Frank Zappa – ZAPPAtite (Frank Zappa's Tastiest Tracks) (2xLP)

Frank Zappa's ZAPPAtite: Frank Zappa's Tastiest Tracks is a smart introduction to one of rock's most unruly catalogues, first assembled in 2016 and now available on vinyl for the first time. Sequenced as a four-course meal, it turns Zappa's sense of mischief into a useful listening guide, moving from the Mothers of Invention's 1966 Freak Out! era through jazz-rock instrumentals, satire, live performance, and orchestral writing.

What makes this compilation work is how clearly it shows the range inside Zappa's so-called rock side. "I'm The Slime" and "Dirty Love" open with the heavy funk and innuendo of Over-Nite Sensation, while "Peaches En Regalia" reminds you how elegant his instrumental writing could be. Elsewhere, the set pulls in the GRAMMY-nominated disco parody "Dancin' Fool," the European hit "Bobby Brown Goes Down," and "Valley Girl," the 1982 Top 40 single featuring Moon Unit Zappa's deadpan valley-speak.

Compiled by Ahmet Zappa with longtime archivist Joe Travers, ZAPPAtite is less a greatest-hits package than a guided cross-section of recurring Zappa obsessions: satire, virtuosity, odd rhythm, and sudden shifts in scale. The closing stretch says plenty on its own, from the Synclavier rush of "G-Spot Tornado" to "Strictly Genteel" with the London Symphony Orchestra, a piece first heard as the grand finale of Zappa's 1971 film 200 Motels.

Features

• 2xLP, Black Vinyl
• First time on vinyl
• Gatefold jacket with menu insert