Strictly Commercial

Amazon.com essential recording
Frank Zappa 101. As close as anyone has come to a definitive greatest hits set, Strictly Commercial manages to encapsulate much, if not most, of a career that deliberately defied any such attempts. This is the most accessible single collection of Zappa's music available, containing familiar ditties such as "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow," "Joe's Garage," and the radio hit, "Valley Girl." Those skeptical of his guitar work will most certainly find the included selections, "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace," "I'm the Slimeand," "Muffin Man" to be educational. Excellent for whetting the appetites of potential Zappa fanatics. --Andrew Boscardin

From the Label
Here's where to start your Zappa collection, if you're a Zappa neophyte. Although his recorded legacy numbers more than 50 albums, this is the first official Zappa retrospective since Verve released MOTHERMANIA in 1969.

STRICTLY COMMERCIAL features over 76 minutes of unforgettable music, including "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow," "Dancin' Fool," "Cosmik Debris," "Valley Girl," and "Peaches En Regalia." While Zappa is also respected as a serious composer of classical music, this compilation reveals the rock side of this complex artist, while showcasing his prodigious talents as an incisive satirist and virtuoso guitarist.

The package includes extensive liner notes by Dan Oullette, and an appreciation by Terry Gilliam.

Strictly Commercial,Frank Zappa,Rykodisc,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Strictly Commercial

Average customer rating:

"Strictly FROM Commercial" is the expression...
Don't you boys know any nice songs?
THE MUFFIN MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For Beginners Only
Great compilation of Zappa!

Strictly Commercial: The Best of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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Progressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Apostrophe (')
Sheik Yerbouti
Over-Nite Sensation
One Size Fits All
Freak Out!

ASIN: B0000009VS
Release Date: 1995-08-22

Tracks:

Peaches En Regalia
Don't Eat The Yellow Snow (Single Version)
Dancin' Fool
San Ber'dino
Dirty Love
My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama
Cosmik Debris
Trouble Every Day
Disco Boy
Fine Girl
Sexual Harassment In The Workplace
Let's Make The Water Turn Black
I'm The Slime
Joe's Garage (Single Version)
Tell Me You Love Me
Montana (Single Version)
Valley Girl
Be In My Video
Muffin Man

Amazon.com essential recording

Frank Zappa 101. As close as anyone has come to a definitive greatest hits set, Strictly Commercial manages to encapsulate much, if not most, of a career that deliberately defied any such attempts. This is the most accessible single collection of Zappa's music available, containing familiar ditties such as "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow," "Joe's Garage," and the radio hit, "Valley Girl." Those skeptical of his guitar work will most certainly find the included selections, "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace," "I'm the Slimeand," "Muffin Man" to be educational. Excellent for whetting the appetites of potential Zappa fanatics. --Andrew Boscardin

Customer Reviews:

"Strictly FROM Commercial" is the expression..........2007-07-03

...and the lyric. How lame to NOT get the expression right. Who edited this? Someone totally cluess, apparently.

Don't you boys know any nice songs?.......2006-12-31

This is a collection of the "best" of Frank Zappa. Or, more accurately, the most "commercial" music from a decidedly non-commercial performer. Zappa's only "real" hit was "Valley Girl", although "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" and "Dancin' Fool" managed to achieve moderate success. All of these songs could be classified as "novelty" songs, which would probably tend to be the most accesible type of music Zappa recorded. Almost all of the songs here have at least some humour to them, other than the instrumetals, naturally. Some may complain that this CD doesn't explore a wide enough range of Zappa's music, but it is a good introduction to his music for the uninitiated. I find it thoroughly enjoyable.

THE MUFFIN MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-11-14

frank Zappa could just be the greatest musician on the planet. this was the first Zappa cd I bought and trust me, worth every dollar.

Pros: Get a good diversity of Zappa's music; understand why everyone who listens to him loves him; great place to start if you haven't really heard any other Zappa music.

Cons:
2 of the songs are radio edits; they pick a couple of his pretty bad zappa songs (Be in my Video, Fine Girl); I wish they had some more of the European hits (bobby brown).

Even with the cons it is still worth getting. GO BUY IT!!!!!!!

For Beginners Only.......2006-09-09

I got this album for the single versions, but wasn't too impressed with the tracklist. It's Zappa, so it's cool.
Instead, i'd start with this, then freak out, then overnite sensation/apostrophe' if you can find it. and go from there you beginners, but i would NOT start with francesco zappa,hot rats, joe's garage or sleep dirt, or any of his more avant garde type material, start easier, kids.

Great compilation of Zappa!.......2006-07-20

If you don't know about Zappa, this is a great place to start. If you don't find something you like on this disk, give it up and get some pop, soft rock, boy band music or whatever. This doesn't go into his very bizzare jazz or ochestral stuff, but does give you a definite flavor to his maniacal genius musicianship. Also, don't get it if you are easily offended. I think he goes out of his way to try and offend everyone equally. Not your usual run of the mill radio... in fact Valley Girl is the only song I had ever heard before buying this, but now I'm on the hunt for more! An acquired taste to say the least.

Strictly Commercial: The Best of Frank Zappa (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD)

Average customer rating:

The Best Version of the Album That's Out There Today!

Strictly Commercial: The Best of Frank Zappa (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD)
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Rykodisc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Joe's Garage Act 2 & 3 (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD)
Joe's Garage Act 1 (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD)
Sheik Yerbouti (Limited Edition Japanese Mini LP Sleeve CD)
Zappa in New York

ASIN: B0009YA3TU
Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

Peaches en Regalia
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow [Single Version]
Dancin' Fool [12" Dance Mix]
San Ber'dino
Let's Make the Water Turn Black
Dirty Love
My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama
Cosmik Debris
Trouble Every Day
Disco Boy

Tracks:

Bobby Brown Goes Down
I'm the Slime
Joe's Garage [Single Version]
Fine Girl
Planet of the Baritone Women
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Tell Me You Love Me
Montana [Single Version]
Valley Girl
Be in My Video
Muffin Man

Album Description

Imported from Japan by Rykodisc.

Packaged in deluxe mini-album jacket sleeves, these 10 classic albums by rock legend FRANK ZAPPA are now available as limited edition Japanese Imports! These packages re-create the original vinyl packaging in miniaturized form!

Customer Reviews:

The Best Version of the Album That's Out There Today!.......2006-08-05

This Japanese mini-lp sleeve version of this best of compilation of Frank Zappa's best ever "commercial" hits is the one to get. The packaging is a work of art and the remastered sound quality of the 2 discs is extremely well done. I also have the older Rykodisc version and I can tell you that as good as the sound quality was for that version, this version is even better. We also get 2 tracks that are not on the Rykodisc version: "Bobby Brown Goes Down" and "Planet of the Baritone Women". All the lyrics are included in both English and Japanese on an insert as well as an interesting essay on Frank on another insert too.

The clown prince of rock guitar never fails to bring a smile to my face each time I put this album on and his pure comic genius is evident for all to hear. It takes a great talent to be so confident in his own ability to make a joke and laugh about it. Frank never seems to take himself and rock music in general too seriously but clearly seems to be having a lot of fun doing it. He reminds me of Mozart who although being a prodigious talent, still found the time to compose "Ein musikalicher Witz" or "A musical joke" where he attempts to play "poorly" to poke fun at provincial musicians and composers and yet, the "joke" is so well done, it's actually quite good.

Frank is so good that even his "jokes" rank very highly in terms of quality musicianship. Anyone looking for the best of the more accessible material that Frank has done over his career need look no further. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Slightly different track listing than American version

Strictly Commercial: The Best of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Video Arts
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006JLH4
Release Date: 2002-12-09

Tracks:

Peaches en Regalia
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow [Single Version]
Dancin' Fool [12" Dance Mix]
San Ber'dino
Let's Make the Water Turn Black
Dirty Love
My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama
Cosmik Debris
Trouble Every Day
Disco Boy

Tracks:

Bobby Brown Goes Down
I'm the Slime
Joe's Garage [Single Version]
Fine Girl
Planet of the Baritone Women
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Tell Me You Love Me
Montana [Single Version]
Valley Girl
Be in My Video
Muffin Man

Album Description

2002 Japanese (limited & numbered) reissue of 1995 compilation, packaged in a miniature gatefold LP sleeve. Ryko.

Album Details

Japanese version featuring a limited LP style slipcase cover.

Customer Reviews:

Slightly different track listing than American version.......2005-07-08

Anyone who knows Zappa - even a little - knows he isn't the most accessible artist, although perhaps one of the most versatile, brilliant, and worthwhile (for those willing to break through the initial inaccessibility to find the treasures that lie beyond).

Having said that, this is the album (and/or American version) to start with. I will not rehash, then, reviews of the American release of Strictly Commercial, I'll just comment on the subtle differences on this one, and how this one works as a whole.

This version has twenty-one songs as opposed to American version's nineteen. That's cool. The addition of two extra tracks is what makes this edition unique. "Planet of the Baritone Women," offers the late 80s Zappa era previously unincluded, even if the song itself isn't fantastic (but worthy). The Horn section and Ike Willis on vocals, how can you go wrong?

The other addition is "Bobby Brown Goes Down." From what I understand, this was a number one hit in Norway at one point. "Huh?" says I. The song itself is humorous and showed that Zappa was a witty lyricist, but from a musical standpoint, I would say it's just okay. Not bad, not sub-par, but okay.

An interesting phenomenon that occurred to me with the listening of the American version was the care that whoever took in arranging the song order. Even though the tracks, chronologically speaking, spanned two decades, each song segued smoothly into the next. For a "best of" collection, it really stood on its own as its own album, and I found that especially impressive.

All in all, fantastic album from one of the true brilliant (musical or otherwise) minds of the twentieth century. Behind the at times immature humor and at times static music was a profound machine doing only what it (he) knew how to do.