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LOUDTRAX View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: best Zappa albums - need recommendations!
    Posted: November 17 2009 at 21:34
TOP 10 ZAPPA ALBUMS

hi guys,

for whatever reason, i never took the time to really discover Frank Zappa.  Was at a party the other night and they were all talking about Zappa and i could not even take part.

So, I ask, out of the 6543 albums he has, can you recommend say the top 10 that one should listen to.

your tips are appreciated!
Antonio
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 01:52
Hmm...I can't necessarily do a top ten, but I will say that I enjoy the following:

 Hot Rats, Grand Wazoo, Roxy & Elsewhere, Waka/Jawaka, Uncle Meat, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Freak Out, One Size Fits All, and Apostrophe. 

Wait, that's 10 albums...alright, so there's a bit of each of his styles in there (except classical and synclavier) with a focus on his fusion/out there style stuff.  I've only got a few other of his albums, but these are definitely my favorites of what I have. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 01:55
10 albums, eh?

Hot Rats
We're Only In It For the Money
Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention
Joe's Garage
Lather
One Size Fits All
Make a Jazz Noise Here
Apostrophe/Over-nite Sensation (Two greats albums on one disc!)
Freak Out!
The Grand Wazoo
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 02:12
In no particular order these albums are probably the easiest ( well Uncle Meat isnīt easy listening but itīs a favorite of mine) introduction to Zappaīs discography. Most people will probably include Hot Rats
too but itīs never been a favorite of mine:
 
I can also recommend the You Canīt Do That On Stage Anymore vol. 1 - 6 series. Zappaīs live albums were just as great as his studio output. Sometimes even better.
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 02:26
You can never eat just ten . . . but here goes (in no meaningful order):

One Size Fits All
We're Only in it for the Money
You Can't Do That On Stage Vol. 2
Apostrophe
Overnite Sensation
Waka/Jawaka
Grand Wazoo
Studio Tan
Them or Us
and if you really want to commit, Lather
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 02:39
One

Size

Fits

All
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LOUDTRAX View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 09:13
very cool!  thanks guys!  will start my "Zappa studies" Big smile
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 12:06

I'd highly suggest listening to a couple of his Live albums first .. Will be a nice mixture and really shows his versatility and humor..

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 12:16
Originally posted by LOUDTRAX LOUDTRAX wrote:

So, I ask, out of the 6543 albums he has, can you recommend say the top 10 that one should listen to.

I'm thinking the Z man should have put out some more albums before he moved on.  My damn paperback autobio got flooded.  Arrgh.

Let's see, off the top of my head:
Ovenite Sensation
One Size Fits All
Sheik Yerbouti
The Best Band You Never Heard
Freak Out!
Apostrophe
You Are What You Is
Broadway The Hard Way
Joe's Garages
We're Only In It For The Money

And for a bonus, Thing Fish (probably his most vile, but I like it)LOL

I'm also tossing in a DVD recommedation: Baby Snakes




Edited by Slartibartfast - November 18 2009 at 12:18
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 14:25
You should listen to(firstly):

- Hot Rats
- Roxy & Elsewhere
- Zappa in New York
- One Size Fits All
- Over-Nite Sensation
- The Grand Wazoo
- Uncle Meat
- Joe's Garage
- Make a Jazz Noise Here
- Sleep Dirt


Edited by The Quiet One - November 18 2009 at 19:45
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J-Man View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 14:59
I don't have 10 Zappa albums (yet), so I could use some of these as a point of reference myselfBig smile

Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 19:39
Originally posted by Plankowner Plankowner wrote:

I'd highly suggest listening to a couple of his Live albums first .. Will be a nice mixture and really shows his versatility and humor..



Yeah, The Best Band You Never Heard has good variety and some great tracks. I personally like almost every single thing FZ has ever done, but he has lots of styles in his music. I'd say the absolute essentials are:

Hot Rats
Over-nite Sensation
We're Only In It For The Money
One Size Fits All

And from there you can build. For example, if you really enjoy Hot Rats (as I'm sure you probably will), then you should check out Waka/Jawaka. If you like Over-Nite Sensation, then check out Apostrophe(') and maybe Sheik Yerbouti (great lyrics). If you like WOIIFTM, then check out the early Mothers of Invention stuff like Absolutely Free. One Size Fits all is just a masterpiece. I also highly recommend Uncle Meat, but as someone has said before me, it's a difficult listen, but especially the King Kong parts are great to me. If your interested in his later synclavier/compositional stuff, I recommend Orchestral Favorites. It's just old stuff redone in an orchestra but it's very good. And Joe's Garage 1+2 is good as well. But the stuff above is what you really NEED to get.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2009 at 19:44
Originally posted by J-Man J-Man wrote:

I don't have 10 Zappa albums (yet), so I could use some of these as a point of reference myselfBig smile


You should buy them allAngry Wink


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