I'll admit to not being familiar with a lot of Frank Zappa's output. If only we adults weren't limited by time and a multitude of distractions from exploring all the music we want to explore! I can't really compare Hot Rats to Frank's other albums. I'm posting my thoughts on JazzMusicArchives as this album compares to other Jazz Fusion music I've heard.
The longer songs here are a bit drawn out IMO. I think that comes with the Jazz Fusion territory. However, that's really the only issue I have with Hot Rats. The playing on the album is brilliant; we would expect no less from Frank and whoever he chooses to work with. My favorite songs come from the second half of the album, but everything here is enjoyable. As a whole, Hot Rats is a great release from one of the early pioneers of Jazz Rock Fusion.