Okay, Music Thread.. What Frank Zappa CDs do you suggest for me????

[drumwolf]

I have a subscription with Emusic.com (which I highly recommend, BTW), and they recently added a whole bunch of Frank Zappa stuff to their library of MP3 files that I can download.

What are the best Zappa CD's in your opinion? I can choose from the albums listed on this page: http://www.emusic.com/artist/10559/10559693.html

Obviously, I'd love to download them all, but I have only a limited number of downloads. Of the albums listed on the link I've put up, which ones do you recommend the most? (To clarify, I'm less interested in the sardonic humor and more interested in the musical jam side of things.)

[chicagojoe]

1. Zoot Allures is good.

Joe's Garage I, II, and III as well. Any live cd would also be good.
He put up GREAT live performances.

[norml]

2. Download them in chronological order, starting with Absolutely Free,

followed by Freak Out. That way you can follow the development of his music, and the social themes he addresses.

[Zomby Woof]

15. Freak Out was the debut

But I agree both are essential.

[norml]

17. Sorry about that. I got the order of the two mixed up.

My favorite Zappa and The Mothers album would have to be their live concert done in New York City, Mothers-Fillmore East, June 1971, the one with the pencil on the cover.

[Barad Simith]

3. "Over-Nite Sensation" and "Apostrophe"

(though I don't claim to be a Zappa expert ... those are my favorites from among the ones I've heard)

[NNadir]

8. "Over-nite Sensation" is essential to any serious music collection

if only for the guitar solo in "Dirty Love" and the vocals in "Montana," especially the "Yippe Tai Oh Kai Yehs" at the end.

That said, one can almost never go wrong with anything by Frank Zappa. He was definitely one of the most important American musicians and composers ever, a genius for the ages.

[Barad Simith]

18. Camarillo Brillo...

...is actually kind of a pretty song.

[Zomby Woof]

19. She had a snake for a pet!

And an amulet! She was breeding a DWARF, but she wasn't done yet!

I love that song.

[Barad Simith]

21. Isn't the song "Zomby Wolf" from Over-Nite Sensation? (nt)

[6000eliot]

4. Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Only because I wanted to type Weasels Ripped My Flesh.

[chenGOD]

5. These three

Sheik Yerbouti
Apostrophe
Hot Rats

[Squeech]

6. Absolutely Free

That's the first one I heard-- when it was new, and I was a 13 year old pasty faced suburbanite twit. I already knew about Bob Dylan, but war and civil rights were (thankfully) somewhat remote from my own experience. Zappa, however, showed that similar mechanisms of social control and repression figured into things that *were* part of my environment, especially the mass media and the advertising that runs it all. And the music was all over the map: acid rock, surf music, doo-wop, lounge music, and fearless contemporary composition all morphed together. There was nothing like it before, and very little to match it even now.

I also like Over-Nite Sensation a lot, and Mothers Live at Fillmore East, they're kind of college kid party albums, the goofy stuff. Also much of Apostrophe. Sheik Yerbouti is an updated version.

Hot Rats, Waka/Jawaka and the guitar albums are Zappa's interpretation of jazz, or jam band music.

Zoot Allures is pretty much headbanger music. (Not my favorite.)

Uncle Meat, We're Only In It for the Money, Lumpy Gravy, Burnt Weeny Sandwich are more about pushing the envelope; save these for later.

My advice, and worth what you pay for it.

[Feathered Fish]

7. Hot Rats and Uncle Meat

oh and One Size Fits All. It will make you love your sofa.

[drumwolf]

9. *kick* for the morning crowd

and thanks to those who've given suggestions so far.

[tonekat]

10. Zappa In New York & Shiek Yerbouti

Because the playing on both of those albums is jaw-dropping!!!

[XNASA]

11. "One Size Fits All" if you want to ease your way into it........

"We're Only In It For The Money" if you'd like to become an immediate club member.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. The Best Band YOu Never Heard in Your Life

That's all from his '88 tour, and you will hear an incredibly good, well-trained tight band.

Also Sheik Yerbouti

It's too bad they don't have You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2. If you want jamming music, and want to hear one Zappa's absolutely best trained and spot-on bands, that's the disc - it's all one concert. The other volumes of that series have music from all periods, all mixed together.

Since they don't have Vol. 2 on there, I'd suggest going with Vol. 1. There's some great jamming on that one - especially The Torture Never Stops with it's almost 9 minute BITCHIN' guitar solo, plus you'll get some early live music and some tracks of just the band talking about things off stage.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. YCDTOSA Vol. 1 also has the BEST version of "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"

EVER.

[Zomby Woof]

14. 'You Are What You Is'

Or

'One Size Fits All'

or

'Läther'

or

'Joe's Garage Acts I, II, & III'

or

'Hot Rats' - for sheer guitar pleasure. Great jazz-rock, instead of mind-numbing fusion.

Enjoy!

[blindpig]

16. Uncle Meat, Hot Rats, Chunga's Revenge, Grand Wazoo

just for starters.

[eSTIV]

20. Tinseltown Rebellion (1979)...

Super tight band and hot redux of some Zappa classics. Mostly live-studio mixes. Buy it even somewhere else !