APOSTROPHE (')

Well probably this is the best album by ZAPPA, among his most accessible ones, and naturally thanks to this work you start appreciating his music within his accessible moments of such "classic rock"... actually after being in the habit also with his usual bizarre moments, you can get an inkling of his grandeur!!. The track "... Yellow Snow" is at times stunning and ironical too; instead the song "St. Alfonzo" is a pure moment of madness and perhaps the most crazy episode of the album... besides "Nanook Rubs It" demonstrates that this ZAPPA's amazing master work on guitar should be awarded, being equal to the splendid closing section concerning the 1st half (represented by "Father O'Blivion"). The last track is good enough , even though to me the instrumental title track stands alone as one of the best moments during the whole remarkable career.

Moreover I like to make a special mention for "Cosmik Debris," a political and sociological satire against the unsuccessful achievements of the youth, within such hippie era, which was coming to an end; and therefore another "jewel" should be worth to be mentioned, that's the excellent piano intro within "Uncle Remus." ( without forgetting naturally some other amazing and spare breaks through), which makes this album another must-have...probably the unique defect is represented by the bad mixing (above all the bass guitar recorded too much loud) and a strange 'raw' approach in the arrangements by Zappa, reminding me of a few uneven performances of his early days, but it's a minor defect after all!

Final score: from three to four stars