Frank Zappa, The Mothers – Uncle Meat (2xLP)

Frank Zappa's "Uncle Meat" was one of the most extraordinary records released in the 1960s. Although "Uncle Meat" is easy to listen to, it takes several listens to understand it and process its irreducible complexity.

Unlike "Freak Out!" and "We're Only In It For The Money", "Uncle Meat" was never capable of troubling even the fringes of the mainstream, and its experimentation meant that for decades it was difficult to assess its significance in any particular context. Musically, however, it was to define an entire genre that emerged in the UK and Europe in the early 70s - that of art rock groups such as Henry Cow, The Art Bears and Universe Zero, the 'rock in opposition' movement of the late 70s and the aesthetic home of these bands, the Recommended label. Zappa's album is one of several in his artistic output that can truly be described as a genre in its own right, and it still sounds completely unique 44 years later.