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Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - The Best Of Captain Beefheart & His Magic Bands Live 72-81
Top class live highlights
In the obsessive world of Captain Beefheart fanatics the slightest titbit is leapt upon, chewed and relished. It could be a recent story about him turning down a glass of tap water because he didn’t drink [cue that voice] “city water”, or a Richter scale-busting a cappella around a blues called Old Black Snake from 1972’s Bickershaw Festival, one of the delights on this set of highlights from the Liverpool independent label’s previous two live grab-bags Magnetic Hands and Railroadism.
Ultimately it’s down to sound quality. This set’s superior bootleg standard doesn’t dull some stellar performances, Beefheart’s onstage utterances or sheer presence. Standouts include a gale force The Dust Blows Forward, John “Drumbo” French’s startling recital of Dali’s Car, a blistering Kandykorn from a 1980 Liverpool show, China Pig segueing into non-album train-boogie Railroadism, the One Nest Rolls After Another poem and five songs recorded in Reseda, California, two days before Beefheart’s very last gig in January 1981 (including a launchpad-scorching Big Eyed Beans From Venus). Recent revelations still can’t tarnish the glory of that long lunar note. The artefacts here are enough to get the thumbs-up from shameless die-hards such as the esteemed Radar Station website and, it has to be said, this long-time fan.
Viper | CD 053
Reviewed by Kris Needs
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