The Hot Rats Book

I'm happy with the purchase.

I ordered this knowing what it was and with no illusions that it would be the definitive be all end all making of Hot Rats. The photos were great, the story was cool, the condition the book came in was terrible. It was thrown in a box and just bouncing around loosely inside. It was filthy inside and out with black marks and smudges all over. The pages were wavy like the book suffered moisture damage. And if that wasn’t enough the book itself (not the box, just the book) reeked of what smelled like motor oil. Seriously. There was no oily substance and the box itself was fine with no signs of moisture, oil, or any of the filth that was on the book. It really did look like a used book that was not taken care of. Go figure. Apparently others have had the same issue. So I returned it and I’ll be buying it somewhere where I can look at the actual copy I’m paying for before handing over my money. I suggest you do the same.

A great book based on truly unique experience during the Hot Rats recording sessionsRemarkable photosA must have for any Zappa fan

bellissime le foto inedite! da quando l'ho ricevuto lo sfoglio quasi tutti i giorni

I ordered this and the Hot Rats Sessions simultaneously back in October 2019. Sessions arrived in January - and, to be honest, it was a bit of a disappointment (6 CDs of bits and pieces - no high resolution, no alternative album (except the one we already have), no 5.1 mix - just a stupid board game. I presumed that this would be a detailed essay on the sessions, with a few interviews sprinkled in (with surviving musicians) - there was no information at the time of the promotion. What this is is a whole bunch of photos of Frank Zappa - lying around, buying coffee, playing instruments and an almost unreadable interview with the photographer. There is NO WAY that I would have bought this book in a shop or if I could have previewed it on Amazon. Buyer beware - the Zappa trust made a mess of the Hot Rats 50th anniversary products (and I love the original album, even the 1980s reissue).