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HolyMoly 
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 Topic: Zappa Fans: Your First Zappa album (what era)?
Posted: December 16 2013 at 14:22 |
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I'm really more interested in which specific album Zappa fans started with. I'm told that "Apostrophe" and "Overnite Sensation" are generally considered the most popular, but my own experience growing up in the 1980s was much different.
So the question is: If you consider yourself a Zappa fan, with what album (grouped for simplicity by my rough estimation of different eras -- please don't bother to correct me on these, it's not that important to me) did you BEGIN your Zappa journey?
For me, it was "Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch", which I bought because I thought "Valley Girl" was funny. Who knew, eh? Thus, I am voting "1980s"
Edited by HolyMoly - December 16 2013 at 14:36
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
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darkshade
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 14:44 |
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I didn't do albums right away. First two songs I heard was Peaches En Regalia, and It Can't Happen Here. Then later I heard Inca Roads, a live version that I believe is the Dub-Room Special version. From there, I just cherry picked songs for a while.
However, I remember Hot Rats, Freak Out!, One Size Fits All, and Apostrophe were albums that were spinning the most before I into more of his albums.
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Man With Hat
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 14:54 |
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One Size Fits All was my first album. So Roxy era for me.
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Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
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Evolver
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 14:56 |
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I was introduced to Frank's music during the Roxy era, and was so enthralled I bought all of his back catalog, and proceeded to get tickets almost every time he played in the area until his untimely passing.
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Trust me. I know what I'm doing.
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hellogoodbye
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 15:02 |
I was in the middle of a Gothic party and someone who hasn't hairs raised on the head put the CD of Apostrophe.
The absolute shock. It was like if the room was suddenly divided into several countries. The next day, I bought the record, then I began to look for music close to this one. I fell accidentally on the Firebird of Igor Stravinski. Zappa had introduced me to classical music. 
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smartpatrol
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 15:04 |
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Started with Freak Out, listened to it about a dozen times, then about a year later I got Waka/Jawaka at the library, listened to that a few times, and then I listened to Apostrophe about a year ago and listened to that several times. Then I realized how much Zappa material I was missing out on and went nuts in January and February. Now I think the only albums I haven't heard are a few posthumous live ones and Thing-Fish
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bloodnarfer
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 15:09 |
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I bought grand wazoo and apostrophe at the same time. I think I gravitated to those two because they were the two albums referenced in the Beardfish song 'A Love Story'. Crazy Zappa love from then on
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zravkapt
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 16:28 |
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I bought Hot Rats (the 1987 remix) shortly after Frank died. I think in the '70s Overnite and Apostrophe were probably his most well known, but in the last 10-20 years Joe's Garage and Sheik Yerbouti seem to be his most well known.
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Magma America Great Make Again
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rushfan4
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 16:32 |
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Compilation album: Strictly Commercial.
1st real albums were Freak Out! and We're Only In It For The Money; both borrowed from the library.
Edited by rushfan4 - December 16 2013 at 16:32
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Triceratopsoil
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 16:59 |
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Apostrophe was my first
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Mellotron Storm
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 17:00 |
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Late seventies stuff because of this Italian girl I was hanging out with at the time who was into it.
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"The wind is slowly tearing her apart"
"Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN
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tszirmay
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 17:01 |
I started with Chunga's Revenge followed by Mothers live at the Fillmore and Overnite Sensation.
My second rock concert was Zappa with Curtis Mayfield and Tim Buckley , something like 1972 .....
Edited by tszirmay - December 16 2013 at 18:54
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I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.
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Xonty
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 17:08 |
The first album I'd heard about was We're Only In It For The Money, but I never heard it in full until a long time after. The first one I listened to and the first (and only!) Zappa album I own is Hot Rats. My favourite, mainly because of its accessibility and combination of jazz fusion, blues, and eccentric styles  Nice bits of humour and improvisations (although some go on for a little too long IMO)
Edited by Xonty - December 16 2013 at 17:09
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HolyMoly
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 17:58 |
 Mellotron Storm wrote:
Late seventies stuff because of this Italian girl I was hanging out with at the time who was into it. |
Lots of romantic material on those late 70s albums, eh John?
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
-Kehlog Albran
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Progosopher
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 18:34 |
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Not the biggest Zappa fan here, but I have several of his albums and enjoy all of them. I started with Jazz From Hell.
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The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"
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Mellotron Storm
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 18:35 |
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"The wind is slowly tearing her apart"
"Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN
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Slartibartfast
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 18:46 |
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Bongo Fury
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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zappaholic
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 18:50 |
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I think my first ones were Freak Out!, Apostrophe and Mothers Of Prevention (in that order). This was the cassette era - I had not yet graduated to cd's. Once I made the switch I started getting them piecemeal - whatever was available used.
It all started with hearing various of his songs on the old Dr. Demento radio show.
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"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." -- H.L. Mencken
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Eria Tarka
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 18:54 |
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My first was Freak Out!
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Sagichim
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Posted: December 16 2013 at 19:04 |
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Hot Rats was my first, I then proceeded with no particular order until only yesterday I got the only 70's album I was missing Zoot Allures, now I have the 80's to explore.
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Zappa Fans: Your First Zappa album (what era)?
This girl was absolutely beautiful, and we hung out a lot but I was too shy back then to try to get it on with her while "Tryin' To Grow A Chin" was playing. Yes I have a few regrets.