BadComrade wrote:that one annoying kid everyone had in their class who tried to talk in funny voices all the time and made you really uncomfortable when he told jokes that weren't even close to being funny.

who now is a regular Burningman attendee...

BadComrade wrote:

tmidgett wrote:Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)

That's my favorite one. It's also the one that doesn't sound at all dated to me. I also kinda feel like it laid the foundation for "angular / wirey / off-kilter indie rock". I have a hard time digesting some of the CB stuff, because of that whole "this shit sounds forced to me" hangup I have. I mean, he made that band practice their asses off like James Brown did his. It's not exactly music that just flowed from the guys as they "jamed". Bands who go out of their way to be weird always remind me of that one annoying kid everyone had in their class who tried to talk in funny voices all the time and made you really uncomfortable when he told jokes that weren't even close to being funny.

I don't think bands practice their asses off to go out of their way to be weird. The weirdness comes from the music being weird. Bands practice their asses off to go out of their way to be good, and Captain Beefheart was very good.

Absolutely Not Crap.

The better albums in order of preference:

Lick My Decals Off baby
Trout Mask Replica
Doc at the Radar Station
Shiny Beast
Clear Spot
The Mirror Man Sessions
Ice Cream for Crow
Safe As Milk

I also like that Revenant set or some of it anyway. Particularly the Beefheart/Zappa radio version of Orange Claw Hammer. It almost brings tears to my eyes.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned The Spotlight Kid, it's a very underrated album..
Clear Spot is excellent, Decals is the best overall I think..
hell, everything the man and his band(s) did is unique and can't really be compared to anybody or anything else.
I just picked up Shiny Beast and damned if it's not right up there as well - heck, even with all of the psychedelic production crap, Strictly Personal isn't too shabby either.. plus I like everything everybody else here has mentioned..
only the two 70's Mercury albums were rank (Unconditionally Guaranteed, Bluejeans & Moonbeams)

mattw wrote:I'd put Safe As Milk up there with the best of 'em.

Most definitely.
I like pretty much all of the stuff I own by him, but this is still my favorite.

BadComrade wrote:I have a hard time digesting some of the CB stuff, because of that whole "this shit sounds forced to me" hangup I have. I mean, he made that band practice their asses off like James Brown did his.

This is true for me post Shiny Beast... but I think it sounds like band is having the time of their lives on Trout Mask and Decals, supposedly the most "complicated" albums

If Doc at the Radar Station were never made, we would not have US Maple.

I love that album.

Weird, but absolutely NOT CRAP.

bourbon wrote:Dude like wouldn't it be cool if stranvinksy wrote words for the rite of spring and they went something like "titties and beer and poo poo and pee" Wouldn't that be funny and genius! Dude you just don't get it man, like zappa knows his words are stupid and the jokes on you 'cause you don't get it. But what you don't get is that I get that you get it but that fact that i get it but don't let you know i get means like I'm more clever than zappa but then again zappa my get that i get it but that i am pretending to not to get so then the jokes on me. Boy this is so clever sounding yet lowbrow at the same time! Hah hah!

this made me laugh so ridiculously hard. i don't even know why.

This evening, I went to this girl's home (a girl I will be sure to soon make my lady) and hung out with her and her friends. After a while of sitting around talking with these pot-smoking and drinking folks in the living, I get up to piss and go exploring. This girl (who stayed clean and sober with me all night) had a massive drawing (as in, she drew it) on her closet door of the cover art for Captain Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica." Not only was it a gorgeous rendering, but I got to take part in one of my all time favorite activities, which is discuss how awesome Captain Beefheart is.

SO. NOT. FUCKING. CRAP.

Any time anyone ever feels like they're doing something revolutionary, or interesting, or relevant, or meticulous...I suggest they put on a Beefheart album and sit the fuck back down.