Re: Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (1978)

by Nightjar Sun Sep 17, 2023 11:23 am

The Call of the Wendigo wrote:From the title, I'm going to guess this is about Alex Harvey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_St._Clair

Also:

The song "Bat Chain Puller" was based upon the rhythm of the windshield wipers on Vliet's Volvo car.

by SiberianPrincess’sMidriff Sun Sep 17, 2023 12:12 pm

The last two are really good, this one was good, at least that's how I remember it.

by SiberianPrincess’sMidriff Sun Sep 17, 2023 12:35 pm

And they released Bat Chain Puller as well. dunno

I was always going to do that one as I've not heard it, but too late now.

by SiberianPrincess’sMidriff Sun Sep 17, 2023 12:38 pm

"81 Poop Hatch"

type

by SiberianPrincess’sMidriff Sun Sep 17, 2023 12:39 pm

Did he always sound that err, camp?

by Nightjar Sun Sep 17, 2023 12:42 pm

BCP was a posthumous release.

I think it was a mish-mash of stuff from all of the three last albums but was supposed to be released in 1976.

Bickering between Zappa and the record company though... roll eyes

by SiberianPrincess’sMidriff Sun Sep 17, 2023 12:45 pm

Yeah, Frank really shafted him didn't he.

I mean have you heard Bongo fury?

ha ha no

by SiberianPrincess’sMidriff Sun Sep 17, 2023 12:49 pm

Robert Christgau declared Shiny Beast to be better than all Van Vliet's previous albums, writing, "Without any loss of angularity or thickness, the new compositions achieve a flow worthy of Weill or Monk or Robert Johnson, and his lyrics aren't as willful as they used to be."[5]

BINGO!

by Nightjar Sun Sep 17, 2023 12:50 pm

I have.

I used to like it. shifty

It's not gr8 on reflection though.

The best Zappa song on it is "Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy" and the best thing on the whole album is Beefheart's "Man With the Woman Head".

Debra Kadabra's OK too.

Muffin Man's a bit too silly for its own good - perhaps raises a smirk, but the playing's pretty good.

by Nightjar Sun Sep 17, 2023 12:57 pm

Also, the use of the wilfully mispronounced "p**fter" is hard to pretend isn't funny.

Especially when Beefheart says it.

by SiberianPrincess’sMidriff Tue Sep 19, 2023 8:03 pm

SiberianPrincess’sMidriff wrote:I'm getting this confused with his next album which is in my to listen too pile.

Or was it the one after that?

I listened to it, the next one that is, it was GR8. ★★★★★

You might think this is the finest pearl
But it's only cardboard balls

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Bat chain or bat sh*t?