GENIUS
This is the Best. FZ's creative genius shines bright on this album/CD. Play this when you're having a down day, Guaranteed to make you smile and laugh out loud. Lost a CD case and this was one of the first I had to replace, ASAP!!!!

Zappa 101
For nearly as long as I can remember, I have known of Frank Zappa and his trademark facial hair. I had seen his face and heard of him, although nobody ever really reccomended a specific album to start on. One day during college, a friend of mine bought me the "Baby Snakes" DVD, which is focused on "people that do things that aren't normal". I attempted to watch the DVD and after about an hour, turned it off very confused. The DVD would then follow me for two years, with only one more attempted viewing just to show a friend how far out it was.

Two years later and I was a junior in college. I was talking about music with my roomate and mentioned how I had heard great things about Frank Zappa, although was never able to find that album to make me a fan. He mentioned he had one Zappa CD, Overnite Sensation, and that it had "Zombie Woof" on it. (A song we had both heard covered by a band called Pork Tornado, with Phish guitarist Jon Fishman) He put in the CD and I was a fan of two songs. Dinah-Moe Hum and Zombie Woof. I purchased the CD at a used record store, listened to it a few times, and put it into my CD case.

A few more months go by & I continue to occasionally play this CD. Slowly I begin to absorb more of the tracks and realize the complex compositions of each song. Gradually over the course of three years, this became one of my top listened to albums. Soon I fell in love with every track (Especially Montana) & became increasingly interested in Zappa. I have since re-watched Baby Snakes and found it very amusing now that I understand more about Zappa and his humor. (Poodles?)

I am in the process of building up my collection of Zappa albums, and mkany of them take the same approach as Over-Nite Sensation. I will get the album, be confused, like a song or two, and re-listen to it until I can wrap my head around the complex composition of the notes and the trademark Zappa humor.

Zappa has a lot of albums that are all very different. Many of his albums also have songs that are completely different from one another. He can be a difficult artist to "get into". It took me nearly five years to realize "Hey, I'm a huge Zappa fan and need to hear as much of his music as possible!". If you start at the wrong place (like Baby Snakes) you may be turned off by his strangeness. If you start at the right place, you may (eventually) be amazed by his genius.

Buy this album, listen to Zombie Woof & Camarillo, then slowly explore the other tracks on the albums. I'm really glad I took Zappa 101 during my Junior year in college.

An intro to Zappa
This is the perfect way to introduce yourself to multiple talents of Frank Zappa. Guitarist, Composer, Songwriter and Satirist.

The track listing is:
Camarillo Brillo
I'm The Slime
Dirty Love
Fifty-Fifty
Zomby Woof
Dinah-Moe-Humm
Montana

The lyrics are frequently very near the knuckle (especially on Dinah-Moe-Humm), but they are also very funny and pertinent to today's society. Take 'I'm the Slime' as an example:

"I'm the tool of the Government, an industry tool, for I am destined to rule, and regulate you, I may be vile and pernicious but you can't look away, I make you think I'm delicious, with the stuff that I say, I'm the best you can get have you guessed me yet? I'm the slime oozin' out from your TV set"

Bare in mind this written over 30 years ago, and you can see that Zappa was on the ball. Of course it's true he lived in the US where the awfulness of TV was way ahead of us! Whilst the songs may be near the mark, this is one of Zappa's more catchy albums.

With Ian Underwood, George Duke and Jean-Luc Ponty in the band the standard of musicianship is also very high. Listen to Fifty Fifty and Camarillo Brillo as examples. Zappa will not be to everybody's taste but this is as a good a way to start as I know.

If you're still not sure, try the cheap compilations Cheap Thrills and Son of Cheap Thrills.

Short & Sweet
As promised in the title I will keep this review short and sweet (much like this album). A lot of reviewers are going on about how this album showcases all facets of Zappa's musical genius. This is hardly Zappa's deepest album musically or lyrically. A lot of people have said this album includes examples of Frank's "jazz" prowess - which is just STUPID.

This album is Frank's most commercial, to the point, rock/pop album ever released. This album does NOT showcase Frank's most complex arrangements, his jazz majesty or the depth of his varied musical influence.......etc., etc. This is a straight forward rock/pop Zappa album. But there is no shame in that! It is a perfect Zappa album,.....full of well written songs, masterful guitar solo's, humor, satire, catchy riffs and insanely TIGHT musicianship. It is a great listen and very accessible to the new Zappa listener (maybe the most accessible album for a newbie Zappa listener). It doesn't have the jazz prowess or complex arrangements of Hots Rats, Waka Jawaka or The Grand Wazoo,....nor does it have the lyrical brilliance of Joe's Garage or You Are What You Is. But what this album does have is 7 incredibly catchy rock/pop songs that feature incredible musicianship and humorous lyrical content. This and Apostrophe are the perfect starter set for the new Zappa listener. This album is an essential part of any Zappa collection,.....or any rock music collection for that matter. If you love great music and great musicianship than this album should already be in your collection.

Essential Zappa
this is great stuff. from the same sessions as apostrophe - these two albums belong together. this is zappa at his darkest, most twisted, inspired period.

It is Zappa's first jaunt into mainstream. No it is not the Jazz side, but neither was Freak Out. This was my introduction to FZ, it is raunchy, but I still find it hilarious and I love Frank's guitar.