{"id":1567,"date":"2008-07-17T01:55:37","date_gmt":"2008-07-17T05:55:37","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2008-12-12T13:45:53","modified_gmt":"2008-12-12T13:45:53","slug":"rock-town-hall-s-fair-shake-era-launches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/rock-town-hall-s-fair-shake-era-launches\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock Town Hall’s “Fair Shake Era” Launches with a Measured Reconsideration of Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/p>\n
Run Paint Run Run<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“Fifty years from now you’ll wish you’d gone ‘wow’.”<\/big>
\n– Captain Beefheart, conscious of his visionary powers, in a 1980 NME<\/em> interview.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As I read through and participated in Townsman Sammy<\/strong>‘s candid Bullshit On: Captain Beefheart<\/a><\/strong> thread, I sensed some members of Rock Town Hall willing to give this admittedly difficult artist a fair shake<\/a><\/strong>. It’s a new day at Rock Town Hall – Your<\/em> Rock Town Hall – so I’ve put together mix of decreasingly accessible Beefheart songs that may allow those of you who are getting anxious with only 22 years left on that 50-year “wow” clock that’s quoted above to find a way into this guy’s music. Do you get what I’m saying? Have a listen, and say “wow,” somebody!<\/p>\n

First, a recording that makes me wonder why anyone wastes their time on ZZ Top<\/a><\/strong>, even at their best. I like my boogie refried.<\/p>\n

“Nowadays a Woman’s Gotta Hit a Man”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Next, an uncharacteristically tender Beefheart song that you probably know from The Big Lebowski<\/em>. Close your eyes and think of Julianne Moore<\/strong>‘s translucent skin if you start finding yourself troubled by this naked sound file.<\/p>\n

“Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n
Moore Moore Moore<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

I know you like hearing a guitarist cut loose now and then. On this next track, Beefheart steps aside, shuts up, and lets his guitarist do the talking.<\/p>\n

“Alice in Blunderland”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now steel yourself for a plodding, grumpy tale of devolution. This is the point where we oh-so-slowly head way back toward Mirror Man<\/em>, where it’s just a few turns across the border to Trout Mask Replica<\/em>.<\/p>\n

“Grow Fins”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The following Clear Spot<\/em> song is a good example of the benefits of Beefheart picking up on his fractured blues approach from Trout Mask Replica<\/em> with more accomplished musicians and a fairly conventional studio sound. Plus it’s funny. I’m surprised, when I read of a Townsperson’s inability to dig Beefheart, how often folks fail to appreciate the man’s humor. I know, I’m sounding like The Great 48<\/a><\/strong>\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

“Big Eyed Beans from Venus”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s your reward for working so hard…<\/p>\n

“Clear Spot”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now, let’s shift ahead to 1980’s Doc at the Radar Station<\/em>, where I think Beefheart and\/or his label once and for all gave up on the idea that he’d ever be a regular rock artist and sell more than 2000 albums and, instead, made an entire album as focused on his vision as was anything since the primitve Trout Mask Replica<\/em>. (Maybe Lick My Decals Off Baby<\/em> was the last one made with as much integrity and focus, as Geo<\/a><\/strong> suggested, I don’t know. I get a cold feeling from that album whenever I spin it. I’ll have to listen to it again.) This album opener always gets me dancing in my head. As a lover of dry recordings, this album can’t be beat. Place me between a sandwich of Doc<\/em> and Gang of Four<\/strong>‘s Entertainment<\/em> and I won’t ever grimace over some insecure use of reverb.<\/p>\n

“Hot Head”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s another one that recommits to Beefheart’s old Trout Mask Replica<\/em> approach while still rocking. The imagery in the lyrics is pretty cool, too, for those of you who can closely follow that stuff.<\/p>\n

“Ashtray Heart”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s a little ditty I’ve always loved. General Slocum<\/a><\/strong> and I had some really deep<\/em> discussion over this track about a hundred years ago, if memory serves, although I can’t recall what wisdom we’d culled from the tune. If you happen to have similar deep thoughts, feel free to claim our forgotten insights as your own.<\/p>\n

“Sue Egypt”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

And now, what I believe is the song that the “landmark”<\/a> recording of Trout Mask Replica<\/em> first pointed toward.<\/p>\n

“Dirty Blue Gene”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

BONUS:<\/strong><\/ins> Previously posted<\/a> on Rock Town Hall: <\/p>\n

“Kandy Korn”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Archives:<\/em> All the Beefheart content<\/a> that’s been fit to post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Run Paint Run Run “Fifty years from now you’ll wish you’d gone ‘wow’.” – Captain Beefheart, conscious of his visionary powers, in a 1980 NME interview. As I read through and participated in Townsman Sammy‘s candid Bullshit On: Captain Beefheart thread, I sensed some members of Rock Town Hall willing to give this admittedly difficult […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[342],"tags":[86],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1567"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1567"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1567\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}