9. Captain Beefheart & His Magic BandClear Spot
I think this is his most accessible record. I like the Fleetwood Mac-style production of it, especially on ‘My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains’, which is a bit of an underappreciated classic in terms of it being a beautiful love song. I first got into Trout Mask Replica when I was 16 and then Icecream For Crow and all that stuff. But this is the one I listen to more these days. It’s a bit more emotionally naked. The musicianship is still great – Zoot Horn Rollo is still there, I think – but it’s put together in a strange way; the band sound almost like the house Stax band, but they’re playing mental stuff.
It’s so obviously the sound of a band in a room which is cool, [with] Beefheart shouting at them. When I was younger I thought Beefheart was cool for treating his band like shit, whereas now I think it’s just music and no one’s going to die, so you don’t have to behave like that. But I think him being reined in by the Laurel Canyon-like production is interesting here.
Trout Mask Replica was mind-blowing when I heard it – I had friends who were getting into the Weather Report when I was getting into the Magic Band, which is kind of like the muso fork in the road, isn’t it? – and Clear Spot is a way more conventional record in lots of ways, but it allows you to appreciate his lyrics more. There’s a lot of experimental stuff with Beefheart, but I also like it when he penetrates beyond that ‘I take loads of drugs, me’ stuff and talks about some real shit.
