I listened to the 7/17/76 version today and while the instrumental part out of the song is fantastic, Jerry butchers the meter during much of the song proper.
Not sure about that. The whole sequence from 5-4 is better, but if we just take CAT in isolation 5-9 may be the best one. Just by a little, mind.
So I started with Safe As Milk even though I know it's not really representative of their later sound, but it's still cool to hear somebody who's clearly an aficionado of Elmore James and Muddy Waters records but also influenced by the Doors, Byrds, Kinks, Canned Heat, the Standells and Miracles, among others.
However, I know Mr. Van Vilet is a friend of Zappa's so I suspect the straightness will melt away shortly...
This takes the merging of popular music and avant-garde noise and lights it with acid jazz butane. Gnarly stuff.
It’s been a while, but that outro is what elevated this version, for me. Still, Buffalo, 09/05/77 is my choice for numero uno.
1971/05/30 San Francisco, CA (Winterland: May 30th 1971) This feels like a random release. Mostly typical, average-great '71. Why did it even get one? For the saucy Lovelight?
2/23/74 Winterland has a good The Other One. It thunders in out of the drum break and they get a good medium boil going; smooth but low-key intense. There’s some elastic ping pong early on (as @Archtop previously noted). A bit of proto-Slipknot as things get spacier and then they wander into the void. Phil gets intense as they careen into a Tiger meltdown. There’s some lovely accompaniment from Keith coming out of it. Slipknot gets fleshed out more and things get jazzier and then it’s time to build up around The Other One theme again. They work it for a good spell and then hit the first verse near the end. Things start to get a little weird again but they opt to give way to Eyes.
I love Safe As Milk......even with the garage, soul, and blues......the song "Electricity" would show Beefheart's upcoming direction.
WINTERLAND 5/30/71 | Rhino Media Press release seems to imply that they wanted to put out a special Vault two-track release for RSD Black Friday; indeed all the material that is available in the vault for the show
DiP 28 tonight. Jerry’s solo in BRB and PITB (2/26/73) Does anyone know what else from February 73 is in the vault?
Strictly personal feels like a car with no brakes careening towards what I've heard is called trout mask replica
Love TMR. The guitar player Rollo was giving online lessons last year and I was seriously considering it even at the crazy price. I can’t even imagine what the lesson would be.
There's outtakes of Strictly Personal songs.........the Safe As Milk CD I have has them. I think the alternate takes as better versions......less effects on them. Make sure to listen to Mirror Man at some point..........it's his jam band record.
