The Lost Episodes

Frank Zappa personally compiled this re-issued Rykodisc collection of studio rarities, alternate versions, and unreleased tracks as one of his last projects - not only as a way of paying tribute to many of the people who had affected his life but also as a gesture of appreciation to his fans.

Assembled as a kind of after-hours project over 18 months in 1992 and 1993, THE LOST EPISODES includes 30 tracks spanning 1958-1972, with short detours to 1980 and 1992. Tracks of particular note include "Ronny's Booger Story" and "Kenny's Booger Story," which shed new light on the (ahem) incidents which inspired "Let's Make the Water Turn Black," an early, jazz samba arrangement of "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance," "Lil' Clanton Shuffle," a blues jam left off 1969's HOT RATS which features Sugar Cane Harris on violin, original recordings of such Zappa gems as "RDNZL" and "Inca Roads," the 1980 single version of "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted," and five tracks featuring the vocal stylings of Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart) including one of the earliest Zappa-Beefheart studio collaborations, "Tiger Roach." TLE's cover art is by Gabor Csupo, founder of Klasky-Csupo Animation, the people who originally animated The Simpsons and now bring you Duckman and Rugrats.

Packaged in a deluxe slipcase, the album is accompanied by a 52-page booklet with extensive liner notes by music journalist Rip Rense, including detailed commentary about each song derived from interviews with Zappa, engineer Spencer Chrislu, and a plethora of FZ's musical associates including Vliet, Ruth Underwood, Terry Bozzio, and James "Motorhead" Sherwood. Both Rense and Csupo contributed to this package at Zappa's request.

From his early rock combos of the late 50's to the primitive early-60's Studio Z era, through the state-of-the-art Utility Muffin Research Kitchen to just about anywhere else FZ ever turned on a tape recorder, THE LOST EPISODES is an autobiographical glimpse behind the scenes of Zappa's long and varied recording career and a fascinating look at one of "popular music's most brilliant - and daunting - figures" (Chicago Sun-Times).

If you want to know the story of the time Zappa shared a stage with Louis Armstrong, if you want to hear FZ's Clio Award-winning music for a 1967 Luden's Cough Drop commercial, or if you simply want to know the meaning of the word "eructation," THE LOST EPISODES is the disc you need.