Just going by the question asked in the title of this video and without bothering to actually watch the video, I was just going to say the same thing. Other than the minute-long arf song (which belongs on another album if you ask me), I think One Size Fits All is the most fitting album to get acquainted with Zappa, whether one is a musician or not.
Apostrophe, Overnight Sensation, Dynamo Hum. So lucky to have seen him 4 times, once in Seattle at the Paramount, once in Tucson, and twice in LA.🙏🙏🙏🤍Om Swastyastu!!!🕉 RIP
In the fall of 1982, I went to live with my dad - I was 13. He loved music and played it constantly. One night he put “Just Another Band from L.A.” on the turntable & I was immediately hooked on that Album & Frank’s music from that day forward. I hit my Zappa AND Black Sabbath phases at that same time.
My first introduction was overnight sensation, probably what every zappa fan recommmended to a first time listener. If you don’t get zappa on the first listen just trot on.
@oconnorsean12: I saw him at the same place in May, 1971, when Flo & Eddie were the singers. It was stunning. It was the evening of Mother's Day, which was very appropriate, as well as coincidental.
First Zappa and Mothers album I bought in 69/70 was We’re only in it for the money which was brilliant followed by Lumpy Gravy & Hot Rats…been a fan ever since.
As a Zappa fan of well over 50 years, I've heard everything, and a LOT of the "not legally released" recordings, so I'm not going to dislike the posthumous releases. I'm so glad at the recent output of studio outtakes, rehearsals, etc. The live output is also amazing! ALL (or most of) the Roxy performances, the Halloween performances, etc. Recently my favorite is Funky Nothingness! Just guys playing, jamming, and creating! I LOVE the album! But all of that amazing music aside, I think there needs to be a You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore sequel! There are a few odd "bootleg" gems, but I think they need to dig deeper, and find more of the odds and ends! (and even release another roadcase!)
I'm a geezer-81 y/o-who heard Freak Out the day it hit the stores. Seems like a good place to start. But then there's Hot Rats...Apostrophe...One Size...oh, hell, pick one & listen!
Well yes, that's a fair recommendation but I also agree with many of the commentators and their favourites especially when it's about "One Size fits all". I'd also recommend pretty underrated album "Sleep Dirt" which is one of my personal most heard albums at all. But as there are 2 versions of the album I definitely mean the pure instrumental version which was published in 1979. Because I had loved this album so much for more than 10 years already I never got used to the 1991 version with singing.
I don't have Make A Jazz Noise Here, but I agree about the 2 others. I would also recommend Sheik Yerbouti as a Zappa-listening starting point, about as catchy as Zappa gets.
Billy the Mountain. My intro was from fellow hammond B 3 player Vinnie Sussino from Brooklyn. He turned me onto Billy the mountain. A whole new structure/inrto to me about rock music alternatives to AM radio.
To me a good introduction is the mixture of "Them or Us" - something for everybody. My favourite album is the hilarious "We're only in it for the money".
Joe's garage or overnight sensation. If I were on a dessert island and had only one composer to listen to it would be, Frank Zappa 🤙🤙🤙🍀🍀🍀 I saw Jean luc at the Royal Oak theater in 77" a fantastic show!!!
On a recent shopping trip to my local Trader Joe’s while wearing my Lumpy Gravy T-shirt, the young man at the register asked me what Frank Zappa song I would recommend he listen to as his first Zappa exposure. Without hesitation I recommended Inca Roads.
Whilst Zappa has produced tons of albums, the many albums recommended to "Zappa Initiates" are often limited to "I recommend MY FAVORITE Zappa album is.. (insert YOUR fave album here.)" In the case of FRANK ZAPPA however, his RANGE encompasses a wide variety of styles. SO, if we wish to introduce NEW listeners to Zappa's work we MUST cast a wide net. TO date, there is ONLY ONE STUDIO ALBUM, not based upon OPINION, but is instead based upon FACTS, that fits THIS category: "LÄTHER" (1977) Why? Allow me to explain. 1) it is important to know that the album "LÄTHER" (1977) was NOT released posthumously and instead was composed by Zappa over many years (1969-1977) and IS the FIRST 8-sided album of ALL ORIGINAL material RELEASED to an American audience in December 1977 when Frank Zappa appeared on the Pasadena, California, radio station KROQ-FM and played the entire test pressing of "LÄTHER". 2) This album "LÄTHER", of ALL Frank's albums is the MOST COMPREHENSIVE of his Styles and Influences because it encompasses ALL categories of Zappa Music (except for Synclavier based compositions). In this WONDERFUL Zappa album, "LÄTHER", there are examples of ALL of Frank's influences and styles that would continue into the 1980s and early 1990s. - For Big Band/Jazz Fusion fans there are songs like " Regyptian Strut", " I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth", "Flambé", "RDNZL", and "The Purple Lagoon". - For fans of Orchestral music there are many including "Naval Aviation in Art?", "Pedro's Dowry", and "The Duke of Orchestral Prunes". - For fans of Story-Driven/comedy songs there are "The Illinois Enema Bandit", "Punky's Whips", "The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary", and "Titties and Beer". - For fans of Guitar-Based songs we have "Sleep Dirt", "Filthy Habits", "Time is Money", "The Ocean Is the Ultimate Solution", and "Spider of Destiny". - The songs on the album not mentioned above are a conglomeration of all of Frank's styles and influences. If one wishes to CAST A WIDE NET to catch potential future (and younger), impressionable music fans and music composers, THIS album IS THE BEST album to introduce people to Zappa because the VARIETY of Frank's music on THIS ALBUM is so VERY comprehensive of Frank's body of work and albums to follow. Is THIS my FAVORITE album? Well, as MOST Zappa fans will tell you, "It's IMPOSSIBLE to pick a FAVORITE". However, is IT in MY Zappa TOP 40 (lol)? Absolutely! ..as are "Joe's Garage" (1979), "200 Motels"(1971), "Roxy and Elsewhere"(1974) ,"Over-Nite Sensation" (1973), "We're Only in It for the Money" (1968), "One Size FIts All" (1974), "You Are What You Is" (1981), "Tinseltown Rebellion", (1981), "Apostrophe (') (1974)", etc, etc, etc.... In Conclusion: Frank Zappa's "LÄTHER" (1978) has something for EVERYONE. Purchase it for a Music Fan, young or old, whom YOU know. They will be forever grateful..as will the Music Fans who are reading this 200 years from now on July 13th, 2224. In 2024 I'd like to WELCOME ALL music Fans and Composers of TOMORROW. Note: Did you know that The Republican Christian Nationalist Communist Nazi Party of 2025, like the governments of IRAN, RUSSIA, and NORTH KOREA, tried to make MOST MUSIC, BOOKS, FILMS, RELIGIONS, and THOUGHTS (they found "offensive") ILLEGAL in 2025? Why? Because the Republican Party of 2024 no longer represented the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA nor did hey represent the Republican Party of Lincoln. Instead the 2024 GOP represents Ignorance, Hate, Lies, Deception ,and Greed. If YOU are a Human who believes in Human Freedom and Democracy then b sure to drink your Ovaltine AND "VOTE LIKE A BEAST"- F. Zappa
I'd probably suggest Hot Rats, particularly if the listener likes jazz. I'd also recommend listening to one of the many FZ concerts on youtube, my favorite being Stockholm 1973.
I heard the Yellow Snow album first, later I fell in love with Joe's Garage because of the guitar tones. I even created a highly customized guitar to get them.
I guess it's nice to be comfortable with the conclusions you arrive at regarding art, (something that's to a large degree subjective). In my experience Zappa's 80's bands delivered clinical somewhat rote copies of earlier compositions and played too loud for the room when on tour, (at least during the six or seven shows I attended). The abbreviated and reggae treatments that some compositions got seemed formulaic and corny, at times almost like a marching band covering rock tunes. The Bobby Brown and Dancing Fool and I Don't Wanna Get Drafted stuff isn't what I'd send up in a Zappa time capsule. Some great compositions came from that period, but no albums from the 80's have the top to bottom compositional brilliance or the inventive quality of Hot Rats, Waka Jawaka, Sleep Dirt, or Grand Wazoo. The Frank Zappa album you should listen to first is probably the one that you have the best chance of connecting with. A classical music listener may want to go w/ Yellow Shark or Orchestral Favorites. Jazz listeners may prefer Grand Wazoo or Jean Luc Ponty plays the music of Frank Zappa. For Doo wop fifties listeners it's obviously Ruben and the Jets. Loud rock audiences, the Over-Nite Sensation, Bongo Fury, One Size Fits All period.
Impossible to answer , it all depends when and where you listened to certain albums . All excellent but some easier to get into , but that dies t mean they are the best .
For me it's Apostrophe, for someone who is interested but unexposed. Sheik Yerbouti, if you're not offended by the kind of songs you can't play at work. And if you are, then maybe FZ isn't the music for you...? As an Austinite I've gotta love Bongo Fury. Then there's Joe's Garage, Shut up and play your Guitar, and so many worth a listen though maybe not for first exposure. And the Mothers did some very fun records too, though the quality is a little uneven.
I started with Roxy & Elsewhere and I think many aspects of his music are there. It was amazing, better than Hot Rats which was the first I listened and It didn't caught me. I would recommend different albuns for different kind of listeners, but in general Roxy is a great introduction.
I do recognize that the ‘88 band was extremely proficient but I’m not excited about singling out certain bands; I feel an understanding for all eras of his musical career. My first album was We’re Only In It For The Money, and then Overnight Sensation. But I would recommend One Size Fits All or Hot Rats.
@@AdamsMusicBox Perhaps in terms of the way conservatory wunderkinds flocked to him as time went on. But my take on the quality of the music on Freak Out made me pause when I read your comment. Except (IMHO), for Help I'm A Rock and The Return of the Son of the Monster Magnet, (although one cannot help but suspect that these would be FZ's favorites from that album), the fact that Freak Out was made by a 25/26 year old kid making his first album in 1965/66 defies explanation. I mean where did this guy come from? I'm not sure when you came to this music, or if you're familiar with Freak Out. If not I recommend You Didn't Try to Call Me, Any Way the Wind Blows, I'm Not Satisfied & You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here (at least). The phrase ..."sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" comes to mind. When it comes to the question of how someone might start their FZ journey, I'll respond with the two I started with ...Freak Out & Hot Rats. I recommend the original vinyl versions as opposed to the 1987 remakes (although that could simply be a matter of what I became familiar with). Hope this didn't seem too adversarial Adam. You're comments seem quite insightful to me ...great content!
@@arttursh8324 I hear you and Freak Out was great. Zappa loved things played perfect the first time and that's why his bands got progressively more professional over the years. Even then he often said he preferred the Synclavier to human musicians because it didn't complain and did what it was told.
His early bands and players were much looser and more open to Frank's humour and experimentation even although he wasn't happy, or so he said, about their overall ability. His last band, for me, were rehearsed to death. A wet dream for people who like statistics...could play 300 songs and rehearsed 25 hours a day for 6 months etc etc.
Live at the Roxy. No question about it for me.
Check out Roxy by Proxy, too.
That era was beyond amazing!!!
One Size Fits All
Just going by the question asked in the title of this video and without bothering to actually watch the video, I was just going to say the same thing. Other than the minute-long arf song (which belongs on another album if you ask me), I think One Size Fits All is the most fitting album to get acquainted with Zappa, whether one is a musician or not.
Either "Freak Out" or "One Size Fits All" maybe Joe's Garage.
Apostrophe, Overnight Sensation, Dynamo Hum. So lucky to have seen him 4 times, once in Seattle at the Paramount, once in Tucson, and twice in LA.🙏🙏🙏🤍Om Swastyastu!!!🕉 RIP
A good place to start is Overnight sensation, apostrophe. These albums are 1973 and 1974. 👍
The first Zappa album I heard was Apostrophe. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard any Zappa music.
It's very accessible. I'd also follow it up with Overnight Sensation and Sheik Yerbouti.
RIP sir , your music changed my life ,
In the fall of 1982, I went to live with my dad - I was 13.
He loved music and played it constantly. One night he put “Just Another Band from L.A.” on the turntable & I was immediately hooked on that Album & Frank’s music from that day forward.
I hit my Zappa AND Black Sabbath phases at that same time.
My first introduction was overnight sensation, probably what every zappa fan recommmended to a first time listener. If you don’t get zappa on the first listen just trot on.
My advise would be freak out.
His first album.
Not main stream and will give you a taste things to come.
I saw Zappa at the Meadow Brook music festival in Oakland county Michigan I believe it was the first leg of his last tour of America
@oconnorsean12: I saw him at the same place in May, 1971, when Flo & Eddie were the singers.
It was stunning.
It was the evening of Mother's Day, which was very appropriate, as well as coincidental.
First Zappa and Mothers album I bought in 69/70 was We’re only in it for the money which was brilliant followed by Lumpy Gravy & Hot Rats…been a fan ever since.
Apostrophe
As a Zappa fan of well over 50 years, I've heard everything, and a LOT of the "not legally released" recordings, so I'm not going to dislike the posthumous releases. I'm so glad at the recent output of studio outtakes, rehearsals, etc. The live output is also amazing! ALL (or most of) the Roxy performances, the Halloween performances, etc. Recently my favorite is Funky Nothingness! Just guys playing, jamming, and creating! I LOVE the album! But all of that amazing music aside, I think there needs to be a You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore sequel! There are a few odd "bootleg" gems, but I think they need to dig deeper, and find more of the odds and ends! (and even release another roadcase!)
Zoots allures one size fits all apostrophe in that order
Good points
I'm a geezer-81 y/o-who heard Freak Out the day it hit the stores. Seems like a good place to start. But then there's Hot Rats...Apostrophe...One Size...oh, hell, pick one & listen!
Well Said!
One Size Fits All, Hot Rats, Zoot Allures would be great starters
Well yes, that's a fair recommendation but I also agree with many of the commentators and their favourites especially when it's about "One Size fits all".
I'd also recommend pretty underrated album "Sleep Dirt" which is one of my personal most heard albums at all. But as there are 2 versions of the album I definitely mean the pure instrumental version which was published in 1979. Because I had loved this album so much for more than 10 years already I never got used to the 1991 version with singing.
I don't have Make A Jazz Noise Here, but I agree about the 2 others. I would also recommend Sheik Yerbouti as a Zappa-listening starting point, about as catchy as Zappa gets.
Lather. Its got something for everyone and includes The Adventures of Gregory Peccary.
Billy the Mountain. My intro was from fellow hammond B 3 player Vinnie Sussino from Brooklyn. He turned me onto Billy the mountain. A whole new structure/inrto to me about rock music alternatives to AM radio.
To me a good introduction is the mixture of "Them or Us" - something for everybody.
My favourite album is the hilarious "We're only in it for the money".
Loved the Flo and Eddie years
Live at Filmore East 71…great fun.
Joe's garage or overnight sensation. If I were on a dessert island and had only one composer to listen to it would be, Frank Zappa 🤙🤙🤙🍀🍀🍀
I saw Jean luc at the Royal Oak theater in 77" a fantastic show!!!
On a recent shopping trip to my local Trader Joe’s while wearing my Lumpy Gravy T-shirt, the young man at the register asked me what Frank Zappa song I would recommend he listen to as his first Zappa exposure. Without hesitation I recommended Inca Roads.
Joes garage.
Whilst Zappa has produced tons of albums, the many albums recommended to "Zappa Initiates" are often limited to "I recommend MY FAVORITE Zappa album is.. (insert YOUR fave album here.)"
In the case of FRANK ZAPPA however, his RANGE encompasses a wide variety of styles. SO, if we wish to introduce NEW listeners to Zappa's work we MUST cast a wide net.
TO date, there is ONLY ONE STUDIO ALBUM, not based upon OPINION, but is instead based upon FACTS, that fits THIS category:
"LÄTHER" (1977)
Why? Allow me to explain.
1) it is important to know that the album "LÄTHER" (1977) was NOT released posthumously and instead was composed by Zappa over many years (1969-1977) and IS the FIRST 8-sided album of ALL ORIGINAL material RELEASED to an American audience in December 1977 when Frank Zappa appeared on the Pasadena, California, radio station KROQ-FM and played the entire test pressing of "LÄTHER".
2) This album "LÄTHER", of ALL Frank's albums is the MOST COMPREHENSIVE of his Styles and Influences because it encompasses ALL categories of Zappa Music (except for Synclavier based compositions).
In this WONDERFUL Zappa album, "LÄTHER", there are examples of ALL of Frank's influences and styles that would continue into the 1980s and early 1990s.
- For Big Band/Jazz Fusion fans there are songs like " Regyptian Strut", " I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth", "Flambé", "RDNZL", and "The Purple Lagoon".
- For fans of Orchestral music there are many including "Naval Aviation in Art?", "Pedro's Dowry", and "The Duke of Orchestral Prunes".
- For fans of Story-Driven/comedy songs there are "The Illinois Enema Bandit", "Punky's Whips", "The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary", and "Titties and Beer".
- For fans of Guitar-Based songs we have "Sleep Dirt", "Filthy Habits", "Time is Money", "The Ocean Is the Ultimate Solution", and "Spider of Destiny".
- The songs on the album not mentioned above are a conglomeration of all of Frank's styles and influences.
If one wishes to CAST A WIDE NET to catch potential future (and younger), impressionable music fans and music composers, THIS album IS THE BEST album to introduce people to Zappa because the VARIETY of Frank's music on THIS ALBUM is so VERY comprehensive of Frank's body of work and albums to follow.
Is THIS my FAVORITE album? Well, as MOST Zappa fans will tell you, "It's IMPOSSIBLE to pick a FAVORITE". However, is IT in MY Zappa TOP 40 (lol)? Absolutely! ..as are "Joe's Garage" (1979), "200 Motels"(1971), "Roxy and Elsewhere"(1974) ,"Over-Nite Sensation" (1973), "We're Only in It for the Money" (1968), "One Size FIts All" (1974), "You Are What You Is" (1981), "Tinseltown Rebellion", (1981), "Apostrophe (') (1974)", etc, etc, etc....
In Conclusion:
Frank Zappa's "LÄTHER" (1978) has something for EVERYONE. Purchase it for a Music Fan, young or old, whom YOU know. They will be forever grateful..as will the Music Fans who are reading this 200 years from now on July 13th, 2224.
In 2024 I'd like to WELCOME ALL music Fans and Composers of TOMORROW. Note: Did you know that The Republican Christian Nationalist Communist Nazi Party of 2025, like the governments of IRAN, RUSSIA, and NORTH KOREA, tried to make MOST MUSIC, BOOKS, FILMS, RELIGIONS, and THOUGHTS (they found "offensive") ILLEGAL in 2025? Why? Because the Republican Party of 2024 no longer represented the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA nor did hey represent the Republican Party of Lincoln. Instead the 2024 GOP represents Ignorance, Hate, Lies, Deception ,and Greed.
If YOU are a Human who believes in Human Freedom and Democracy then b sure to drink your Ovaltine AND "VOTE LIKE A BEAST"- F. Zappa
I'd probably suggest Hot Rats, particularly if the listener likes jazz. I'd also recommend listening to one of the many FZ concerts on youtube, my favorite being Stockholm 1973.
Sheik Yerbouti. The drums on Rat Tomago together with Zappa's riffs. Thats it. Maybe Mc Laughlins Extrapolation is comparable in quality.
Overnite Sensation
I heard the Yellow Snow album first, later I fell in love with Joe's Garage because of the guitar tones. I even created a highly customized guitar to get them.
Roxy and elsewhere would have to be my top pick. Apostrophe and anybody/anything during that time period IMO were the best yrs.
I guess it's nice to be comfortable with the conclusions you arrive at regarding art, (something that's to a large degree subjective). In my experience Zappa's 80's bands delivered clinical somewhat rote copies of earlier compositions and played too loud for the room when on tour, (at least during the six or seven shows I attended). The abbreviated and reggae treatments that some compositions got seemed formulaic and corny, at times almost like a marching band covering rock tunes. The Bobby Brown and Dancing Fool and I Don't Wanna Get Drafted stuff isn't what I'd send up in a Zappa time capsule. Some great compositions came from that period, but no albums from the 80's have the top to bottom compositional brilliance or the inventive quality of Hot Rats, Waka Jawaka, Sleep Dirt, or Grand Wazoo. The Frank Zappa album you should listen to first is probably the one that you have the best chance of connecting with. A classical music listener may want to go w/ Yellow Shark or Orchestral Favorites. Jazz listeners may prefer Grand Wazoo or Jean Luc Ponty plays the music of Frank Zappa. For Doo wop fifties listeners it's obviously Ruben and the Jets. Loud rock audiences, the Over-Nite Sensation, Bongo Fury, One Size Fits All period.
Start off with Freak Out and then simply follow the instructions. You may find the eighties a bit sterile and humourless but it's still Frank!
Impossible to answer , it all depends when and where you listened to certain albums . All excellent but some easier to get into , but that dies t mean they are the best .
For me it's Apostrophe, for someone who is interested but unexposed.
Sheik Yerbouti, if you're not offended by the kind of songs you can't play at work. And if you are, then maybe FZ isn't the music for you...?
As an Austinite I've gotta love Bongo Fury.
Then there's Joe's Garage, Shut up and play your Guitar, and so many worth a listen though maybe not for first exposure.
And the Mothers did some very fun records too, though the quality is a little uneven.
I started with Roxy & Elsewhere and I think many aspects of his music are there. It was amazing, better than Hot Rats which was the first I listened and It didn't caught me.
I would recommend different albuns for different kind of listeners, but in general Roxy is a great introduction.
I do recognize that the ‘88 band was extremely proficient but I’m not excited about singling out certain bands; I feel an understanding for all eras of his musical career. My first album was We’re Only In It For The Money, and then Overnight Sensation. But I would recommend One Size Fits All or Hot Rats.
Joe's Garage 1-3
Thing fish rarely gets a mention and its a classic
Hot Rats , maybe
Apostrophe
Asked in an interview did he like his earlier music? “Not much.”
OK, but I do! :)
Adam's Music Box- You said that FZ's first band was his worst band. Does it follow that you think Freak Out is his worst album?
His first band was his worst from the point of view of music technique, his last band was the best in that sense
@@AdamsMusicBox Perhaps in terms of the way conservatory wunderkinds flocked to him as time went on. But my take on the quality of the music on Freak Out made me pause when I read your comment. Except (IMHO), for Help I'm A Rock and The Return of the Son of the Monster Magnet, (although one cannot help but suspect that these would be FZ's favorites from that album), the fact that Freak Out was made by a 25/26 year old kid making his first album in 1965/66 defies explanation. I mean where did this guy come from? I'm not sure when you came to this music, or if you're familiar with Freak Out. If not I recommend You Didn't Try to Call Me, Any Way the Wind Blows, I'm Not Satisfied & You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here (at least). The phrase ..."sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" comes to mind. When it comes to the question of how someone might start their FZ journey, I'll respond with the two I started with ...Freak Out & Hot Rats. I recommend the original vinyl versions as opposed to the 1987 remakes (although that could simply be a matter of what I became familiar with). Hope this didn't seem too adversarial Adam. You're comments seem quite insightful to me ...great content!
@@arttursh8324 I hear you and Freak Out was great. Zappa loved things played perfect the first time and that's why his bands got progressively more professional over the years. Even then he often said he preferred the Synclavier to human musicians because it didn't complain and did what it was told.
@@AdamsMusicBox ...& wouldn't decide it hated the bass DSP.
His early bands and players were much looser and more open to Frank's humour and experimentation even although he wasn't happy, or so he said, about their overall ability. His last band, for me, were rehearsed to death. A wet dream for people who like statistics...could play 300 songs and rehearsed 25 hours a day for 6 months etc etc.
Apostrophe