The Lost Episodes is a 1996 posthumous album by Frank Zappa which compiles (with the exception of "I Don't Want to Get Drafted" and "Any Way the Wind Blows") 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.

The Lost Episodes
Cover art designed by Gábor Csupó
Compilation album by
ReleasedFebruary 27, 1996
Recorded1958–1992
GenreRock
Length71:14
LabelRykodisc
ProducerFrank Zappa
Frank Zappa chronology
Civilization Phaze III
(1994)
The Lost Episodes
(1996)
Läther
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Guardian [2]
Entertainment Weekly(B+)[3]

Album content

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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.

"The Big Squeeze" was recorded in 1967 for a Luden's cough drops television commercial.[4] Zappa's music was matched with animation by filmmaker Ed Seeman and the advertisement won a Clio Award for "Best Use of Sound".[5][6] The edit on this album lacks narration added by Seeman.

Some of the tracks had been previously released on the Mystery Disc, which was originally part of The Old Masters box set and was released on CD in 1998. "Run Home Slow" is heard in stereo on The Lost Episodes but in mono on Mystery Disc (and probably a different take). "Charva" is heard in mono on The Lost Episodes but in stereo on Mystery Disc. "Wedding Dress Song" and Handsome Cabin Boy" are the same versions as on Mystery Disc but on the latter album the two songs feature as one track.

Track listing

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All songs written, composed and arranged by Frank Zappa except where noted.

No.TitleLength
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

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Production

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  • Frank Zappa – arranger, producer, engineer
  • Paul Buff – engineer
  • Gary Kellgren – engineer
  • Kerry McNabb – engineer
  • Bob Stone – engineer, remixing
  • Spencer Chrislu – remixing
  • Gábor Csupó – artwork
  • Steven Jurgensmeyer – design
  • Hal Wilson – photography
  • Rip Rense – liner notes

References

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  1. ^ Unterberger, R. "Lost Episodes - Frank Zappa | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  2. ^ Glaister, D. "The Captain Beefheart Radar Station - The Lost Episodes". beefheart.com. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  3. ^ Woodard, Josef (8 March 1996). "The Lost Episodes Review | Music Reviews and News". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  4. ^ "Luden's Cough Drops Commercial". YouTube.
  5. ^ "Frank Zappa's Clio Award". June 30, 2015.
  6. ^ "Zappa's Luden's Cough Drops". YouTube.
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