The Lost Episodes
| The Lost Episodes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Compilation album by Frank Zappa | ||||
| Released | February 27, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1958–1992 | |||
| Genre | Experimental rock, progressive rock, jazz fusion, hard rock | |||
| Length | 71:14 | |||
| Label | Rykodisc | |||
| Producer | Frank Zappa | |||
| Frank Zappa chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Guardian | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B+)[3] |
The Lost Episodes is a 1996 posthumous album by Frank Zappa which compiles (with the exception of "I Don't Want To Get Drafted") previously unreleased material. Much of the material covered dates from early in his career, and as early as 1958, into the mid-1970s. Zappa had been working on these tracks in the years before his death in 1993. This is Official Release #64.
Album content
The album is also notable for its five tracks which feature Captain Beefheart (known in early recordings by his birth name, Don Vliet, and later Don Van Vliet): "Lost in a Whirlpool", a blues parody from around 1958–59 in which Beefheart sings of being flushed down the toilet; "Tiger Roach", a rhythm and blues track from around three years later; "I'm a Band Leader" from 1969, a spoken word piece written by Zappa and read by Beefheart; "Alley Cat", a blues number in which Zappa plays guitar with two members of Beefheart's Magic Band, and "The Grand Wazoo", a spoken word piece recorded in 1969, to which Zappa added a Synclavier track in 1992 [1]. Dan Glaister, writing in The Guardian, judged the first to be "a passable Bessie Smith cover", adding, "while "Alley Cat" could be a missing track from Clear Spot."
Elsewhere on the disc are included a number of alternate, earlier versions of compositions which were later released on Zappa's studio albums. The Lost Episodes' version of "Any Way the Wind Blows", for instance, was recorded in Cucamonga in around 1963—three years before its appearance on Freak Out! (1966). And the version of "Fountain of Love" here was recorded around the same time, but not released until Cruising with Ruben & the Jets (1968). Several outtakes include the original versions of: Inca Roads and RDNZL, along with a version of Wino Man featuring Ricky Lancelotti on lead vocals. The final track is the original version of Sharleena from the aborted 2nd Hot Rats lp recordings in 1970; featuring Sugarcane Harris on lead vocal.
Track listing
All songs written, composed and arranged by Frank Zappa except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Blackouts" | 0:22 |
| 2. | "Lost in a Whirlpool" (Don Van Vliet, Zappa) | 2:46 |
| 3. | "Ronnie Sings?" | 1:05 |
| 4. | "Kenny's Booger Story" | 0:33 |
| 5. | "Ronnie's Booger Story" | 1:16 |
| 6. | "Mount St. Mary's Concert Excerpt" | 2:28 |
| 7. | "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance" | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Tiger Roach" (Van Vliet, Zappa) | 2:20 |
| 9. | "Run Home Slow Theme" | 1:25 |
| 10. | "Fountain of Love" (Zappa, Ray Collins) | 2:08 |
| 11. | "Run Home Cues, #2" | 0:28 |
| 12. | "Any Way the Wind Blows" | 2:14 |
| 13. | "Run Home Cues, #3" | 0:11 |
| 14. | "Charva" | 1:59 |
| 15. | "The Dick Kunc Story" | 0:46 |
| 16. | "Wedding Dress Song" (Trad., arr. Zappa) | 1:14 |
| 17. | "Handsome Cabin Boy" (Trad., arr. Zappa) | 1:21 |
| 18. | "Cops & Buns" | 2:36 |
| 19. | "The Big Squeeze" | 0:43 |
| 20. | "I'm a Band Leader" | 1:14 |
| 21. | "Alley Cat" (Van Vliet, Zappa) | 2:47 |
| 22. | "The Grand Wazoo" | 2:12 |
| 23. | "Wonderful Wino" (Zappa, Jeff Simmons) | 2:47 |
| 24. | "Kung Fu" | 1:06 |
| 25. | "RDNZL" | 3:49 |
| 26. | "Basement Music #1" | 3:46 |
| 27. | "Inca Roads" | 3:42 |
| 28. | "Lil' Clanton Shuffle" | 4:47 |
| 29. | "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted" | 3:24 |
| 30. | "Sharleena" | 11:54 |
Personnel
- Arthur Barrow – bass, bass guitar
- Max Bennett – bass, bass guitar
- Jimmy Carl Black – drums
- Dale Bozzio – vocals
- Terry Bozzio – vocals
- Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) – vocals
- Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
- Ray Collins – vocals
- George Duke – keyboards
- Aynsley Dunbar – drums
- Erroneous – bass, bass guitar
- Roy Estrada – bass, bass guitar
- Chuck Foster – trumpet
- Bruce Fowler – bass, trombone
- Tom Fowler – bass guitar
- John French – drums
- John Guerin – drums
- Don "Sugarcane" Harris – violin, vocals, electric violin
- Danny Helferin – piano
- Ralph Humphrey – drums
- Elliot Ingber – slide guitar
- Ricky Lancelotti – vocals
- Elwood Madeo, Jr. – guitar
- Sal Marquez – trumpet
- Tommy Mars – keyboards, vocals
- Jean-Luc Ponty – violin
- Don Preston – keyboards
- Tony Rodriguez – alto sax
- Chester Thompson – drums
- Art Tripp – marimba, background vocals, vibraphone
- Ian Underwood – percussion, keyboards, saxophone, woodwind, fender rhodes
- Ruth Underwood – percussion
- Ray White – vocals
- Kenny Williams – vocals
- Ronnie Williams – vocals
- Ronny Williams – vocals
- Ike Willis – vocals
- Terry Wimberly – piano
- Bobby Zappa – guitar, rhythm guitar
- Frank Zappa – synthesizer, guitar, percussion, piano, celeste, drums, bass guitar, kazoo, vocals, background vocals, synclavier
Production
- Paul Buff – engineer
- Spencer Chrislu – remixing
- Gabor Csupo – artwork
- Steven Jurgensmeyer – design
- Gary Kellgren – engineer
- Kerry McNabb – engineer
- Rip Rense – liner notes
- Bob Stone – engineer, remixing
- Hal Wilson – photography
- Frank Zappa – arranger, producer, engineer
