Approximate

Lyrics

None, although the "melody" of the song is sometimes sung.

Records On Which This Song Has Appeared

In order of recording

• You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2
• Bubble Cream Cheese
• Zappa In New York, in track The Purple Lagoon / Approximate.
• You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4
• Wazoo

Bootlegs

• Our Man In Italy

Notes About This Song

• FZ on "Approximate": (from The Complete History Of The Few Last Weeks Of The Mothers Of Invention (1972))

"In this selection, the choice of the pitches played by each musician is left up to him (or her). There are only a few bars in the whole piece where a pitch is specified (and those bars are installed for contrast). The rest of the sheet music is filled with note stems and braces connected to little 'X' marks, indicating by their position on the staff the approximate register of the instrument in which they are to occur. The players are requested to adhere to the rhythmic schematic which organizes the time-space relationships between the bunches of 'X's.' This piece can be played by any number of musicians from four pieces upwards. The overall design presents a single duplicated part for all instruments in C or F (including percussion), which interlocks with another single duplicated part for all instruments in Bb or Eb. The electric bass and drum set each have separate parts which combine the rhythms of the other two parts."

• The version on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2 references Eva Helkäma.
• The track on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4 is citing Stayin' Alive.