June1966
Produced by: Tom Wilson
First Frank Zappa's extraordinary 60+album outcome is, essentially,
one single thematically relevant piece of music. It was one of the first double
albums in rock history. The first half of the album is sorta garagy psychedelic
doo wop, well there is the really creepy 'Who Are the Brain Police'. The second
half is kind of a musical concrete in the vein of Revolution No 9. Sort of a
precursor to Lumpy Gravy or Weasel's Ripped my Flesh.
April 1967
Produced by: Tom Wilson
The second Mothers Of Invention album, originally released in
1967, continues Zappa's musical combination of rock/satire/jazz/doo-wop and
more. The album is created as a suite of songs (actually two suites, originally
split up thematically by sides on the LP), but each song functions as
"mini-suites" in themselves, so quickly do they shift in musical
directions
May 1968
Produced by: FZ
This is frank zappa's third album, which is not a 'mothers of
invention' album but just a FT one. however a few of the boys show up on it,
particularly motorhead with hilarious dialogue. The graphics of the original
album asks the question, "Is This Phase 2 of We're Only In It For The
Money?" The entire album is reminiscent of sound collages/experiments
comparable to that of Edgard Varese (one of Zappa's idols) and Luigi Nono, an
avant garde Italian composer.
March 1968
Produced by: FZ
Executive Producer: Tom Wilson
"We're Only In It For The Money", not just mocked
the Beatles landmark album, "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band",
but it also mocked the whole entire flower power generation and "phony
hippies", as said in the tune, "Who Needs The Peace Corps?" He
also takes a stab at riots involving hippies and politics. When the album was
originally introduced, the cover stated, "This whole monstrosity was
conceived and executed by Frank Zappa as a result of some unpleasant
premonitions."
November 1968
Produced by: FZ
Executive Producer: Tom Wilson
Zappa enjoyed doo-wop, and Rubin and the Jets is the Mothers'
pure foray into the genre. With the exception of some of the lyrics, this is pure
doo-wop, and so you truly need to like this music to enjoy this album. FZ uses
chord progressions that are significantly more complex than conventional
Doo-Wop songs, but is careful not to lose the charming simplicity of the music.
Taken simply as satire, this album works just fine. But what many people didn't
get back then was that it also worked as progressive, that showed the unique
Mothers as one of the most gifted bands of their era.
March 1969
Produced by:FZ
This album was actually a soundtrack for a movie that took
long period for Frank to finalized The whole album Appears the way the album cover looks. It's intriguing, scary, funny, surreal, and anywhere between pop art and real . Honestly, if your intention is to see where "art rock" came from, look into the Uncle Meat. I see this album hit #43 in
Billboard in '69.
March 1969
Between 1966 and 1968, the Mothers of Invention introduced
precisely four albums for Verve Records--five, if you count "Lumpy
Gravy," which was a Zappa solo record. So on first blush,
"Mothermania," a 1969 release that compiles songs from the first
three Mothers records--Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, and We're Only In It For
the Money--seems pretty unnecessary, much like "Big Star's Biggest"
or other compilations that cull from two or three albums.
October 1969
Produced by: FZ
As far as the album alone goes, you will discover some
mind-boggling jazz/rock instrumental compositions here, having only one vocal
piece with Capt. Beefheart providing the gutteral sounds on Willie the Pimp.
Awesome Guitar work from Frank and Jean Luc Ponty on Violin. Once they start
trading riffs back and forth it is nothing short of the best modern Jazz/Rock
ever recorded.
February 1970
Produced by: FZ
This is the album where Frank Zappa was at the top of his
powers of combining genres and live & studio inter-cuts, This album is
pretty different from his earlier albums (at the time). It includes two doo wop
like numbers that shine in and breathtaking fashion after which most of the
album is a tribute to one of Zappa's all time favorite composer's Stravinkskey.
Avgust 1970
Produced by: FZ
This album, contrasting
its heavily composed and easily digestible forerunner, emphasizes the band's
experimental live jazz performances. Highlights include "Oh No",
which pokes fun at John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and their concept that they could
somehow change the world. However, an original album of numerous different
sounds and styles all put together in such an extremely innovative way is
really difficult to imitate when you consider it.
October 1970
Produced by: FZ
This album is, mainly, a guitar-centered rock album. There's a
Hot Rats outtake, "Twenty Small Cigars" and a few other more
progressive jazz-rock instrumentals such as the title track, and then some
vocal songs which are a lot better than I remember them, like "Would YouGo All the Way" and "Road Ladies." I recommend Chunga's Revenge
only after you've heard some Zappa's other jam/jazzy albums for example the
Grand Wazoo, Hot Rats, Waka/Jawaka and Burnt Weeny Sandwich. Chunga's Revenge
does present a lot of entertainment in case you are great admirers of Zappa's
jams.
Avgust 1970
Produced by: FZ
This album has many of the most unforgettable jams that will
just stick in your mind for the rest of your lifetime. It's basically a comedy album, with many of the material being borderline sleazy, similar to a carnival
barker back in the days when Times Square was a bordello of hedonism. Most of
the singing/narration has to do with ridiculous stuff about groupies and their
variously demented sexual routines. While not the most complex Zappa album,
"Fillmore East" is nonetheless enjoyable and offers a needed snapshot
of what Zappa and the Mothers were doing live on-stage.
October 1971
Produced by: FZ
Chunga's Revenge along with the Fillmore album were basically
made from scraps of 200 Motels. To put it briefly: this album is essential to
any Zappa collection. The album is a mixture of avant-garde classical,
operreta, and rockin' adolescent combo. Flo and Eddie from the Turtles have
leading roles in vocals during this album, it turns out they are hilariously
funny when simply turned loose, and they seriously shine here.
March 1972
Produced by: FZ
Anybody who's a fan of the innovative humor and the
intelligently spoken storytelling aspects of Frank Zappa, Just Another Band
from L.A. is unquestionably the best Zappa album for you! This isn't an album
you can enjoy as background music all day. This is an album you listen to
intently, to be able to enjoy its wonderful weirdness. It's a twisted time
machine.
July 1972
Produced by: FZ
Running at approximately 35 minutes, this is a very
listenable instrumental album that features some surprising pedal steel &
Hawaiian guitar playing on "It Just Might Be A One Shot Deal"
courtesy of "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow & Jeff Simmons. The initial
song "Big Swifty" is basically a 17 minute Miles Davis Bitches Brew-era
fusion jam. Waka/Jawaka is simply an extremely experimental album with jazzy
affects and I totally agree with the people who think it's Hot Rats Part II.
November 1972
Produced by: FZ
Great instrumental Jazz fusion album. This was the album
Frank recorded (together with its close sibling "Waka/Jawaka") while
he was confined to a wheelchair after being thrown off stage by a crazed fan.
This album is enjoyable to listen to as ambient music or more actively.
OVER-NITE SENSATION
September 1973
Produced by: FZ
If you are new to Zappa, or are just moderately familiar with
a few of his tunes, this is the best album to start with. When it comes to both
lyrics and music,whether the music be based more in jazz or rock,the key term
to explain this would be as a funky album. The album won a fresh audience for
Zappa.
+cover.jpg "APOSTROPHE (')")
March 1974
Produced by: FZ
With the use of the same lineup as with his earlier album,FZ
persisted on in an exact vein here as before actually. Zappa's voice on this
album has a delightfully deep, rich and very pleasing timbre effectively
translating his exclusive humor and charisma. His lyrics paint such clear
comic strip pictures in your thoughts that it's really worth spending some time
to listen to this album adequately and observing these pictures go by your mind's
eye.
July 1974
Produced by: FZ
Recorded live in Hollywood at the Roxy during both 1973 and
Mothers Day 1974 shows there. The years 1973 and 1974 were amazing years for
Zappa. Not just had he released two commercially prosperous and creatively
fulfilling,but he had a band with personalities as energetic,eccentric and
witty as himself in saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock and of course keyboard extraordinaire George Duke. This album in many ways represents Zappa's live
presentation when his music was likely at it's most funk focused. Zappa's
mindset,expressed with this albums closing number with Zappa instructing one of
the dancers to loosen up rather than free their bodies,shows that his
understanding of the funk era was truly high.
June 1975
Produced by: FZ
Impressive writing, lyrics, all things are spot on. Whether
its discovering alien's (Inca Roads), boring people (Pajama People) or
exploring the trials and tribulations of trailer park white trash (San
Ber'dino) this album will grab you and leave you thinking and laughing. The
tracks include aspects of jazz rock; blues/rock; the avant-garde; and
progressive rock.
October 1975
Produced by: FZ
This is one of the few albums (along with Hot Rats) that have
both Zappa and Beefheart playing at the same time. For Beefheart fans this
album is necessary. Beefheart's lyrics and vocal inflections are both
hysterically funny and scary at the same time. Zappa's Muffin Man is probably
the ultimate electric guitar solo.
ZOOT ALLURES
October 1976
Produced by: FZ
Zoot Allures is one of the most specific albums in Zappa's
catalogue. The majority of the instruments are played by FZ himself (including
bass!), with Ruth Underwood on percussion, the incomparable Terry Bozzio on
drums, and some backing vocalists. This album was the closest Frank ever came
to a in your face, heavy metal, guitar album. It's worth listening to for
"Black Napkins" alone.
Frank Zappa Albums (The First Decade)
Reviewed by
frank zappa newspaper
on
03:28
Rating:
Reviewed by
frank zappa newspaper
on
03:28
Rating:
zappa was the king off avengarde music
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