In honor of what would have been Don Van Vliet’s 71st birthday on January 15th, the Frank Zappa estate have unlocked a 36-year-old recording from their vaults: Bat Chain Puller, Captain Beefheart’s 1976 LP that was prevented from being officially released due to a legal dispute between Zappa, the album’s producer, and manager Herb Cohen. Though the late avant-garde rock legend did manage to put out four songs by recording alternate versions for 1978’s Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller), the original set has remained only in bootleg form for nearly four decades.
In addition to the “original and definitive” 12-track record, this release includes 16 minutes of bonus material with liner notes by Cap’s former bandmates John “Drumbo” French and Denny “Feelers Reebo” Walley. Pre-orders can be placed here, while the tracklist and a live take on the title track is below:
Bat Chain Puller
01 Bat Chain Puller
02 Seam Crooked Sam
03 Harry Irene
04 81 Poop Hatch
05 Flavor Bud Living
06 Brick Bats
07 Floppy Boot Stomp
08 Chariot (Ah Carrot Is As Close As Ah Rabbit Gets To Ah Diamond)
09 Owed T’Alex
10 Odd Jobs
11 Human Totem Pole (The 1000th and 10th Day of the Human Totem Pole)
12 Apes-Ma
Bonus:
13 Bat Chain Puller (Alt. Mix)
14 Candle Mambo
15 Hobo-ism