Zappadan 2016 again The 10 Best (a bad idea)

Here's a Zappadan idea that has to be wrong. Feel free to correct me in comments, or add your own list, but be nice, it's not like I presume this to be the list anyone else should agree with. Even Frank had to have his favorites. Choosing ten is very difficult.

The 10 Best (oh, please) Frank Zappa albums:

Freak Out! 1966
Weasels Ripped My Flesh 1970
The Grand Wazoo 1972
Apostrophe(') 1974
One Size Fits All 1975
Orchestral Favorites 1979
Joe's Garage Acts I, II, and III 1987
       (I know that was cheating)
The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life 1991
Make A Jazz Noise Here 1991
The Yellow Shark 1993

That was in 2016, and my opinions of some of Frank's output has changed. Joe's Garage has great moments, but is dragged down by considerable misogyny and other banality. Make A Jazz Noise Here is good, but has to be dropped for Burnt Weenie Sandwich, a concise and near-perfect effort. With just a bit more room, Hot Rats would have made it. So, here's my 2023 list:

Freak Out! 1968

We're Only In It For The Money 1968

Burnt Weenie Sandwich 1970 

Weasels Ripped My Flesh 1970
The Grand Wazoo 1972
Apostrophe(') 1974
One Size Fits All 1975
Orchestral Favorites 1979
The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life 1991
The Yellow Shark 1993

 

Zappadan 2016 Lumpy Gravy 1967 and Just Another Band From L.A. 1972

Let me just start with the important news. You don't need Just Another Band From L.A. at all. It is the inane pinnacle of everything that was wrong with the 1970-1972 Flo and Eddie Mothers. I know we should hold Frank up to the golden light during Zappadan, but I have finally purchased the only Zappa record in which I find zero delight. I don't have them all, but even Chunga's Revenge and Fillmore East- June 1971 (the other two by this line-up) hold some charms. This one is mostly Flo and Eddie telling insipid stories with a rhythm section.

On the other hand, Lumpy Gravy. The first of Zappa's solo records, it is the first realization of his more formal compositional works. As such, it appears to have meant a lot to the composer. While I could do without the spoken word ramblings inside the piano that are scattered throughout, the music is a fascinating look at the Zappa we will come to admire on Orchestral Favorites, the London Symphony recordings, and The Yellow Shark. Sprinkled with a touch of surf music, Zappa presents several themes we will encounter later in his oeuvre. Any critical dissection of Zappa's importance as a modern composer must include this delightful effort. Rated W for weirdness, especially in 1967.

For more Zappadan related goodies, try these...
Zappadan 2015
Zappadan 2014
Zappadan 2014
Zappadan 2013
Zappadan 2013
Zappadan 2012
Zappadan 2011
Zappadan 2011
Zappadan 2010
Zappadan 2010
Zappadan 2009
Zappadan 2009
And even more at Frank Zappa here on this blog.

Thanks again, Mr. Zappa.