Frank Zappa: Apostrophe
By Richard C. Walls
FRANK ZAPPA
Apostrophe
(Discreet)
This is pretty much an extension of the Mother's Overnite Sensation which is a shame because Zappa's records used to be noticeably different (better) than the Mother's records as opposed to say Rod the Sod's records and what's-their-faces records. Just a bunch of songs here with the little Zappa arrangemental idiosyncracies that have become almost predictable by now. I love it. It's all in the words, which is why I used to hate folk music (strumming a few lame chords and telling these whole stories and calling it music for Chrissake). But everybody changes, practically. Everybody's gotten weird, most likely, and I like the music because of the lyrics.
You gotta hand it to the band, folks, they're really together, yessir. Accomplished musicians, no kidding. Just change the lyrics, tho, and cool the arrangements a taste in spots and these songs would sound right comfy coming from a group like the ill-fated Ginger Baker's ill-fated Airforce. Over-arranged ersatz blues (Airforce's ill-fated specialty).
What makes all the difference is that Zappa has been all through vegetables, really did a total job on what they are and what they imply, and now he's into animals, mostly dogs. This is very important and it isn't just wayward poetry. And it isn't Dada either for all you culture clutchers who might whip out some past phenomenon either to let us know that you know about such things or because you actually believe it (the latter are the good guys, just misled – the former are the bad guys trying to make it as snobs, lost causes). And Zappa is really a fantastic guitarist, often overlooked these days, with more musical taste (balance off feeling, execution, speed) in his little pick than Mahavishnu John has in his whole astral.
One warning : the total playing time here is only a little over a half hour, which in these days of modern times qualifies as a small rip-off.