Frank Zappa Apostrophe' CD

Personnel: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, bass); Tony Duran (guitar); Sugar Cane Harris, Jean-Luc Ponty (violin); Ian Underwood (saxophone); Napoleon Murphy Brock (saxophone, background vocals); George Duke (keyboards); Jack Bruce, Erroneous, Tom Fowler (bass); Jim Gordon, Johnny Guerin, Ralph Humphrey, Aynsley Dunbar (drums); Ruth Underwood (percussion); Ray Collins, Kerry McNabb, Susie Glover, Debbie, Lynn, Ruben Ladron De Guevara, Robert "Frog" Camarena (background vocals).
Engineers include: Steve Desper, Terry Dunavan, Barry Keene.
All songs have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Frank Zappa; Ray Collins (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Lynn, Robert Camarena, Debbie, Kerry McNabb, Ruben Guevara, Sue Glover (vocals, background vocals); Tony Durant, Tony Duran (guitar); Napoleon Murphy Brock (saxophone, background vocals); Jack Bruce, Tom Fowler (bass instrument); John Guerin (drums); Susie Glover (background vocals); Don "Sugarcane" Harris (vocals, violin); George Duke (vocals, keyboards, background vocals); Ian Underwood (guitar, saxophone, keyboards, wind); Aynsley Dunbar (guitar, drums); Jean-Luc Ponty (violin, keyboards); Sal Marquez (trumpet); Bruce Fowler (trombone); Ruth Underwood (keyboards, percussion); Jim Gordon , Ralph Humphrey (drums).
Audio Remasterer: Bob Stone.
Audio Remixer: Kerry McNabb.
Recording information: Bolic, Inglewood; Electric Lady, N.Y.C; Electric Studios, New York, NY; Paramount, Hollywood, CA.
Editor: Frank Zappa.
Photographer: Mark Aalyson.
Unknown Contributor Role: Bob Ludwig.
Arranger: Frank Zappa.
The musically similar follow-up to the commercial breakthrough of Over-Nite Sensation, Apostrophe became Frank Zappa's second gold and only Top Ten album with the help of the "doggy wee-wee" jokes of "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow," Zappa's first chart single (a longer, edited version that used portions of other songs on the LP). The first half of the album is full of nonsensical shaggy-dog story songs that segue into one another without seeming to finish themselves first; their dirty jokes are generally more subtle and veiled than the more notorious cuts on Over-Nite Sensation. The second half contains the instrumental title cut, featuring Jack Bruce on bass; "Uncle Remus," an update of Zappa's critique of racial discord on "Trouble Every Day"; and a return to the album's earlier silliness in "Stink-Foot." Apostrophe has the narrative feel of a concept album, but aside from its willful absurdity, the concept is difficult to decipher; even so, that doesn't detract from its entertainment value. ~ Steve Huey
One of Frank Zappa's most commercially successful albums, APOSTROPHE is also among his goofiest. The album found its way to the semi-mainstream chiefly on the strength of "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow." As the title of that single indicates, the scatological humor and cheap jokes that are part of Zappa's stock in trade abound here (see also the self-explanatory "Stink-Foot"). Part of Zappa's genius, though, much like that of Gong's Daevid Allen, was to deflate his sophisticated instrumental excursions and conceptual work with lowbrow humor and downright silliness. Nowhere is that process more apparent than on APOSTROPHE.
The typically large band (including violin and horns) that accompanies Zappa here follows him through daunting twists and turns as tempos get turned around and counterpoint riffs bounce off each other at breakneck speed. In the midst of all this instrumental facility, Zappa's satirical side blazes forth, as on "Uncle Remus," which addresses racial strife, and the bluesy "Cosmik Debris," where he casts aspersions on the idea of gurus. APOSTROPHE finds Zappa at a peak: successfully mingling humor with harmonic exploration, yet succumbing to the excesses of neither.Q (8/95, pp.150-151) - 3 Stars - Good - "...More songs about Eskimos, religious deceit, poodles, pancakes and imaginary diseases."
Mojo (Publisher) (7/95, p.102) - "...After six tracks of intricate whimsy, the title piece bursts through, a blues rock 'tour de force' underpinned by Jack Bruce's slithering bass, showing that Zappa could effortlessly play the power trio card if he chose to..."