Beefheart box set comes with outtakes album

By Martin Kielty
published

Disc of unheard tracks joins remasters of Lick My Decals Off, Baby, The Spotlight Kid and Clear Spot in limited-edition pack

Captain Beefheart’s “overlooked” albums Lick My Decals Off, Baby, The Spotlight Kid and Clear Spot are accompanied by a full disc of unreleased outtakes in a limited-edition box set.

Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 To 1972 will be released via Rhino in CD, vinyl and digital formats on November 10 – and the label argue it’s essential listening.

They say: “In the Beefheart discography, attention usually focuses on Trout Mask Replica, and as a consequence, the three stellar albums recorded soon after are often overlooked.

“This four-disc collection revisits the albums Don Van Vliet recorded with the Magic Band in the early 70s. The three albums are remastered for the first time. The fourth disc featues 14 previously unissued outtakes from the era, revealing just how much some songs evolved before being released.”

Tracklist

** Lick My Decals Off, Baby (1970)**

  1. Lick My Decals Off, Baby

  2. Doctor Dark

  3. I Love You, You Big Dummy

  4. Peon

  5. Bellerin’ Plain

  6. Woe-Is-uh-Me-Bop

  7. Japan In A Dishpan

  8. I Wanna Find A Woman That’ll Hold My Big Toe Till I Have To Go

  9. Petrified Forest

  10. One Red Rose That I Mean

  11. The Buggy Boogie Woogie

  12. The Smithsonian Institute Blues (Or The Big Dig)

  13. Space-Age Couple

  14. The Clouds Are Full Of Wine (Not Whiskey or Rye)

  15. Flash Gordon’s Ape

The Spotlight Kid (January 1972)

  1. I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby

  2. White Jam

  3. Blabber ‘N Smoke

  4. When It Blows Its Stacks

  5. Alice In Blunderland

  6. The Spotlight Kid

  7. Click Clack

  8. Grow Fins

  9. There Ain’t No Santa Claus On The Evenin’ Stage

  10. Glider

Clear Spot (November 1972)

  1. Low Yo Yo Stuff

  2. Nowadays A Woman’s Gotta Hit A Man

  3. Too Much Time

  4. Circumstances

  5. My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains

  6. Sun Zoom Spark

  7. Clear Spot

  8. Crazy Little Thing

  9. Long Neck Bottles

  10. Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles

  11. Big Eyed Beans From Venus

  12. Golden Birdies

Outtakes

  1. Alice In Blunderland - Alternate Version

  2. Harry Irene

  3. I Can’t Do This Unless I Can Do This/Seam Crooked Sam

  4. Pompadour Swamp/Suction Prints

  5. The Witch Doctor Life - Instrumental Take

  6. Two Rips In A Haystack/Kiss Me My Love

  7. Best Batch Yet - (Track) Version 1

  8. Your Love Brought Me To Life - Instrumental

  9. Dirty Blue Gene - Alternate Version 1

  10. Nowadays A Woman’s Gotta Hit A Man - Early Mix

  11. Kiss Where I Kain’t

  12. Circumstances - Alternate Version 2

  13. Little Scratch

  14. Dirty Blue Gene - Alternate Version 3

Martin Kielty
Freelance Online News Contributor

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.