Sorry, where did I disparage people who liked Zappa’s music?
……Anyone like Kylie Minogue?..………
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Easy. People associate themselves with what they like. If what they like is shown to be worthless, they may begin to feel disparaged.
So we can’t criticise an artist we don’t like, even if we feel they’re awful, on the off chance that someone may feel disparaged? That doesn’t seem right. As long as there are no personal attacks, which there were not in @TheKevster’s vigorous assessment of FZ, then what’s the problem?
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I would make sure to listen to his albums before you buy them as they can vary wildly.
I like a lot of his music but his lyrics range from thought provoking, to slightly humorous to downright schoolboy toilet humour and could be offensive to some. I have ended up up selling/trading a number of his albums as I couldn’t get over the lyrics.
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You should be so lucky. See what I did there?
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We’re entitled to do whatever we want, we will do it anyway, there is no actual choice involved. And people will find a reason to be upset in each case anyway too.
I got into Mr Zappa after seeing his TinselTown Rebellion album in a record store when I was a young fella. It had a collection of speakers pictured on the cover including the same JVC speakers I owned at the time. Still enjoying his music, it’s not hard for me to filter the nonsense.
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Love some zappa, hate others. Apostrophe, Sheik Yerbouti and strictly commercial are my faves with the first one of my favourite ever albums
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After all @BigAl , it was especially for you.
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Very hit and miss.
Apostrophe and Overnight Sensation are fantastic… if purile. But I have a ribald sense of humour so that’s fine.
At the other end of the spectrum you have Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Rubbish. Like 5 donkeys with instruments hung around their necks jostling at a water trough.
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I’ll see how I get on with ‘The Grand Wazoo’, then take it from there.
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As you can probably deduce from this thread, FZ provokes a lot of conflicting views. The stories about himself and band are numerous to tell. He was one of the very few, to take on record companies and win. His output was phenomenal, to say the least. Never mind buying records from various bands, just keeping up with FZ was expensive enough. Some years would see 5 albums released and 2 of them would be doubles or even one triple. My bank account has looked healthier, since he unfortunately passed away……ahead of his time 
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My very first concert was Frank Zappa in Duesseldorf. I must have been 15 or so and remember every single moment of that night - including missing the last train home 
Enjoy!
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I would make the same recommendation
I bought my first Zappa record in the mid-70’s (Just Another Band from LA), and I have been a die-hard fan ever since, and I’ve seen him live more than a dozen times. Yes, the sophomoric lyrics can be off-putting, but the musicianship on all his output is unmatched and you need to look past those lyrics to hear what’s really going on. The Grand Wazoo is essentially instrumental - like Waka/Jawaka, recorded during the same period (he was in a wheel chair with a broken leg after having been knocked from the stage by a wild fan), and is indeed deep in the catalog, but it is also among the best, even if it requires repeated listening before you ‘get it’. Indeed, the recent multi-disc box Waka/Wazoo is a deep dive into that period and has quickly become my favorite posthumous release. As mentioned above, the catalog is vast, and covers every genre from ‘serious’ symphonic music to 50’s style doo-wop and everything in between (or not in between but elsewhere). He is, more than anything else, a composer, and he can quote Stravinsky and Varese as well as Clapton and Santana. Like anyone with a very high IQ (I’ve read that his was 172, Einstein was a ‘mere’ 160), he is usually misunderstood.
Most of the recommendations above are steering you toward the more accessible lyric based material, which is fine, but don’t pay too close attention to the lyrics themselves, listen for the composition, the quirky time signatures, the virtuosic level of musicianship he demanded and usually got from all his band members.
If you, or anyone, find that you enjoy it and want to explore the more obscure, almost entirely instrumental side of FZ’s output, here’s a link to my Spotify playlist:
https://spotify.link/DhQmAN19Vyb
If the link doesn’t work, it’s called “Frank Zappa - The Big Note”. It’s over 10 hours long, and not easy music, but IMHO, it’s worth the effort. I encourage you to jump around - or just put it on in the background until something catches your fancy. For those who don’t like it, that’s fine, but to call him a ‘wonker’ - that’s just ignorant. Of course, Frank himself would not have cared one whit what any of us thought, one way or the other. His music was never intended for the masses. His favorite criticism (from some record exec who didn’t understand what he was hearing) - ‘No commercial potential’.
‘Music is the best’ - FZ
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There are things about Frank that I love and others that I don’t. He is very varied. For me the key is to understand his musical humor, his anti-fashion character. The bizarre is usually aimed at laughing at common sense, fashion, political correctness, etc. in music, in politics, in sexuality etc
The 1st album I listened to was “absolutely free”: the first few seconds I was baffled, I couldn’t believe it was so bad, so disgusting, so badly played… after 20 seconds I realized it was a big joke and from there I loved it.
Beyond taste, Frank is unique because of what he does: with music he laughs at music and other things.
The disk you bought is not the best, nor the one I would recommend to start with. But hey, if it’s not to your liking, don’t be left alone with that impression, there is a wide variety of music and before buying you can listen on streaming. I recommend “one size fist all” “aphostrophe” “over night sensation” “roxy and elsewhere” etc. I’m not a fan of compilations. I would recommend that you go first with records released by him while he was alive. There is a huge amount of posthumous discography that is for those who already know his work since they are concerts, rehearsals, outtakes, etc.
Luck. If you enter the world Zappa you don’t leave anymore
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Reuben And The Jets
How can you not?
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As it was told above, Läther is an album that showcases the range of Zappa. Includes a lot of various stuff. Wasn’t familiar with this set before, listened to most of it today. In fact, it might be a good place to start. Much more entertaining, than Grand Wazoo, imo.
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I am a fan, but like others here, I have no love for the predominantly “humourous” albums.
I reckon “Grand Wazoo” is therefore a pretty good starting point.
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