Best Zappa album

Great question! Zappa's bands have incoprporated so many great players using numerous musical boundries. I saw Zappa numerous times going back to 1971 at the Fillmore East (NYC).

I categorize Zappa in three stages. The early stage being the MOTHERS OF INVENTION (era) although FREAK OUT was the debut, the classic album from that era is: WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY"; middle stage had some great players, look for "HOT RATS" or "CHUNGA'S REVENGE" "WACKA-JAWACKA", BURNT WEENIE SANDWICH", the orchatrations during this entire period are awesome; the latter stage "OVERNIGHT SENSATION" / "APOSTROPHE" although tended to commercialize ZAPPA (via George Duke vocals) these are still excellent albums and did maintain musical integrity. After 1975, the sound somewhat went through a swallow commerical sound (ala SHEIK YERBOOTY" which I do not reocmmend). Otherwise you should look for the other classics each with a different style: 200 MOTELS (soundtrack to an acid rock flick); THE YELLOW SHARK (Zappa orchatrated); FRANCESCO ZAPPA (super melow electronic harpzichord Baroque style music which is actaully appropriate for an infant). The man was a true genius. I have often wondered, if he did not die...

Rock - Burnt Weenie Sandwich, Zoot Allures and Sheik Yerbuti

Classical - Yellow Shark

There are some new releases out there entitled Cheap Thrills and Son of Cheap thrills that feature live performances; Love of My Life,Disco Boy,The Idiot Bastard Son,Sinister Footwear,Catholic Girls, and Joes Garage. I have never owned a live Zappa album but these 2 are a compilation of old studio stuff that really kicks ass

*way* too many zappa albums to yust pick one. (77 different offerings on amazon.com, alone) the ones that get the most play chez-sedon are *one size fits all*, *uncle meat*, *weasel's ripped my flesh*, *hot rats*, *waka-jawaka*, *apostrophe*, *the grand wazoo*, *yust another band from l.a.* the guy was a freakin' genius. francesco zappa, btw was an italina composer (14th century?) that frank found & decided to arrange, due to the name-likeness...

For non-Zappa Zappa tunes try "King Kong" by Jean Luc Ponty. Jedan Luc started playing his electric violin with Frank on "Hot Rats", I believe, and also contributed to several other titles. Like there aren't enough Zappa options out there -- we now enter the world of covers. It is a really great album, though. A peripheral must, in fact, for the Zappa collector as is all of the Captain Beefheart material. Want to get more peripheral with this tribe (Bizzare/Straight Records days)? Wild Man Fisher. The GTO's. The last band (Girls Together Outragiously) was notable for "Do Me Once And I'll Be Sad, Do Me Twice And I'll Know Better". I won't get into What was said about Suzie Creamcheese, though.