HOT RATS FRANK ZAPPA

(1969)

When Zappa split with the Mothers of Invention he embarked on his first solo album proper, a seminal jazz/rock set that helped kick off the fusion movement. The complex and richly layered tracks are largely instrumental, many featuring extended improvisations by Zappa and his chief collaborator, multiinstrumentalist Ian Underwood. Radio-friendly arrangements like Peachesenregalia and Little Umbrellas gave it a wide appeal and provided Zappa with his only top 10 album in the UK. But for guitar highlights, check out the distorted wah-wah solos on Sonofmrgreen Genes and Williethepimp (featuring Captain Beefheart’s astonishing vocals).