Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Which is the best Frank Zappa album?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedWhich is the best Frank Zappa album?
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
SteveG View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
Status: Offline
Points: 20497 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Which is the best Frank Zappa album?
    Posted: September 13 2014 at 14:49
Which is the best Zappa album to you and why does it rate a slot at the top?
Back to Top
Tom Ozric View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2014 at 17:06
For me, out of the 35 Zappa/Mothers albums I own, I would say that there are many, but none more special than Uncle Meat. Why, probably the balance of styles works perfectly, and the instrumentation is bang-on to my ears.
Here's just 4 fine reasons why this album means a lot to me :
Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution
Cruising For Burgers
Mr. Green Genes
King Kong
But there's not a dud throughout.
Back to Top
Nogbad_The_Bad View Drop Down
Forum & Site Admin Group
Forum & Site Admin Group
Avatar
RIO/Avant/Zeuhl & Eclectic Team

Joined: March 16 2007
Location: Boston
Status: Offline
Points: 20204 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2014 at 17:16
Hot Rats for me
Ian

Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com

https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/
Back to Top
Man With Hat View Drop Down
Collaborator
Collaborator
Avatar
Jazz-Rock/Fusion/Canterbury Team

Joined: March 12 2005
Location: Neurotica
Status: Offline
Points: 166178 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2014 at 21:33
One Size Fits All.
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.
Back to Top
UMUR View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 19 2007
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 3010 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 02:51
Itīs almost impossible to chose, but One Size Fits All has always been one of my favorites. With Zappa it probably depends a lot on where you are coming from musically.
Metal Music Archives

UMUR on RYM
Back to Top
PrognosticMind View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 02 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 1195 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 06:02
One Size Fits All, because it hits all the fusion nuances that I'm biased towards LOL.
"A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?"
Back to Top
Tom Ozric View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 06:25
Here's some suggestions of 'favourite' when it comes to Zappa .....
Uncle Meat
Lumpy Gravy
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Hot Rats
The Grand Wazoo
Waka/Jawaka
One Size Fits All
Sleep Dirt
Ship Arriving Too Late .........
But depending on the existential vibes, this often varies. Zappa was a genius.....

Edited by Tom Ozric - September 14 2014 at 06:29
Back to Top
PrognosticMind View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 02 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 1195 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 06:56
Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

Here's some suggestions of 'favourite' when it comes to Zappa .....
Uncle Meat
Lumpy Gravy
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Hot Rats
The Grand Wazoo
Waka/Jawaka
One Size Fits All
Sleep Dirt
Ship Arriving Too Late .........
But depending on the existential vibes, this often varies. Zappa was a genius.....

I should have expanded a bit, as you did. My favorites are:

One Size Fits All
Waka/Jawaka
The Grand Wazoo
Hot Rats
Joe's Garage I, II, III
"A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?"
Back to Top
Tom Ozric View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 07:07
Joe's Garage..........they are very 'entertaining' albums for sure, his 'central scrutiniser' character just cracks me up. Some cool music to go with all this madness - if one can stomach the crassness, these should be a winner. Give me a Catholic Girl any day.......
Back to Top
PrognosticMind View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 02 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 1195 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 07:43
Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

Joe's Garage..........they are very 'entertaining' albums for sure, his 'central scrutiniser' character just cracks me up. Some cool music to go with all this madness - if one can stomach the crassness, these should be a winner. Give me a Catholic Girl any day.......

Agreed. Watermelon in Easter Hay is almost enough for me to grant that one immunity Wink.
"A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?"
Back to Top
zravkapt View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 12 2010
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 6446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 08:35
Live: Roxy & Elsewhere and/or You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 2
Studio: Uncle Meat and One Size Fits All

With the live albums and OSFA you get Zappa at his mid-70s best with some of the best musicians he ever worked with. Uncle Meat was Avant-Prog at a time when Symph Prog was barely a thing.
Magma America Great Make Again
Back to Top
hellogoodbye View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar
VIP member

Joined: August 29 2011
Location: Troy
Status: Offline
Points: 7251 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 08:42
LUMPY GRAVY, a music I dreamt before hear it. 
Back to Top
PrognosticMind View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 02 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 1195 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 08:54
Originally posted by zravkapt zravkapt wrote:

Live: Roxy & Elsewhere and/or You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 2
Studio: Uncle Meat and One Size Fits All

With the live albums and OSFA you get Zappa at his mid-70s best with some of the best musicians he ever worked with. Uncle Meat was Avant-Prog at a time when Symph Prog was barely a thing.

Well said! Thumbs Up
"A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?"
Back to Top
HolyMoly View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin

Joined: April 01 2009
Location: Atlanta
Status: Offline
Points: 26133 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 10:40
Agree with Tom's first comments about Uncle Meat. A close 2nd would be Lumpy Gravy, and then Absolutely Free. I'm pretty much burned out on the 70s stuff, though OSFA was once my favorite.

Reasons for my favorites - I like the strange rock/orchestral hybrid, incorporating both styles while being a part of neither. The early stuff just has a grimy underground sound to it that I like, too.
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
Back to Top
The Dark Elf View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar
VIP Member

Joined: February 01 2011
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline
Points: 12688 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2014 at 10:51
I'll always have a soft spot for Overnite Sensation and Apostrophe because those were the albums I first heard as a teen. Great musically and still funny as hell.
...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...
Back to Top
Zenbadger View Drop Down
Forum Groupie
Forum Groupie


Joined: May 19 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 87 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 15 2014 at 02:33

Waka/Jawaka
Joe's Garage
Hot Rats
Bongo Fury
Overnite Sensation

My favourites off the top of my head...

Always loved Waka/Jawaka so I'll go with that for now. 

Going to seek out Uncle Meat as I've never actually heard it.
Back to Top
chopper View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: July 13 2005
Location: Essex, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 19943 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 15 2014 at 06:34
Very hard question given his huge number of albums, I'd just like to give a shout for Sheik Yerbouti.
Back to Top
darkshade View Drop Down
Collaborator
Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: November 19 2005
Location: New Jersey
Status: Offline
Points: 10964 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 15 2014 at 08:53
A shorter list would be Zappa albums I don't listen to often.
My Last.fm
Back to Top
darkshade View Drop Down
Collaborator
Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: November 19 2005
Location: New Jersey
Status: Offline
Points: 10964 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 15 2014 at 08:58
Everyone has mentioned all the big names in Zappa albums, Uncle Meat, Hot Rats, One Size Fits All, Grand Wazoo, Shiek Yer Bouti, Joe's Garage, etc... etc...

Here's a list:

Jazz From Hell
Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch
Make A Jazz Noise Here
Civilization Phaze III
Everything Is Healing Nicely
The Yellow Shark
Feeding The Monkies From Ma Masion
My Last.fm
Back to Top
SteveG View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
Status: Offline
Points: 20497 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 15 2014 at 10:36
Originally posted by darkshade darkshade wrote:

A shorter list would be Zappa albums I don't listen to often.
LOL
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 1.905 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.