Apostrophe, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Frank Zappa｜Vinyl Monday

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
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My website: www.reallifelayla.com
I voice the bumpers on this radio show!: www.mixcloud.com/jkhoman
Follow the Vinyl Monday playlist: open.spotify.com/playlist/27N...
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 (creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: audionautix.com/
Outtro Music: Ticket To Nowhere Man by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: audionautix.com/
#vinyl #vinylcommunity #frankzappa

[@abigaildevoe]

I FORGOT: aynsley dunbar was in jeff beck’s group. ANYWAY: what’s your favorite zappa song? comment below!

[@c11p]

Yo Mama, for the solo. But really, it's not truly possible to pick a favorite FZ song.

[@alanclayton9277]

willie the pimp. disturbingly

[@creeder44]

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.

[@SuperNapalm666]

Watermelon in the easter hay, his best ever instrumental, still get goosebumps when i hear it! even after 40 years!

[@DoctorInsomnia-qw7us]

Peaches En Regalia 🍑🍑🍑

[@borrisyuslav4306]

Once you go Zap, you never go back.

[@Liminal-Escalator]

Zap! Zap! ⚡️✨️🎺💡

[@pjbrown4736]

I can rattle off his lyrics without thinking.

[@flannigan7956]

​@pjbrown4736 I'll be doin' double flips before the count of 3 all nite outside the soda shop bay bayyyy

[@Vince_Tasciotti]

The Fur Trapper, who was Strictly Commercial...

[@borrisyuslav4306]

@@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!

[@josemaria8177]

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

[@yztrewq]

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.

[@EddieRIffau]

Yes and freaking out over the toilet humour of Broken Hearts are for holes

[@Unhacker]

Sure been there, man. 😂

[@Alix777.]

Joe's Garage is one of the worst Zappa album, so vapid

[@yztrewq]

@@Alix777.Right. And no mention of what album or song of his is good, so.............why are you here? You need some attention?

[@brianbowie2551]

When he sings “I cant see”, it is so funny.

[@abigaildevoe]

and then follows it up with “…temporarily”

[@williamberger2178]

"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!

[@dlwseattle]

As a young teenager, "Apostrophe" and "Overnight Sensation" was a wave of wonderful weirdness

[@99tonnes]

When was Apostrophe and Overnight Sensation a young teenager?

[@user-ud5qj7dj1q]

A few years before Bobby Brown

[@user-ud5qj7dj1q]

A few years before Bobby Brown

[@dlwseattle]

@@user-ud5qj7dj1q bobby brown was da bomb!

[@dennisp.9085]

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!

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

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?" 😂😂😂😂

[@cjod33]

Mmm ,no foolin.

[@farrellmcnulty909]

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.

[@bert0522]

I have everything I can get my hands on or afford. Jim

[@daledavidson8242]

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.)

[@scottmcgregor4829]

I have seen people discussing this tour. How fortunate and blessed were the people who who were able to attend one of those concerts.

[@artgentile5776]

I was at that concert too! RIP Spectrum.

[@daledavidson8242]

@@artgentile5776 🧹⚰

[@konowd]

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

[@epobirs]

'Valley Girl' was Moon's idea in a bid to get more time with her father. So I doubt there were any regrets.

[@keithcarpenter5254]

Stevies' spanking!

[@BreezyandtheBlazers-vd3xw]

@@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

[@nedludd7622]

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.

[@c11p]

YES! Zappa! First Coltrane, now this Frank release Abby is growin' in a wonderful way in '24 SO proud!

[@smaz9]

Still waiting for a Spirit of Eden/Laughing Stock review...

[@alanclayton9277]

personally i see as more variation: her taste has has always been exceptional.

[@progrockdude2691]

@@smaz9 I don't think Talk Talk's a part of her collection (would be so sick if it eventually is though...)

[@c11p]

​@@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)

[@c11p]

​@@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.

[@tommathews3964]

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!

[@johntabacco]

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!

[@MarsNova]

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.

[@mowglivapes7887]

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.

[@TomNY]

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.

[@ApocalypseCartoons]

She's going to 'freak out' when she discovers the story behind the mud shark.

[@sugadelicsavagesoul8623]

🤣😂😆🤣🤘🏽

[@bigdunc1313]

Mud shh shh SHARK. 😃

[@Mrvictorfernandes]

"Music is the only religion that delivers the goods." - Frank Zappa. 🎸🙏 Godspeed on your FZ journey, Agnostic Abby... Arf! 🐩

[@axelazaryan]

"BUT I GOT A KRISTL BOL!"🔮

[@smaz9]

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

[@Chicago_Podcast_Authority]

This is now my favorite episode of vinyl Monday. The wife and I are impressed with your progression since Freak Out ❤

[@michaelnoonang9207]

I literally never know it’s Monday until a new Abbie drops

[@johncollier9280]

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.

[@tomthornton4672]

Can hardly wait for Uncle Meat!

[@drewburns4745]

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! 😃

[@sugadelicsavagesoul8623]

Yup. Same. I specifically take Mondays off work to watch/focus on the video and relisten to the featured album. 👍🏽

[@sugadelicsavagesoul8623]

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! 😆🙌🏽

[@BIZARBIES]

Billy the Mountain... Flo and Eddie are so good.

[@lw1zfog]

if she ever makes it to Thing-Fish her reality tunnel will have been thoroughly rinsed

[@ganazby]

This is a wonderful, amusing, and very astute breakdown of Apostrophe. I chuckled throughout. Thanks.

[@todd8155]

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.

[@stevewik2280]

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.

[@user-ud5qj7dj1q]

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.

[@NoahPasternak]

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

[@nordland2235]

Good morning your highness...

[@Kafka_Beatle]

I love the titles reference to Stanley Kubrick's Doctor Strangelove: or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

[@user-jt5ot4hy9q]

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?

[@emeraldphoenix9229]

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.

[@SpaceCattttt]

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?

[@Patrick_Roach]

You're smart as hell!

[@moogie242x]

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

[@absolutelypositively]

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!

[@fathommusicnz]

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.

[@garyhernandezediting]

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"

[@AliceistheGoon]

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!

[@kenjohnston1257]

Haha that had me rolling too

[@chordchaser]

“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.

[@psul42]

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!

[@dsgp7835]

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.

[@nickcerase1646]

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 :)

[@howardhudome3040]

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

[@ThomasTingstrup]

Apostrophe isn't my favourite Zappa album. But your review is the best and most humorous Zappa review I've ever heard/seen/read..... very refreshing with all your humour and self irony... it really adds something special to your knowledge and - very Zappa'sk.

[@leamanc]

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.

[@farrellmcnulty909]

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.

[@leamanc]

@@farrellmcnulty909 I’ve never heard them but I’ll give them a shot!

[@farrellmcnulty909]

@@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.

[@ChuckSchickx]

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.

[@HannahGuitars]

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.

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

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"

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

That means I have to get a cigarette...

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

@@Royale_with_Cheeze kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5rbh4aGhp2crqM

[@zmix]

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..!

[@jamescorvus6709]

"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.

[@MarsNova]

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.

[@gumbilicious1]

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”

[@tubaolayingidiot]

Billy the mountain is pure genius .

[@jamescorvus6709]

@@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.

[@richardelliott8352]

@@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.

[@saveourrivers]

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.

[@chazblitz]

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.

[@abigaildevoe]

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!)

[@slow71971]

Do a review of Roger Waters Amused to death, equally good as dsotm! @@abigaildevoe

[@DaveKraft1]

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!

[@Sckott01]

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.

[@konowd]

Will also always have the greatest respect for Zappa testifying against the PMRC.

[@jpranguinranguin]

Abigail! Weazels ripped our brains! Ain't no cure for the ZAPPA's world blues!

[@bobvanvoorhis1542]

Ruth has long been my favorite FZ musician.

[@usquebaugh1]

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!

[@Hr33Bryan]

Love it, my introduction to Frank and your writing is on point. 😤 Uncle Remus remains one of my favorite songs.

[@smirkingguru]

"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.

[@todd8155]

Ship Arriving too Late, Teenage Prostitute, I Come from Nowhere, Wind up Working in a Gas Station, Teenage Wind!

[@SeanHH1986]

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!

[@williamhinshaw6838]

Whoa,...I see how you articulately avoided being arrested [now] for smoking pot back in the '70's...phew,..that was close..

[@SeanHH1986]

@@williamhinshaw6838 shashi? Japan four?

[@ianemery4355]

City of tiny lights! Love that track! Many others great video Abi! Yes as a writer you have come on so much!

[@brandypuds]

Brilliant deep dive analysis into a Zappa classic and its position in his conceptional continuity.

[@BlueSky...]

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

[@BenJoSon]

Not everyone notices right away that Fido’s profound words, “the crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe,” are answered with a string of apostrophes … “It doesn’t, and you can’t, I won’t, and it don’t, it hasn’t, it isn’t, it even ain’t … etc…” Did you catch that? It hit me only after a few weeks of listening to the album almost daily.

[@toneslotohnz4540]

Another excellent review! Your astute observations and info bring new life to albums I've listen to for decades. Thanks!

[@RalphSpoiledsport]

This is one of the best album reviews I've ever heard. Very skillfully produced.

[@jayburdification]

You will eventually thoroughly enjoy Freak Out. It took me decades to truly appreciate and enjoy it. Now I enjoy it thoroughly with foil.

[@johnhricko8212]

you go! love hearing your spirit learn and mature. Frank was always an enigma wrapped in a burrito, in San Bern-dino...

[@lightspeed845]

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!

[@paulboudreau3754]

The beginning of the song Apostrophe has been my ringtone for years.

[@Norshammar72]

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! ❤️

[@DWHarper62]

And then watch it live in The Roxy Movie!... I attended the premiere in Hollywood... tremendous document of history and a drummers dream...

[@Norshammar72]

@@DWHarper62 The Roxy Movie is killer through and through!

[@Launerfilms]

You dear, are awesome! This was my first Zappa album (in 1974). I am a far better composer now because of Frank.

[@dhaosandy]

Give Just Another Band From LA a listen, that;s where I started with Zappa.

[@spacemissing]

I am utterly captivated --- by Abby. Fun? Absolutely.

[@pjbrown4736]

Hi. Child of two Zappa fans here. Thank you for this video.

[@abigaildevoe]

from a brand-new zappa fan: thank you, glad i could do justice to this work by a generational fan

[@Vince_Tasciotti]

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.

[@vanceg18]

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.

[@HareDeLune]

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.

[@michaelshiflett4835]

Thanks Abby! This has been one of my favorites for years.

[@briank8136]

I have been a F.Z. fan since this album came out. A local fm station would play it late at night. D.E.T.Y.S. was the first song I heard and loved it . I soon bought the record and as time went by I bought every piece of music that Frank put out. I like a lot of music but Frank is my number one. You have a treasure trove of his music to discover and I know you will be blown away by much of what you will be hearing . Enjoy the gifts Frank left behind for all of us. Signed, Old codger , Peace.

[@Austin-31557]

Love seeing Abby review Zappa. Would love to see her do more Zappa such as “Over-Nite Sensations”, “Joe’s Garage” and many more.

[@demonsbutterfly]

“A week went by and now it’s July…”

[@HareDeLune]

"I finally got it off and my girlfriend cried "You got STINKFOOT! Stinkfoot, darlin'!"

[@demonsbutterfly]

@@HareDeLune”Here Fido, bring me the slippers little puppy…”

[@HareDeLune]

@@demonsbutterfly "Arf, arf, arf!"

[@gregmatysik3985]

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!

[@charlieanderson8497]

Great show Abby !!!

[@bobwagner109]

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!

[@ossiejon-nwakalo8644]

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!

[@jmfloyd23]

Awesome and entertaining!! Zappa was one of a kind!

[@joezap3385]

Well done video! I appreciate the amount of work and research you put into it! I became a Zappa fan a few years ago and have gone down the ever deeping rabbit hole. Joe's Garage got me started and apostrophe was beside it. Every album I've listened to has been full of surprises and the range of genre is awe inspiring. I am glad you are a fan too!

[@propellerkuh3230]

thanks for doing your channel, Abigail! it’s fun!

[@Angus_T]

I am speechless! Thank you for an amazing video.

[@anconiasplace]

Really impressed with the content and presentation - great video editing!!

[@peacetrain3320]

Great work, girl!

[@ImnotgoingSideways]

Lovelovelovelovelove Zappa!!!! This is an album I can't just pick one song from. Once I put the needle on the record, don't bother me for the next half hour. I'm listening to greatness. (-_-) And I love how the title song is flipped on its head. With the bass on fuzz and guitar with treble totally chopped off the top.

[@keijosandvik6836]

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!

[@robertbrown6874]

What a great and honest, intelligent review!!

[@michaelpdawson]

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!

[@DonaldGibson-dy4wv]

I got see him live in 1975. All these people ran up to the stage. He asked them to sit down, and let the prople in the back see the show. He played jazz, and scat sang the entire show. The last song he played that night was: The Idiot Bastard Son. Our high school jazz fussion band played Dirty Love, and Moving to Montana. Our guitarist was a jazz snob.

[@sjb454]

Great review! It is nice to see others dive deep into Zappa. So happy you enjoyed it.