gets 3 stars just for picking out such cool names for his kids

Wrong category. As noted by oscar, its hard to pin down where he belongs, but it certainly isn't in heavy metal.

Intriguing musician though. Not always to my taste, but there is no denying his talent.

Overrated. Not funny, and very crass.

There sure is some stinging irony to the enlistment of Zappa to this category, nevermind to any list on the "RATEITALL" site in general ( MOSTLY 'dumb' and emotionally driven opinions here from the 20yr and younger crowd ).  In any case, Zappa is terribly underrated these days and was a consummate a r t i s t (what's that these days?).  I have no problem calling him a genius.

A legend , very original, Has a very mean ass drummer, Terry Bozzio.

Some of THE funkiest, greatest musicians, at one time or another, played with Zappa during his "The Mothers of Invention" years. Chester Thompson ("Genesis")... The Fowler Brothers (Tom, Bruce, Walt)... Ruth Underwood... Ian Underwood... Sal Marquez... Jean-Luc Ponty....Plas Johnson... Roy Estrada...... Carol Kaye...... Jimmy Fielder.....Don Ellis... Don Preston..... Don "Sugarcane" Harris... Paul Humphrey.... Max Bennett... George Duke..... Wilton Felder.... Ernie Watts.... Aynsley Dunbar....Jeff Simmons... God, I'm just flooded with good, good, GOOD memories of all of Frank's combinations. He was such an artist!

Not really sure why Frank's on this list, though he did do some stuff that could perhaps fit into this genre, he was really all over the place stylistically, as well as in terms of quality. It's a big stretch to put him into this category

Start by Realizing categorizing Frank, is like saying light is bright, it is , but in so many shades, depths and shadows, that the definition is lacking any useful information. If you can listen to one Zappa album, and not be moved (either mesmerized, energized, or offended) by the sheer genious, originality, quality, and skill of this story telling true artist, then you have no appreciation of real art in bloom. He never was a sell out, and his sounds are lyrical, dramatic, awe inspiring, but never mundane or the formulated drivel most other "artists" are forced to produce to call themselves successful.

Don't forget to vote! Zappa was a composer, musician and entertainer of the first rank. I think he'd be pissed to be in this category. If he only knew... He's somewhere with his synclavier and his guitar, smoking a cigarette and drinking a cup of black coffee, thinking about his wife Gail and their smart, well adjusted children - who've done well no matter how psychotic America seems to get.

How can you really expect young people of today to understand Frank? Pearls before swine.

A genious musician. I admire his hard headed music style. He had everything to knock them all off their feet, and could have been the undisputed superstar. If he ever wanted to. One of the very best guitar players of all time also.

I don't get it. Sorry.

I'd like to start by thanking Kolby1973 for yet another Reviewer Comment that bravely tests the boundaries of worthlessness (I trust I'll receive another five-Kleenex Personal Message from you). With that said, Frank Zappa is unclassifiable. Not because he played one particular, hard-to-define style, but rather because there wasn't a single style he couldn't do. Rock, jazz, classical, funk, metal, bluegrass, etc. were all represented at one point or another during Zappa's career of 50+ studio albums. And don't fall for the fatal "jack of all trades, master of none" load of horseshit - not only could Zappa sufficiently play any style of music, but he often did it better than those artists who played them full time. Zappa was also one of the most accomplished artists to ever wield a six-string, constantly looking for new innovations and other means of making music that was as unconventional as possible. And Frank Zappa was not only a genius in the studio or on stage, but the man had a way with words which was initially evidenced by the biting social commentary of his lyrics, only to carry over into his bout against Tipper Gore over profanity in music.

Just look at his ridiculous son, Dweezil. Need I say more? Like Father, like son...lol. Get real.

Greatest musician of all time. A true genius.

One of the most underrated performers of alltime. Great music and a high influence.

Zappa is misplaced in this "Heavy Metal" category. Next to Tull he was perhaps one of the greatest Prog Rockers of all time, and in that category worthy of a five-star rating. But by Heavy Metal standards he was, well, shall we say "substandard." It's not a matter of Zappa being "terrible" as much as his misplacement within this respective category. It's that choice of placement that I give one star.

This guy is one of the originals. He is right up there with Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper in terms of creating a unique style.

Absolutely a genius as a composer and guitar player. Words are useless: just go and hear albums like Hot Rats (my favourite), Roxy & Elsewhere, Grand Wazoo, Zoot Allures and much more...

Totally underated. Great Artist.

In many years to come, when Music historians will dig up what's been done in the 20st Century, they'll come across names like The Beatles, Elvis and some others. But some curious ones among them, digging deeper, will find out about Frank Zappa and they'll be perplex. Why did this guy was so underrated by the Music Business that so little has been said about him in the current stream of that era ? They'll find out that it was the Music Business who was way way overrated. Then, we can expect a Zappa revival. Sadly, we'll be gone.

Genius.

So many sides to this man's genius. From composer, to businessman to Guitarist & social commentator. Frank Zappa was one of those people that only come along every 100 years or so. Incredibly special and original. His musical achievements alone make him one of the 20th centuries greatest human beings.

I still think it's funny that an instrumental album he had done was given an explicit content label. An INSTRUMENTAL! Which means there are no vocals at all.

Apparently very influential, but I can't get into it at all. I like all types of music, including a lot of experimental and inaccessable stuff, but this?!

He could - and did- write everything. From wacky doo wop tunes to blistering rock to satirical soul tunes to Symphonies performed by the London Symphonic Orchestra to .... anything possible.His output was unbelievable, so much stuff. A genius musician. One of the greatest composers/rock musicians of the last century. There is no doubt about that. Anyone who could name a tune 'I promise not to come in your mouth' is automatically going to interest me. Then to hear that its an instrumental jazz kind of piece. Unbelievable. Brilliant.

When friends who pride themselves in their musical acumen praise bands like Pavement for their trenchantly funny lyrics, I like to ask, "Sonny-Jim, have you ever listened to Frank Zappa? He's funnier, more trenchant, and his music even sounds like music!" Zappa was one of rock's most sophisticated composers, as well as one of its most outrageous provocateurs. He never sold out as he got older, as Pete Townshend and others did; he stayed sharp and pissed-off until his untimely death, one of his last public acts being his passionate stand against Tipper Gore and her music censorship initiative.

Most underrated, least understood of the premiere guitar gods. I mean, hell, he's mentioned in the first heavy metal song, "Smoke on the Water". A good man, and a funny man, who could work a guitar to pieces.

A pretty good storyteller but his music was totally wierd but I'm just trying to push down Creed as far as I can.

Pure genious! A man willing to try anything and not worried about what anyone thought.

an amazing american icon......(8)why does it hurt when i pee (8)

Frank was an amazing man. I saw him every time he came to town and always enjoyed the show. Whether he was in an instrumental mood or a talkative mood, the concerts were always great! He was a great guitarist and a wonderful lyrist.

Is it really just absolutely amazing or, in fact, more like something we should all really expect that Frank Zappa -- unparalelled by any "Rock 'N Roll Era" -- is and has always commonly been regarded as someone to be avoided and reviled? It's hardly possible for anyone to say anything derisive about Zappa that hasn't already been said? It remains the "conventional wisdom" that Zappa had an "over-extended career" that should have "ended after the first pre-1970 albums were released." Lyrically "grotesque" and "horrendously beyond Politically Incorrect", most who even know of him can only think of one or two short songs involving jokes about sex or toilet humour -- not a single thing else from a 30-year-plus career! This is yet one more horrendous indictment of the "sensibilities" of American "art culture" -- as if it actually needed one! Zappa's output may continue to dwindle and nearly perish further in the coming years but it will be rediscovered at some point in the future once all the current art-manufacturing apparata and their lackeys have themselves disappeared for all time.

Misunderstood brilliance. A wonderful irreverance. An almost disdain of the pop charts. His kids carry on his name in proud fashion. Zappa should never be forgotten!

Frank Zappa is truly one of Americas lost geniuses. If you have read any of my other rebiews i speak of them a bit. Much to my chagrin i found that he has one other review. What is this? Zappa is incredible. Possibly the weirdest musician of all time. He is also "the most disgusting man in the world." I really miss this great man.

A little before my time, but the songs I have heard are very original. That is something sorely missing today. When you have Ricky Martin getting high ratings for his "musicial" talent, then that tells you that rock has truly died.