CD1
- Obeah Man (66 Demo) 2:49
- Just Got Back From The City (66 Demo) 1:55
- Im Glad (66 Demo) 3:47
- Triple Combination (66 Demo) 2:50
- Here I Am I Always Am (Early 66 Demo) 3:15
- Here I Am I Always Am (Later 66 Demo) 2:34
- Somebody In My Home (Live Avalon 66) 2:49
- Tupelo (Live Avalon 66) 4:09
- Evil (Live Avalon 66) 2:34
- Old Folks Boogie (Live Avalon 67) 3:07
- Call On Me (65 Demo) 3:03
- Sure Nuff N Yes I Do (67 Demo) 2:10
- Yellow Brick Road (67 Demo) 1:38
- Plastic Factory (67 Demo) 2:53
CD2
- Electricity (Live Cannes 68) 3:42
- Sure Nuff (Live Cannes 68) 3:00
- Rollin N Tumblin (Live Kidderminster 68) 11:10
- Electricity (Live Kidderminster 68) 3:57
- Yer Gonna Need Somebody On Yer Bond (Live Kidderminster 68) 6:28
- Kandy Korn (Live Kidderminster 68) 4:23
- Korn Ring Finger (67 Demo) 7:23
CD3
- Dachau Blues (Tuning Up) 4:59
- Bush Recording 8:18
- Hair Pie (Bake 1) 5:04
- Hair Pie (Bake 2) 2:44
- Noodling 1 1:04
- Hobo Chang Ba 2:02
- Hobo (Practice) 1:57
- Hobo Chang Ba (Take 2) 3:08
- Dachau Blues 2:06
- Old Fart At Play 1:23
- Noodling 2 1:01
- Pachuco Cadaver 4:08
- Sugar N Spikes 2:40
- Noodling 3 1:00
- Sweet Sweet Bulbs 2:30
- Frownland (Take 1) 2:51
- Frownland 1:52
- Noodling 4 1:10
- Ella Guru 2:33
- Silence 0:08
- Shes Too Much For My Mirror 1:30
- Silence 2 0:35
- Steal Softly Through Snow 2:22
- Noodling 5 1:51
- My Human Gets Me Blues 2:53
- Untitled 26 1:06
- When Big Joan Sets Up 4:32
- Silence 3 0:04
- Candy Man 0:56
- China Pig 4:15
CD4
- Blimp Playback 5:09
- Herb Alpert 1:06
- Septic Tank 0:51
- Well Overdub It 3 Times 5:26
CD5
- My Human Gets Me Blues (Live Amougies 69) 3:56
- When Big Joan Sets Up (Live Detroit 71) 6:13
- Woe Is Uh Me Bop (Live Detroit 71) 2:46
- Bellerin Plain (Live Detroit 71) 3:26
- Black Snake Moan I (Khsu 72) 1:04
- Grow Fins (Live Bickershaw 72) 5:12
- Black Snake Moan Ii (Live Wbcn 72) 1:52
- Spitball Scalped Uh Baby (Live Bickershaw 72) 9:16
- Harp Boogie I (Wbcn 72) 1:34
- One Red Rose That I Mean (Live Town Hall 72) 1:48
- Harp Boogie Ii (Live Wbcn 72) 0:56
- Natchez Burning (Live Wbcn 72) 0:45
- Harp Boogie Iii (72 Radio Phone In) 0:52
- Click Clack (Live Paris 73) 2:53
- Orange Claw Hammer (Live Radio 75) 4:39
- Odd Jobs (Piano Demo 76) 5:13
- Odd Jobs (Demo 76) 5:12
- Vampire Suite (80 Worktapes And Live) 3:48
- Mellotron Improv (Live 78) 1:25
- Evening Bell (Piano Demo 81) 0:56
- Evening Bell (Worktape 81) 2:18
- Mellotron Improv (Live 80) 2:22
- Flavor Bud Living (Live 81) 1:17
Notes
An unprecedented project in the rock field: a five-CD box set of unreleased material by a cult artist that never had anything close to a chart hit. Of course Captain Beefheart is the ultimate cult artist, and one with a following so rabid (if limited) that the compilation has a wider audience than many would anticipate. Despite the impressive chronological span and variety of demos, live performances, backing tracks, and outtakes, be cautioned that this is not a best-of or ad hoc career overview. A good deal of the tracks (some of which have long been available on bootleg) are of slightly substandard or low fidelity, and Beefheart's most significant work is ultimately contained on his numerous official releases. However, this is an important addition to his catalog, and one that many of his fanatics will find essential, though it won't do much to convert the casual fan due to the difficult nature of much of the material. Disc one, with live cuts and demos from 1966-67 that include a few songs recorded on Safe as Milk, is certainly the most interesting and accessible of the quintet. Disc two is more shambling and experimental, with its assortment of 1968 live performances. Disc three is for the hardcore: home-recorded (though in okay fidelity) run-throughs of Trout Mask Replica material from 1969, without vocals. Disc four is for the harder core: 12 more minutes of Trout Mask home sessions, plus enhanced-CD live performance footage from 1968-73. CD five is an interesting, erratic assortment of live, radio, demo, and work tape material from 1969-82, fidelity varying from good to poor. The liner notes are exceptionally detailed, with many first-hand quotes by band members and much historical narrative by frequent Magic Band drummer John French.