits, etc., when before he had been absolutely meticulous about the quality of the packaging, listing song credits, etc.  That's why I say WB was trying to put these in as bad a light as possible.  Maybe they were just being cheap.  There was no shortage of bad blood between the two parties. 

its a shame too, because the music contained within Lather (or the separate albums) is some of his best ever and doesnt get the attention other albums get (mostly hot rats and his 1972-1975 albums) it also marked a turning point in his career because the music and lyrics afterwards got way more cynical and angry

Yeah, I don't understand the position that Hot Rats holds amongst FZ listeners.  Yes it is a good album (and also has what is probably his finest song, of course Peaches).  But listen to the ten or whatever albums that came before and the albums that came after and Hot Rats is completely overwhelmed by the others.  Maybe it's that it was the first album where he really let loose on the guitar.