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

Soft Machine - "Third" (1970)

After quite liking 1968's "The Soft Machine" debut album from this Canterbury scene icon recently, I thought I'd better check out their most highly regarded release in 1970's "Third". It sees them fully embracing their jazz side in a double album format that includes four lengthy full-side pieces, each breaching the eighteen-minute mark. Of the four tracks, I'd suggest that only one (the disappointing "Moon in June") is actually prog rock based with the other three all sitting far more comfortably under a jazz fusion tag. The musicianship is astounding, as is the scope of the compositional work for the time, although there has been a lot of splicing between different performances which makes the producer seem like another band member with a release like this one. Surprisingly, I think I prefer the psychedelic rock sound of the debut over "Third" but there's not a lot between them & I've experienced a similar level of enjoyment with their third full-length.

For fans of Gong, Caravan & Henry Cow.

3.5/5