You Are What You Is
by Frank Zappa

You Are What You Is by Frank Zappa
Year: 1981
Overall rank: 6,600th   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 107 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1981 (116th)
Award Top albums of the 1980s (942nd)
Award Best albums of all time (6,600th)

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Frank Zappa You Are What You Is 2 Disc Vinyl 1981
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Frank Zappa You Are What You Is 8-Track Tape SEALED RARE
Condition: Brand New

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You Are What You Is Frank Zappa UK 12" vinyl picture disc record A111622 CBS EX
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Frank Zappa bestography

You Are What You Is is ranked 18th best out of 124 albums by Frank Zappa on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Frank Zappa is Hot Rats which is ranked number 234 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 6,756.

Frank Zappa album bestography « Higher ranked (5,601st)
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
This album (6,600th)
You Are What You Is
Lower ranked (7,800th) »
Apostrophe ' / Overnite Sensation

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

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You Are What You Is track list

  Track ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 77 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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You Are What You Is rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 6,600th | 1980s rank: 942nd | 1981 rank: 116th

You Are What You Is collection

You Are What You Is ratings

Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 107 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album.  | Show all 107 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
70/100
 
04/06/2026 05:49 Exist-en-ciel  Ratings distribution  11,41270/100
 
70/100
 
12/05/2025 14:30 Araldo  Ratings distribution  1,47280/100
 
60/100
 
08/30/2025 04:25 zags7000  Ratings distribution  20,46864/100
 
90/100
 
02/20/2025 06:47 al66  Ratings distribution  8581/100
 
75/100
 
04/19/2024 03:23 ScrumpyArbuckle  Ratings distribution  1,13178/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 14% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 74.3/100, a mean average of 72.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 74.5/100. The standard deviation for this album is 18.0.

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You Are What You Is favourites

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You Are What You Is comments

Showing all 3 comments |
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Rating:  
5/100
From 11/28/2020 13:20 | #261548
Truly awful
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 02/18/2018 09:39 | #208651
Knowing Zappa's strange sense of humour, I expected 'Teenage Wind' to be about gas, not freedom so was pleased to realise this! 'Harder than your Husband', mmm, this wasn't about what I thought it might be either...

A very varied album from the fun of 'Goblin Girl' to the instrumental work out of 'Sinister Footwear' which showcase some great guitar noodling. 'Beauty Knows no Pain' is a personal favourite, mainly for the vocals.

The albums which I mainly rate more highly are the Waka Jawaka type free form jazz offerings.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 06/19/2016 14:51 | #169155
My favourite of the 'latter'day Frank Zappa recordings. Some wonderful stuff on here, especially, harder than your husband, Doreen, and, Charlie's enormous mouth, all great. I've always loved this album, still do.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1981
1. Moving Pictures by Rush
2. Computerwelt by Kraftwerk
3. Discipline by King Crimson
4. Juju by Siouxsie And The Banshees
5. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts by Brian Eno & David Byrne
6. Time by Electric Light Orchestra
7. Faith by The Cure
8. Damaged by Black Flag
9. Dare by The Human League
10. Deceit by This Heat