Captain Beefheart albums ranked

[@martinsvinyl1985]

Great ranking, I enjoyed reading through everyone else comments and how they would of done it differently. I love beefheart and yes my ranking would be very different as well, trout mask would be very low on this list and safe as milk would be a lot higher. I think that what makes beefheart so unique that people can see his work so very differently and that’s what the definition of an artist is, that people can see his work have their own interpretations from it.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks Martin for taking the time to post such an insightful comment-much appreciated

[@1974ted]

He’s a hard one to rank as they change for me all the time. Best range of music in one artist

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks Ed for the understanding comment. I agree he's a hard one to rank, and at the end of the day trying to rank any art is just a fun way to share opinions and personal preferences

[@ronniechilds2002]

Really enjoyed your rankings here, even though I don't agree with you very much. If you were to ask me to rate these albums, I don't think I could do it. It would require way too much thought, plus it's always changing. Always good to hear stuff from obviously sincere serious Beefheart fans. Personally I'm not too fond of anything after Clear Spot. I love Spotlight Kid too, but do you know who doesn't? Bill Harkleroad, alias Zoot Horn Rollo, in his book 'Long Lunar Note' said he absolutely hates it, despises it, says it sounds ''dead''. I once had the great fortune to meet the Captain and grill him with questions for about 10-15 minutes. It was right after a sound-check, right after the Zoot/Drumbo/Morton, etc. band (the Trout Mask band) had quit, and the band on stage was entirely unfamiliar to me. I asked what happened to the Trout Mask band and he said "They quit. They wanted to go back to California and play rock and roll." I then asked him "What was Trout Mask? Was that rock and roll?" Even though we were alone, he gestured me closer to him and stage-whispered into my ear, "No, man, that was rocking hole.'' Pretty good, huh? Cheers to you from Virginia USA, and thanks for posting. I don't know many, if any, fans of the Captain, at least at my level of interest. This is a rare treat.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for your kind comments Ronnie-you're right this ranking is an impossible task (for most if not all artists)-it's just a way to talk about their work-and it keeps me busy for a good few hours every week. Loved your story of your meeting with the Captain.

[@ericarmstrong6540]

lol, "Rocking hole". "To be in a dinosaur's shoes; Dinah Shore's shoes"...

[@Nick-xi7wp]

Glad to hear some good, hot takes from a fellow Beefheart fan. Thank you for sharing! Definitely agree that Spotlight Kid is underrated, though my order is a bit different overall. Still, great thoughts on each record and thoroughly enjoyed hearing your explanations.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for very kind comments Nick

[@Unhacker]

Bongo Fury though! I know, it's not strictly a Beefheart album, but as far as I know it's the only recording of Deborah Cadabrah, and Sam With The Showing Scalp Flattop (Particular About The Point It Made). Great review!

[@johnspokus]

Clear Spot is widely considered his best produced album, produced by Ted Templeman ! I have that two for and think it sounds great.

[@brianhammer5107]

Do you mean RECORDED album? "Production" covers a lot of ground, and under that definition, "Clear Spot" does not rank with "Trout Mask" etc. It's a nice record but a bit too commercial for the Captain. As far as "widely considered" - well, sorry, but you have no evidence of that whatsoever, as no poll has ever been taken ...

[@vidarlarsen748]

Thanks for your presentation of the stuff of the great Captain..I really like that you've Spotlight Kid on top of your list. The album you got at bottoms, Bkuejeans and Moonbeams, has some really good tracks, Further Than We've Gone, Observatory Crest,and a couple more ,and I would've putted it' a couple of spots higher.. Thanks again Mister. Beefheart is one of my all time greatest musical heroes, but he wasn't the nicest guy around when he walked the Earth.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for your comments Vidar

[@klausrain111]

Kan kan kan kandy korn! What a beautiful track! I also LOVE Tropical Hot Dog Night! All Dada in purest forms. I think true Dada is meant to make just enough sense to be at the least credible intellectually speaking. Not just disassociated nonsensical blather. :-)

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for the comment-I'll have to seek out a decent vinyl copy of this album-my cd version sounds flat and dead

[@zhelezniakov]

Strictly personaly i would say Clear Spot is the Best,. Every song is really strong, and those long looming notes people.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks Zhelezniakov - I agree its a great album-just that my cd version doesn't have a great sound.

[@markblum5059]

If you want to clear out a party early, just put Trout Mask Replica.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Ha ha -fair comment Mark -unless its a party full of people like me (unlikely I grant)

[@neilslade]

I got my first copy of Trout from behind my friends couch where it had landed after they threw it against the wall...

[@sjbang5764]

Terrific stuff! Captain Beefheart is my favorite singer, songwriter, musician of all-time. It's interesting that you reference Lester Bangs, as that is who made me aware of Beefheart. I may be mistaken, but it seems to me I read Mr. Bangs review of Lick My Decals Off Baby in Downbeat Magazine. I do definitely recall Bangs comparing Beefheart's sax playing to that of Ornette Coleman. My father was a huge jazz fan, so I was familiar with OC. Anyway, I do agree with your top 3 Beefheart albums, only in a slightly different order, mine being Lick My Decals Off Baby at 1, Trout Mask Replica 2, and at 3, The Spotlight Kid. Enjoyable video, thanks for sharing.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for taking the time to comment SJ - I have a couple of OC albums and your comment has inspired me to try listening to them next to the Captain

[@PhilBaird1]

I've never got round to listening to all the Beefheart albums so apart from Trout Mask and one or two others I can't really add anything. I recognise what you're saying about Zappa though. He could be cold-hearted and never really did emotion, but on the rare occasions that he did it could be quite moving - because it was Frank opening up. He did however write and perform lots of beautiful music. I love almost all of his stuff and think you should give him another listen. Try the album with Beefheart, Bongo Fury, or the superb Hot Rats. The triple album Joe's Garage can wrong-foot many listeners at first but it's full of instrumental beauty.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers Phil. I do love Hot Rats (I featured it as my number 2 for 1969), and I will seek out Bongo Fury

[@PhilBaird1]

@@VinylMonkey58 Great stuff. Haven't watched your 1969 video yet.

[@jameskennedy721]

Strictly Personal is the beefyist Captain Crunch of all .

[@VinylMonkey58]

Nice one James-thanks for taking the time to share your preference

[@michaelcarroll9416]

Favorites for me: 1. Lick My Decals Off, Baby 2. Clear Spot 3. Doc at the Radar Station After that it's hard to say, but the worst one I've heard is probably Unconditionally Guaranteed.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for sharing your list Michael. It seems most Beefheart fans have Clear Spot up there-as I've said before I must get a better recording of it

[@jimjones-s7o]

Bluiejeans and Moonbeams is excellent album regardless of it sounding more accessible than other Beefheart and all that. Same thing with Unconditionally Guaranteed and Live in London 1974. Clear Spot takes the cake though as far as really good Beefheart albums go in my opnion.

[@Lumenbrother]

Safe as Milk was out late June 1967

[@1974ted]

I meant to say you should look out the original Bat chain puller album. It is on iTunes. I think it is the original recordings that were meant to be released as an album but Frank Zappa wouldn’t release them as Herb Cohen had used Franks royalty checks to fund the album. Zappas family announced they would release the tunes and they were in 2012. Anyway there are some great versions of songs that are a lot more raw than what is on shiny beast and a beautiful song called “Odd jobs”

[@steliosposeidon6871]

kzbin.info/aero/PLQ2h-AnNfb4IIXu2dI_fWtIMYtAP1CIAC

[@TrevorBarre]

Nice review. Pleased that you were king to Unconditionally Guaranteed. Very much in accord with your analyses.

[@TrevorBarre]

Don't agree with your estimation of Mirror Man. Would put Doc at the Radar Station higher.

[@msjoanofthearc]

Fantastic lineup, thanks!

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers-thanks for taking the time to watch and comment so kindly

[@remingtongagnard4442]

Lick My Decals Off is my personal favorite (i havent heard them all) but yeah cool list! I wouldve put Clear Spot higher though, i think the production and sound is good! Some stand out songs too, Nowadays a Woman Has to Hit a Man really swings!

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers Remington-You've reminded me I haven't played the Captain in a while-I must correct that

[@aakkoin]

I've been workin on a farm n' listening to Safe As Milk, 1967

[@keithamandahall8548]

Totally disagree with your rankings.. but always nice to meet another Beefheart fan. He's my all time favorite artist. 🍻

[@nige3801]

PS. l remember Don was being interviewed in a Dennys diner ( on ytube) and he said the 'carp mask' on TMP was about conservation ( carp survive in polluted water)

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers Nice-that explains it then :)

[@VinylMonkey58]

Haha-cheers Richard-maybe in another 20/30 years TMR will get to the top? I must seek a decent vinyl copy of Clear Spot as many Beefheartians make a strong case for it. As I said before my cd version has a muddy production which has put me off it. Thanks for taking the time to comment

[@christophermoon64]

Decals, Mirror Man. Doc at the Radar Station are my favs.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers Christopher-three good guns there. If I did my top 10 again it would probably differ every time

[@robinjones363]

Everything is up to the individual we have one of music’s geniuses, I find further than we’ve gone deeply moving as trout totally different🥰

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers Robin - totally agree

[@bingbongtoysKY]

YES!!!! the greatest American Composer-

[@behemoth5344]

I like the comparison between Trout Mask Replica and Ulysses. Thanks for your video.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for the comment behemoth

[@Ozznando]

I agree that Spotlight is his best album. I agree with most of your choices with the exception of clear spot that IMO should be higher in the ranks. The rest I was calling out before you did. Nice ranking.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for your kind comments Judy and James. I've had a few similar comments re 'Clear Spot'. I think I'll try to source a better sounding edition than the CD I currently have

[@whatamalike]

My top 5 are: 1.) Strictly personal 2.) Trout mask replica 3.) Lick my decals off baby 4.) Ice cream for crow 5.) Doc at the radar station I know beefheart hated the effects added to Strictly personal, but i think they work really well in places. Especially on Trust us!

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers and thanks for taking the time to share your 5

[@TrevorBarre]

Glad that you've rated Spotlight Kid so high. It's often underrated.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for taking the time to watch, and your kind comments are much appreciated

[@robdigi2929]

The one and only singular genuine extracellular matrix mixer 🎩 ...a worthy ranking sir, I agree by and large... 1. Spotlight Kid of course , I do have Safe as Milk with Lick my Decals higher up (can't overcome sentimental value) perhaps at 2 n' 3 for those two ...and then the Magic Band II albums.... which I also think was some of Beefhearts really groovy stuff. Great job, I enjoyed your presentation.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for the very kind comments and for sharing your preferences robdigi

[@richardsullivan3376]

I liked your review but curious why Bongo Fury with Frank Zappa wasn't included. That album to me is the best Beefheart effort.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for the comment Richard. I'd always understood that album to be essentially Zappa material with Beefheart guesting. And as I 'took against' Zappa early on(never liked his politics or arrogance?) I've never considered it. I'm probably wrong, and will seek it out and give it a go.

[@richardsullivan3376]

@@VinylMonkey58 Thank You. I enjoy your reviews and look forward to more.

[@hugovandermeer6746]

Definitely. Same as Hot Rats and 'Willie The Pimp' sung superbly by Beefheart. Said to have been written by Zappa based on a conversation around setting someone up with a prostitute who didn't exist?

[@hugovandermeer6746]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqOVZmmdqcZlh9k

[@nige3801]

​@@VinylMonkey58 Denny Walley does some great slide on bongo, also check his Hoboism version with Henry Kaiser (on youtube

[@nige3801]

Just like you I have half vinyl and half cd. Im happy with my Lick My Decals album ( it sounds good but its a modern pressing I got about ten years ago. I play clearspot on cd and always dig it, its a great listen...Ted Templeman the producer got a great sound imo Cheers brother!

[@GeorgeKontanas]

i love all of them ....

[@VinylMonkey58]

Good for you George...no such thing as a bad Beefheart album. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment

[@taggartreid9408]

Trout Mask Replica, Lick My Decals Off Baby, Doc at the Radar Station, Ice Cream for Crow, Bat Chain Puller, Shiny Beast, Spotlight Kid, after these it don't really matter the order because the best batch has been delivered.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers Taggart -thanks for sharing your preferences

[@whitejam3742]

Great list

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers white jam

[@hugovandermeer6746]

Spotlight Kid, definitely, my No.1, Glider, my favourite track.👍

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks Hugo for taking the time to comment- I didn't expect many/anyone to agree with my number 1 Beefheart album

[@hugovandermeer6746]

A masterpiece in my view. A lifelong fan of his music and his musicians. Thank you for doing your list. A masterpiece in itself. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXPIg6GnhbSlibs

[@richardtyson7884]

Clear Spot is my number one The more,I listen to TMR the more,I like it but we,are talking about 40 years here..

[@knotwilg3596]

Haha, fellow here! CS my #1 too and TMR is some damn taste to acquire!

[@bencooper1371]

more or less agree (they are all good and worth a listen) but get a decent pressing of Clear spot-in my opinion the best album of the 70s (just ahead of Televisions' Marquee Moon.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers Ben-yes I'm still looking for a good copy of ~Clear Spot-but prices have gone up a bit.

[@vinylrichie007]

I rather like Bluejeans and Moon Beams. Must say more than Trout Mask Replica. I think the post production touches improve the Strictly Personal songs. My version of Clear Spot sounds great. I think Mirror Man and Strictly Personal were recorded around the same time. Some of the horn and harmonica is horribly ear piercing on Mirror Man. Spotlight Kid tops my list but Trout Mask Replica is near the bottom.

[@zundap100]

Thanks for info👍

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers Dan

[@klausrain111]

IMHO, Clear Spot is clearly Number 3, Decals is def 2, so that means Trout Mask is ??? :-)

[@neilslade]

Saw the Spotlight Kid band-- good- but nothing compares with Lick or Trout- not even close.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers Neil-unfortunately I never had the opportunity to see them live. Thanks for sharing your insight

[@brianhammer5107]

The first two albums should be number 3 and 4 - those are prime albums.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for taking time to share your opinion Brian

[@danielbrodowski8446]

The spotlight kid is one of his best albums but trout mask replica should have been number 1

[@VinylMonkey58]

Fair point Daniel-thanks for taking the time to share your opinion

[@user-io3th6lo9t]

I don't know why Beefheart was so cruel to musicians considering that the man himself was not one.

[@bejfdhvla6773]

Number 1 mallard self titled number 2 in a different climate number 3 lick my decals number 4 clear spot

[@VinylMonkey58]

Cheers-thanks for taking the time to comment. Unfortunately I haven't got the Mallard albums and haven't heard them for a long time

[@knotwilg3596]

I have quite a different take but at least I find it refreshing not to see TMR on #1. A lot has been said about the man and his music already. I learned a lot from the biographies Barnes and French did, in rather dissimilar vain. Certain albums have grown on me, like Decals or Doc, others I loved at first and now less so, like Mirror Man or Bluejeans. UC I have never liked at all, contrary to twin sister BJ&MB. TMR I give its yearly turn but it still hasn't happened for me yet, contrary to decals which I find enjoyable AND crafty nowadays, while TMR remains a conscious effort. French's own stories and appreciation of it don't help in that regard. Overall there's no doubt that this man takes a unique position in music history. He's my favorite artist but the deep dives into his story have grown my admiration for the Magic Band and have reduced his own stature from a genius to more of an idiot savant, who has always needed (and mostly found) fantastic musicians to translate his visions into listenable music. For what it's worth: top tier Clear Spot, Shiny Beast, Safe as Milk; next Doc a/t radar station, Strictly Personal, (the original) Bat Chain Puller;, Lick my decals off baby; then Mirror Man, Spotlight Kid, Bluejeans, Ice cream for crow; A&M sessions hardly count; Unconiditonally guaranteed in the lowest tier. And TMR in the dunno category.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thank you for taking the time to share those insightful and informative comments-very much appreciated

[@hasseelmerson]

Hello Nice video by the way. I also have all albums by C Beefheart I like all of them. But why is. English text so bad? "Beefheart" is not "Be fart" Greetings from musiclover in Stockholm....

[@VinylMonkey58]

Thanks for your comment Hasse -not sure about the problem with the English??

[@colinwhite5355]

Not like you to allow your feelings about an artist influence the way you judge their music, Mal? Zappa, “cold” and, by inference, less “warm and human” than Beefhart. There’s some, out there, who find it almost impossible to listen to an artist if they see them as a bit ‘arseholeish’ - but what do they know? Lol. So, just sampled ‘Trout/Carp-mask Replica’. Just a couple of thoughts. Aaagh! Is the album cover a random snapshot of one of his band who was spotted while trying to escape from the months-long incarceration with him and Zappa - something his entire band ultimately decided to do? Surely, any lengthy exposure to this level of musical dissonance would result in even the most facially-graced among us finding himself qualifying as a stand-in for ‘Big mouth Billy Bass’. Excruciating, as a descriptor, finds itself falling way short of the mark, on this occasion.

[@VinylMonkey58]

Fair cop Col-though I should of made it clearer that I find Zappa's music/songs (rather than the man himself)cold by comparison. Of course I never met the feller and I guess a lot of his cynical outpourings were for the benefit of the media. I do think you should give TMR another go or three, perhaps the cd or vinyl version on a good hi-fi rather than on an iPad. I think its one of those really important works of art that open/break down doors

[@colinwhite5355]

@@VinylMonkey58Cheers, Mal, however, nails dragged across a blackboard, be it heard as a result of a pin scraping across bacolite or courtesy of Bang & Olufsen, is still nails dragged across a blackboard. Should there be any doubt, can we appoint Pete n Patrico as impartial adjudicators? Regarding the doors analogy, is nailing the door shut an option? Hard to let go, on this occasion, but apparently, very little (none?) of Beefharts stuff was a commercial success (hence all his band packing their bags) - in the same way, perhaps, that ‘the Emperors new clothes’ never caught on as a range of fashion?