AQUARIUM DRUNKARD :: Frank Zappa :: The Hot Rats Sessions

 

Frank Zappa :: The Hot Rats Sessions

Posted on February 7, 2023

When Hot Rats came out in October 1969, it showed a new side of Zappa’s music. It wasn’t poking fun at trends or mixing genres in a blender. It highlights his compositions and skill in both writing memorable songs and as a guitar hero. The lengthy guitar solos showed him emerging as more than just the scruffy leader of the Mothers of Invention, while the musicians he surrounded himself with – from session players to heavyweights like Jean-Luc Ponty – pointed to his ambitions as a musician. But when compared to the material within this box, it also shows Zappa as producer, too.

 r milner

with one cursory dismissive mention of Don (Captain Beefheart) even being on it! Sheesh! I realise he only features on one track (Willie The Pimp) but please it was the sole reason for us buying it! 

The endless derivative ‘boring’ (even) seemingly endless ‘jazz’ noodling of Apostrophe or Joes Garage etc etc (ad nauseam) still to follow, that Frank should have grown tired with The Mothers was testament to how we all felt . . . . . . . . . tiresome musically and lyrically puerile school boy toilet humour as only Mad magazine and Frank can do (yawn!) but the only times he broke the mould for this listener was with The Captain! Next stop Bongo Fury!