For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/aw11PI am going to go ahead and review the album I am listening to now. It is one of my favorites and I'm an unabashed Zappa freak so there may be a bias...... Album: Hot Rats by Frank Zappa Personnel: -Frank Zappa / guitar, octave bass and percussion - Ian Underwood / keyboards and winds - Captain Beefheart / vocals - Sugar Cane Harris / violin - Jean-Luc Ponty / violin - John Guerin / drums - Paul Humphrey / drums - Ron Selico / drums - Maz Bennett / bass - Shuggy Otis / bass Track Listing: 1. Peaches en Regalia (3:37) 2. Willie the Pimp (9:16) 3. Son of Mr. Green Genes (8:58) 4. Little Umbrelllas (3:04) 5. The Gumbo Variations (16:55) 6. It Must Be A Camel (5:15) 1.Peaches En Regalia- Melody reigns supreme here as Zappa and Underwood lead the band on one of Zappa's most memorable songs. Unlike most of the other songs on the disk, there are no extended solos or jams. The beauty of the melody is left unadorned. If you enjoy whistling along with songs, this is my favorite tune to do so with.(5/5) 2. Willie the Pimp- The only vocal track is a guitar based jam with typical Captain beefheart vocals. The lyrics are amusing, the guitar is lyrical and bluesy.(5/5) 3.Son of Mr. Green Genes- This is the first track on the disk that has the jazz-fusion, prog-rock style. It is replete with tempo shifts, melody variations, and all-out jamming. There are those that consider Zappa to be a weak guitarist; they should hear this song.(4/5) 4.Little Umbrelllas- The shortest and most overtly indebted to Stravinsky of all the pieces on the album. This is primarily an Ian Underwood(on keys) showcase and foreshadows the sound of Zappa's future work with the synclavier.(4/5) 5.The Gumbo Variations-It starts with a simple vamp and goes everywhere! It seem the word "epic" is used quite often around these parts; this is one place where it is most assuredly appropriate. A jazz-rock masterpiece with virtuosic turns by Underwood (on sax, here), Ponty, and Zappa jamming through the changes. The bass is high in the mix and combined with the drums lays down a shifting groove that drive from start to finish.(5/5) 6. It Must Be A Camel- Another arranged song with overdubs like "Peaches" and "Umbrellas", this is perhaps the most intricate song on the album. Full of unexpected turns, it is at one moment classical, the next jazz, then rock without lasting as any one for too long.(5/5) When Hot Rats was released in 1969, it was among the frist sixteen track albums available. It was also the first Zappa album without the mothers moniker attached. It may be the best work Zappa has ever done, although with so much genius to choose from it is hard to say that with sufficient conviction. The songs that I only gave 4 stars to probably deserve the full five but I wanted to distinguish between the supremely amazing and the very amazing. Overall, I would give this album 5 stars. It has an innate listenability, incredible instrumentation, inspired arrangements, and over the top jamming. I can also attest that it does not lose it's shine after repeated listening....
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