IN the history of 20th century music, Frank Zappa stands alone.No other musician has done so much in such a short-time - in his 27-year career, he released 57 albums, with a further 18 released since his death 15 years ago. And the vault is far from empty.The amount of music the composer/guitarist/band leader put out is staggering in itself, but it's the breadth and quality of the material that is truly astounding as it spans rock `n' roll, avant garde, jazz, classical music, pop, doo-wop, psychedelic, rock-opera, prog rock and almost everything in between.How did one man achieve so much? Zappa would spend 16 hours a day in his studio - the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen - recording and focusing on his music.Contrary to popular belief, he didn't do drugs (caffeine and cigarettes were his only vices, he once said).Aside from creating some revolutionary music as a composer and producer, Zappa was also a staunch advocate of free speech. His ribald lyrics attracted the ire of many conservative groups and perhaps as a result of this, Zappa is the only musician to ever have a "Warning: Explicit Lyrics'' sticker placed on an instrumental album (Jazz From Hell, which won a Grammy).While all bands have their fans, Zappa-heads are true die-hards. That's why statues are erected in his honour in European towns he's never even visited, entire festivals are held in his honour, and there's even a Frank Zappa Day in America.There are so many great Zappa albums, but here's just five, as selected by five south-west musicians.Richard Tankard (Tank Dilemma, Richard Clapton)Roxy And Elsewhere (1974)HEARING Roxy And Elsewhere for the first time at college was mindblowing. Frenetic, but profoundly melodic, the crack band abounds with horns, keys and percussion, as well as Zappa's confronting guitar approach. Hilarious but lush, Roxy... served as the perfect antidote to the serious singer/songwriter boom of the day. A mix of heavily arranged and loosely jammed songs about pygmies, penguins, echidnas and monster movies, Zappa continued to create his own genre. He proved that humour - and overdubbing some of the poorly recorded parts - did belong in (live) music. Zappa had an amazing ability not only to satirise the musical flavour and production of the day, but execute it better. This album from Hollywood's famous Roxy Theatre is the most remarkable and unique live album I've heard and contains no previously recorded songs (except for Trouble Every Day). Zappa is an acquired taste but one that rewards in spades.Tim Conlan (Sky Rockats)One Size Fits All (1975)I'VE probably got about 40 Zappa albums and out of all of those I come back to One Size Fits All. The first thing that gets a lot of people into Zappa is the comedy aspect. But when you get into it (you realise) it's really bloody good music. His arrangements are incredible and the bands (he played with) were just monsters. I think it's the combination of the rhythm section that gets me - Chester Thompson on drums, Tom Fowler on bass and Ruth Underwood on percussion. Particularly on this album, the way they work together is phenomenal. Inca Roads - what a song. You listen to it and think that's a really good studio track, but the basic tracks were actually recorded live on TV, and the guitar solo came from a gig in Helsinki. Florentine Pogen is good too and Andy is another interesting one. (The album is) a good mid-`70s rock album and it's almost prog-rock, but a lot of prog-rock fans will tell you it's not. With Zappa, it's hard to know where to start, but I think One Size Fits All is a good starting point because it gives a fairly wide perspective of what he was doing in the `70s. Matt Neal (The 80 Aces)Sheik Yerbouti (1979)SHEIK Yerbouti is as accessible as Zappa gets, but it's still pretty out there. Lyrically, the album is hilarious, punningly clever title included, but with Zappa you come for the mirth and stay for the music, which rocks. Instrumental Rat Tomago is a favourite and it reminds you Zappa was an astonishing guitarist - something that's easily forgetten because his music has so much going on. In an alternative universe with a better sense of humour, tracks like disco send-up Dancing Fool and Jewish Princess would be massive hits. But they're just a couple of the cheeky delights on here - I Have Been In You, the rockin' Broken Hearts Are For Assholes, City Of Tiny Lites and the stunningly epic closer Yo Mama are highlights on an album filled with some of Zappa's strongest songs and most interesting knick-knacks.Dave Wilson (Fingerboard Road)You Are What You Is (1981)THERE are so many great Zappa albums but the one album I've played to death is You Are What You Is. Tracks like Dumb All Over, Goblin Girl and Harder Than Your Husband are great. It's a classic album. When it came out in the early, they were horrible times in America and the whole album really sticks it up the establishment. Heavenly Bank Account is very anti that televangelist thing, which had become so big in America at that time. I remember watching an interview where Zappa said sax can be ballsy and bass can be ballsy, but a guitar is the only instrument that can be blasphemous. And there's some really filthy blasphemous guitar solos on this. Zappa is the greatest composer of the 20th century - no one else even comes close.Paul Smith (ex-Talisen)Them Or Us (1984)I THINK Them Or Us was the first Zappa album I've ever heard. My mate Murray Adams got me into it when I was year eight or nine and I'd heard nothing like it before or since. It's pretty awesome. I love the band set-up on this - Chad Whackerman was Zappa's best drummer, or maybe Terry Bozzio. It's great fusion rock. It mixes jazz and rock and everything, except country, which is great because I hate country. I like Marqueson's Chicken but Sinister Footwear II is the best track on that. It's almost operatic. At the start it goes into this rock riff then it goes into a berserk lead break and then into weird floating time. I've tried counting through it but I can't do it.