SHINY BEAST (BAT CHAIN PULLER)

3.5 stars. For me this is a top three CAPTAIN BEEFHEART album along with the followup to this "Doc At The Radar Station" and that 1967 debut "Safe As Milk". It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that both Zappa and Beefheart were almost as old as my parents. They were the older guys amongst the youth in the seventies when it came to musicians and rock. Heck CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND formed in 1964! So he's getting close to 40 here when this record was released in 1978.

Zappa was smart as he always had this desire to play complex instrumental music and then use his immature lyrics over top. None of the instrumental stuff by Beefheart would be considered complex by any means. In fact the focus is so much on his vocals, to a fault. His voice is always the most dominant sound on his albums. I get to about track nine of the twelve here and I'm done listening, tired of his voice. And I like his voice, it has character.

My previous album by him to this 1978 release was "Lick My Decals Off, Baby" from 1970. So eight years and five albums later and this was actually a treat compared to that 1970 release. Still talking about his big toe of course. Or "the monster" as he calls it on here. How about "Tropical Hot Dog Night"? Man I live in a different world. Again we get bluesy music and vocals dominating the album. But when "Tropical Hot Dog Night" turns out to be a top three you know this is far from essential listening. Some rockers on here like the opener and "You Know Your A Man" but the title track might be my favourite over all. "Owed T' Alex" is another powerful piece with harmonica helping out.

When it comes to experimental music from the deep south, THE RESIDENTS blows this band to smithereens in my opinion. Not close.