Carlos
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Captain Beefheart... where to start?
Jan 26, 2003, 14:31
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So tell me where to start with old Captain, please?
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Beebon
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Re: Captain Beefheart... where to start?
Jan 26, 2003, 14:42
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Well
I would recomend his first album "Safe As Milk" as it shows his more avante garde side and his more accessible side in the same album.... plus it's filled with cool choons!
Hope that helps
Steve :)
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Severin
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Re: Captain Beefheart... where to start?
Jan 26, 2003, 16:08
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Yeah..starting at the beginning would probably be a good idea,and a wunndrful place to start it is..Safe As Milk is maybe my favorite of his albums..try to find the fairly recent Buddha re-issue w/ oodles of bonus tracks..All of the Buddha re-issues are recommended all with bountious bonus cuts and informative booklets
Enjoy!
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Billy Milk
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Re: Captain Beefheart... where to start?
Jan 26, 2003, 18:09
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yeah, start at the beginning and work through chronologically x that's what don van vliet did...
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TightPurpleShirt
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Re: Captain Beefheart... where to start?
Jan 26, 2003, 18:19
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Chonologically would be a good order. Or.....
Safe as Milk then Clear Spot / The Spot Light Kid then if you like those try the latter albums Shiny Beast then Doc at the Rader Station probably best to leave out Blue Jeans and Moonbeams altogether and leave Trout Mask and Lick My Decals Off until last.
TpS
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TightPurpleShirt
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Re: Captain Beefheart... where to start?
Jan 26, 2003, 18:20
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Clear Spot / Spot Light Kid is available from Fopp for a fiver.
TpS
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Popel Vooje
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Re: Captain Beefheart... where to start?
Jan 26, 2003, 19:22
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"Clear Spot" was the first one I bought, and it served pretty well as an introduction - both "Big Eyed Beans From Venus" and "Golden Birdies" show his avant-garde side, but the rest is pretty accessible. "Trout Mask Replica" is probably his most influential album, but perhaps not the best place to start as it showcases Beefheart at his most unrestrained. Buying that one first would probably be a bit like snorting heroin before you've sampled weed.
Apart from "Unconditionally Guaranteed" and "Bluejeans and Moonbeams", I don't think he's made a dodgy album, and even those two have enough great moments to make them worth sampling after you've tried the rest.
"Shiny Beast" is my personal favourite. V. eclectic, under-rated and mostly pretty accessible stuff.
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23
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yey to shiny beast
Jan 27, 2003, 01:12
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I think shiny beast is probably my favourite too, followed by Doc at the Radar station. His 1st couple of albums are pretty accessible (being safe as milk and strictly personal). I still haven't managed to sit all the way through a listening of Trout Mask Replica, so don't start there. You have to build up slowly to destroying every preconception you have of what music is and should be. I like polemic, me. Beefheart was great at making music that noone had thought of making, or rejected as not appropriate.It's almost anti music in places. Happy listening, and may you enjoy your sailing on the good ship avant garde/atonal.
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direwolf
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Re: Captain Beefheart... where to start?
Jan 27, 2003, 03:03
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All these other people have some great ideas for you but don't overlook the awesome LP he did with Frank Zappa in '75... "Bongo Fury" is where it's at!
Beefheart also appears on other Zappa LP's....
"Hot Rats"
"One Size Fits All"
and "Zoot Allures"
no doubt there's more but these ones I know about for sure 'cause I have them and they're great!
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Lord Lucan
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Re: Captain Beefheart... where to start?
Jan 27, 2003, 14:59
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I'd often suggest that doing an artist chronologically is the best way, but as everyone else has been saying, this is especially the case with the Captain. Jumping in at the deep end with Trout Mask is likely to put you off buying anything else. Following the recordings as they get more and more out-there gives a sense of why the Captain was doing what he was doing, and then by the time you get to Trout Mask Replica you'll be as ready as anyone can be to take it! Besides, Safe As Milk (which is where you'd start chronologically) is great, gruff blues-pop with tunes you can dance around the room to.
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