Captain Beefheart recommendations
 

So last night I dreamt that Captain Beefheart came out of retirement (a stupid thought I know), and was practicing in the same practive pad with his band that I was using with mine. Anyway that lead me to listen to Trout Mask Replica, my only album of his, and was wondering if anybody could recommend any other albums of his to me.

You cannot live without Safe as Milk.

Yeah Safe as Milk is one of my favourites. Plus, it has 'Electricity' on it, which SY covered!

my favorite captain beefheart albums in order:

1. ice cream for crow
2. lick my decals off baby
3. doc at the radar station
4. safe as milk
5. trout mask replica
6. shiny beast
7. strictly personal
8. clear spot

and i never heard the ones i didn't mention...

I'd recommend Doc At the Radar Station and Safe As Milk over Trout Mask Replica.

I'm yet to hear Ice Cream For the Crow, I should get around to buying it.

trout mask replica is the best, followed by safe as milk and lick my decals off, baby.

but they're all good, except unconditionally guaranteed and bluejeans & moonbeams (both 1974).

If you also like Franck Zappa, you should listen to Bongo Fury, Zappa and Beefheart reunion. It's a good live ( Carolina Harcore ecstasy, the Muffin Man...)

i'm not that fond of bongo fury, try the lost episodes instead, it has some really early zappa/beefheart recordings included.

Oh, thanks, I didn't know this album, I'll try to find it.

yeah, i didn't like bongo fury either....

i think the best thing beefheart and zappa did together was the 1975 radio version of 'orange claw hammer', amazing stuff... it's on the 'grow fins' box. willie the pimp on hot rats is good too.

and of course zappa produced trout mask, but i'm not sure if he did a lot there, maybe just leaving all those talking bits and little things in between the songs, to make it sound less produced. which was a good thing, but the music was good enough and it was done without zappa.

see and i thought the production on trout mask kinda sucked, it was a bit too dry and lifeless and the vocals were way too loud

i think, songwriting wise, production wise, everything, ice cream for crow is easily the best. listen to tracks 10 and 11 for proof.

I remember reading that Zappa slept in a chair during the recording sessions of TMR. I think Beefheart said that himself, actually. I'm not too sure.

Anyway, definitely pick up Safe as Milk. Like someone said earlier, they're all good, except his '74 albums.

Safe as Milk is my fave...but Im no expert...havent heard most of them...only the popular ones...