"Guitar" is a double album that was released in 1988 by Frank Zappa, a renowned American musician. This album features solo guitar selections from his extensive live shows. It is the follow-up to his 1981 album "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar"; like that album, 'Guitar' showcases Zappa's impressive guitar improvisations.
The album's tracks are derived from performances between 1979 and 1984, with many first appearing on previous Zappa albums in an alternate form. Each of the tracks utilizes a band line-up that spans across different line-ups of the Zappa touring bands from different eras.
"Guitar" is an instrumental record except for the brief spoken-word pieces "Are You Like Me?" and "In-A-Gadda-Stravinsky". It covers various genres of music, showcasing Zappa's compositional skills and guitar prowess. The album did not chart on its initial release but was nominated for the Grammy award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1989.
"Couch Potato" appears as "Outside Now" on Joe's Garage, "Jim & Tammy's Upper Room" appears as "Jumbo Go Away" on You Are What You Is, "Variations On Sinister #3" and "Orrin Hatch On Skis" appear as "Sinister Footwear" on You Are What You Is. Zappa's son Dweezil along with co-guitarist Terry Bozzio, is credited with playing the opening riff of "Stevie's Spanking". "In-A-Gadda-Stravinsky" is a guitar solo from the end of "The Black Page #2".
Frank Zappa is known for his propensity for combining and juxtaposing different forms of music in his compositions. In "Guitar", he amply shows that propensity as well, by combining elements from different musical genres including rock, jazz, blues, and even classical music.
Also, the album cover features a photo of Zappa without a beard. This is rare because Zappa is almost always seen with a beard of some sort, making the album cover unique. Zappa's virtuosic guitar playing is the main feature of the album, but his humor and intelligence also shine through, making this album a significant part of his discography.
