CD-Charts Position 1
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The Best of Frank Zappa

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date November 01, 2004
This is a wonderful CD - buy it if you haven't heard Zappa before - it's a great start and a good insight into his work during the 70's. However it's not his "best", even of that period - rather a safe (by Frank's standards) selection of his shorter, more conventional material from a number of albums, including 3 tracks from Overnite Sensation and 2 from Aprostrophe. The tracks feature many of FZ's famous satirical pastiches of a variety of rock genres with his zany, irreverent and rude lyrics, liberal political viewpoints and a lot of blistering guitar solos. Musical highlights are Peaches en Regalia (instrumental), Dirty Love, Yellow Snow, San Ber'dino, Montana, Muffin Man and Cosmik Debris but the hilarious Bobby Brown and Moon Zappa's Valley ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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Frank Zappa's Jukebox

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date July 28, 2008
This is an essential purchase for Zappa connoisseurs, covering a wide selection of his influences. Though most Zappaphiles will have sourced much of this material independently (Louie Louie, WPLJ, Bacon Fat, The Closer You Are etc.), this is still a worthy purchase. The mixture of doo-wap, R&B, blues, jazz and classical music will be instantly recognisable and at times the album sounds like an early Mothers of Invention release (consider the shift from Louie Louie to Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, Edgard Varese and Lightnin' Slim).

There are, of course, many tracks which could have been included - there is no John Cage, for instance, and this collection represents Zappa's early influences only, but "Zappa's Jukebox" promotes Zappa's ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Hot Rats

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date May 01, 1995
Has to be Zappa's most overrated album! Not nearly as good as "Were only in it for the Money", "Absolutely Free" or "Freak out". Hell its probably not even as good as "Burnt weeny Sandwich"!

CD-Charts Position 4
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Joe's Garage Act I-III

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date May 01, 1995
I had to share a room with a Zappa fan in college and the songs were funny after a few beers but the musicianship or the melodies never grabbed me by the Colones. Then another Zappa fan introduced me to Watermelon, we heard it with the lights low, our minds up in the clouds and the friend setting off his flash gun at random moments during this extraordinary instrumental. Its 30 years ago and I can remember it like yesterday. Then he said Joe's Garage part 1 was even better. So the next time I had some money(student days) I bought my first Zappa album and was I amazed. I heard it all through the night and I so wanted to express my gratitude to my friend that I wrote him a letter (look it up in wikipedia youngsters) to thank him. There have been very few ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
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One Size Fits All

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date May 01, 1995
Having listened to most of his work this is the one I have to play on a weekly basis.Sofa No 2 is so full of life.

buy it now

CD-Charts Position 6
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Overnite Sensation

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date April 17, 1995
The reasons you should buy this album:
1. Great package and content of package
2. The album has one of the most crude,rude and wonderful songs in the whole of FZ's career "Dinah moe hum".
3. Frank Zappa's lyrics are strong and assured aswell as his beautiful guitar work.
4. So basically buy this album now whatever the asking price (It's worth it) God Bless FZ and "Overnite Sensation"

CD-Charts Position 7
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Bongo Fury

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date April 01, 2002
Astonishingly, an FZ album which DIDN'T really grab my attention upon first listening. Subsequently, however, it has grown into one of my absolute favourites. Right up there in the pantheon of the indispensables.

Lots of interesting background in the previous reviews. I didn't realise the FZ/CB rift dated back to this album, but they must have gotten each other's creative juices flowing. This wondrous album features, i would say, some of FZ's finest guitar work. Check out the wicked solos on "Carolina Hard-core Ecstasy" and "Advance Romance", for starters. Marvel to the brilliant "Muffin Man". The Captain is also pretty much at the top of his game, with his zany interventions. Growling and howling his way so menacingly, that you'd wonder if the man isn't totally psychotic.

CD-Charts Position 8
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Zoot Allures

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date May 01, 1995
Show me your thumb if you're dumb! Here is one of Zappa's hardest LPs to enjoy; it sounds like a perverted clumsy pastiche of seventies pop at its worst. Like Reuben & The Jets ten years on, Zappa seems to want to ape somebody else's sonic world but this time his target's too up close and personal - instead of a loving tribute Zoot Allures sounds like a slick and cynical covers band. Functional yet joyless, in hindsight these recordings sound very 'out of whack' with Zappa's intricate jazz-rock of the time. And yet, and yet: its very awkwardness is a perfectly-timed (1976) poke in the eye at its own context, neatly sidestepping disco and the 'new wave' at the same time as indulging its own knowing bandwagoneering. Frank has his cake and eats it, with flashes of rock genius that give the game away ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
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Lather

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date September 23, 1996
The story behind "Lather" is probably better known than the CD itself-you know,FZ tried to get a four album set released by Warner Bros,who wouldn't do so.Took to another label,who then backed out.Went to an FM station in Los Angeles,and played the whole lot to any would-be bootleggers.It all came out in dribs and drabs,sometimes censored,in formats FZ didn't approve,between 1978-79.
Only released after his death,it is startling.It's all here,just about every musical form this most eclectic of composers tried:orchestral,crazed jazz,rock,R+B,silly pop songs,driving guitar,cheesy sexist jokes,deranged spoken word,musique concrete,even a mini-opera("Gregarry Peccary")and some stuff not on the original,scheduled for 1977,"Lather",notably a great live guitar solo from New York,"Ancient Armaments"-eat ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
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Burnt Weeny Sandwich

by: Frank Zappa

Release Date April 01, 2002
This was just about the last of the original MOI albums("Weasels" was released after they and FZ split)and it is my all time favourite album,not just by FZ but by anybody.
Two covers of 1950s doowop(WPLJ and Valarie)are the bread,the sandwich is the remainder,fantastic instrumentals showing both the Mothers in full flight(mostly in the studio,but some bits,ie the guitar solo in "Holiday in Berlin Full Blown",spliced in from live shows),FZ's blossoming as a guitarist,and lastly his abilities as a composer and bandleader.Highlights are hard to pick out as the music is so good,but "Holiday In Berlin Full Blown","Aybe Sea"(a rare example of FZ playing auocustic guitar)and the piano solo followed by the full force of the MOI at the begining of "Little House I Used To Live In".
Unfortunately,this ... Read More: