Apostrophes (')
| Apostrophes (') | ||||
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| Studio album by Frank Zappa | ||||
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Publication |
April 22, 1974 |
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| Label (s) | DiscReet Records | |||
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Format (s) |
LP vinyl , CD |
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Title (number) |
7th |
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running time |
34:25 |
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Studio (s) |
Electric Lady Studios, NYC; Bolic, Inglewood and Paramount Studios, Hollywood |
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Apostrophe (') is a music album by Frank Zappa that was released on April 22, 1974 in both stereo and quadrofonie . An edited version of the introductory track Don't Eat the Yellow Snow was Zappa's first commercial single success, which made it to number 86 in the singles charts. The album reached number 10 on the Billboard charts and was awarded a gold record on March 7, 1976.
Continuing the commercial success of Over-Nite Sensation (1973), the album was a similar mix of short songs that showed Zappa's humor and musical arrangements. The lyrics are often bizarre or confused, with the exception of Uncle Remus , a continuation of Zappa's feelings about racial disharmony featured in his earlier play Trouble Every Day .
music
The first part of the album loosely follows a continuing theme. Don't Eat the Yellow Snow tells the singer's dream in which he sees himself as an Eskimo named Nanook. A fur hunter begins slaughtering a baby seal, and Nanook responds by rubbing this “yellow snow,” that is, snow that huskies have previously urinated on, in the eyes, blinding him. The fur hunter remembers an old Eskimo legend and travels to the parish of St. Alfonzo. At this point the album takes an unexpected turn and tells a wild tale of goblins petting each other and meat pies abused, with a brief musical interlude and raised orgasmic screams. With Cosmik Debris , the work refers to earlier albums like The Grand Wazoo and songs like Camarillo Brillo .
The title track is a jam session with Cream bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Jim Gordon .
Publications and reception
Allmusic awarded 4.5 stars out of 5. Robert Christgau gave the album a B-. Rolling Stone rated the album positively.
Track list
- All pieces by Frank Zappa, unless otherwise noted
Side one
- 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
Side two
- Excentrifugal Forz - 1:33
- Apostrophes' - 5:50 (Zappa, Jim Gordon , Jack Bruce )
- Uncle Remus - 2:44 (Zappa, George Duke )
- Stink-Foot - 6:33
Contributing musicians
- Frank Zappa - vocals , guitar , bass , bouzouki
- George Duke - keyboards , backing vocals
- Napoleon Murphy Brock - saxophone , backing vocals
- Ian Underwood - saxophone
- Sal Marquez - Trumpet
- Bruce Fowler - trombone
- Don Sugarcane Harris - violin
- Jean-Luc Ponty - violin
- Tony Duran - rhythm guitar on apostrophes
- Tom Fowler - bass
- Erroneous (Alex Dmochowski) - bass
- Jack Bruce - bass on apostrophes
- Ralph Humphrey - drums
- Aynsley Dunbar - drums
- Johnny Guerin - drums
- Jim Gordon - drums on apostrophes
- Ruth Underwood - percussion
- Ray Collins - backing vocals
- Kerry McNabb - backing vocals
- Sue Glover - backing vocals
- Debbie - vocals, backing vocals
- Lynn - vocals, backing vocals
- Robert "Frog" Camarena - vocals, background vocals
- Ruben Ladron de Guevara - vocals, background vocals
Chart placements
album
Billboard 200 (North America)
| year | Chart | position |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Pop album | 10 |
Singles
| song | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" | Pop singles | 86 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Chart positions and prices for apostrophes (') . Allmusic . Retrieved August 22, 2008.
- ↑ Allmusic assessment
- ↑ Assessment by Robert Christgau
- ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/frankzappa/albums/album/133117/review/6067994/apostrophe ( Memento from May 25, 2009 in the Internet Archive )