Not the best, but Clearspot is my fav.

And yeah, where's the POLL part of this?!

I'm with Decals.

b

I'll go with Clear Spot and Doc At The Radar Station as overall joint favorites. Very different from each other but equally great. Decals comes close (if only for Peon) but I find it pretty hard to get past the abysmal recording. Sacking the recording engineer 3 days into a session = Crap.

I shelled out for the Grow Fins box set and although it's pricey, it's worth it for the Trout Mask 'House' sessions. Really good recordings of roughly 2/3 of the LP in instrumental form.

'Strictly Personal' with 'Safe As Milk' right behind it. Good to see 'Doc At The Radar Station' mentioned several times ...

brucespringstein wrote:...to great dismay i'm going Safe As Milk until my early death ---10-4

seconded.

i don't know why.

bump

Trout Mask.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, in the Beefheart vs. Residents thread, I've been picking up the records by him that I don't already own.

So far, I like "Clear Spot" the best, but I've got a few more to pick up.

As far as best overall, that is a hard choice to make.

Every album by him (and the Magic Band of course) that I have heard has something wonderful to offer in the way of listening pleasure.

From his interpretations of the blues, his semi-commercial material, to his more esoteric material, it all (at least what I've heard) makes me glad that he exists.

So far, over all, Clear Spot for me. But that could just be because that is the one I've listened to most lately.

Trout Mask was the first record of his I bought. The first time I heard it, I thought it was ok. The first time, a few years later, that I really LISTENED to it, I realized what a great, important, record it is.

Doc at the radar station
Lick My Decals off

Nothing beats "When Big Joan Sets Up".

Trout Mask for me.