Compiled by Jasper Leach. If you can help with any further info, please get in touch.
All songs (unless noted differently)
- Produced by Frank Zappa
- Engineered by Dick Kunc
- Recorded at Whitney Studios, Los Angeles, CA; April 1969
1. Frownland
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Zoot Horn Rollo: glass finger guitar & guitar (left channel)
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: steel guitar & guitar (right channel)
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
2. The Dust Blows Forward ‘n the Dust Blows Back
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
Produced by Don Van Vliet
Engineered by John French
Recorded at Beefheart House, Woodland Hills, CA; c. 1969
3. Dachau Blues
- Captain Beefheart: vocal, bass clarinet?
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass, narration (voice at end)
- Drumbo: drums
- The Mascara Snake: bass clarinet?
4. Ella Guru
- Captain Beefheart: lead vocal
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar, flesh horn (vocal w/ hand cupped over mouth)
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
- The Mascara Snake: backup vocals
5. Hair Pie Bake 1
- Captain Beefheart: vocal, soprano saxophone
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
- The Mascara Snake: bass clarinet
- Two unidentified neighbours: voices at end
Recorded at The Trout House, Woodland Hills, CA, c. 1969
6. Moonlight On Vermont
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Zoot Horn Rollo: slide guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Gary “Magic” Marker: bass
- Drumbo: drums
Produced and Engineered by Frank Zappa
Recorded at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA; late 1968
7. Pachuco Cadaver
- Captain Beefheart: vocal, tenor saxophone
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
8. Bills Corpse
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
9. Sweet Sweet Bulbs
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
10. Neon Meate Dream of an Octafish
- Captain Beefheart: vocal, musette, simran horn (siren?)
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
11. China Pig
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Doug Moon: acoustic guitar
Produced & Engineered by Captain Beefheart
Recorded at Beefheart House, Woodland Hills, CA; c. 1969
12. My Human Gets Me Blues
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
13. Dali’s Car
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
14. Hair Pie Bake 2
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
- Unknown: sleigh bells
15. Pena
- Captain Beefheart: backup vocals
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar, lead vocals
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
- The Mascara Snake: voice
- Frank Zappa: voice
16. Well
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
Recorded at The Trout House, Woodland Hills, CA, c. 1969
17. When Big Joan Sets Up
- Captain Beefheart: vocal, soprano saxophone
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
18. Fallin’ Ditch
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass, “narration”
- Drumbo: drums
19. Sugar ‘n Spikes
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
20: Ant Man Bee
- Captain Beefheart: vocal, soprano & tenor saxophone
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
21. Orange Claw Hammer
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
Produced by Don Van Vliet
Engineered by John French
Recorded at The Trout House, Woodland Hills, CA; c. 1968
22. Wild Life
- Captain Beefheart: vocal, bass clarinet
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
23. She’s too Much For my Mirror
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
- Richard Kunc: voice
24. Hobo Chang Ba
- Captain Beefheart: vocals, jingle bells
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar, flute
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
25. The Blimp
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: lead vocal
- Captain Beefheart: hunting horn, voice
- Frank Zappa: voice
- Roy Estrada: bass (uncredited)
- Arthur Tripp III: drums & percussion (uncredited)
- Don Preston: piano (uncredited)
- Ian Underwood & Bunk Gardner: alto & tenor saxes (uncredited)
- Buzz Gardner: trumpet (uncredited)
- Recorded over telephone (vocal) and at Columbia University, New York, 1969
26. Steal Softly Thru Snow
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
27. Old Fart at Play
- Captain Beefheart: reading
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar, voice
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Rockette Morton: bass
- Drumbo: drums
28. Veteran’s Day Poppy
- Captain Beefheart: vocal
- Antennae Jimmy Semens: guitar
- Zoot Horn Rollo: guitar
- Gary “Magic” Marker: bass
- Drumbo: drums
Recorded at Sunset Sound, Hollywood
Nicknames
Captain Beefheart – Don Van Vliet
Antennae Jimmy Semens – Jeff Cotton
Zoot Horn Rollo – Bill Harkleroad
Rockette Morton – Mark Boston
Drumbo – John French
The Mascara Snake – Victor Hayden
Help us out
If anyone is able to complete or update any of the information above, then please do get in touch.