CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND - Safe as Milk (1967-1999) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

Beefheart's first proper studio album is a much more accessible, pop-inflected brand of blues-rock than the efforts that followed in the late '60s -- which isn't to say that it's exactly normal and straightforward. Featuring Ry Cooder on guitar, this is blues-rock gone slightly askew, with jagged, fractured rhythms, soulful, twisting vocals from Van Vliet, and more doo wop, soul, straight blues, and folk-rock influences than he would employ on his more avant-garde outings. "Zig Zag Wanderer," "Call on Me," and "Yellow Brick Road" are some of his most enduring and riff-driven songs, although there's plenty of weirdness on tracks like "Electricity" and "Abba Zaba." [Buddha's 1999 reissue of Safe as Milk contained restored artwork and seven bonus tracks.]  by Richie Unterberger
Tracklist:
1 Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do 2:15
Written-By – Don Van Vliet, Herb Bermann
2 Zig Zag Wanderer 2:40
Drum [Log Drum] – Milt Holland
Written-By – Don Van Vliet, Herb Bermann
3 Call On Me 2:37
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
4 Dropout Boogie 2:32
Drum [Log Drum] – Milt Holland
Written-By – Don Van Vliet, Herb Bermann
5 I'm Glad 3:31
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
6 Electricity 3:07
Theremin – Sam Hoffman
Written-By – Don Van Vliet, Herb Bermann
7 Yellow Brick Road 2:28
Percussion [Additional] – Taj Mahal
Written-By – Don Van Vliet, Herb Bermann
8 Abba Zaba 2:44
Percussion [Additional] – Milt Holland
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
9 Plastic Factory 3:08
Written-By – Don Van Vliet, Herb Bermann, Jerry Handley
10 Where There's Woman 2:09
Written-By – Don Van Vliet, Herb Bermann
11 Grown So Ugly 2:27
Written-By – Robert Pete Williams
12 Autumn's Child 4:02
Guitar – Russ Titelman
Theremin [Probably Played] – Sam Hoffman
Written-By – Don Van Vliet, Herb Bermann
Bonus Tracks
13 Safe As Milk (Take 5) 4:13
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
14 On Tomorrow 6:56
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
15 Big Black Baby Shoes 4:50
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
16 Flower Pot 3:55
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
17 Dirty Blue Gene 2:43
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
18 Trust Us (Take 9) 7:22
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
19 Korn Ring Finger 7:26
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
Credits:
Arranged By – Don Van Vliet (tracks: 2 to 10, 12 to 19), Ry Cooder (tracks: 1, 11)
Bass – Jerry Handley, Ry Cooder (tracks: 8, 11)
Drums – John French
Guitar – Alex St. Clair Snouffer, Jeff Cotton (tracks: 13 to 19), Ry Cooder (tracks: 1 to 12)
Marimba [Bass] – Captain Beefheart (tracks: 1 to 12)
Mastered By – Elliott Federman
Shenai [Shinei] – Captain Beefheart (tracks: 13 to 19)
Vocals, Harmonica – Captain Beefheart

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND - Strictly Personal (1968-1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Considered by many to be a substandard effort due to the circumstances of its release (producer Bob Krasnow, the owner of Blue Thumb, the label which debuted with this album, remixed the album while Don Van Vliet and crew were off on a European tour, adding extraneous sound effects like heartbeats and excessive use of psychedelic-era clichés like out-of-phase stereo panning and flanging), 1968's Strictly Personal is actually a terrific album, every bit the equal of Safe As Milk and Trout Mask Replica. Opening with "Ah Feel Like Ahcid," an a cappella blues workout with its roots in Son House's "Death Letter," the brief (barely 35 minutes) album is at the same time simpler and weirder than Safe As Milk had been. Working without another songwriter or arranger for the first time, Captain Beefheart strips his idiosyncratic blues down to the bone, with several of the songs (especially "Son of Mirror Man/Mere Man") having little in the way of lyrics or chords beyond the most primeval stomp. Krasnow's unfortunate sound effects and phasing do detract from the album at points, but the strength of the performances, especially those of drummer John French, make his efforts little more than superfluous window dressing. Strictly Personal is a fascinating, underrated release. by Stewart Mason 
Tracklist:
1 Ah Feel Like Ahcid 3:05
2 Safe As Milk 5:27
3 Trust Us 8:09
4 Son Of Mirror Man - Mere Man 5:20
5 On Tomorrow 3:26
6 Beatle Bones 'N' Smokin' Stones 3:17
7 Gimme Dat Harp Boy 5:04
8 Kandy Korn 5:06
Credits:
Arranged By, Lead Vocals, Harmonica [Mouth Harp], Written-By – Don Van Vliet
Bass – Jerry Handley
Drums – John French
Mark Marcellino Keyboards
Guitar – Alex St. Claire, Jeff Cotton

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND - Trout Mask Replica (1969-2013) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Trout Mask Replica is Captain Beefheart's masterpiece, a fascinating, stunningly imaginative work that still sounds like little else in the rock & roll canon. Given total creative control by producer and friend Frank Zappa, Beefheart and his Magic Band rehearsed the material for this 28-song double album for over a year, wedding minimalistic R&B, blues, and garage rock to free jazz and avant-garde experimentalism. Atonal, sometimes singsong melodies; jagged, intricately constructed dual-guitar parts; stuttering, complicated rhythmic interaction -- all of these elements float out seemingly at random, often without completely interlocking, while Beefheart groans his surrealist poetry in a throaty Howlin' Wolf growl. The disjointedness is perhaps partly unintentional -- reportedly, Beefheart's refusal to wear headphones while recording his vocals caused him to sing in time with studio reverberations, not the actual backing tracks -- but by all accounts, the music and arrangements were carefully scripted by the Captain (aided by John "Drumbo" French), which makes the results even more remarkable. As one might expect from music so complex and, to many ears, inaccessible, the influence of Trout Mask Replica was felt more in spirit than in direct copycatting, as a catalyst rather than a literal musical starting point. However, its inspiring reimagining of what was possible in a rock context laid the groundwork for countless future experiments in rock surrealism, especially during the punk/new wave era. by Steve Huey  
Tracklist:
1 Frownland 1:39
2 The Dust Blows Forward 'N The Dust Blows Back 1:53
3 Dachau Blues 2:21
4 Ella Guru 2:23
Effects [Flesh Horn] – Antennae Jimmy Semens
5 Hair Pie: Bake 1 4:57
6 Moonlight On Vermont 3:55
7 Pachuco Cadaver 4:37
8 Bills Corpse 1:47
9 Sweet Sweet Bulbs 2:17
10 Neon Meate Dream Of A Octafish 2:25
11 China Pig 3:56
Guitar – Doug Moon
12 My Human Gets Me Blues 2:42
13 Dali's Car 1:25
14 Hair Pie: Bake 2 2:23
15 Pena 2:31
Lead Vocals – Antennae Jimmy Semens
16 Well 2:05
17 When Big Joan Sets Up 5:19
18 Fallin' Ditch 2:03
19 Sugar 'N Spikes 2:29
20 Ant Man Bee 3:55
Horn [Simran Horn], Musette – Captain Beefheart
21 Orange Claw Hammer 3:35
22 Wild Life 3:07
23 She's Too Much For My Mirror 1:42
24 Hobo Chang Ba 2:01
25 The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica) 2:04
26 Steal Softly Thru Snow 2:13
27 Old Fart At Play 1:54
28 Veteran's Day Poppy 4:30
Credits:
Arranged By, Written-By, Lyrics By – Don Van Vliet
Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Vocals – Captain Beefheart
Bass Clarinet, Vocals – The Mascara Snake
Bass, Narrator – Rockette Morton
Drums – Drumbo
Producer – Frank Zappa
Slide Guitar [Glass Finger], Flute – Zoot Horn Rollo
Slide Guitar [Steel-appendage] – Antennae Jimmy Semens

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND - Lick My Decals Off, Baby (1970-1989) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Produced by Captain Beefheart himself, Lick My Decals Off, Baby was a further refining and exploration of the musical ideas posited on Trout Mask Replica. As such, the imaginative fervor of Trout Mask is toned down somewhat, but in its place is an increased self-assurance; the tone of Decals is also a bit darker, examining environmental issues in some songs rather than simply concentrating on surreal wordplay. Whatever the differences, the jagged, complex rhythms and guitar interplay continue to amaze. Those wanting to dig deeper after the essential Trout Mask Replica are advised to begin doing so here. by Steve Huey

Tracklist:

1 Lick My Decals Off, Baby 2:38

2 Doctor Dark 2:46

3 I Love You, You Big Dummy 2:54

4 Peon 2:24

5 Bellerin' Plain 3:35

6 Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop 2:06

7 Japan In A Dishpan 3:00

8 I Wanna Find A Woman That'll Hold My Big Toe Till I Have To Go 1:53

9 Petrified Forest 1:40

10 One Red Rose That I Mean 1:53

11 The Buggy Boogie Woogie 2:19

12 The Smithsonian Institute Blues (Or The Big Dig) 2:11

13 Space-Age Couple 2:32

14 The Clouds Are Full Of Wine (Not Whiskey Or Rye) 2:50

15 Flash Gordon's Ape 4:57

Credits:

Bass – Rockette Morton

Drums, Percussion – Drumbo

Drums, Percussion, Marimba – Ed Marimba

Guitar, Slide Guitar – Zoot Horn Rollo

Vocals, Harmonica, Saxophone – Captain Beefheart

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND - Mirror Man (1971-1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Originally, Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band's second album was intended to be a double-album set called "It Comes to You in a Plain Brown Wrapper." Although 1968's Strictly Personal has the same artwork that was mooted for the double album, it's a single disc. As part of the same post-Trout Mask Replica closet-cleaning that led to Buddah (the parent company of Blue Thumb Records, which released Strictly Personal) reissuing Safe As Milk as Dropout Boogie in the U.K. in 1970, the label released Mirror Man, the second disc that was intended for the Plain Brown Wrapper release. Recorded in November 1967 (an odd misprint on the sleeve claims it was recorded in 1965, when the band barely existed), the four lengthy tracks on Mirror Man are even more simplistic and primal than those on Strictly Personal. All four are worthwhile, but the key tracks are "Tarotplane Blues," a free-form jam in which Beefheart jumbles together the lyrics of at least half a dozen blues standards into a stream-of-consciousness ramble (adding musette and harmonica for good measure) as the Magic Band vamps on a slide guitar-based, two-chord groove for over 19 minutes, and the similarly expansive "Mirror Man," one of the key tracks of Beefheart's entire career. Probably the catchiest tune Beefheart ever wrote, "Mirror Man" has an almost funky, hip-swaying groove, and there's a playful lightness to the way Beefheart chants the simplistic lyrics that prefigures the flights of fancy on Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals off, Baby. The remaining two tracks, "25th Century Quaker" and "Kandy Korn," are less essential but interesting enough. The revitalized and properly spelled Buddha Records reissued an expanded version of this album in 1999 as The Mirror Man Sessions, adding five alternate takes of songs that later appeared on Strictly Personal. by Stewart Mason  
Tracklist:
1 Tarotplane 19:09
2 Kandy Korn 8:06
3 25th Century Quaker 9:51
4 Mirror Man 15:51
Credits:
Bass – Jerry Handsley
Drums – Drumbo
Guitar – Alex St. Claire Snouffer, Antennae Jimmy Simmons
Vocals, Harmonica, Musette – Captain Beefheart
Written-By – Don Van Vliet

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND - The Spotlight Kid + Clear Spot (1972) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Producer Ted Templeman was a bit of a surprising choice given his firmly mainstream production credits, with the Doobie Brothers already under his belt and Van Halen lurking in the near future. As it turned out, such a combination led to a better-working fusion than might be expected, making one wonder why in the world Clear Spot wasn't more of a commercial success than it was. The sound is great throughout, and the feeling is of the coolest bar-band in town, not to mention one that could eat all the patrons for breakfast if it felt like it. Consequently, fans of the fully all-out side of Beefheart might find the end result not up to snuff, but those less concerned with pushing back all borders all the time will enjoy his unexpected blend of everything tempered with a new accessibility. "Nowadays a Woman's Got to Hit a Man," besides having a brilliant title, shows the balance perfectly -- Van Vliet serves up his rough asides with all his expected wit and sass, while the Magic Band trade off notes here and there just so. At the same time, the track is strong blues-rock that doesn't pander, with a particularly fierce solo thanks to Zoot Horn Rollo. "My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains" is a great love song, the softer arrangement saved from being too off by Beefheart's delivery. Other winners include the title track, a sharp combination of an off-kilter arrangement for a straightforward melody, the great shaggy-dog story of "Golden Birdies," and "Big Eyed Beans from Venus," a fantastically strange piece of aggression. by Ned Raggett   

Tracklist:

The Spotlight Kid

I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby 4:34
White Jam 2:55
Blabber 'N Smoke 2:46
When It Blows Its Stacks 3:40
Alice In Blunderland 3:54
The Spotlight Kid 3:21
Click Clack 3:30
Grow Fins 3:30
There Ain't No Santa Claus On The Evenin' Stage 3:11
Glider 4:34

Clear Spot

Producer Ted Templeman was a bit of a surprising choice given his firmly mainstream production credits, with the Doobie Brothers already under his belt and Van Halen lurking in the near future. As it turned out, such a combination led to a better-working fusion than might be expected, making one wonder why in the world Clear Spot wasn't more of a commercial success than it was. The sound is great throughout, and the feeling is of the coolest bar-band in town, not to mention one that could eat all the patrons for breakfast if it felt like it. Consequently, fans of the fully all-out side of Beefheart might find the end result not up to snuff, but those less concerned with pushing back all borders all the time will enjoy his unexpected blend of everything tempered with a new accessibility. "Nowadays a Woman's Got to Hit a Man," besides having a brilliant title, shows the balance perfectly -- Van Vliet serves up his rough asides with all his expected wit and sass, while the Magic Band trade off notes here and there just so. At the same time, the track is strong blues-rock that doesn't pander, with a particularly fierce solo thanks to Zoot Horn Rollo. "My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains" is a great love song, the softer arrangement saved from being too off by Beefheart's delivery. Other winners include the title track, a sharp combination of an off-kilter arrangement for a straightforward melody, the great shaggy-dog story of "Golden Birdies," and "Big Eyed Beans from Venus," a fantastically strange piece of aggression. by Ned Raggett  
Tracklist:
Low Yo Yo Stuff 3:41
Nowadays A Woman's Gotta Hit A Man 3:46
Too Much Time 2:50
Circumstances 3:14
My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains 2:55
Sun Zoom Spark 2:13
Clear Spot 3:39
Crazy Little Thing 2:39
Long Neck Bottles 3:18
Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles 2:57
Big Eyed Beans From Venus 4:23
Golden Birdies 1:37

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND - Unconditionally Guaranteed (1974-1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The most reviled album of Captain Beefheart's entire career, 1974's ironically titled Unconditionally Guaranteed unfortunately largely deserves its negative reputation. Recorded in the U.K. as the first album of Captain Beefheart's contract with Virgin Records, it's also the last album that features any members of the Trout Mask Replica-era band, notably guitarists Zoot Horn Rollo and Alex St. Clair, plus former Mothers of Invention percussionist Art Tripp. Rather like Van Morrison's later album, A Period of Transition, Unconditionally Guaranteed is clearly a deliberate attempt by the Captain to restrain his more peculiar tendencies in search of a wider audience. As might be expected, the wider audience didn't show up, and his longtime fans were put off by the album's more commercial facets. It's not an entirely useless album, as the tunes do have some of the blues-rock punch that's at the root of Beefheart's work, and the lyrics, mostly declarations of love for his wife, Jan Van Vliet, who receives co-writing credit with producer Andy DiMartino on all ten tracks, seem heartfelt enough. The problem is that DiMartino's production and arrangements are flaccid and dull, and Beefheart (purposely) sings as if he's half asleep throughout. Even Captain Beefheart himself disowns this record.  by Stewart Mason 
Tracklist:
1 Upon The My-O-My 2:40
2 Sugar Bowl 2:11
3 New Electric Ride 3:00
4 Magic Be 2:55
5 Happy Love Song 3:54
6 Full Moon, Hot Sun 2:19
7 I Got Love On My Mind 3:07
8 This Is The Day 4:48
9 Lazy Music 2:49
10 Peaches 3:20
Credits:
Acoustic Guitar – Andy DiMartino
Arranged By – Andy DiMartino, Don Van Vliet
Bass – Rockette Morton
Flute – Del Simmons
Guitar – Alex Saint Claire, Zoot Horn Rollo
Harmonica – Don Van Vliet
Keyboards – Mark Marcellino
Percussion – Art Tripp
Saxophone – Del Simmons
Vocals – Don Van Vliet
Written-By – Don Van Vliet, Jan Van Vliet
Written-By [Written With] – Andy DiMartino

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND - Bluejeans & Moonbeams (1974) APE (image+.cue), lossless

About the best one can say about 1974's Bluejeans & Moonbeams is that it's not as bad as his other release of the year, Unconditionally Guaranteed. In fact, there are two tracks, the pretty reverie "Observatory Crest" and the stomping blues-rocker "Party of Special Things to Do," that are actually quite good. The rest of the album, however, is fairly dire. Recorded with anonymous studio musicians who are clearly out of their league and glossed to a soul-less polish by producer Andy DiMartino, Bluejeans & Moonbeams never catches fire even at its best, and its worst tracks -- those would be "Pompadour Swamp" and the utterly wretched proto-disco "Captain's Holiday" -- are the worst things that have ever borne the Captain Beefheart name. Captain Beefheart would eventually return with the revitalized Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) in 1978, but Bluejeans & Moonbeams sounds like a tired and cynical make-work project. by Stewart Mason

Tracklist:

1 Party Of Special Things To Do 3:12
Lyrics By, Music By, Arranged By – D. Van Vliet, E. Ingber
2 Same Old Blues 4:00
Lyrics By, Music By – J.J. Cale
3 Observatory Crest 3:28
Arranged By – D. Van Vliet
Lyrics By, Music By – D. Van Vliet, E. Ingber
4 Pompadour Swamp 3:27
Lyrics By, Music By, Arranged By – D. Van Vliet
5 Captain's Holiday 5:42
Music By – C. Blackwell, R. Feldman, S. Hickerson, W. Richmond
6 Rock 'N Roll's Evil Doll 3:09
Lyrics By – D. Van Vliet
Music By, Arranged By – D. Van Vliet, I. Ingber, M. Gibbons
7 Further Than We've Gone 5:00
Lyrics By, Music By, Arranged By – D. Van Vliet
8 Twist Ah Luck 3:17
Lyrics By – D. Van Vliet
Music By, Arranged By – D. Van Vliet, I. Ingber, M. Gibbons
9 Bluejeans And Moonbeams 5:09
Lyrics By, Music By, Arranged By – D. Van Vliet
Credits:
Bass – Bob West (tracks: 3), Ira Ingber
Drums – Gene Pello
Guitar, Guitar [Bottleneck] – Dean Smith
Keyboards – Mark Gibbons
Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Michael Smotherman
Keyboards, Instruments [Star Machine] – Jimmy Caravan
Percussion – Ty Grimes
Vocals, Harmonica – Don Van Vliet

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND - Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (1979-1986) APE (image+.cue), lossless

So titled because the original album, simply titled Bat Chain Puller, had to be ditched and rerecorded after a legal tuzzle involving Frank Zappa's manager, Shiny Beast turned out to be manna from heaven for those feeling Beefheart had lost his way on his two Mercury albums. Then again, what else could be assumed with a song titled "Tropical Hot Dog Night" that sounds like what happened when Beefheart encountered Miami disco and decided to make something of it? When it comes to singing, though, he's still the atypical growler, snarler and more of lore, conjuring up more wonderfully odd lyrical stories than can easily be measured, while the album as a whole gets steadily more and more bent. "You Know You're a Man" is at once straightforward and incredibly weird when it comes to love and gender, while other standouts include "Bat Chain Puller," a steady chugger that feels like a goofy death march, and the nervy freak of "Owed T'Alex." As for the Magic Band in general, keyboardist Eric Drew Feldman, guitarists Jeff Tepper and Richard Redus and drummer Robert Williams lay down the business with appropriately gone aplomb, as a listen to "Suction Prints" will demonstrate. by Ned Raggett 
Tracklist:
1 The Floppy Boot Stomp 3:51
2 Tropical Hot Dog Night 4:48
3 Ice Rose 3:27
4 Harry Irene 3:42
5 You Know You're A Man 3:13
6 Bat Chain Puller 5:26
7 When I See Mommy I Feel Like A Mummy 5:03
8 Owed T'Alex 4:04
Lyrics By – Don Van Vliet, Herb Bermann
9 Candle Mambo 3:23
10 Love Lies 5:00
11 Suction Prints 4:20
12 Apes-Ma 0:38
Credits:
Drums, Percussion – Robert Arthur Williams
Guitar, Slide Guitar, Guitar [Spell Guitar] – Jeff Moris Tepper
Guitar, Slide Guitar, Slide Guitar [Bottleneck Guitar], Accordion, Fretless Bass – Richard Redus
Marimba, Percussion [Additional] – Art Tripp III
Synthesizer, Grand Piano, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Bass – Eric Drew Feldman
Trombone, Bass [Air Bass] – Bruce Lambourne Fowler
Vocals, Whistling, Harmonica, Soprano Saxophone – C.B., Don Van Vliet
Written-By – Don Van Vliet

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND - Doc at the Radar Station (1980-2015) RM / SHM-CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Generally acclaimed as the strongest album of his comeback, and by some as his best since Trout Mask Replica, Doc at the Radar Station had a tough, lean sound owing partly to the virtuosic new version of the Magic Band (featuring future Pixies sideman Eric Drew Feldman, New York downtown-scene guitarist Gary Lucas, and a returning John "Drumbo" French, among others) and partly to the clear, stripped-down production, which augmented the Captain's basic dual-guitar interplay and jumpy rhythms with extra percussion instruments and touches of Shiny Beast's synths and trombones. Many of the songs on Doc either reworked or fully developed unused material composed around the time of the creatively fertile Trout Mask sessions, which adds to the spirited performances. Even if the Captain's voice isn't quite what it once was, Doc at the Radar Station is an excellent, focused consolidation of Beefheart's past and then-present. by Steve Huey
Tracklist:
1 Hot Head 3:21
2 Ashtray Heart 3:26
Drums – Drumbo, John French
3 A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond 1:37
4 Run Paint Run Run 3:38
5 Sue Egypt 2:57
6 Brickbats 2:40
7 Dirty Blue Gene 3:50
8 Best Batch Yet 5:00
9 Telephone 1:33
10 Flavor Bud Living 5:08
Guitar – Gary Lucas
11 Sheriff Of Hong Kong 6:32
Bass, Drums – Drumbo, John French
12 Making Love To A Vampire With A Monkey On My Knee 3:10
Credits:
Drums – Robert Arthur Williams
French Horn – Gary Lucas
Guitar, Slide Guitar [Nerve Guitar] – Jeff Moris Tepper
Guitar, Slide Guitar, Marimba – Drumbo, John French
Synthesizer, Bass, Mellotron, Grand Piano, Electric Piano – Eric Drew Feldman
Trombone – Bruce Lambourne Fowler
Vocals, Gong [Chinese Gongs], Harmonica, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – C.B., Don Van Vliet
Written-By, Producer, Arranged By, Painting, Illustration – Don Van Vliet

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND - Ice Cream for Crow (1982-2015) RM / SHM-CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With yet one final Magic Band lineup in place, featuring Richard Snyder on bass and Cliff Martinez on drums alongside returning vets Jeff Moris Tepper and Gary Lucas, Beefheart put the final touch on his recording career to date with Ice Cream for Crow. It's a last entertaining blast of wigginess from one of the few truly independent artists in late 20th century pop music, with humor, skill, and style all still intact (as even the song titles like "Semi-Multicoloured Caucasian" and "Cardboard Cutout Sundown" show). With the Magic Band turning out more choppy rhythms, unexpected guitar lines, and outré arrangements, Captain Beefheart lets everything run wild as always, with successful results. Sometimes he sounds less like the blues shouter of lore and more of a spoken word artist with an attitude, thus the stuttering flow of "The Host the Ghost the Most Holy." "Hey Garland, I Dig Your Tweed Coat" is even more entertainingly outrageous, Beefheart's addictive if near impenetrable ramble about tobacco juice and straw hats and more backed by an insanely great arrangement. Magic Band members each get chances to shine one way or another -- "Evening Bell" in particular demonstrates why Lucas went on to later solo renown, a complex, suddenly shifting solo instrumental that sits somewhere between background music and head-scratching "how did he do that?" intrigue. by Ned Raggett  
Tracklist:
1 Ice Cream For Crow
2 The Host The Ghost The Most Holy-O
3 Semi-Multicoloured Caucasian
4 Hey Garland, I Dig Your Tweed Coat
5 Evening Bell
6 Cardboard Cutout Sundown
7 The Past Sure Is Tense
8 Ink Mathematics
9 The Witch Doctor Life
10 "81" Poop Hatch
11 The Thousandth And Tenth Day Of The Human Totem Pole
12 Skeleton Makes Good
Credits:
Bass, Marimba, Viola – Richard Midnight Hatsize Snyder
Drums, Maracas [Shake Bouquet], Washboard [Glass Washboard], Drums [Metal Drums] – Cliff R. Martinez
Electric Piano [Rhodes], Bass [Synthsized] – Eric Drew Feldman
Slide Guitar [Glass Finger], Guitar [Slide], Guitar [National Steel Duolian] – Gary Lucas
Slide Guitar [Steel-appendage], Slide Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Jeff Moris Tepper
Vocals, Harmonica, Soprano Saxophone, Gong [Chinese], Horn, Producer – Don Van Vliet
Written-By – D. Van Vliet