THE ESSENTIAL FZ:
Zappa's Fifteen Best Albums
[Updated February 5, 2000]
Frank Zappa was a true child of the twentieth century. Born in 1940 and influenced by musicians ranging from Igor Stravinsky to Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Zappa created a body of work as unique and readily-identifiable as his trademark mustache and chin hair. The fifteen albums listed below [see the discography for details] span the whole of Zappa's recording career and, in my opinion, represent his finest contributions to modern music. When combined with the eight albums under Choice Seconds, they represent more than a third of Zappa's total output, a clear indication of the high standards he kept.
How many of these albums are truly "essential" is, of course, a matter of personal taste. Newcomers to Zappa's music should try one of the titles marked with asterisks (**) first. If these albums fail to please, then Frank Zappa probably isn't your cup of tea. Put a Barry Manilow record on the old Victrola and try to forget.
WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY **
With its savage parody of Sgt. Pepper's on the sleeve and song titles like Who Needs The Peace Corps and Flower Punk inside, this album is clearly a product of the 1960's. What distinguishes it from others of the era is Zappa's ability to criticize both the youth culture and the establishment without resorting to preachiness or oversimplification. Although younger listeners may prefer something a little more recent, Money's short melodic songs, pointed humor and fully realized concept still make it the best general introduction to Zappa's work. Never again did he achieve quite this balance of art and accessibility (though You Are What You Is runs a close second). A true classic.
UNCLE MEAT
My first contact with Zappa's universe occurred in the fall of 1969. I was thumbing through the new albums in Odyssey Records when the opening bars of Uncle Meat leaped out of the store's sound system and assaulted my teenage expectations. Here was music that both fascinated and bewildered me, a cornucopia of sounds unlike anything I'd ever heard: long jazzy suites, fifties pop, electronic burps and squiggles, delicate chamber pieces, and challenging dissonance, all of it interwoven with strange and scandalous dialogue. Although I could not have identified half of the elements in this music, they fit together in a way that somehow made perfect sense to me. Thirty years later, I still consider Uncle Meat to be the single best example of Zappa's art. As a bonus, the double compact disc adds forty minutes of dialogue from Uncle Meat: The Movie, including the curious line "I'm using the chicken to measure it." Bizarre!
HOT RATS **
Regarded by many as "the only good album Zappa ever made," Hot Rats concentrates on FZ's own brand of jazz-rock fusion. Highly melodic and almost entirely instrumental, it's a complete departure from the mishmash of styles found on earlier albums. Catchy tunes like Peaches En Regalia and Little Umbrellas gained Zappa a whole slew of new fans (the first to abandon him when he declined to write more of the same). Even so, Hot Rats never sacrifices art for the sake of popularity. My only complaint: the solos on Hot Rats and Gumbo Variations really aren't interesting enough to justify their length.
THE GRAND WAZOO
Drawing on the tonal colors of Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus for inspiration, Zappa's charts for the Wazoo big band are surprisingly traditional yet still bear his own peculiar stamp. The performances themselves have aged very well. For Calvin , the one vocal number, sounds totally contemporary. The solos and sectional work by a cast of first-call studio musicians are exemplary throughout. Not a note is wasted. If anything, the album is too short, a fact that becomes painfully clear as the lovely closing number, Blessed Relief, fades into silence.
OVER-NITE SENSATION
In many ways, Zappa is the ultimate musical chameleon. After flirting with jazz on The Grand Wazoo, he suddenly switched to straight-ahead rock on Over-nite Sensation. This was indeed a radical transformation and one that cost him a number of older fans. Naturally, it was their loss. Over-nite Sensation maintains Zappa's high standards of production while streamlining the songs and re-introducing his keen wit. The tune that managed to both offend and delight the greatest number of people was Dinah-Moe Humm, a cleverly pornographic short story set to music. Even better in my estimation are Montana, a song about growing dental floss, and Zomby Woof, a manic tune with a blazing guitar solo.
ONE SIZE FITS ALL **
Consistently rated by longtime fans as Zappa's finest album, One Size Fits All is indeed a marvelous piece of work. From the galloping percussion riff that opens Inca Roads to the final rousing echoes of Sofa #2, these are among the best songs Zappa ever wrote. Starting with a framework of rock and roll, Zappa adds clever touches of jazz, blues and light classical, then delivers the goods with the help of talented musicians such as keyboard player George Duke and percussionists Chester Thompson and Ruth Underwood. The lyrics are full of obscure references and the usual arcane Zappology, but at least they're well sung and (miracle of miracles!) G-rated. The perfect album for new listener and veteran alike. It moves, it grooves, it sings, it swings. Pick one up today!
SHEIK YERBOUTI
Zappa was always a lightning rod for controversy, particularly when it came to his lyrics. On Sheik Yerbouti, he takes an "equal opportunity" approach to offending people, slinging heavily sarcastic barbs at Jews, Arabs, heavy metal freaks, auto mechanics, Bob Dylan, gays, drug users...dare I go on? Whether it seems funny probably depends on which group you're in, but as far as I'm concerned, this album oozes creativity. Though essentially a paean to rock, Sheik Yerbouti offers so much variety within this format, and so many high points, that it's a dizzying experience for the listener. The amusing snippets of dialogue between tracks offer a conceptual link to earlier albums.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS **
Originally sold as a double LP, this album is a marvelous value on compact disc. It features nineteen brilliantly realized pop songs and one instrumental, covering a broad range of styles: reggae, arena rock, heavy metal, country western, classic rock, gospel, and more. In presenting such variety, Zappa urges us to expand our musical horizons, perhaps even to rediscover the guilty pleasures of top-40 radio! But that's only half the story, because hands down, this is the most cleverly-constructed pop album I've ever heard. Lyrical and musical themes interlock from one song to the next, breaking down the barriers between tracks in a fashion that not even the segue can accomplish. As a result, these ostensibly separate tunes are unified in a completely unexpected way: structurally rather than thematically. For both its memorable songwriting and its unique architecture, You Are What You Is is clearly one of Zappa's crowning achievements.
THEM OR US **
When I was growing up, my mother would occasionally bring home the Kellogg's Variety Pack, a flimsy cardboard tray containing about a dozen miniature boxes of breakfast cereal. Next day I'd have the exquisite pleasure of handling each little carton, studying the colorful illustration on the outside and imagining how it would taste. After making what was always a difficult choice, I'd saw through the perforated lines on the cover with a butter knife, fold back the panels, pour in some milk and EAT RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. Listening to Them Or Us is just that kind of experience. Unlike Zappa's many concept albums, it's a variety pack offering a tasty selection of doo-wop (there's a wonderful remake of Sharleena), some heavy-metal, several intricate guitar-based instrumentals, an excerpt from Zappa's Broadway musical Hunchentoot, even a cover of the Allman Brother's Whippin' Post ! Nearly every track is a winner. So go ahead and try a few. They're great even without milk!
JAZZ FROM HELL
Around 1984, Zappa began to cook up something truly extraordinary down in his basement recording studio. Although he'd been experimenting with electronic keyboards for many years, he was now in possession of an awesome new instrument: the New England Digital Synclavier. Because of its ability to replicate and flexibly extend the sound of any other instrument, real or imagined, the Synclavier enabled Zappa to realize a lifelong dream. No longer would he have to contend with the technical limitations and personal quirks of flesh-and-blood musicians. At the touch of a button Zappa could achieve rhythmically-accurate performances and totally clean recordings of his most difficult compositions. This allowed him to indulge his penchant for ornamentation in a way that was previously impossible. As a result, Jazz From Hell takes some getting used to. Except for one live performance by the 1982 band, it is recorded entirely on Synclavier. The complex, multi-layered sound-world that Zappa achieves with the instrument is both strange and beautiful. While You Were Art II, for example, is a multidimensional masterwork filled with Baroque-like filigree and lines of melody that sail past one another like paper streamers on New Year's Eve. Brilliant throughout, Jazz From Hell is one of Zappa's most important albums.
BROADWAY THE HARD WAY / THE BEST BAND YOU NEVER HEARD IN YOUR LIFE / MAKE A JAZZ NOISE HERE
These three terrific albums were recorded in 1988 during Zappa's final world tour. Fronting a superb twelve-piece rock band (including five horns), Zappa blazes through over twenty years' worth of material. There are first-rate versions of Heavy Duty Judy, The Torture Never Stops, King Kong, Strictly Genteel, Outside Now, Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel, Inca Roads, Black Napkins, Stevie's Spanking and many others. Zappa also puts his personal touch on rock war-horses like Purple Haze, Sunshine Of Your Love, and Stairway To Heaven. The new material—most of which appears on Broadway—is a no-holds-barred attack on politicians, televangelists and rock stars. As for Best Band and Jazz Noise, the former concentrates on rock performance while the latter is a tour-de-force through some of Zappa's most challenging compositions. Great stuff!
THE YELLOW SHARK
After several failed (or just unsatisfactory) attempts to have his orchestral music performed, Frank Zappa finally got the "classical" album he always wanted. It was recorded live, without overdubs, at the Frankfurt Festival in 1992. Credit for the album's success is largely due the Ensemble Modern, a European modern music group that was wildly enthusiastic about the project from beginning to end. The repertoire, instrumentation and tonal character vary considerably from track to track, running the gamut from melodic, accessible pieces like Uncle Meat to the dissonance of Ruth Is Sleeping and the biting sarcasm of Welcome To The United States. Although in poor health, Zappa managed to conduct three of the pieces, including the show-stopping finale, G-Spot Tornado. In every respect, a superior album.
CIVILIZATION, PHAZE III
Zappa's epic final project for Synclavier, orchestra and improvised dialogue, Civilization, Phaze III is a forbidding portrait of modern life at its bleakest. Over ten years in the making, it is quintessential Zappa, rich and detailed in the extreme and overwhelming in impact. Although the harshness of the music and subject matter will put many people off, this could be Zappa's masterpiece, the album that finally gets the attention of the Serious Music Establishment. Regardless, Civilization stands on its own as Zappa's most idiosyncratic work. [See Second Thoughts... for an in-depth analysis of this album.]
THE ESSENTIAL FZ
1. Frank Zappa & The Mothers / We're Only In It For The Money /1968/ Rykodisc RCD 10503
2. Frank Zappa & The Mothers / Uncle Meat /1969/ Rykodisc RCD 10506-07 [2 discs]
3. Frank Zappa / Hot Rats /1969/ Rykodisc RCD 10508
4. Frank Zappa / The Grand Wazoo /1972/ Rykodisc RCD 10517
5. Frank Zappa / Over-nite Sensation /1973/ Rykodisc RCD 10518
6. Frank Zappa / One Size Fits All /1975/ Rykodisc RCD 10521
7. Frank Zappa / Sheik Yerbouti /1979/ Rykodisc RCD 10528
8. Frank Zappa / You Are What You Is /1981/ Rykodisc RCD 10536
9. Frank Zappa / Them Or Us /1984/ Rykodisc RCD 10543
10. Frank Zappa / Jazz From Hell /1986/ Rykodisc RCD 10549
11. Frank Zappa / Broadway The Hard Way /1988/ Rykodisc RCD 10552
12. FZ / The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life /1991/ Rykodisc RCD 10553-54 [2discs]
13. Frank Zappa / Make A Jazz Noise Here /1991/ Rykodisc RCD 10555-56 [2 discs]
14. Frank Zappa / The Yellow Shark /1993/ Rykodisc RCD 40560
15. Frank Zappa / Civilization, Phaze III /1994/ UMRK 01 [2 discs]