I know the Sundazed mono LP gets a lot of hate around here (and yes I read that whole thread) but I just played it and don't care if they pulled a Frankenstein job on it. I don't hear the stitches and it just sounds f'n great.
I will move on to the next album this evening. I learnt from previous album by album threads not to rush things to give any stragglers a chance to chime in.
I think my first Beefheart albums were the two Buddah reissues; Mirror Man Sessions and Safe As Milk. I may have gotten them at the same time — don’t remember — but the Mirror Man disc was the one that really struck me. It was unlike anything I had ever heard. I still think that today. Safe As Milk was a more conventional 60’s pop album — and a very good one — but it didn’t blow me away like the Mirror Man Sessions did. But it quickly grew on me and became the one I would listen to most. It’s an amazing album and one of the great debuts for sure. I love it for its autmnal qualities. And there’s always a lot to uncover — from its brilliant songwriting, aborbing melodies, effective production, unique and imaginative arrangements, and the authentic quality of musicianship. While I really enjoy the stuff the Captain did later, I do wish there were more albums like Safe As Milk and the Mirror Man Sessions in his catalog.
I am one of the rare folks who got into FZ due to his connection to Beefheart, and my intro to both was Trout Mask Replica (apart from having heard Zappa on STINYC). Safe As Milk is an awesome album. Every tack is a gem from the soul of I'm Glad and Call On Me to the weirdness of Elecricity and Autumn's Child. My favs are probably the rocking Zig Zag Wanderer and the skewed proto funk of Abba Zaba.
Next album up! From Wiki: Strictly Personal is the second album by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. It was originally released in October 1968, almost a year after the band had initially taken to the studio to record the follow-up to 1967's Safe as Milk. The finished album has a controversial reputation owing to producer Bob Krasnow's use of audio effects when the tracks were mixed down in accordance with the psychedelic trends of the day. Beefheart subsequently condemned this production, which he said was done without his knowledge or approval, though he is said initially to have agreed to it. History The original intention was to record an album for Buddah Records entitled It Comes to You in a Plain Brown Wrapper (Strictly Personal's sleeve design is a relic of this initial concept). A considerable amount of material was recorded for the project during the period of October–November 1967 with Bob Krasnow producing. Buddah, however, declined to release the album, which was issued as Strictly Personal on Krasnow's own Blue Thumb label the following year. The album features re-recorded versions of songs from the 1967 sessions. The psychedelic effects added by Krasnow included phasing, reverse tape, tape editing and deep echo. Beefheart always professed that he hated the effects, claiming they had been added without his knowledge, though it is likely he was aware and approved of them at the time. However, subsequent recordings of his are produced with a dry, unaffected sound. Buddah released some recordings from the earlier sessions, along with an earlier version of "Kandy Korn", as Mirror Man in 1971. Much other material from the 1967 sessions has since been released: the compilation I May Be Hungry But I Sure Ain't Weird (1992) contained eleven of the original cuts taken from master tapes. This album has long since been out of print, but all eleven tracks can be found spread across The Mirror Man Sessions and the current version of Safe as Milk. Some of these tracks were also used for a vinyl-only release by the Sundazed label in 2008 bearing the original intended title of It Comes to You in a Plain Brown Wrapper but this release does not duplicate the original album's concept or sequence. Track listing All tracks written by Don Van Vliet. Side one 1. "Ah Feel Like Ahcid" 3:05 2. "Safe As Milk" 5:27 3. "Trust Us" 8:09 4. "Son of Mirror Man - Mere Man" 5:20 Side two 1. "On Tomorrow" 3:27 2. "Beatle Bones 'n' Smokin' Stones" 3:18 3. "Gimme Dat Harp Boy" 5:05 4. "Kandy Korn" 5:06 According to the album credits, all songs were written by Don Van Vliet. Lyricist Herb Bermann has contested this, claiming to have written the lyrics to the songs "Safe As Milk", "Trust Us," "Gimme Dat Harp Boy," and "Kandy Korn". Personnel Don Van Vliet – vocals, harmonica Alex St. Clair – guitar Jeff Cotton – guitar Jerry Handley – bass John French – drums
I have always had a hard time assessing the Strictly Personal album. As released, I always felt it paled in comparison to the un-futzed version I was first introduced to on Buddah's Mirror Man Sessions. I'm not sure if I have ever tried, or if it's entirely possible to reconstruct the album above with the tracks spread across the Mirror Man Sessions and the bonus tracks of Safe As Milk, but if it is possible, I'm sure I'd love the album much more. That said, I do like this album as is. It's a nice follow up and progression from Safe As Milk, though not as great. The effects kind of swallow it up. But, again, as found on the clean and un-futzed Mirror Man Sessions, I think it's absolutely brilliant!
It's a fun period piece but neither as hard hitting as Safe As Milk nor as ground breaking as his next couple. It is probably the most conventional for its era album that CB put out, though in one of the least conventional eras. I don't have a problem with the effects but it is also nice to hear the clener versions on Mirror Man, though some of the tracks on that could have clearly benefitted from editing. The bluesy tracks are the best and the Beatles parody is the low point.
...a long time favorite even with the “psych-o-delic bromo-seltzer” (I think that’s what the good Captain called it). I also have the I May Be Hungry... comp. “Trust Us” (take 7) is outta sight!
I love Strictly Personal along with the Mirror Man album and the Sequel CD tracks from this era. I know many fans don't like the Bob Krasnow effects added to this album but I like them a lot. I'm a fan of these type of effects on many albums from that time so it's probably no surprise. "Ah Feel Like Ahcid" just tickles my funny-bone. Great lyrics, Whoooo Big chicken legs. Was the "Chicken legs" borrowed from a past blues musician? Same with "Beatle Bones 'n' Smokin' Stones" just fun Beefheart weirdness with The Beatles reference. "Son of Mirror Man, Mere Man" is just awesome with it's swampy feel to it. It should have been used for The Deliverance SDTK. I like it when the Captain sounds like he is suffocating on his harmonica. And like some of the tracks on this album and Mirror Man, he sings into the bell of his horned instrument which I really like the effect of this. I just like the gritty swampy feel of this album in general. The Captains laugh at the beginning of Kandy Korn always got me. This CD along with the Sequel CD had the best liner notes of any Beefheart CDs at that time. The next great notes were on the 1999 Buddha/BMG CD reissues.
This album was my first exposure to Beefheart and I love this material in both the psychedelic and the raw mixes. I probably consider this and TMR to be my favorites in his catalog.
I wish that Moody Liz "take 16" would have been included on the Sequel CD or the 1999 Buddha CDs. I've never heard this version before. It's only available on the Sundazed Brown Wrapper 2 LP set.
...adding to my earlier comments. I think this is the album where Beefheart really sets out on his own, wholly-unique musical direction. There's something in this music that's beginning to divorce itself from known realities and accepted musical norms. It's becoming less easily categorized. There's elements of this and that -- Delta Blues chief among them. But here the Delta Blues is merely serving as a tour guide, not as an achievement to the genre -- not intending to anyway. Mostly it serves to reset our expectations which will be built back up to what the Captain really aims to achieve throughout the record. I think that's the main reason why so many (like myself) don't really need the litany of special effects which were applied, post-production. But just as well, the invention of it all still stands. A track like "Beatle Bones and Smokin Stones" is a bold example which directly emphasizes this break from, not only the past, but the relatively current -- as Beefheart seems to issue a challenge to his musical counterparts and their fans. Somewhat reminiscent of Brian Wilson and the Four Seasons' back-and-forth. But as far out as the album goes, it's really much closer to Safe As Milk than what was to come. Given that, and given what's bubbling under the surface here, I have to assume that Don really came to some conclusions during this period about what might be possible -- from an artistic/musical-construction standpoint. There's an overwhelming sense on Strictly Personal that Don was "up to something." It's all quite strange...
I love this album; Strictly Personal. Delta blues meets psychedelia with a certain hyped-up electricity reminiscent of an old Elmore James record. Some beautiful lyrics that get lost in the sonic onslaught, "Where I set and you set; and I’ve loved and you’ve loved....Blue veins through gray-felt tomorrows".
Some great insight into this album, not sure what I could possibly add, except that I never minded the extra effects and see this on the whole as a natural progression from SAM. I love this album. The unprocessed versions released later are also great. The progression from this album to the next is extraordinary.
