Vinyl of the Week - 11 April 2021

Hot Rats, Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa was a remarkable artist, acknowledged in the music world as a genius. This album no doubt helped advance that premise. Released in 1969, Hot Rats was his second solo album without the Mothers Of Invention. Zappa composed, arranged and produced a record that pushed the boundaries of music at the time. With the help of some very talented friends (such as Captain Beefheart, who contributes vocals on Willie the Pimp, and multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood, the only member of the Mothers to feature) Hot Rats showcases Zappa’s innovation, musicianship and talent for composition like nothing he’d done before. With this album he embraced new tech readily, making it one of the very first to use 16-track recording methods. This enabled Zappa to layer more instruments and overdubbing, creating what he described as “a movie for your ears”. This is music that you might find abrasive at first, Zappa having an uncanny knack for producing great moments of tension and unease. But these moments give way to wonderfully complex harmonies and intricate horn passages that you can get really lost in. The cover art features Christine Frka (aka Miss Christine of the GTO’s) up to her neck in an empty swimming pool. The photo was taken using an infrared camera which results in a vibrant red wash effect. The bizarre image echoes Zappa’s absurd humour and screams this record is different. And it is. It’s another world. One worth exploring - DS