The Jazz Thread

Frank Zappa - "Hot Rats" (1969)

Frank Zappa's debut solo album & I have had a rocky relationship over the years & that's still largely the case today. I'm not a fan of half of the six songs on offer however the record is saved by the fact that the other three are much lengthier & more substantial than the shorter pieces. The sound of "Hot Rats" sees Frank combining jazz & rock for a result that straddles both jazz fusion & jazz rock very nicely but the dial is certainly directed further towards the jazz side of the equation than it is the rock one in my opinion. Zappa's guitar improvisation is my personal highlight so I tend to go for the more expansive arrangements where he gets to really open up. It's not a bad listen but I can't say that it fares all that well alongside other jazz fusion records of the time, at least not for me personally.

For fans of Soft Machine, Mahavishnu Orchestra & Allan Holdsworth.

3.5/5