by Brian D. Holland.

The Frank Zappa - Apostrophe/Over-Nite Sensation Classic Album DVD, the latest release from the Eagle Vision Classic Album Series, is quite a chronicle for numerous reasons. It’s a genuinely descriptive presentation into the production of two of the most exemplary albums in the vast and insightful music catalog of Frank Zappa. His avant-garde approach to musicianship and composition, often described as ahead of its time and profoundly innovative, is captivatingly revealed in both a creative and entertaining manner, to the extent that ninety-eight minutes can possibly do anyway.

The Classic Album Series frequently has an air about it that spells flashback for diehard listeners of vintage and classic music. They’ve been able to bring some of the more treasured albums of the past back into our lives in a fresh and consummate manner. It’s quite interesting to be taken back in time and given a thorough account into how each song was recorded, how each master tape sounded in the studio when separated track by track, and to be given a description by those who were there of the circumstances that went into the production of some of the greatest albums ever recorded.

Offset by random performance, studio, and other pertinent footage, commentary takes place throughout the 50 minute main show chapters from fellow musicians, family, and fans. Sons Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa, wife Gail and daughter Moon, Billy Bob Thornton, George Duke, Ian and Ruth Underwood, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Warren Cuccurullo, Elliot Ingber, Alice Cooper, David Fricke of Rolling Stone, Steve Vai, Ralph Humphrey, producer Frank Filipetti, and others share interesting knowledge and facts in regards to the Zappa persona and musical mind. There’s even some interesting footage of son Dweezil performing his Zappa Plays Zappa stage show. He and Steve Vai get into some Zappa-ish guitar licks in amazing synchronicity, in tight and convincing emulation of the real thing. Featured cuts throughout are "Dinah-Moe Humm", "I’m The Slime", "Montana", "St. Alphonzo’s Pancake Breakfast", "Cosmik Debris", and "Stink-Foot".

An additional treat is the bonus section, 48 more minutes of live and studio footage of memorable material such as "Montana" (Truly amazing performance! Roxy 1973) and "I Am the Slime". Dweezil, the ever-capable Zappa protégé, and his band (Napoleon Murphy Brock on vocals) do a convincing cover of "Camarillo Brillo".

Fans of Frank Zappa, as well as those who knew him personally, more than realize that his compositional skills and recording techniques were anything but conventional. He thrived on originality and craved perfection in instrument sound and intonation. His taste for absurd, cynical, and witty lyricism mixed with technically proficient musicianship and arrangement was accepted as ingenious by some yet misunderstood by others. Categorizing his music can be a tedious task in itself, because even though Zappa’s material was a type of progressive rock, it went off in tangents far beyond the comprehension of most people’s imaginative capacity. These characteristics alone make this DVD the ideal subject for dissection and discussion. When it comes to recording, album production, and musicianship, Apostrophe and Over-Nite Sensation were two of the more revolutionary and creative recordings ever produced, especially in relation to the early '70s. Zappa was way ahead of his time, and he was an amazing guitarist and all-around musician. This DVD sheds light on these aspects, and puts the man, his music, and his vision into perspective for new fans as well as old.

Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (‘) / Over-Nite Sensation Classic Album DVD:

Main Chapters:

Introduction
The Band
The Style
The Process
The Man

Bonus Chapters:

Dirty Love: Dweezil Dishes the Dirt (Multi-tracks)
Montana: Live at the Roxy, 1973
Nanook Rubs It: Dweezil Deconstructs It (Multi-tracks)
Camarillo Brillo: Live - Zappa Plays Zappa 2006
Transduce That Marimba
Welcome To The Vault
Dinah-Moe Hum: Dweezil (Multi-tracks)
I’m The Slime: Saturday Night Live 1976

Discography and more features

Eagle Vision: released May 1, 2007

Links:
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe/Over-Nite Sensation DVD on Amazon