Today, we celebrate what would have been the 81st birthday of the greatest musical mind of my lifetime... Frank Zappa.
As a self-taught composer and performer, Zappa had diverse musical influences that led him to create music that was often difficult to categorize. He was a highly productive and prolific artist with a controversial critical standing. Supporters of his music admired its compositional complexity while critics found it lacking emotional depth. He had greater commercial success outside the United States, particularly in Europe. He remains a major influence on musicians and composers. His honors include his 1995 induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the 1997 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (both posthumously awarded).
I've been a fan for about 35 years now (after listening to a few albums my Dad had), and thought I'd offer up and album that I really didn't appreciate until recently... 1975's One Size Fits All (an album I heard performed in its entirety by his son Dweezil back in 2015). I chose this album as I thought it would be an interesting jumping-off point for those not familiar with Zappa's work. I feel the musicianship is phenomenal (a staple of Zappa's bands) and the music itself is diverse enough to offer a little something for everyone.
Enjoy!
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