Frank Zappa
Hot Rats
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AMG Review of Hot Rats
Steve Huey
All Music GuideAside from the experimental side project Lumpy Gravy, Hot Rats was the first album Frank Zappa recorded as a solo artist sans the Mothers, though he continued to employ previous musical collaborators, most notably multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood. Other than another side project -- the doo wop tribute Cruising With Ruben and the Jets -- Hot Rats was also the first time Zappa focused his efforts in one general area, namely jazz-rock. The result is a classic of the genre. Hot Rats' genius lies in the way it fuses the compositional sophistication of jazz with ock's down-and-dirty attitude -- there's a real looseness and grit to the three lengthy jams, and a surprising, wry elegance to the three shorter, tightly arranged numbers (particularly the sumptuous "Peaches en Regalia"). Perhaps the biggest revelation isn't the straightforward presentation, or the intricately shifting instrumental voices in Zappa's arrangements -- it's his own virtuosity on the electric guitar, recorded during extended improvisational workouts for the first time here. His wonderfully scuzzy, distorted tone is an especially good fit on "Willie the Pimp," with its greasy lues riffs and guest vocalist Captain Beefheart's Howlin' Wolf theatrics. Elsewhere, his skill as a melodist was in full flower, whether dominating an entire piece or providing a memorable theme as a jumping-off point. In addition to Underwood, the backing band featured contributions from Jean-Luc Ponty, Lowell George, and Don "Sugarcane" Harris, among others; still, Zappa is unquestionably the star of the show. Hot Rats still sizzles; few albums originating on the ock side of jazz-rock fusion flowed so freely between both sides of the equation, or achieved such unwavering excitement and energy.
Attention Zappa Fans
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Zappa fans I need your help. I have a feeling I'm about to go on a Zappa kick, but I have no idea what to get, and he has so much material. I'm really only familiar with "Hot Rats", which I really like, so I'm looking for something similar, sorta free jazz/guitar freak rock I guess. I'm open to any suggestions, so if anyone can help, please do.
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Totally Cool Song
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This rocks. Captain Beefheart on vocals, Zappa shreddin it like he was Hendrix cousin or somethin. Nine minutes of acid rock wailin wah wah guitar fusion kickin it. Hell yeah. I like.Oh, one other item. It would be remiss of me not to introduce you to my very close friend from work. His name is Willie. Believe it, peoples.
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Lyric of the Week is Up!!!
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Track:Willie The Pimp - (with Captain Beefheart)
Eff the mystery! It's Frank Zappa from Hot Rats, featuring Captain Beefheart on vocals. For an album of (mostly) instrumentals, Hot Rats is really accessible, unlike say, Jazz From Hell, which is aptly titled.
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Visual Puns - they do exist.
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Observe the above cover photo for Frank Zappa's album, Hot Rats.Someone with just a bit of mildly esoteric photographic knowledge can tell you that it was shot on infrared color film (originally developed for the purpose of detecting camouflage in World War Two, since green paint and green leaves, for instance, reflect differing amounts of infrared)On a roll of IR color film, the layer that nor...
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Visual Puns - they do exist.
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Observe the above cover photo for Frank Zappa's album, Hot Rats.Someone with just a bit of mildly esoteric photographic knowledge can tell you that it was shot on infrared color film (originally developed for the purpose of detecting camouflage in World War Two, since green paint and green leaves, for instance, reflect differing amounts of infrared)On a roll of IR color film, the layer that nor...
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International Festival of What?
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Track:Willy the pimp
The "*Second Annual International Festival of Erotic Animation*":http://www.fiae.com.br/filmes2007i.html is occuring in Rio de Janeiro...
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Totally Cool Song
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Artist:
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This rocks. Captain Beefheart on vocals, Zappa shreddin it like he was Hendrix cousin or somethin. Nine minutes of acid rock wailin wah wah guitar fusion kickin it. Hell yeah. I like.Oh, one other item. It would be remiss of me not to introduce you to my very close friend from work. His name is Willie. Believe it, peoples.
More >
Attention Zappa Fans
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Artist:
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Album:
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Track:
Zappa fans I need your help. I have a feeling I'm about to go on a Zappa kick, but I have no idea what to get, and he has so much material. I'm really only familiar with "Hot Rats", which I really like, so I'm looking for something similar, sorta free jazz/guitar freak rock I guess. I'm open to any suggestions, so if anyone can help, please do.
More >
Lyric of the Week is Up!!!
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Artist:
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Album:
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Track:Willie The Pimp - (with Captain Beefheart)
Eff the mystery! It's Frank Zappa from Hot Rats, featuring Captain Beefheart on vocals. For an album of (mostly) instrumentals, Hot Rats is really accessible, unlike say, Jazz From Hell, which is aptly titled.
More >
 "Hot Rats")
