10 Albums That Will Make You Love Prog Rock
8. Hot Rats - Frank Zappa
If you're making a prog rock album that crosses over, you're going to need some sort of X-factor. Since this is not meant to be a traditional style for the 'normies' to get into, you'll have to win them over through something a little bit more than just a great 9 minute song. Some bring on the hooks, others tell a story, and Frank Zappa does it by just being really freaking weird.
Granted, for Zappa fans, the kind of weirdness on this album is just par for the course, with someone like Captain Beefhart yucking it up on Willie the Pimp to glorious effect. When you peel back the funny asides that you're listening to though, most of Hot Rats is just a nice collection of jazz leaning rock and roll that seems to have a few different movements depending on which song you're listening to.
As you delve further into the songs though, Frank isn't just being progressive in the traditional sense. Anyone can just write a song with movements, but Frank has a lot more under his belt, whether it's putting in a few complex chords here and there or just creating a grand wall of noise with his guitar that disorients you just as you're starting to click with the song. It might not be the most tasteful from one minute to the next (I mean, look who you're talking about here), but you're going to have one hell of a time whenever you throw this record on.