Captain Beefheart Album Review
Captain Beefheart (aka Don Van Vliet) the maverick talent behind Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band created thirteen albums during his musical career. The albums were always an experimental affair and have been hugely influential to musicians of every genre and taste. Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) has been re-released in a re-mastered format along with four other classic Beefheart albums and a previously unavailable live album.
This album, originally released in 1978 saw a return to experimental form four years after the release of their two most poppy and accessible albums. It showcases a more than eclectic talent, impressively mixing blues, jazz, rock and roll, spoken word and a staggering array of instruments including saxophone, trombone, accordion, synths, piano...the list goes on. Don Van Vliet's warm gravelly, gruff voice presides over the madness, spewing out nonsensical but amusing lyrics. Right from the beginning of the album it is obvious that is not going to be a soft option, it is complex music but amazingly it is never difficult to listen to, never so far off the beaten track that it will alienate; the opening track, 'The Floppy Boot Stomp' drops you in at the deep end straight away with strange spoken word lyrics and a bluesy guitar sound but in between all the experimental sections there are more than enough juicy tunes that are all so catchy and up beat and well played it's easy to accept the eccentricities. Track two 'Tropical Hot Dog Night' is frankly brilliant, with its jazz brass and bizarre lyrics it is deliciously off beat and so warm and toasty you can feel yourself melting away on the beat. The album doesn't let up from then on in, carrying on the mix of melodic and compelling tunes and atmospheric complexity of style right until the last note.
In theory this chaotic musical stew should be out of control, but it never is. The sense of Vliet as a controlling presence holding together the music is very strong, but every musician contributing to the obviously complex arrangement makes it all sound so easy. Beefheart's music always makes me think of a New Orleans funeral complete with marching band, rain and black umbrellas, something mysterious yet celebratory at the same time. There is something about this music that feels eternally optimistic, and even at this late stage in his career Vliet still shines through as an intriguing and uncompromising musical talent worthy of everybody's attention. Genius stuff.