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Rating:
In a few years, the posthumous discography of Frank Zappa will be even more extensive than the already mammoth original discography, considering the pace of two to three unpublished releases per year, overseen by the Zappa family who throws anything from the extensive archives of the mustached one to the zealous Zappa fans, be it debatable rarities, live albums (for the most part), or even genuine "unpublished" releases. Many things, according to Frank, would probably have remained collecting dust, but such is the case: the scientific exploitation of a myth is a lucrative common practice.
This "The Lost Episodes" is the second posthumous release by Zappa, dated 1996, but was curated by him himself in '92, just a year before his passing. This compilation is a true nostalgic operation, covering the entire span of his career, starting from a Mesolithic 1958 (!) to the end of '92, with a preference for the first part of his career. Nostalgia can be inferred from the detailed autobiographical description of the various songs, "explained" in the extensive booklet of the CD, which prove to be at least necessary to understand the numerous outtakes and spoken parts present on the disc, which assume more of a "historical" value rather than strictly musical. Examples of this are the very first collaborations with Captain Beefheart such as the odd blues parody "Lost In Whirlpool" (with the usual irreverent lyrics... but in 1958!), Beefheart's vocal delirium in "Ronnie sings", "Tiger Roach", "The Big Squeeze" (definitely for hardcore fans), or even the spoken parts of "Kenny's Booger Story" and "I'm a Band Leader". Among the various outtakes, the most "surprising" is without a doubt "Cops&Buns", a recording of a real conversation between the Mothers band (in New York in '67) and a police officer pleading not to have to respond to some complaints from people annoyed by the band's music rehearsals. I can already imagine Zappa more keen on recording the matter unbeknownst to everyone rather than listening to the cop's pleas. Talk about seizing the moment.
There is also room for real music, which among negligible episodes like "Charva" or the live orchestral excerpt "Mount St. Mary's Concert Excerpt", and demo versions of "Any Way The Wind Blows" and "Fountain Of Love", offers authentic hidden gems such as "Sharleena" (here in a fantastic 11-minute definitive version) and the jazzy "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance". Also noteworthy is a primordial version of "Inca Roads" and the violin jam "Lil Clanton Shuffle", from the "Hot Rats" sessions and worthy of that masterpiece were it not for the presence of a certain "The Gumbo Variations" on that album.
"The Lost Episodes" cannot be defined as a fundamental or indispensable work, but it is certainly a good product that doesn't explain Zappa's genius but gives a taste or an insight, depending on the person who is about to listen to it, whether they are a neophyte or a convinced Zappa fan.
P.S: For the record, the theory Frank Zappa > Nirvana remains obviously unchanged.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
08 Tiger Roach (02:20)
Captain Beefheart (vocals)
Frank Zappa (guitar)
Janschi (bass)
Vic Mortenson (drums)
This album is not available to the public ...
Even if it were, you wouldn't wanna listen to it!
[mouth noises]
Iron Man!
[screams]
That's fine!
Tiger spine!
Work out!
Monza blocks!
Light switch!
Roaches' smocks!
Ice cream!
What a dream!
Memories of
Flyin' machines!
Green Lantern!
Funny lizard!
Three-way!
Out'sight!
Buddy learns!
See Spot run!
Work out!
Have some fun!
Yeah ...
[screams]
[screams]
Wilhelmina!
Mildew!
[screams]
Billboard!
Night light!
Hammerhead!
Outta sight!
In Baghdad
Roaches fly!
Outta sight!
'Cross the grassy sky!
Anvils fly!
Mountains burp!
Turpentine!
[Deano/Duno/Tuna/Tina werp?]
Lord gosh!
Oooh ...
[Rush eye / Musheye?] ...
[harp imitation, screams and coughs]
What's that noise?
Looks like green!
Maybe it's purple?
[Spotlight / Spot eye?]!
Hammer law?
Bend iron!
So fine ...
Tiger Roach!
14 Charva (01:59)
Frank Zappa (vocals, piano, bass, drums)
Charva, I loved you
I loved you through and through
I loved you since in grammar school
When we were sniffing glue
I loved you purty baby doll
And I don't know what in the world
to do about it
Boppa-bah-boppa-choo-wah
Charva, my darling
The only love I had
I hope you will forgive me dear
For punching out your dad
I loved you, I loved you
And I don't know what in the world
I'm gonna do about it
Ooohh-oh-oooh
Lahm-buh-buhm-buhm
I remember, remember the junior prom
And I remember the time I broke your father's arm
And I remember, remember all the love we shared
Every place and everywhere
Oh Charva, Charva
I love you more and more
I swear it aint because your father owns a liquor store
Charva, my baby
I love you and I don't know what to do about it
Oh-oh Charva
Ooooohh
Oh-oh Charva
Ooooohh
Come back my little darling Charva
I love you so much honey
Come back to me Charva
Please Charva, please come back to me
I miss you so much
18 Cops & Buns (02:36)
Patrolman Lefemine: Now, we don't come up here because we feel like walkin' four flights at three o'clock in the morning. FZ: Yeah. Patrolman Lefemine: We were up here last night. Now for us . . . FZ: Last night? Patrolman Lefemine: Yes. FZ: I wasn't here last night. Patrolman Lefemine: For us to continually come up to this here place every night and not show no action other than to say, yes a corrective indictment . . . Guy #1: Oh, sure this is ridiculous. Patrolman Lefemine: We look kinda bad. I mean, let's be honest. Now if you had to give me any kinda reccomendation, or mark my word, you'll say, "Who the hell's kiddin' who? This guy's a mistake, every night, 3 to 4, 2 to 4, betwen those hours you guys are at 53 E 10 st, what are you doin' there every night? You mean you, you permit this condition to continue on without once giving a summons?" Alright, your lawyer said to knock it off! Uh, we're puttin' ourselves over backwards with these people. Do you know what we're doin'? Do you know what we're doin'? FZ: No, tell me. Please tell me. Patrolman Lefemine: Alright. Well this is, if we're up here once we're up here twenty times. I know that little guy, like a, like the guy at the, like a long-lost brother. Now if we ever get called down, if this ever goes to a big explosion, and they say, "Officer, what did you do, did you issue summonses?" They get, this is all in the rekkid book, how many times we've been up here. This is all rekkids. FZ: M-hmm. Patrolman Lefemine: Now if these people wanna subpoena these rekkids, they can subpoena these rekkids. An' they can find out how many times we've been. This is us on, wait! This is us alone! An' they say, "Officer, what did you do? Warn 'em? You mean to tell me you were up here about twenty times an you never issued a summons?" Guy #1: There have been summonses. Patrolman Lefemine: Well, WE never issued em! How many summonses have you gotten for noise? Guy In Charge: What, me personally, or the studio? Patrolman Lefemine: The studio! The studio. Guy In Charge: I don't know how many, but there's a court case pending right now . . . Guy #1: We've gotten one. Patrolman Lefemine: ONE! ONE! And how many times have I, eh, uh, hey listen! As I say, if I've been up here once I've been up here twenty times already. FZ: Hey look, stop it, pack that stuff up, stop making NOISE you guys! Guy In Charge: Yeah, well, I understand, he didn't know . . . Patrolman Lefemine: Well, who's in charge here at the studio? Guy #1: Here he is. Guy In Charge: In charge? Patrolman Lefemine: IN charge Guy #1: He's more or less in charge Patrolman Lefemine: Are you in charge? Guy In Charge: I don't run the studio, I just . . . Patrolman Lefemine: Alright, listen, lemme tell you one thing . . . Guy In Charge: I'm in, I'm in charge Patrolman Lefemine: You're in charge at this point Guy In Charge: Right. Patrolman Lefemine: My name is Patrolman Lefemine FZ: Here, have a BUN. Patrolman Lefemine: Now, as of tonight . . . Guy In Charge: Right. FZ: You want a BUN? Patrolman Lefemine: If I come back here, and every night that I do come back here, I don't care who says he's in charge, I will issue a summons. Guy #1: I'm issuing you a bun Patrolman Lefemine: An' anybody thinks it's a great joke, you can all laugh in the court. Guy #1: Yeah, I issue it. Guy In Charge: But, uh . . . Patrolman Lefemine: You guys ain't got one hit record by now, my goodness. Guy In Charge: We have, we have to . . . Guy #1: It takes a long time. Patrolman Lefemine: You know what I mean. This is ridiculous! FZ: Are you sure you don't want one of those breakfast rolls on your way down the stairs? Guy In Charge: Yeah . . . Patrolman Lefemine: You better believe that I don't want nuthin' Guy In Charge: Who gets, who gets the summonses, is the, the organization? Patrolman Lefemine: Whoever it is in charge at the time. He could say Joe Blow, I don't care what kind of a name he gives me. Then if the courts decide, if they wanna know who he's takin' orders from, they'll summons that person to court. That's all there is to it. Guy #1: Alright. Take care. Guy In Charge: Right. Guy #1: Okay. FZ: Nighty-night!
22 The Grand Wazoo (02:12)
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24 Kung Fu (01:06)
Bolic Sound, Inglewood
late 1973-early 1974
George Duke--keyboard
Ruth Underwood--percussion
Bruce Fowler--trombone
Tom Fowler--bass
Chester Thompson--drums
Ralph Humphrey--drums
30 Sharleena (11:54)
Frank Zappa (guitar, vocals)
Ian Underwood (grand piano, tenor saxophone)
George Duke (organ)
Jeff Simmons (bass, vocals)
Aynsley Dunbar (drums)
The Phlorescent Leech and Eddie (vocals)
I'm crying,
I'm crying,
Crying for Sharleena.
Don't you know?
I called up all my baby's friends
and asked them,
where she done went.
But nobody around here seems to know,
Where my Sharleena has been.
Where my Sharleena has been.
I'm crying,
I'm crying,
Crying for Sharleena.
Can't you see?
I called up all my baby's friends
and asked them,
where she done went.
But nobody around here seems to know,
Where my Sharleena has been.
Where my Sharleena has been.
Ten long years I been lovin' her.
Ten long years and I thought deep down in my heart she was mine.
Ten long years I beloved her.
Ten long years and I would call her my baby.
And now, I'm always crying.
Ugh!
Ugh!
I would be so delighted.
I would be so delighted.
If they would just
Send her on home to me.
I would be so delighted.
I would be so delighted.
If they would just
Send her on home to me.
Send my baby home to me!
Send my baby home to me!
Send my baby home.
Send my baby home to me!
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