Well, the great Dice have spoken (or rather, the Random Number Generator has) and decreed that this guy is up next.
My lack of love towards Captain Beefheart is now almost legendary, and required reading for any new member who joins (
) but I am slowly (slowly) coming around, it would seem. On my second listen to TMR I didn't quite hate it as much as I had originally, which is saying something, and way back in 2015 I reviewed three more of his albums, as you'll see from the colour scheme below, none of which I hated at all. So there may be some hope.
All that notwithstanding, it's time to tackle those albums I have yet to hear, so let's get going with the first of those, which happens to be his second.
Album title: Strictly Personal
Artiste: Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
Genre: Psych rock/blues
Year: 1968
Label: Blue Thumb
Producer: Bob Krasnow
Chronological position: Second album
Notes:
Album chart position: n/a
Singles: n/a
Lineup: Don Van Vliet –vocals,harmonica
Alex St. Clair–guitar
Jeff Cotton– guitar
Jerry Handley –bass
John French–drums
Review begins
Starts off almost
acapella then develops into a kind of folk/blues tune, uptempo and not at all bad, then “Safe as milk” is more guitar-oriented and with a vocal chorus, oddly enough the track is not on the previous album from which it gets its title. Turns into something of an instrumental jam with added sound effects in the third minute, though I'm informed those effects were added without his knowledge by his producer. I can see why he didn't want them there; they don't do anything for the song except make it a little confusing for the listener. Pointless, really. “Trust us” is another guitar-driven piece with a screeched vocal which Waits would later copy; always sounds a little tortured. Some very good guitar riffs here though. Gets quite psychedelic, though it also gets quite repetitive for such a long song, running for just over eight minutes. Turns almost into a separate little blues song in the last minute or so.
“Son of mirror man – mere man” starts out as, again, a pretty repetitive bouncy blues tune, but then descends into some sort of effects nonsense, though there's some good harmonica in there, while “On tomorrow” is kinda formless to me and again there's a lot of repetition. The next one goes by without making any sort of impression on me – couldn't even tell you what it's like other than the cheeky little line from “Strawberry fields forever” at the end - then more harmonica as we head back into the blues arena for “Gimme dat harp boy”, which is pretty good, very catchy and works well. Really like this actually, probably the best on the album for me. Nah, no probably about it. We end then on “Kandy korn”, with some good guitar but it doesn't do much for me.
Track listing and ratings
Ah feel like acid
Safe as milk
Trust us
Son of Mirror Man – Mere Man
On tomorrow
Beatle bones 'n smokin' stones
Gimme dat harp boy
Kandy korn
Afterword:
Well I tried to like it but it just wouldn't click with me. In previous instances I've gone into Beefheart albums expecting – intending – to hate them and have been quite surprised. This was the reverse: I had hoped I would enjoy it but I have to say it bored the hell out of me. Obviously, this is an earlier album and the ones I reviewed (other than the debut) are later, so maybe that's the way in for me, if there is one. Or maybe I just hated it because of all the fiddly effects. Hey, at least nothing was marked in red, which is an improvement from me!
Rating: 