Intro to Zappa

Start with Apostrophe and Over Night Sensation. Two excellent albums that are nearly commercial, because they are melodic, and great musicianship. Think of them as gateway drugs. Then go on to Hot Rats (my fav) the Joe's Garage trilogy and Chunga's Revenge. If you're a guitar fans, Frank's got some killer guitar albums.

Don't be afraid, the waters deep. Just jump right in.

Sweetnighter wrote: Overnite Sensation seems to be the leader, eh? Although I've been told that Hot Rats is more jazzy....

Jazzy and bluesy - the latter because of Beefheart and Sugar Cane Harris(?) on Willie The Pimp

The Zappa FamilyTrust just released another Best Of (shame on them), but I think it is a great starter of the short songs,otherwise get Strictly commercial the first Best of.My favourite band is 1972-1974 with the one and only Ruth Underwood,George Duke, N.M.Brook, the Fowler Bros.All their record releases are excellent and funny as usual. ...and if you 're into dancing get the Bebop Tango and the Black Page.

Sweetnighter wrote: I really want to get into Zappa, but he's released sooo much stuff that I have no idea where to start.... what album should I start with?

There's a big difference between the music by the Mothers Of Invention and Zappa's solo work. I like both very much. This is what I wrote at the end of FZ's bio for the ProgArchives website:

Here’s a small list of ZAPPA-records I recommend. They’re all must-haves, and some of them may be a good starting point for people who are unfamiliar with his work. Firstly, all of his albums with the early MOTHERS (except for “Cruising With Ruben & The Jets”) are very good. I think the best ones are “We’re Only In It For The Money”, “Uncle Meat” and “Weasels Ripped My Flesh”. “Freak Out!” is less interesting, but it does have great historical value, for it was, in my opinion, the first progressive rock record ever. Zappa’s second solo-album “Hot Rats” contains some great instrumental (except for CAPTAIN BEEFHEART’s vocals on “Willie The Pimp”) jazzrock. “Hot Rats” is definitily among his best albums. But, if you are unfamiliar with ZAPPA’s work, the albums of THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION and ZAPPA’s solo-albums from the sixties may scare you off. If you’d like some more accessible music, you could start with “Over-Nite Sensation”, “Apostrophe (')” or “One Size Fits All”. They’re all great jazzy bluesrock records. ZAPPA’s most poppy record was the controversial “Sheik Yerbouti” though. It contains many accessible ZAPPA-classics, with very funny lyrics. You could also start with a compilation. “Strictly Commercial”, “Have I Offended Someone?”, “Cheap Thrills” and “Son Of Cheep Thrills” are all decent compilations, that give you a nice insight in what diverse kinds of music Frank ZAPPA made.

Good luck!

Useful_Idiot wrote: I started with We're Only In It For the Money, and it almost turned me off from him entirely.  Great album, but NOT a good starting point. As I said on AIM, you'll like Hot Rats since you're into jazz fusion.

That was my first Zappa experience and it was great!!!!!!

It was a marvolous tarting point.

My essentials are Goes Garage 1-3, just another band from L.A. and Uncy meat!

Velvetclown wrote: Mr 160 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You remembered!!! Bless your heart sunny boy