147. Rusty Anderson on Frank Zappa 'Hot Rats'

Rusty Anderson has played guitar on more hit records than I've had cold scotches, with everyone from The Bangles to Ricky Martin. He's probably best known for his over a dozen years as the lead guitarist on the road and in the studio for Sir Paul McCartney, since the Driving Rain album. He's somehow found the time to have an impressive solo career and form several bands, with his current outfit 'Rusty Anderson Afternoon' recently dropping their great new album 'RAA'. Rusty and I talk about Frank Zappa's 'Hot Rats' - why is it the Zappa album even non-Zappa fans love? What is Captain Beefheart's memorable cameo? How was the album at the forefront of musical innovation in the studio? Where does the music cross into jazz territory? Plus, Rusty talks about a missed connection with Mick Ronson, outlasting the Beatles, finding ways to innovate in rock'n'roll almost 50 years after Zappa and how Paul McCartney embarrassed him in front of one of his guitar idols - Black Sabbath's Tony Iomi.