ไม่สามารถเล่นวิดีโอนี้
ขออภัยในความไม่สะดวก
Apostrophe, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Frank Zappa｜Vinyl Monday
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ส.ค. 2024
- The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe.
Welcome (or welcome back) to Vinyl Monday! This is my weekly series where I give the who/what/when/where/why and how I feel about classic albums in my collection. Today we’re celebrating Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe, released 50 years ago this week. Subscribe for more Vinyl Monday and vintage fashion!
Keep in touch:
Instagram: @abigaildevoe / abigaildevoe
Tiktok: @abigaildevoe
My website: www.reallifela...
I voice the bumpers on this radio show!: www.mixcloud.com/jkhoman
Follow the Vinyl Monday playlist: open.spotify.c...
Timestamps:
intro - 0:00
Apostrophe - 1:27
track listing/release - 14:42
my thoughts - 18:24
thanks for watching! - 34:30
Music:
Intro Music: Yeah Yeah Yeah (Long) by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...) Artist: audionautix.com/
Outtro Music: Ticket To Nowhere Man by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...) Artist: audionautix.com/
#vinyl #vinylcommunity #frankzappa
![[UNCUT] เพื่อไทยดันอุ๊งอิ๊งนั่งนายกฯ หลังเศรษฐาถูกถอดถอน | คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ | 15 ส.ค. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SpprmDJ6QEE/mqdefault.jpg)
I FORGOT: aynsley dunbar was in jeff beck’s group. ANYWAY: what’s your favorite zappa song? comment below!
Yo Mama, for the solo.
But really, it's not truly possible to pick a favorite FZ song.
willie the pimp. disturbingly
There are many, but I have a soft spot for "Cheepnis" and I think "I Am The Slime" gets more timely with each passing year.
Watermelon in the easter hay, his best ever instrumental, still get goosebumps when i hear it! even after 40 years!
Peaches En Regalia 🍑🍑🍑
Abby going down her Zappa arc. In 6 months she'll be reviewing Joe's Garage and crying while listening to Watermelons in Easter Hay
I've been thinking the same thing (she's traversing her Zappa arc) and the Watermelon in Easter Hay guitar solo is so beautiful it has brought me to tears more than once.
Yes and freaking out over the toilet humour of Broken Hearts are for holes
Sure been there, man. 😂
Joe's Garage is one of the worst Zappa album, so vapid
@@Alix777.Right. And no mention of what album or song of his is good, so.............why are you here? You need some attention?
Once you go Zap, you never go back.
Zap! Zap! ⚡️✨️🎺💡
I can rattle off his lyrics without thinking.
@pjbrown4736 I'll be doin' double flips before the count of 3 all nite outside the soda shop bay bayyyy
The Fur Trapper, who was Strictly Commercial...
@@Vince_Tasciotti Had the unmitigated audacity to jump up from behind my igloo (peek-a-boo) just like I’m doing with you Vince, and you don’t even know it! That’s right!
"Is that a real poncho or is that a Sear's poncho?" Abigail, did I just see you turn into a Frank Girlie? Love it!
YES! Zappa!
First Coltrane, now this Frank release
Abby is growin' in a wonderful way in '24
SO proud!
Still waiting for a Spirit of Eden/Laughing Stock review...
personally i see as more variation: her taste has has always been exceptional.
@@smaz9 I don't think Talk Talk's a part of her collection (would be so sick if it eventually is though...)
@@smaz9Are you in my brain? Those were just on my turntable this weekend. Been in heavy rotation since they were released (yes, I'm an old)
@@progrockdude2691I think she will get there, to be honest. Her ears and listening brain have grown so much in the last couple years. It's been a joy to be along for the ride.
As a young teenager, "Apostrophe" and "Overnight Sensation" was a wave of wonderful weirdness
When was Apostrophe and Overnight Sensation a young teenager?
A few years before Bobby Brown
A few years before Bobby Brown
@@user-ud5qj7dj1q bobby brown was da bomb!
I enjoyed your enthusiastic review of Apostrophe. This was the first Zappa album I bought back in 1974 when I was 13. Previously I had taped off the radio the “Yellow Snow Suite” on a cheap mono cassette recorder and eventually wore out the tape. Time to get the real thing. Having heard a few bizarre stories about Zappa, I did not know what to expect. The record store owner who sold me the album gave me a cautious look and said “Kid, you don’t know what you are getting yourself into”. I was intrigued and a little scared. When I put the record on I listened to it in headphones as not to cause any possible controversy with my parents. To my delight the record was a wholesome outing of great music, musicianship and absurd humor. Made total sense to me. It changed my life. Zappa became the catalyst (a guiding light) for me becoming a full time uncompromising recording artist. That’s the kind of power this guy could have on people. I wish he was still around. At least he left us with tons of music that still sounds fresh to my ears. Great Googly Moogly! Music is the best!
The humour of Weird Al, the eccentricity of Aphex Twin, the technicality of Black Midi...
It's all thanks to Frank Zappa, his success allowed other musicians to be who they wanted to be, his influence on artist personality is not talked about enough, in my opinion. He showed that it's okay to be eccentric, and as someone with autism & ADHD, it resonates with me a lot. Zappa has taught me to be proud of who I am, and not be afraid of my quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Thank you so much Abby, for once again covering one of my heroes
I am a clone, I am not alone
Every fiber of My flesh and bone is identical to the others
Everything I say is in the same tone as my test tube brothers voice
There is no choice between us
If you had ever seen us, you'd rejoice in your uniqueness
And consider every weakness something special of your own
Being a clone I have no flaws to identify
Even this doggerel that pours from my pen
Has just been written by another 20 telepathic men
Oh, word for word, it says.
Oh for the wings of any bird, other than a battery hen.
That's the spirit of the age:
Hawkwind -
Spirit of The Age
Verse 2
Twelve words: "Now is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?" Zappa is a trip, and Apostrophe is one of his best!
Hahaha! I still use this as an allusion to crass corporate merchandising... my wife always looks at me sideways when I see something stupid on TV and say "is that a real poncho or a Sears poncho?" 😂😂😂😂
Mmm ,no foolin.
Mahavishnu Orchestra opened for Zappa on his Spring ‘73 tour where he featured Apostrophe.
Zappa was obviously very intimidated by McLaughlin, and played his ass off on guitar,
As well as coming up with a fresh improvisation for each of these gigs.
(I saw them dueling at the Spectrum in Philly. Just awesome.)
I have seen people discussing this tour. How fortunate and blessed were the people who who were able to attend one of those concerts.
I was at that concert too! RIP Spectrum.
@@artgentile5776 🧹⚰
And we have to thank Zappa for getting the Zeppelin mud shark story out into the world. Steve Vai learned the hard way never tell Zappa a secret cause he’ll write a song about it, Moon learned this too with Valley Girl
'Valley Girl' was Moon's idea in a bid to get more time with her father. So I doubt there were any regrets.
Stevies' spanking!
@@epobirsShe stated in an interview that she felt bad about mocking her classmates after it became a hit. But regardless, Frank would write about anything you told him. No secret was safe
That was on "Live at Fillmore East". I saw that in concert(not in NYC). As the others we laughed a lot and were floored by "Happy Together". Also a mention for "Bwana Dik", "My dik is a Harley, you kick it to start." In the 80's I was working in Tunisia and went to a nightclub with friends who were putting me up. The DJ put on Zappa's "Dirty Love" which all the local rich kids were dancing to. Obviously they didn't understand the lyrics. I just laughed inside.
That's The Vanilla Fudge, not Led Zeppelin:
"FZ: The origins of the Mud Shark are as follows . . .
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: There's a motel in Seattle, Washington, called the Edgewater Inn. The Edgewater Inn is built out on a pier, so that means that when you look out your window you don't see any dirt. It's a- got a bay or something out in your backyard.
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: And to make it even more interesting, in the lobby of the aforementioned motel there's a bait and tackle shop where the residents can go down and, whenever they want to, rent a fishing pole and some preserved minnows and schlep back up to their rooms, open the window, stick their little pole outside and within a few minutes actually catch a fish of some sort that they can bring into their motel room and do whatever they want with it, you know what I mean?
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: Now in this bay there's quite a variety of . . . fish!
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: Not only do they have mud sharks up there, they got little octopusses that you can catch.
Fish!
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: And all of these denizens of the deep can come in real handy.
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: Let's say you were a travelling rock & roll band called The Vanilla Fudge. Let's say one night you checked into the Edgewater Inn with an 8mm movie camera . . .
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: Enough money to rent a pole, and just to make it more interesting . . .
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: A succulent young lady!
Howard: Nooo!
FZ: With a taste for the bizarre . . .
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: My mind drifts back to a meeting, a chance meeting in the Chicago O'Hare Airport . . .
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: Where the members of The Vanilla Fudge told Don Preston about a home movie they made at the Edgewater Inn with a mud shark!
Mud Sh-sh-shark
FZ: And I'm gonna tell you, this dance, the Mud Shark, is sweeping the ocean!
Hey! Mud Sh-sh-shark
Mark: Ah, we're goin'! Go 'head! Ah, we're goin'! Now we're gonna go out, somehow! Come one!"
When he sings “I cant see”, it is so funny.
and then follows it up with “…temporarily”
This, “Overnite Sensation” and Beefheart’s “Trout Mask” were my gateway drugs, so to speak. Opened new, way-out frontiers of music to me that I’m still exploring twenty years after I heard those albums-as way-out as stuff by Basil Kirchin, Mr. Bungle, and my beloved Cardiacs. Zappa and Beefheart (along with George Clinton) taught me how to truly LISTEN to music, and compelled me to demand more from it.
One comment my late brother made shortly before he passed away was "You started liking Zappa - I've NEVER understood that" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I think that was part of his appeal.
I have everything I can get my hands on or afford. Jim
This is now my favorite episode of vinyl Monday. The wife and I are impressed with your progression since Freak Out ❤
Frank probably got "Great Googly Moogly" from Howlin Wolf's ~ Goin' Down Slow (1961), it was on his self titled album AKA "The Rocking Chair Album" (1962) that was very popular with blues lovers. It was originally called Going Down Slow, written by James Burke "St. Louis Jimmy" Oden, he recorded it in 1941. Great video as always Abby. Give The Rocking Chair Album a spin. Wolf was fierce.
One of my conceptual continuity moments was running over a lawn jockey with my van while cranking Joe's Garage Act 1. I did that.
Being one of the old man FZ fans, I think it's more likely he picked up the phrase from the 1956 Cadets record, Stranded In The Jungle.
Congrats on one year since Blind Faith, Abby! I think I speak for a lot of folks when I say that Vinyl Monday is one of the highlights of my week. Looking forward to what you have in store for the rest of the season! 😃
Yup. Same. I specifically take Mondays off work to watch/focus on the video and relisten to the featured album. 👍🏽
This is a wonderful, amusing, and very astute breakdown of Apostrophe. I chuckled throughout. Thanks.
Yes, obviously a lot of time and effort went into this review. Much appreciated! I was buying these albums when they came out (I'm 65). I saw Zappa about 7 times, Dweezil twice. Lifelong Zappa fan; nothing else quite like it.
I’m an old man fan of Zappa and appreciate your interest and insight in his music, and was surprised to learn that you know more than me about THE man and his MUSIC.
"Music is the only religion that delivers the goods." - Frank Zappa. 🎸🙏
Godspeed on your FZ journey, Agnostic Abby...
Arf! 🐩
Frank was great musician, but a Christ-hater. We'll see how well his music plays at the Judgement. I hope he got right with the Lord before he died.
You just dipped your toe into a big ocean. Frank’s album catalog is massive.
Zappa: No person, place, or thing was safe from the brilliance, absurdity, psycho analysis, or just plain satirical treatment from the man. God I miss him! We need Zappa!
I literally never know it’s Monday until a new Abbie drops
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
Am I the only one that gets obsessed with identifying lots of your albums , just from the edges in the rack? I cant help it. Some are so obvious.
As for the great Frank Zappa; well I have been an absolute fan of his since I first heard his music when I was a teenager. I do not love or even like a lot of his work, but I appreciate him very much as a composer, performer ,musical explorer & absolute genius, & oh yeah, he is my absolute favorite ever , by far, guitarist, ( along with Jimi Hendrix). I adore the tones he gets, his riffs, notes, progressions & solos. I believe, for my taste, the best , greatest guitar solos ever recorded or played live were played by Frank. I was lucky enough to witness my absolute favorite one live on the mesmerizing Joes Garage tour , in Maryland in 1982 ( was it?) .I traveled from Ireland for that & was 19 I was needless to say blown away & have never recovered from that gig.
He has had a huge influence on me as a musician. He has got to be the most prolific composer & recording artist ever. He , ( like myself) was absolutely & utterly lost in music. (caught in a trance) My favorite Zappa albums begin after this one, apart from 'Hot Rats' which I love very much. What a f ing huge pioneer. A hugely important & mostly misunderstood artist with a capital A. An artist's artist. A musician's musician.
Yes I've been a Zappa devotee since buyin' Freak Out in 1966, age 14. My favorite Zappa/Mothers album remains We're Only In It For The Money. (I'm sure Abigail will appreciate the spoken word cameo from one Eric Clapton). It is a master class in what possibilities lie in a studio atmosphere with a musical genius behind the controls...beyond anything previously imaginable.
This was so fun to watch Abigail, I love seeing younger generations discovering, appreciating and talking about Franks music. I grew up listening and seeing him live and have always called him "the greatest American composer of our time" thank you for helping keep this/his musical genre alive!! "Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible"
Just discovered your channel ! Very well done. Apostrophe was my first Frank album, along with Overnite Sensation.
I was 15, and it’s 50 years later..and I’d still if I could, go driving around with my buds from high school looking for houses with those horribly nifty little jockeys on the front lawn.
We found many. And ya know what we did? Yup, one of us would get out of the car, run up, and knock that sucker over. We called it jockey knocking.
In honor of FZ and George Duke . Thanks for your channel! I needed that. Liked and subbed. You betcha!
My first and one of my favorite Zappa albums. I now have over 30. I got to see him live in 1975. My second concert. Amazing show
Zappa is my all-time fave musician and helped get me through high school (and basically everything since), great to see the boy show up here again
The Zappaverse is something I've always wanted to dive into, but as someone who's currently on the outside looking in, this episode sounds like you've made up some sort of absurdist dialect. Love it.
An astounding output of elaborate inventiveness, glorious sound with superior musicians giving excellent performances, outrageous humor, and serious social satire--who else ever before, or ever will again, give us so much?
Once she gets into Just Another Band From L.A., Fillmore East 71, and Roxy & Elsewhere she's gonna be gut-busting laughing in tears with the humor! 😆🙌🏽
Billy the Mountain... Flo and Eddie are so good.
if she ever makes it to
Thing-Fish her reality tunnel will have been thoroughly rinsed
Oh Abby I love you. You hit this on the head. Your review of this album acknowledged every aspect of it that I love. I kept shaking my head in agreement to your descriptions and experiences. Now, my Apostrophe experience includes the Overnight Sensation music, it's all one thing to me. Your a gas Abby, keep it up.
Would I buy an album by this man? Hmm, yes, I would. And I have. All 120+ albums. Many in different formats and issues.
Frank's music was essentially ONE BIG WORK, so you've got to get all the puzzle pieces, haven't you?
@@SpaceCattttt My collection is 153 album in flac format, 78 cds, 55 vinyl, 12 dvd, 6 vhs and 1 on bluray.
It's hard to keep up and buy everything that keeps coming out, nowdays i buy everything digitally, the best albums is the ones zappa released before he passed away.
Possibly the most thorough, intelligent and entertaining review of any album, but especially so of a Frank Zappa album.... Color me a 'fanboy' of your channel, Abby..!
Ha brilliant stuff. You articulate your thoughts so so well. Apostrophe was my first Zappa experience way back in 1990 and the start of a still going journey :)
I remember, back in the day, there were television commercials promoting the album. Great video Abby! Your "What the f--- is a kilometer?" had me rolling!
Haha that had me rolling too
So great to see that a younger listener "gets" Frank. I saw him play a couple of times and formally met him in NYC at a nightclub I was working at where he was screening new video works in the mid - 80s. . Also happened to be in Prague several years ago and the National Orchestra was performing unheard works at the Opera House! I got a ticket day of and heard many of his compositions done by a live orchestra. You are so cute and honest about your opinions. Really refreshing because you are genuine or an excellent actress. I've only recently discovered your channel and love the fact that you are reviewing the albums of my youth...the medicine that got me through Junior High and High School. The same School that Iggy Pop and Bob Seger went to! Apostrophe is an amazing album and deserves the accolades you bestow upon it. Now that you've opened up the Zappa Universe Wormhole it's time to travel to "Shut up and Play yer Guitar" and later live recordings such as "Zappa in New York" , "London Symphony Orchestra Vol. 1" and "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 1". Your reviews are great fun to watch and your bubbly personality is contagious. Let's get married!
I've been following your stuff for about a year now. Saw all the Hendrix and Cream stuff, and others. But Lady, THIS time, you really f-in' NAILED it. It was an absolute blast listening to you go all frenzy about Apostrophe. Glad you enjoyed yourself. I enjoyed you enjoying it. Your energy and enthusiasm is infectious. Keep on doing! Thanks.
Favorite song? Impossible to say, but Hot Rats is my fave album; and the side from Just Another Band from LA beginning with Call Any Vegetable just plain rocks. Enjoy!
Can hardly wait for Uncle Meat!
City of tiny lights! Love that track! Many others great video Abi! Yes as a writer you have come on so much!
Well done, Abigail.
I had the good fortune to go to a Zappa concert when he was promoting this album. It was easily the best of several Zappa concerts I attended.
Super episode, Abigail. Fantastic job. Apostrophe, Overnight, and Roxy were the three albums that Zappa made stylistically alike, and never again. However, for a live record, I highly recommend "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life", CD/Digital only. His band was so sharp and talented, they could have built an atomic bomb with pipe cleaners and borax.
You need to do more vinyl on Zappa because his life's work is so extreme and unique he's a one of a kind musical genius
Another excellent review! Your astute observations and info bring new life to albums I've listen to for decades. Thanks!
Love it, my introduction to Frank and your writing is on point. 😤 Uncle Remus remains one of my favorite songs.
Loving the deep background research that goes into every vinyl Monday. That must take ages.
Thank you for your open mindedness. I'm a Zappa fan since 1973. I was lucky enough to see him twice perform live. I'll be the first to say, Zappa is an acquired taste for sure. As much as I love many of his albums, there are many I don't love.
As a composer, musician, audio mixer, editor, film maker, businessman and much more...I would definitely put him in the genius category.
My entry point to Frank's universe was Hot Rats (the track from Peaches en Regalia was transcribed in a guitar magazine) as well as Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe ('). From their I acquired many more. I have to recommend The Frank Zappa Book (if you haven't already read it...worth it for the transcription of his appearance during the censorship trials alone). My father's Steve Martin records introduced me to both absurdist and subversive humor which allowed me to greatly appreciate Zappa's contributions to the form. I always enjoyed Frank's use of sound effects for this album but I never counted how many times (27); now I know. Well done review Abby! Cheers!
I love the titles reference to Stanley Kubrick's Doctor Strangelove: or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Bought my first copy of Freak Out in 1966 as a 4th grader with apparently advanced music appreciation. Still loving all things Frank,including playing Joe’s Garage as break music during my band ‘s Saturday night show.
Excentrifugal Forz is literally my favorite Zappa song of all time, and I have pretty much everything that has been released. Apostrophe, Overnite Sensation, Sheik Yerbuti and Joe's Garage are my go-to Zappa albums.
…And Sleep Dirt, Hot Rats, Zoot Allures, ROXY!, etc etc
Brilliant deep dive analysis into a Zappa classic and its position in his conceptional continuity.
Old guy here - grew up with this and all other Zappa albums. I had no idea about the midnight sun reference. Very cool. Thank you.
I fell into Zappa's Universe in the late 80's. This was a very engaging essay and your research was impeccable. I'm going to check out your Freak Out video now. Great Job! There is a guitar piece called St. Etienne that is my favorite. I suggest folks check it out!
She's going to 'freak out' when she discovers the story behind the mud shark.
🤣😂😆🤣🤘🏽
Mud shh shh SHARK. 😃
Abby! You TOTALLY GET IT! I've loved this album a very long time. This video was great, I think you're great. Thank you for this one!
Great Abby! I love that you had a great time with it! It’s a kick ass little record. Go for Roxy and Elsewhere next. Same band but more fusion/Prog. You can do it! ❤️
And then watch it live in The Roxy Movie!... I attended the premiere in Hollywood... tremendous document of history and a drummers dream...
@@DWHarper62 The Roxy Movie is killer through and through!
I’ve been trying since like 10 years before you were born, and I still can’t learn to love Zappa. I acknowledge his influence and his technical brilliance. I admire his fight against censorship. Major props for supporting Beefheart and others. But Freak Out is as close as I can get to actually enjoying his music.
What about the two albums consisting of only his guitar solos - "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar" and "Guitar"? The man REALLY knew how to jam.
@@farrellmcnulty909 I’ve never heard them but I’ll give them a shot!
@@leamanc They're basically collections of solos excerpted from numbers he'd done over the years. You just have to sort of lose yourself in them - Best bet would be to see if your local library has the CDs and you'll get a good sampling of it that way.
“Sometimes I love America, wtf is a kilometer?” I think Frank would have appreciated that, I did. I saw Frank way back in 1979 at the Palladium in NYC, then saw Dweezil’s tribute about 10 years ago in California. Both were tremendous shows.
"BUT I GOT A KRISTL BOL!"🔮
thanks for doing your channel, Abigail! it’s fun!
"St. Alphonso Pancake Breakfast" got me hooked on this album. But It's no "Billy the Mountain", a criminally underrated Zappa + Mothers of Invention song.
I remember hearing “Billy the Mountain” for the first time, having just gotten into Zappa. Just following the story and wondering where this weird, hilarious epic would end up. And wondering what Eddie was kidding about at the end.
I love how that long drawn out story just ends up with a simple one sentence conclusion “a mountain is something you don’t want to fuck with”
Billy the mountain is pure genius .
@@tubaolayingidiot I had a musician friend who said that Zappa is an "Artist's Artist". Billy the Mountain is one of the best songs of the time. I grew up on Ren and Stimpy and Tim and Eric so I'm conditioned to the humor of the song and Zappa in general.
@@MarsNova Eddie was a mens clothing store owner who ran a ton of late night commercials in los angels, selling slacks exclusively at his clothing store up on sunset, in a break through fabric,I think it was Rayon, and as he touted the performance advantages of these miracle slacks, after every feature or rhetorical question he would say to the camera , with great enthusiasm , "Folks, I'm not kidding!". As if a lot of people running around in the counter culture back then were interested in buying his cheap slacks. But that didn't stop Eddie, he had racks and racks of pants filling his store when the camera panned.
you go! love hearing your spirit learn and mature. Frank was always an enigma wrapped in a burrito, in San Bern-dino...
Abigail! Weazels ripped our brains! Ain't no cure for the ZAPPA's world blues!
Loved this episode!! Frank was truly the master of the one liner. Back those lyrics with his superhuman sounds makes listening to this album seem like you're watching a series of memes created by some alien observing our absurd planet. Oh the humanity. lol
Great review, thank you. Apostrophe was getting a lot of plays on my turntable in the second half of the 70's, that and Hot Rats. The man was a genius. I was dj'ing my 3 hr jazz show in 1994 when news of his death came over the teletype (yep, even in '94 those still existed). I was devastated. The final 2 hrs of the show was anything and everything I could find by Frank, and nothing else. No one called to complain. Thanks for the enthusiastic endorsement of his brilliance.
As a possible failed artist myself I have to appreciate your use of art history through your videos. Also, idk if you’d be interested, but there’s gonna be a showing of Ferris in theaters in Long Island April 6 with Alan Ruck talking about the movie if that’s something you’d like!
You dear, are awesome! This was my first Zappa album (in 1974). I am a far better composer now because of Frank.
somebody out there in that audience knows what we are doing. and that person is getting off on it beyond his or her wildest comprehension. - "Frank Zappa"
That means I have to get a cigarette...
@@Royale_with_Cheeze th-cam.com/video/aixVSPQ8ixA/w-d-xo.html
Love the "How I learned to stop worrying" title. I saw Frank at a charming li'l venue in Louisville in the early '80's, and of course I'm familiar with "Yellow Snow." But Frank? He has always reminded me of Christian Rock, where one gets so caught up in a central element (he: complexity; they: the Christian message) that something gets left behind: music that can be enjoyed.
But the articulate and passionate nature of your reviews have already sent me scurrying back to an old favorite, Blind Faith, which repaid much enjoyment, so I think I'll let you talk me into scurrying forth into a visitation of Frank. I'll let you know how it turns out.
(You have such a shiny mind, I bet you'd be really fun to have discourse with....)
Well hello! The algorithm randomly served up your video, and now you've got a new subscriber. 🙂 Apostrophe was my first Zappa album, in a Rykodisc double edition with Overnite Sensation. Impressed by your very thoughtful and well researched review! (Certainly more thought than Christgau put into it! 😂)
A wonderfully thorough and creative review Abby! Enjoyed your discussion of the shift you’ve made from your Freak Out review. Keep up the great work on your channel!
Awesome and entertaining!! Zappa was one of a kind!
Ruth has long been my favorite FZ musician.
By Jove, Miss, Frank would be proud of you. That is praise indeed. From Antelope Valley, California, Sicilian ancestry, a non drinker, or drugs, might've smoked. Died from prostate trouble. Was a severe critic of Ronald Reagan. The album "Wiesels tear my flesh" is highly suggested.
Abigail! I really appreciate your in-depth research and reviews. Thanks to your insights, a fun part of growing "older" is to rediscover the music that shaped my life.
Great to see that Zappa's music still intrigues and inspires. More power to you!
Both my kids loved the Yellow Snow Suite and could sing all vocal parts. This was utilized every weekend on our 3 hour trip down the ocean. Imagine using Zappa as a bonding tool with kids today. Lol, I'd be canceled.
that’s incredible honestly! the kids probably loved singing about all that silly stuff (and you got to laugh at the grown-up jokes that flew over their heads!)
Do a review of Roger Waters Amused to death, equally good as dsotm! @@abigaildevoe
Great review! It is nice to see others dive deep into Zappa. So happy you enjoyed it.
Good morning your highness...
Abigail, your enthusiasm and insight into 'Apostrophe' are very contagious! I haven't listened to the whole album for many years, but I will soon.
My Zappa experience is a little different than many. I used to be a big fan of all Frank's stuff, but now I only want to hear his jazz albums and concerts. Mainly 'Hot Rats', 'Grand Wazoo', and 'Waka/Jawaka'. I can no longer listen to Frank's words over and over, year after year. Frank's jazz instrumentals, for me, never get old. Instead of albums, I listen to playlists of cherry-picked FZ instrumentals. "Music is the Best" (lyrics not so much).
'Grand Wazoo', and 'Waka/Jawaka' are both awesome albums! I also like "Revised Music for Guitar and Low-Budget Orchestra" and "RDNZL" from the Lather album (instrumentals).
Great explanation of the album! I've always thought what Frank was saying with, "The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe," is this: the crucial thing to understanding the world (the biscuit) is what is left out of what they tell you, represented by an apostrophe, which takes the place of letters left out of words. The album is full of stories the official channels would never tell you. In Father O'Blivion, there's even a reference to priestly pedophilia (the night before, behind the door, a leprechaun had stroked his thigh) 30 years before anyone was talking about it publicly. So yes, in a way it is about negative space, the holes in official narratives.
I'm sorry, but the lyrics are: "The night before, behind the door, a Leprechaun had stroked his smock. He was delighted as it stiffened, and ripped right through his sock!" Father Vivian O'Blivion was a priest of some kind, and so wore a priestly smock.
One more thing: Leprechauns are NOT children! They are wizened old men, most of whom were cobblers, or shoe makers, according to folklore. So the reference would more rightly point to priestly queerness, if anything.
Love seeing Abby review Zappa. Would love to see her do more Zappa such as “Over-Nite Sensations”, “Joe’s Garage” and many more.
Superb video, thank you. I chuckled & laughed out loud as you described the convoluted story. Frank didn't do or need hallucinogens, his head was there any way. His love of music & humour his mix of genre are masterful. & these early musicians play their parts with perfection.
This is my favorite of all your videos (this and Blind Faith) and the first one I saw of yours. I love Frank Zappa and you did such a fun breakdown of this album and Zappa's philosophy. Your videos are so educational and enjoyable to watch. Thank you for all your hard work!
We have the vinyl. Have not listened to it for at least 12 months. After listening to your review, can't wait to listen to Apostrophe again. Thanks for a descriptive review with your incredibly developing music vocabulary!
Will also always have the greatest respect for Zappa testifying against the PMRC.
i dont know how many times my friends and i uh...........engaged in a certain activity that frank zappa supposedly didnt and listened to this album when i was younger (2000-2010). awesome video!
Whoa,...I see how you articulately avoided being arrested [now] for smoking pot back in the '70's...phew,..that was close..
@@williamhinshaw6838 shashi? Japan four?
Abby, your review and commentary of Frank Zappa's Apostrophe album was absolutely brilliant, refreshing and even revealing...in that my long time favorite L.P was reborn with fresh new perspectives and views that was simply not commercial but super interesting....thanks and keep up the great work!
I have always said that Apostrophe was the "Zappa Starter Kit". I really liked your observations and am looking forward to more Zappa reviews. I would very much like your take on "Joe's Garage" because it is one big slab of a concept album. My second choice would be "Uncle Meat" which I consider to be a concept album as well but more geared towards musical compositions that follow a theme.
Ralph Humphrey was one of my teachers 💌RIP.💌 I love how you talk about him, thank you!🏩🤟
"Apostrophe" & "Over Night Sensation Two of the most cutting edge albums of the 70's not to mention two of the funniest and memorable albums. Then later came my favorite album Zoot Allures with the song "Black Napkin". Great decade of music from Frank.
Ship Arriving too Late, Teenage Prostitute, I Come from Nowhere, Wind up Working in a Gas Station, Teenage Wind!
I have every album Zappa released in his lifetime and most of what has come out since we lost him. Zappa proves that the true greats are always misunderstood in their lifetimes. The whole of his work is a tapestry, in his later albums you hear verbal and musical references to his earlier work. Frank Zappa was not only a genius guitarist and composer, but also a genius social satirist as well. You either get Frank Zappa or you don't. My path to Frank Zappy started in 1974 when I first heard Spike Jones. Jones was having fun with the music of the 1940s, the same year Jim Stafford released his witty songs that gave country music a sense of humor. In 1975 SNL began and parodies and satire of everything was on TV. 1978 Devo releases their first album and I get what their up to, De-Evolution simply put means people are not getting any smarter. In 1979 Sheik Yerbouti comes out and it's my first Zappa purchase. Disco was the latest trend and Zappa saw right through it. With Sheik Yerbouti Zappa took a smart @** swipe at not only disco music but the culture surrounding it. Thank You Frank, somebody had to do it, and you were the right guy for the job.
This is one of the best album reviews I've ever heard. Very skillfully produced.
Hi. Child of two Zappa fans here. Thank you for this video.
from a brand-new zappa fan: thank you, glad i could do justice to this work by a generational fan
Hey Abigail! I've only recently discovered you on TH-cam, like maybe a month or two. I've been thoroughly enjoying your content. Today, when I saw you were going to review Apostrophe' I was instantly worried ... I did watch your FreakOut! episode which you did a great job on ... but Apostrophe' is a whole other thing. I am a 69 year old lover of Zappa. Got my copy of FreakOut at Moe's used records in Berkeley, Ca. in 1967. Still have it today! OK, so ... I am SO relieved! You did a fantastic job reviewing one of Frank's most compelling works, Congrats. You asked what happened to everyone in the yellow snow suite. I have heard others ask this question. There is one answer for you in the lyric "I can't see! ... dum dum de dum ... I can't see! ... dum dum de dum ... oh woe is me! The doggy wee wee has blinded me and I can't see, temporarily! So the fur trappers blindness was not permanent! The other important questions remain a mystery, like did the seal survive!! We will never know unless Dweezil can tell us!
Keep up the good work!
P.S. Review Joe's Garage but steel yourself, there are sexist and misogynistic sections that make the naked girl on Blind Faith (which I also have!) seem tame by comparison. lol
Outstanding review. I especially enjoyed your bringing in concepts from the visual art world which turned out to be extremely pertinent--I wouldn't have expected that. Well done, beautiful work!
This came up as a recommended video. I'm fucking glad it did. One of my favorite albums and your review was awesome.
You're smart as hell!
Thanks Abby! This has been one of my favorites for years.