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Hot Rats
 
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Hot Rats [Original recording remastered]

~ Frank Zappa
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
Price: £14.38 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Audio CD (1 April 2002)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Format: Original recording remastered
  • Label: Rykodisc
  • ASIN: B0000009S3
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 10,809 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    Popular in this category:

    #65 in  Music > Jazz > Fusion

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
1. Peaches En Regalia
2. Willie The Pimp
3. Son Of Mr Green Genes
4. Little Umbrellas
5. Gumbo Variations
6. It Must Be A Camel

Product Description

Product Description

Frank Zappa's first solo album, Hot Rats, is a far-cry from the da-da adventures and audio collages of the original Mothers of Invention. Mostly instrumental, and filled with long jams between Zappa, Jean- Luc Ponty and Ian Underwood, this slickly produced album--one of the first 16-track recordings ever made--is filled with hummable tunes. The opening track, "Peaches en Regalia", is one of Zappa's most enduring songs and the album's only vocal track, "Willie the Pimp", is by Zappa's long-time friend Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart. -- Andrew Boscardin


CD Description

Having temporarily disbanded the Mothers Of Invention, Frank Zappa recorded this exceptional solo album. His group was renowned for musical satire, but here the artist opted to showcase his prowess on guitar. Aside from "Willie The Pimp", which features a cameo vocal by Zapppa's old friend Captain Beefheart, the set is comprised of instrumentals. The players, including Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Jean-Luc Ponty, and IanUnderwood, are uniformly excellent, combining to provide a solid jazz-rock platform for Zappa's compulsive soloing. Here the guitarist relishes a freedom which, while acknowledging past achievements, prepares new territories for exploration. As such, HOT RATS was a pivotal release in Zappa's oft-misunderstood career.

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Customer Reviews

29 Reviews
5 star:
 (19)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hot Rats - Hot Zappa!, 10 Dec 2006
Apologies for the slightly corny review title but it's pinched from Chris Welch's piece from the 1969 issue of Melody Maker which reviewed Frank's wonderful instrumental masterpiece. The impact that Hot Rats made at the time was huge. One of the first ever 16-track recordings, we'd not heard anything like it before. The brilliant melodies, the beautiful interweaving flutes, clarinets, saxophones, keyboards, percussion and guitar, knitted together with FZ's distinctive, creative arrangements, were quite stunning. I'd hesitate to describe it simply as jazz-rock - but if you're new to FZ, it's a helpful enough definition of what you'll get. In reality, its boundaries spread somewhat wider, from the bluesy Willie the Pimp to the almost indefinable It Must Be A Camel, one of my favourite ever FZ compositions, which is kind of jazzy but has hints of the orchestral Zappa yet to come, notwithstanding the few titbits to be found on Lumpy Gravy. With Hot Rats, we get our first real taste of Zappa the incredible guitarist, from the acoustic coupled with a wah-wah pedal on Peaches En Regalia, through the rocking electric of Willie the Pimp and Son of Mr. Green Genes, to the fat, mellow jazz break on the final track. Yes, out of the blue, as if the rest of the album wasn't enough, we have a guitar hero too! Regarding the comments elsewhere about the mix of the CD, I would agree that it is very different from the vinyl. But words such as "disaster" and "beware" are ridiculous. However, if you only have the CD, then the LP is worth tracking down. Frank remixed almost his entire catalogue to CD in the early nineties, knowing he did not have long to live. I would guess that he was trying to bring the best out of the original master tapes and that must have been a tricky task with only 16 tracks to draw upon, given the complexity of the music. Maybe he fell short of his usual meticulous standard but you do hear things on the CD which were pretty well masked - or completely absent - on the original. Perhaps Dweezil will do another remix sometime - or maybe even re-record it. That said, almost forty years on - and still there is no musician in the world who seems able or willing to do stuff like this - Hot Rats captures the essential FZ and wraps it in a package which remains as accessible and enjoyable as ever.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Album maybe the best, 6 Jan 2006
By Mr. Steven Webb "webby_99" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I've had this CD for years and I still play it all the time. It really is one of the best albums of all time, buy it you will NOT regret it. If you have never heard FZ before you may need to give it 3 or 4 listens before hooked but then you will have a life long addiction. I prefer the CD version myself as I like the way the tracks carry on. Willie the Pimp is just fantastic and I find myself humming it all the time, you just can't go wrong with a track with FZ's guitar and Beefhearts vocals. And if you like this album you will also love Chunga's Revenge.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Still great after thirty-two years!, 17 May 2001
By A Customer
I remember first hearing this LP when it came out in 1969, at a music club at school. I'd heard of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart but never heard their music.

I bought the record the following year when I started at university and it was a huge hit with all my friends - especially "Son of Mr Green Genes". This track really is a tour de force. Perhaps for jazz fans the variations and returns to a theme (was this orchestrated or improvised?) will be familiar - to a rock fan like myself there is nothing else quite as good (although the Doors "Light My Fire" runs it close).

While it's probably a bit too slick for hard-line MoI fans (and I think I would probably agree with this criticism of "Peaches En Regalia"), I still listen to this music with the same exhilaration I felt when I first heard it. Buy it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Just be Grateful that you are not Dead!
I am writing this alleged review with one hand, because in my other hand I am lovingly cradling the slightly battered original vinyl of "Hot Rats", which I had the good fortune to... Read more
Published 5 months ago by James Morton

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential. You need this!
A must-have, mostly instrumental, jazz-rock album. Contains one of Zappa's most highly regarded melodies ("Peaches En Regalia"), one of his greatest guitar solos ("Willie The... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ted Maul

4.0 out of 5 stars Great but flawed... part two
Well after reading all the reviews of the quality of the LP versus the CD I chose to play both. Boy were they right the LP despite the bump (don't ask) sounds far superior. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. Glenn Cook

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this...
Do not buy this..., 12 Dec 2008
By I Stoddart(Scotland) - See all my reviews


Speaking as a long-term FZ fan, I would advise everyone who knows... Read more
Published 11 months ago by I. Stoddart

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot rats for cool cats
Frank Zappa the greatest guitarist ever? Probably. Very clever and endlessly inventive. The perfect antidote for all the reality/factor/brother nonsense on the box. Read more
Published 13 months ago by C. Whitworth

5.0 out of 5 stars intense, immense and incredible!!!
I love this album, which is the reason I wrote this review. The best track is definately 'gumbo variations' - if you are looking for a fat jam, then look no further! Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. William C. A. Dorey

1.0 out of 5 stars NOT THE REAL THING!
I agree entirely with the other reviewers who state that the original vinyl release outshines this sad mangled mess in all departments. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Alan Coventry

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
I own the original vinyl, and I can confirm that it sounds a damn sight better. However, it is very immature to give this album one star because the mix isn't as good. Read more
Published 20 months ago by shreddedmeat

5.0 out of 5 stars Birth of jazz-rock
This is based on the vinyl version(more on the CD shortly).In short,fantastic!Zappa's abilities as a guitarist and composer shine out throughout,and his sidemen,especially Ian... Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2007 by PygmyTwylyte

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...etc.
If you like instrumentals, LOOK NO FURTHER!!! This be the record for you.

I have to say that not many tracks compare to the ones found on this album. Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2007 by Mr. J. Gould

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Hot Rats; The Album 0 December 2008
People who have gotten used to and love the CD mix of this album. 1 June 2008
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