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Never Heard of 'Em: Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
2
This column is great. I'm not so sure about the acid thing, though.
If you want to hear a more listenable Beefheart record, Clear Spot is probably the friendliest. Safe as Milk is a little more straightforward, also awesome.
If you want to hear a more listenable Beefheart record, Clear Spot is probably the friendliest. Safe as Milk is a little more straightforward, also awesome.
3
One of my favorite all time bands. RIP Mr. Van Vliet. I first discovered them in the 3.99 bin at Sam Goody when I was 12. The juxtaposition of the business suits and the crazy name intrigued my adolsecent brain. I also had 3.99 to spend. Anna, starting with Trout Mask Replica is like taking LSD as your first time doing drugs ever. Try Safe As Milk for a proper introduction. I can't wait to give you a hard time about this at the next bookstore related function (if you still go to those).
5
I fucking hate this album. Supposedly a lot of effort went into making it sound like a giant pile of impenetrable garbage. Cover art's neat though.
6
Ha! Do you not recognize the need for sheer headfuckery? Should all musics be smooth and shiny so as to mollify the willful ignorami?
OK, now that I'm done with my pompous screed... this IS an overrated version of the Magic Band. Not even in my top 5 of their albums. It is a little too crazy.
Try: Doc at the Radar Station, Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller), Clear Spot, Spotlight Kid
OK, now that I'm done with my pompous screed... this IS an overrated version of the Magic Band. Not even in my top 5 of their albums. It is a little too crazy.
Try: Doc at the Radar Station, Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller), Clear Spot, Spotlight Kid
7
This is an excellent review. Your reaction is totally honest and true, but nonetheless you should listen to it again. And maybe again after that. This is an absolutely amazing album, there is just nothing like it for sheer musical weirdness, but you need to train your ears to hear it. I'm sure I sound like music nerd #1, but I mean it. I love this record. And if you want to hear something just as exciting but a little more conventional listen to "Shiny Beast/Bat Chain Puller.
8
Grant, I do believe Frank Zappa never ever took acid in his life. Famously ridiculed people who took drugs, even, except for his beloved chain-smoked cigarettes and coffee.
9
Also, Beefheart denied that he ever used drugs as a musical influence: http://www.rickmcgrath.com/beef1.html
I don't know where Grant gets his info from but any diehard fan of Beefheart would know better.
McGrath: You've said you don't believe in drugs. Is there any reason for that?
Beefheart: I think people should give themselves more credit. I think they have everything themselves. I don't think anything needs to be induced. Do you know what I mean?
McGrath: Yeah.
Beefheart: I think they just get disconnected.
McGrath: Can you offer any suggestions why so many people do drugs?
Beefheart: Because they want to, I guess. What I'm saying is that I just don't take them. Nobody in the group takes them.
I don't know where Grant gets his info from but any diehard fan of Beefheart would know better.
10
"Silly dudes on drugs" couldn't play that. Just because there's dissonance doesn't mean it isn't tight.
This column pisses me off, which I guess makes it a good column, but fuck!
This column pisses me off, which I guess makes it a good column, but fuck!
12
I am so happy that this record still gets this kind of a response.
I bought it new, when it came out, and perverse or not, I loved it. Named my first sewing machine "Ella Guru". It is far from out of tune or anarchist- it is incredibly precisely played. It was rehearsed, live, for months on end. And nobody was high on anything when it was recorded.
But, back in the day, you were pretty much guaranteed to clear out a party, if you put this on. Even high on acid, the Anna Minards of 1970 would have the exact same reaction as they do today.
It was handy for snagging the leftover beer, as the crowd left.
I was afraid that Beefheart had become so assimilated that he would seem normal today, but I am happy to hear that it still offends, as it should.
It rewards repeated listening, but I wouldnt wish it on anyone who doesnt like it. But since you left, you wont mind if I finish that beer, would you?
I bought it new, when it came out, and perverse or not, I loved it. Named my first sewing machine "Ella Guru". It is far from out of tune or anarchist- it is incredibly precisely played. It was rehearsed, live, for months on end. And nobody was high on anything when it was recorded.
But, back in the day, you were pretty much guaranteed to clear out a party, if you put this on. Even high on acid, the Anna Minards of 1970 would have the exact same reaction as they do today.
It was handy for snagging the leftover beer, as the crowd left.
I was afraid that Beefheart had become so assimilated that he would seem normal today, but I am happy to hear that it still offends, as it should.
It rewards repeated listening, but I wouldnt wish it on anyone who doesnt like it. But since you left, you wont mind if I finish that beer, would you?
13
I would like to hear Anna's response to the 80's party clearing record of choice- the Pussy Galore re-enactment of Exile on Main Street- she should be able to get some mileage out of that, for sure.
http://www.xtrmntr.com/pg/exile/
http://www.xtrmntr.com/pg/exile/
14
listen to the earliest stuff as an entre to beefheart. "grown so ugly" or "electricity", for instance. then the later stuff starts to make sense.
15
Ice cream for crow is very listenable too. I'm irritated by the fact that the fish on the cover is a carp and not a trout.
16
I get the reaction. But this album is awesome, even sober. Still, "Safe as Milk" is completely unfuckwithable. A 19-year-old Ry Cooder on guitar? Yes please.
17
I love this record, although not my favorite Beefheart record. I've spent a lot of time with it some years ago.
I also LOVE this column. I need to go back and check out more of them.
go Grant.
I also LOVE this column. I need to go back and check out more of them.
go Grant.
19
This is a fun column. I love this album, but honestly it does take like 15 listens to crack. Not only were they not on drugs in a basement, but Beefheart instituted a kind of fluxus, dictatory thing--making the band practice for 12 hours at a time and then leaving the studio etc. The musicianship is extraordinary if you really listen, super super tech, not unlike Coltrane's Ascension. But Safe as Milk and Shiny Beast are the banging, crowd pleasing beefheart albums that I listen to way more.
20
from Wikipedia...
"Van Vliet used a piano—an instrument he had never played before—as his main compositional tool."
there you go!
I do appreciate this column, but COME ON. it's really hard for me to buy that even though a person doesn't care for music much, by adulthood they would be oblivious to the concept of abstract sounds and compositions. would you expect me to believe that you've never heard of Dada, or Burroughsian cut-ups, either?
that said, once I stayed up all night drinking coffee at Beth's Cafe and then went home and put this album on. I haven't been able to make it through more than two songs since. that was ten years ago...ugh.
"Van Vliet used a piano—an instrument he had never played before—as his main compositional tool."
there you go!
I do appreciate this column, but COME ON. it's really hard for me to buy that even though a person doesn't care for music much, by adulthood they would be oblivious to the concept of abstract sounds and compositions. would you expect me to believe that you've never heard of Dada, or Burroughsian cut-ups, either?
that said, once I stayed up all night drinking coffee at Beth's Cafe and then went home and put this album on. I haven't been able to make it through more than two songs since. that was ten years ago...ugh.
21
also, Anna if you haven't yet, it is worth your time to read about the production of this record. the process sounded brutal.
24
@22 'cause Grant doesn't know what he's talking about on this one. He's pulling shit out of his ass with this one. I guess the conceit is "records important to people who love music" - not necessarily records important to Grant.
25
People have been talking about "Safe As Milk" -- go here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCSPf5Viw…
for a taste. One of John Lennon's favorite albums. Once listen to that album, you can see the bones of the blues grinning out of the structure of the songs on "Trout Mask Replica". (And you'll never be able to listen to Tom Waits again without a patient, indulgent smile.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCSPf5Viw…
for a taste. One of John Lennon's favorite albums. Once listen to that album, you can see the bones of the blues grinning out of the structure of the songs on "Trout Mask Replica". (And you'll never be able to listen to Tom Waits again without a patient, indulgent smile.)
26
There is a huge disadvantage to plucking sounds our of context, since this album (and many, many you haven't heard) existed in a dialog with other records, and "in real time" some of these records made different sense. Beefheart was a twisted genius, but it probably helps to think of it as an avant garde art project with equal parts Howlin' Wolf, beat poetry, music concrete, sixties garage rock, James Joyce, Richard Nixon, LSD, Southern California, dissonant found sounds, Ornette Coleman, experimental electronica, R&B, Stockhausen, John Cage, Fellini, and the fear and trembling of crawling out of a frozen garbage can in an alley in the middle of the night. This is not easy listening, after all, and without a little homework and some cultural digging, it's just tossing pearls before swine.
29
While I haven't listened to their music for quite some time, I did a long time ago and in person when they practiced at our home when my former husband and I were students at Cal State Northridge. Don Van Vliet and the other band members would roll in from Lancaster and use our small rental home as a base while my husband and his friend were acting as their first managers out trying to line up gigs for them. The friend's wife and I started the Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band Fan Club of which I was President. None of us had much clue about what to do.
But it was exciting at the time until the band got lured away by a big record company in Hollywood. It was very disappointing to us initially but it was certainly more productive for our studying.
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
But it was exciting at the time until the band got lured away by a big record company in Hollywood. It was very disappointing to us initially but it was certainly more productive for our studying.
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
31
Holy cow. I can't believe my state senator just chimed on here to talk about Captain Beefheart. (Assuming that actually is JK-W - but who would pretend to be Jeanne Kohl-Welles talking about Captain Beefheart?) Damn, I love this town.
33
Some suggestions for the next "Never Heard Of 'Em" column? How about Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, John Zorn, The Shaggs, "Metal Machine Music", Larry "Wild Man" Fischer, Meredith Monk?
34
Great comment thread. I look forward to reading about The Madcap Laughs, Double Nickels On The Dime, Bitches Brew and Free Jazz.
35
"A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?" - that seems like a keyboarding class exercise
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