CAPTAIN BEEFHEART — The Legendary A&M Sessions (review)

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART — The Legendary A&M Sessions album cover Boxset / Compilation · 1984 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Warthur
Recorded in 1966 for A&M, these songs - two sings, with their B-sides, and the previously unreleased Here I Am I Always Am seem to have been crafted with one purpose in mind - to establish Beefheart as a blues vocalist on a par with his hero, Howlin' Wolf. Musically speaking the backing is pretty bland - fairly standard blues-rock of a mid-1960s vintage - but the Beefheart roar is in full effect and a few strange touches here and there - particularly on "Moonchild" (actually composed by producer David Gates, but somehow it feels like the most Beefheartian song on here) - give hints to the full-out crazed approach which would be taken on "Safe As Milk".

We're only dealing with a prototype of the Magic Band here, of which only the rhythm section would survive to record the first full album, but if you're a Beefheart fan you'll probably be interested in these straight blues songs from a talent more associated with stranger fare. It's a very brief EP, so I'd only check it out if you can get it for a decent price, but anyone interested in Beefheart's pre-Trout Mask work will find value here, and if you're into mid-1960s blues-rock it can't hurt to give it a try. Beefheart's own compositions, such as "Frying Pan", manage to fit that mould quite well, and it's interesting to consider what might have been if he'd stuck with this musical direction... but then again, think of what we'd lost as well.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

The Lost Chord Jazz Related Improv/Composition
HENRY KAISER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Hackensack West Post-Fusion Contemporary
ANTHONY WILSON
Buy this album from MMA partners
Golem & Other Tales World Fusion
SAM REIDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Room for Dancing Latin Jazz
JOHN CRAWFORD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Through the Passages Vocal Jazz
NANCY ERICKSON LAMONT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

"Miles Between" // by Shawn Schlogel & Nancy Erickson Lamont
NANCY ERICKSON LAMONT
js· 50 minutes ago
Mature Hybird Talking
FRANK GRATKOWSKI
js· 1 day ago
Perspective (Peace & Love)
ISAIAH COLLIER
js· 2 days ago
T-SQUARE 45th Anniversary Celebration Concert & Tour 2023 @Zepp Nagoya ?CLIMAX?
T-SQUARE
js· 2 days ago
Cravo E Canela (Cloves & Cinnamon)
LEE RITENOUR
js· 3 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed