# Frank Zappa - the Hot Rat Sessions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2020, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-zappa-the-hot-rat-sessions/845964 "2020-01-05T06:10:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-zappa-the-hot-rat-sessions/845964/1 "2020-01-05T06:10:02Z")
Just wanted to mention this six disc set that dropped last month. The boxed set is pricey, but it is available for streaming on at least a couple of services. If you are a fan of Hot Rats, then you will probably enjoy it. Anyone else listen to this yet? It’s interesting to hear how the music evolved in the studio. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-zappa-the-hot-rat-sessions/845964/2 "2020-01-05T17:17:28Z")
Holy crap! Close to $100 for the boxed set, almost $50 for the MP3 download on Amazon. Very tempting to purchase the MP3 as I have an Amazon gift card from Christmas burning a hole in my pocket. I’ve always hoped that an artist would release something that shows the evolution of songs from original concept/demo to final studio version. I find that kind of stuff fascinating. (About the closest thing I can think of is Lucinda Williams’ “Blessed” album with the bonus “Kitchen Tapes” disc of demo versions of every song.) ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-zappa-the-hot-rat-sessions/845964/3 "2020-01-05T18:16:40Z")
It’s on Spotify, so you should be able to use a free account to listen. I am just starting to listen through for the second time, and I like the cuts that are not on the album (Arabesque, Lil’ Clanton Shuffle), but the piano pieces from Peaches En Regalia are interesting. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-zappa-the-hot-rat-sessions/845964/4 "2020-01-05T20:36:12Z")
I’ve waited 50 years for this set and wasn’t disappointed. **Hot Rats** is Zappa’s (and Ian Underwood’s) finest recording, and I was both surprised and gratified to see Ian FINALLY given proper credit for his work on the album. I was also mildly surprised to learn that three of my all-time favorite Zappa tracks (from other albums) were in fact recorded during these sessions. _Piano Prelude (to The Little House I Used To Live In)_, the first minute of _Toads Of The Short Forest_, and _Aybe Sea_. I already knew about _Twenty Small Cigars_, (another fave), as well as the other tracks that ended up on other albums. A non-audio treat was the story behind that bizarro cover photo. I knew who the woman was and had guessed where the photo must have been taken (correctly, I now know), but had always wondered about the backstory. I would have gladly paid twice the price for this set. ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-zappa-the-hot-rat-sessions/845964/5 "2020-01-07T21:15:35Z")
There’s a very extensive audio interview [here](https://www.zappa.com/news/zappacast-episode-42-hot-rats-sessions) with Joe Travers; he’s the official Zappa Vaultmeister, the guy who is in charge of the huge volume of Zappa’s archived tapes. He was intimately involved with this release, and there is a lot of interesting behind the scenes info, as well as many excerpts from the release.