Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') (1974)

Apostrophe (’) is an album by Frank Zappa, released on April 22, 1974 in both stereo and quadraphonic formats. An edited version of its lead off track, “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow”, was Zappa’s first chart single, reaching position 86. Apostrophe (’) was Zappa’s biggest commercial success, reaching number 10 on the Billboard charts and going gold on March 7th, 1976.
Continuing from the commercial breakthrough of Over-Nite Sensation (1973), this album is a similar mix of short songs showcasing Zappa’s humor and musical arrangements. The record’s lyrical themes are often bizarre or obscure, with the exception of “Uncle Remus” which is an extension of Zappa’s feelings on racial disharmony featured on his earlier song "Trouble Every Day".
The first half of the album loosely follows a continuing theme. “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” tells of a dream the singer had where he saw himself as an eskimo named Nanook. A fur trapper comes up from behind Nanook’s igloo and begins to assault a baby seal. Nanook responds by rubbing yellow snow (or rather, snow which had been urinated on by huskies) in his eyes, blinding him. The fur trapper remembers an ancient eskimo legend and travels to “the parish of St. Alfonzo”. At this point the album takes an unexpected turn and instead tells of rambunctious antics (“wheedled on the bingo cards in lieu of the latrine”) and follows with a scenario in which a leprechaun “stroked it”.
As the album reaches “Cosmik Debris”, there are several references to earlier albums and songs. The “dust of the Grand Wazoo” is mentioned, as well as “the toads of the short forest” (featured previously on 1970’s Weasels Ripped My Flesh and on Over-Nite Sensation, specifically “Camarillo Brillo”). The title track is an instrumental featuring Cream bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Jim Gordon.
Cream bassist Jack Bruce, who plays on the album, is credited with bass guitar on the album cover and in most sources. However, in his interview for Polish rock magazine “Tylko Rock” he stated that he had not played any bass guitar parts on Apostrophe (') (despite them sounding at times very much like the parts he played in Cream), only the cello parts: (Tylko Rock, Oct. 1992, pp. 17)
"WW: Can you tell me something about your cooperation with Frank Zappa?
JB: Sure, what do you wish to know? (laughs)
WW: You appeared on his Apostrophe album...
JB: Yes, as you know, at the time I was recording an album with Carla Bley, far more interesting one... you heard that?
WW: Yes, Escalator Over The Hill...
JB: Right. So Frank, whom I met earlier, appeared one day in the studio and asked me: "Can you take your cello and go to my session?" So I turned up in a NY studio with my cello, I'm listening to his music, pretty awful, and just don't know what to do with myself, and Frank says to me: "Listen, I would like you to play a sound, like this... whaaaaaang!!!" So I did what he asked me to do. Whaaaaaang!!! That was all. That was my input to Frank Zappa's most popular record! (laughs) "
Apostrophe (') and the preceding release Over-Nite Sensation, recorded with the same group of musicians, are the subject of a Classic Albums series documentary from Eagle Rock Entertainment, released on DVD May 1, 2007.

Personnel:
Frank Zappa – arranger, vocals, producer, editing, guitar, bass
Lynn – vocals, backing vocals
Kerry McNabb – backing vocals, engineer, remixing
Ian Underwood – saxophone
Ruth Underwood – percussion
Sal Marquez – trumpet
Sue Glover – backing vocals
Jim Gordon – drums
Aynsley Dunbar – drums
Tom Fowler – bass guitar
Napoleon Murphy Brock – saxophone, backing vocals
Robert “Frog” Camarena – vocals, backing vocals
Ruben Ladron de Guevara – vocals, backing vocals
Debbie – vocals, backing vocals
Tony Duran – rhythm guitar
Erroneous – bass guitar
Johnny Guerin – drums
Don “Sugarcane” Harris – violin
Ralph Humphrey – drums
Bob Ludwig – Technician
Jack Bruce – bass on “Apostrophe”
George Duke – keyboards, backing vocals
Bruce Fowler – trombone
Jean-Luc Ponty – violin
Cal Schenkel – artwork, graphic design

Songs:
“Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” – 2:07
“Nanook Rubs It” – 4:38
“St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast” – 1:50
“Father O’Blivion” – 2:18
“Cosmik Debris” – 4:14
“Excentrifugal Forz” – 1:33
“Apostrophe” – 5:50
“Uncle Remus” – 2:44
“Stink-Foot” – 6:33

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