Friday, February 23, 2024

500 Greatest Albums of the 1980s ... Ranked! # 455 Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Doc At The Radar Station

 


I remember this popping up as a point of discussion late in my secondary school years.One of the cooler music kids. Paul Brett I think. This album was out. I seem to remember Paul brought it to school. I might be mistaken.

Captain Beefheart meant nothing to me but the name was immediately attractive. The songs I heard from the record less so I recall.

The Captain showed up on The Old Grey Whistle Test. A wild eyed man with a wild moustache. He seemed more interested in selling his paintings than his records.

Listening this morning I was inclined to turn to his art too. Too much here reminded me of the opening riff to Television's Friction coiled in on itself and repeated like a madman's violent and vicious assault in a deserted car lot in the middle of the afternoon. I love that riff but a whole album needs greater light and shade I'd say. This wore me down quite quickly this morning and I had to go off and do something else.





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