Favorite Frank Zappa Period

I wanted the "All of the Above" option which was not there.

I consider Frank a "composer" and his whole catalog is a part of my collection and life, and as such, it deserves the attention that he should have gotten and have, but can't (YET) because of rock/pop music fans, that can not find a line between serious music and everything else.

If ever there is a doubt, go catch the 200 Motels live version that was done a few years back, and then compare it to the original. I think you will find a choir and a bunch of musicians really excited to be doing something different, and fun, and very well put together, because the results are fabulous, and not something that even folks here at PA can appreciate as much, as I always think they should. It's not a top ten, therefore many of you won't bother ... or it's not metal, so some of you won't bother ... it's not prog, so some of you won't bother .... and regardless of what the reasons might be, mine included (btw!), this is exactly what Frank was fighting against most of his life ... and I will use one of his most famous example ... a fan screaming for a guitar solo, and he got tired of it after half an hour, and put the guitar down and conducted the rest of the concert ... to everyone's ... wow ... and one disgruntled fan that will never again buy or listen to a FZ piece of music ... but thereby setting a legacy, that too many of us, simply do not understand, or wish to comprehend.

It's about the person ... and no where in the music world is this more visible than in a Frank Zappa album from the earliest days to his last. As such, this is about one of the greatest American composers ever, but we can not see past the trees for a forest or a world, for that matter!

Agreed. There are eras of any given band or musician's compositions that are great and others that are subpar. Zappa was no exception, and it is entirely appropriate to prefer one period over another. He was, for want of a better word, erratic.

There was a period in the late 70s to early 80s where much of Zappa's work became cartoonish. From Sheik Yerbouti with the abysmal "Dancin' Fool" and "Jewish Princess" to Ship Arriving Too Late To Save  A Drowning Witch with "Valley Girl", it seemed Zappa had jumped the mudshark and became a parody of himself. Except for Joe's Garage, I don't really listen to anything from that Zappa era. But that doesn't mean one can't appreciate his work in total.

I don't know which one to vote. I like some things here and there and dislike many.