Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar

Editors’ Notes Due to Frank Zappa's outspoken nature and his satirical whims, he is often fixed in the public eye as a zany performer whose music is simply too quirky for the mainstream. Yet, at the heart of his music is a dedication to finding new paths to victory. His instrumental prowess made his lesser jokes stand up to repeated listens and it makes this instrumental collection an essential part of his legacy. These are his guitar works. Zappa initially released them in three volumes, but soon after made them into a box set. While it's been asked who would want to listen to albums of guitar solos, these instrumental works are not rock-hero posturing but mature pieces that are the rock-based equivalent to modern jazz. The title track is an essential piece of Zappa's legacy, while the hard rock of "Five-Five-Five" clangs along with the fury of punk and the chops of the best studio musicians money can buy. Zappa's ability to merge genres and to turn music into Zappa music is reason alone to indulge in the winding roads of "The Deathless Horsie," "While You Were Out," "Soup 'n Old Clothes" and the space-travel of "Ship Ahoy."