Captain Beefheart

doc at radar station is one of his lesser mentioned lps that i really rate.

by the way the magic band are still well worth seeing live if you get the chance. i saw them late last year and it was easy in my top few gigs of the year, the energy is incredible.

Glad you've got into Beefheart. You have a treasure trove of great records to look forward to. I'd recommend staying well clear of "Unconditionally Guaranteed", his first record for a major label which was a disaster. Also "Strictly Personal" is unfocused & rushed. Apart from that all his other studio records are completely worth your time. I'm so glad you dig Clear Spot, it's my favourite Beefheart record yet people slate it because it is so accessible & straight forward compared to his trademark sound yet for me it's a masterpiece. BIG EYED BEANS FROM VENUS

I'd recommend two records as your next step. Obviously "Trout Mask Replica" is a must. It's his most famous work & probably his most ambitious. If you don't know the story of how it was made I'd suggest having a quick read up, it's one of the most insane recording processes of rock history. I wasn't keen on the record for a good few years but once it clicked It was magical - that said there are still moments on there which are still too much for me to take. The other is his debut "Safe as Milk" which is typical of the year it came out with its blend of blues, Psych & garage-rock yet the songs are incredibly strong & whilst it doesn't feature his strongest lyrical content there's still some fantastic word-play throughout the record.

It's been a couple of years since I've been on a Beefheart binge, the past year or so I've been getting much more into Zappa. Two incredible artists.

^ Great post, cheers Karl. Will get those two LPs tonight and report back when I've had time to digest them. I remember getting Trout Mask Replica years ago and not making head nor tail of it, but then that was probably around the time that I listened exclusively to The La's.