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Frank Zappa Buying Guide

Francis Vincent Zappa was one of the 20th century's greatest musical polymaths: autodidactic composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, satirist, social critic, conductor, and guitar virtuoso. He was a genre-bending artist, drawing on elements of rock, jazz, classical, musical theater, sketch-comedy, doo-wop, avante garde, opera, and electronic music. Zappa recorded and performed with a constant rotation of studio and touring musicians. He released a total of 57 albums in his lifetime, with an additional 21 released posthumously.

With a total of 78 albums, Zappa has one of the most intimidating repertoires to undertake. In addition to his prolific production, Zappa's music is too eclectic to classify; he refused to adhere to expectations, at times releasing up to four albums in a single year that have little stylistic relation to one another (other than being undeniably Zappa).

Nevertheless, this guide hopes to give a brief chronology of Zappa's musical career, highlighting most of his work and hopefully providing enough information to give anyone an idea about where in this massive collection to begin.

1960s and The Mothers of Invention

His early period, from the groundbreaking album Freak Out!  (1966) to Uncle Meat  (1969) , ended with the disbandment of the original Mothers of Invention.  Additional albums from his early period include:

  • Absolutely Free  (1967)-- Experimented with a more concept oriented album, as each side on the original LP composes a mini-suite
  • We're Only in It for the Money  ( 1968)-- Musically experimental; satirizes 60s culture, especially the hippie counter-culture.
  • Lumpy Gravy  ( 1968)-- Highly experimental: orchestral music mixed with surreal dialogues and interjected with sound effects and musical fragments
  • Cruising with Ruben & the Jets (1968)--A simultaneous tribute and parody of Doo-Wop music.

Excess recordings from that era were later compiled onto the albums Burnt Weeny Sandwich  and Weasels Ripped My Flesh  (both 1970).

Selected "Early Year" Albums

Freak Out!  (1966)

We're Only In It For The Money  (1968)

Parodying The Beatles : Sgt Pepper's 

Weasels Ripped My Flesh  (1970)Weasels Ripped My Flesh 

1970s and Fusion

Zappa then released one of his most enduring solo recordings, Hot Rats  (1969), which marked a shift towards incorporating more jazz elements into his compositions, as well as the emerging jazz-rock fusion genre. This album also showcased Zappa's phenomenal guitar chops, most notably on the track Willie the Pimp. After a brief foray into the world of symphonic orchestra, Zappa assembled a new band under the old name, The Mothers, composed of some ex-M.O.I. personnel and some new musicians, notably Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman of The Turtles.  With the new line-up, The Mothers released Chunga's Revenge  (1970), and two live albums, Fillmore East- June 1971  and Just Another Band from L.A.  (1972).

Soon after, Zappa followed up his jazz-fusion ambitions with Waka/Jawaka  and The Grand Wazoo  (both 1972), which were both musically reminiscent of Hot Rats.  The studio personnel on these albums was in constant flux, including both new musicians as well as various M.O.I. veterans. Using the always-varying line up, Zappa continued his prolific recording habits with more accessible pop albums, Overnight Sensation  (1973), Apostrophe (')  (1974), which reached a career-high #10 on the Billboard Pop Charts, and a return to jazz fusion with the live album Roxy and Elsewhere  (1974) and One Size Fits All  (1975). According to Kelly Fischer Lowe,  the live album You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2  (1988) embodies the spirit and prowess of this era in Zappa's career.

In 1975, he released a live album with long-time musical compatriot, Captain Beefheart,  entitled Bongo Fury.  Zoot Allures  (1976) followed, his first recording with his new record company, Warner Bros. During this time, Zappa composed a four-LP album, Läther  (pronounced "leather"), but was not released until 1996 due to complications with Warner Bros. Another live album followed, Zappa in New York  (1978). His legal troubles continued, as Warner Bros. released several albums without Zappa's consent, including Studio Tan (1978) and Sleep Dirt (1979) and Orchestral Favorites  (1979), which is performed by a 37 piece electric orchestra. During this period, Zappa also began receiving criticism for his vulgar and offensive language, which would later become a major issue in his career.

Zappa left Warner Bros. and in 1979 independently released two critically acclaimed albums, Sheik Yerbouti  and Joe's Garage  under his label Zappa Records.

Selected "Middle Year" Albums

Hot Rats  (1969)

Zoot Allures  (1976)

Sheik Yerbouti  1979

Läther  (1976)

Overnight Sensation  1973

1980s and the Synclavier

In 1981, he released Tinsel Town Rebellion,  comprised of tracks taken from his 1979 and 1980 tours, as well as one studio track. Guitar phenom Steve Vai  is a notable addition to Zappa's lineup, having toured with him in 1980. That same year, Zappa released the double album You Are What You Is,  followed by the triple album instrumental work, Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar,  which highlights Zappa's solo guitar soloing during the 1979-80 tour.

Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch  (1982) featured the Grammy-nominated Valley Girl, Zappa's biggest hit single ever. 1983 saw the release of two disparate projects, The Man From Utopia,  and  London Symphony Orchestra Vol. 1,  which was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra as yet another attempt at displaying Zappa's orchestral talents. Additional recordings of these sessions were released in 1988 as London Symphon Orchestra Vol. 2.  He continued in this orchestral vain with Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stanger  (1984), which is notable for the first recording in which Zappa used the synclavier,  which he would incorporate into his music for the remainder of his career. Also from this year are the albums:

  • Them or Us (1984) Two Disc comprised of live and session music.
  • Thing-Fish (1984) three-record bricolage set in the style of a Broadway play.
  • Francesco Zappa (1984) a synclavier rendition of works by 17th century composer Francesco Zappa.

In 1985, Frank Zappa became a political icon when he testified against the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) for their attempts at administering warning labels on albums deemed "Inappropriate". Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention  (1985) uses excerpts from Zappa's senate testimony against the PMRC and sets them to synclavier compositions. The very next year, Zappa  earned his first Grammy, for Best Instrumental Rock Performance, with the track Jazz From Hell  off the album with the same name. Though this album was entirely instrumental, performed almost entirely with the synclavier,  it was sold with the parental advisory sticker"Explicit Lyrics".

In 1988, Zappa went on his last world tour with a rock group, the recordings of which were released in three seperate albums: Broadway The Hard Way  (1988), The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life  (1991), and Make a Jazz Noise Here  (1991)

In the Fall of 1992, in what would be his final stage appearance before his death, Zappa conducted the German chamber ensemble, Ensemble Modern.  The recordings of these performances were compiled in the album, The Yellow Shark  (1993).

Beat the Boots Vol. 1  (1991) A compilation of bootleg recordings from the 1967-1982 era. Beat the Boots Vol. 2  is a supplement to the first volume, comprised of recordings from 1968-1978.

Selected "Later Year" Albums

Tinsel Town Rebellion  (1981)

Make A Jazz Noise Here Make A Jazz Noise Here  (1991)

Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar  (1981)

Jazz From Hell  (1986)

The Yellow Shark (1993)

Additional Classification

Live Albums

1988 World Tour

You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore

Posthumous Albums

External Links