Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 04/28/1998
Run Time: 49:51
Cheap Thrills is designed for the curious listener who has always wanted to explore
Frank Zappa but was intimidated by his overwhelming catalog. Of course, so is
Strictly Commercial, which contains all of
Zappa's most familiar songs, but
Cheap Thrills has the advantage of being cheap, plus giving an idea of the weird diversity of
Zappa's catalog, since it's filled with cult favorites, live tracks, smutty jokes, and assorted album tracks. It's not necessarily the most accessible introduction to
Zappa -- again, that would be
Strictly Commercial -- but it's more accessible than the average album while giving a sense of what the albums feel like. And you can't ask for much more than that from a budget-priced introduction.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide