If you only buy one Frank Zappa...

I'll stake a claim for Sheik Yerbouti

steve

Tricky question ... Frank went through phases and his music ranges from do-wop pop songs to avant-grade orchestral pieces ... there is a period that he went through that I think is best forgotten when he sounded like a stand-up comedian with music and quite honestly just another band from LA. 

My favourite albums by Mr Z are 

1. We're Only In It For the Money (FZ's answer to the hippy music of the time - although meant as satirical, it comes across as a great psych album ... the cover reminds me of another record that I really love). 

2. Uncle Meat (Avant Garde soundtrack mixed with some psych pop songs and the incredible King Kong)

3. The Grand Wazoo (jazz fusion at its best)

4. Overnite Sensation (Pop songs with a jazz rock background)

If I was just picking one then it would have to be "We're Only In It For The Money" or if still available "Mothermania" which combines the best bits of his first albums including We're Only In It For The Money. His debut Freak Out is another great album. 

I love Guitar. I can disappear into that album at any time of day or night.

Tony

"The Torture Never Stops" is the highlight

 "Disco Boy" became a classic

Start at the beginning, but I do not think you will stop at one 

Graham.

This is a useful thread so thanks for starting it. At the age of 58 and having spent 42 years or so listening to alt/prog/hard/heavy/metal/grunge/folk/jazz and just about any other form of rock music I have somehow managed to avoid hearing a single piece of music by Frank Zappa. Plenty of friends were fans and I remember Hot Rats and Weasels Ripped My Flesh being regularly carried round school. It bypassed me though.

Captain Beefheart is another but that's maybe for a separate thread.

although it isn't my favourite Zappa album, Hot Rats is a good place to start.

you can then work backwards and forwards from there, and you get a bit of Beefheart thrown in as well (although Beefheart's output is generally more interesting than Willie The Pimp).

the latest 2012 relases on CD are good and are the original mixes.

my own favourites are Weasel's Ripped My Flesh, Uncle Meat and Burnt Weeny Sandwich.

These sorts of questions are  in a way dumb, 'cos every body will just show off and mention every bloody album, but it will take longer than most. 

I do have a few FZ albums, but I won't recommend any as I don't like him, my advice buy something else. 

Something Else is a great album, but it is by the Kinks, not the Mothers of Invention. 

I am surprised you don't like any Zappa, but to be honest if I hadn't heard any Zappa and my introduction to him was Fillmore East or Just Another Band From LA then I doubt I'd have bought another record by him ... I think you'd like an album like Apostrophe, but ... well who can really say what somebody else will like ... 

With Zappa .. he has different periods ... so no guarantee that liking or disliking one album will mean a similar reaction to album from another period .... I mean try this (one of my FZ favourites)

At least everybody agrees Bauhaus are a great group so there is some common ground. 

Who are Bauhaus? I thought they were designers. 

HELLO!!!!

The sky's gone out

Since you dont like him, can I please  have them, please pretty please with sugar on top?

I would go for this one:-

A superb eleven piece band that had rehearsed for four months before going on the road.

If you buy only one, get an original copy of "We're only in it for the money"

The remasters just don't sound as good (I should admit here that I've only heard the original as a copy on cassette, but preferred it to my later copy that had been rejigged).

Is your later copy a re-master or remix? I have the original vinyl record, but also the 1984 remix on CD as part of the Lumpy Money project ... I think the remix is superb. Perhaps you have a re-master, there were several attempts. I think it is Frank's finest. The original vinyl sounds really good too, but I do like that Lumpy Money version. 

Hands down the best 2 Zappa albums in my book:

Jeez if I were to consider buying my first Zappa album I wouldn't give a fat rat about sound quality. It's obviously the tunes first.