In a new video shared today, Frank Zappa’s Vaultmeister Joe Travers meets two of the late artist’s fans to discuss Zappa’s landmark 1974 record Apostrophe (‘), which celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2024. Chatting with the Los Angeles couple Jim Rayor and Veronica Reyes, Travers learns how they connected with Zappa, and what they thought of Apostrophe (‘) when they first heard it.
During the segment, Rayor and Reyes discussed how they discovered Zappa, and their own relationship to his work—Rayor, who found Zappa through a guitarist friend in 1986, said Them Or Us was the album that got him “hooked.”
“He turns a phrase much differently than any of the other rock writers would,” Rayor said.
Reyes discovered Zappa on a road trip with Rayor before their marriage. They both recall appreciating Apostrophe (‘) for its unique blend of countless different genres: rock, jazz, funk and more.
“He was definitely interested in pushing the sonic barriers as always,” Travers agreed. “He was a pioneer of sound.”
Apostrophe (‘), one of Zappa’s most popular albums to date, was his first-ever Gold record. It peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 200, and charted a Hot 100 single, “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow.” To celebrate its 50th birthday, a super-deluxe, 75-track version of the record was released on September 14th. It featured bonus live material from seminal Colorado and Ohio shows, new mixes and unreleased demos of classics like “Uncle Remus,” and an included 52-page booklet celebrating the album.
“It just keeps you listening, and guessing,” Reyes shared of Apostrophe (‘). “I think most everyone has one particular style they like to listen to—this just blends it all together. I think it’s the album to introduce other people to.”
Order the deluxe edition of Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe (‘) now.