Captain Beefheart: The Legendary A&M Sessions
Don Snowden, The Boston Phoenix, 23 October 1984
SINCE HIS ear-bending 1969 breakthrough, Trout Mask Replica, Captain Beefheart's reputation as rock's most unvarnishedly unconventional artiste has overshadowed the earthy R&B roots of his music. Yes, Delta blues are always mentioned as a cornerstone of his far-reaching musical cosmos, but the principal locus of Beefheart commentary has always been the eccentric Captain who seems to have been communing with extraterrestrials long before they became cuddly Spielberg creations.
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