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From the Vault...
03/18/2001
#725 |
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info
Frank Zappa
"The Lost Episodes"
© Rykodisc Records
Year of Release: 1996
Rating:
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track listing
The Blackouts
Lost In A Whirlpool
Ronnie Sings?
Kenny's Booger Story
Ronnie's Booger Story
Mount St. Mary's
Concert Excerpt
Take Your Clothes Off
When You Dance
Tiger Roach
Run Home Slow Theme
Fountain Of Love
Run Home Cues, #2
Any Way
The Wind Blows
Run Home Cues, #3
Charva
The Dick Kunc Story
Wedding Dress Song
Handsome Cabin Boy
Cops And Buns
The Big Squeeze
I'm A Band Leader
Alley Cat
The Grand Wazoo
Wonderful Wino
Kung Fu
RDNZL
Basement Music #1
Inca Roads
Lil' Clanton Shuffle
I Don't Wanna
Get Drafted
Sharleena
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Frank Zappa
"The Lost Episodes"
In 1992-1993, Frank Zappa was working on The Lost Episodes, an
"after hours, possibly recreational, project." At the same time, he was working
on future releases The Yellow Shark, Ahead Of Their Time and Civilization
Phase III, as well as other yet-unissued projects. The Lost Episodes
is mostly creative pieces from the vaults of the Zappa Empire, a compilation of
tracks that would surface on past and present releases.
The blues/jazz of "Lost In A Whirlpool" displays a comedical look
lyrically, yet the music itself you can visually the blues playing in a
smoke-filled "dirty" bar. Featuring the vocals of Ronnie Williams, "Ronnie
Sings?" sounds like a warped Wolfman Jack singing. "Kenny's Booger Story"
and "Ronnie's Booger Story" tells the story of Kenny and Roger Williams
and how they would showcase their nasal passages on a window.
Orchestral Classical/Jazz best describes "Mount St. Mary's Concert Excerpt,
as Frank Zappa had experimented with Classical music in his final years of life.
(Yet Zappa had a unique approach than the standard Classical pieces, as this song
proves...)
"Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance" is quite impressive -- featuring
your common Jazz. "Tiger Roach" features Captain Beefheart on vocals,
as he sounds like another Wolfman Jack impersonator, as the music could pass as
surf music, and the song itself could easily fit the format of any Dr. Demento
program. "Run Home Slow Theme" and the short-pieces "Run Home Cues,
#2 and #3" are theatrical jazz; "Fountain Of Love" could easily fit
the 1950s music style, likewise "Any Way The Wind Blows" could fit the
late 1950s, early Beatles style. (another impressive tune)
Early rock with a demented twist describes "Charva"; "The Dick
Kunc Story" has studio engineer Dick Kunc recollecting his memories of when
he first became an enginner, and had worked with Frank Zappa when Zappa was
starting out with the Mothers of Invention, and their first album, Freak Out
(1966). "Wedding Dress Song" is another off-jazz piece, done Frank Zappa
style.
"Handsome Cabin Boy" is another (short) instrumental offbeat rock/jazz
piece, that could of easily fit the Hot Rats album; "Cops & Buns"
is a spoken-word piece, with the dialogue sounding something from a dramatic
Joe Pesci movie. "The Big Squeeze" is definitely demented, as if the
use of tape recorder sound effects. Another spoken-word'er is "I'm A Band
Leader," featuring Captain Beefheart. "Alley Cat" is a cool,
bouncy jazz'er, featuring the vocals of Captain Beefheart.
"The Grand Wazoo" is another theatrical piece, featuring spoken-word
storyline dialogue and (strange) music. "Wonderful Wino" is a rock song,
with vocals by Ricky Lancelotti, a Stephen Tyler-Aerosmith / Brian Johnson-AC/DC
screamer. "Kung Fu" and "RDNZL" are other Frank Zappa jazz-styled
tunes. "RNDZL" is a very impressive jazz number, by the way, likewise
the jazz-fusion progressive "Basement Music #1," featuring the
moog-synthesizer, that Zappa had used on previous releases. And on that same
note, "Inca Roads" is another impressive jazz-fusion song, where once
again, Frank Zappa experimented in different styles of music, adding his own
creative sound.
"Lil' Clanton Shuffle" is an instrumental jazz-boogie jam, (another
impressive tune)... "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted" is a funky-boogie, and
one of Zappa's popular songs from previous releases. The album's closing number,
"Sharleena" is a mix of progressive rock.
Frank Zappa's The Lost Episodes is an album of various creations that
were recorded in the process of past releases, yet these recordings were placed
back in the vaults, making their appearance on this "outtake" album. Frank Zappa
passed away later in the year, after this release, and to his final days, he was
always experimenting with his music, and as most performers do not exactly
record everything on major releases, it's always a thrill to listen to these
tracks that didn't make it, and some are obvious they should of been released,
and others definitely not.
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