best of the Captain Beefheart studio album

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reduced all the ones who will obv. NOT win,this is ths poll,made to perfection for statistic researchers.

Poll Results

Option	Votes
lick me decals off	28
trout	25
other album (are you serious?!)	21
safe as milk	20
doc at the radar	14
shiny beast	8

― Zeno, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:27 (eighteen years ago)

Trout, although I would have voted for the one with the song that goes "I have to run, run, run, run" and "Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles". I forget the name, but it's not up there.

― the next grozart, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:29 (eighteen years ago)

That's true - some people like "Clear Spot".

― o. nate, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:31 (eighteen years ago)

That's the one. It's really good. Ice Cream For Crow should be on there too to be fair.

― the next grozart, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:36 (eighteen years ago)

reduced all the ones who will obv. NOT win

Ah, all but one would go, wouldn;t it?

― Mark G, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:37 (eighteen years ago)

I would've voted Clear Spot

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:43 (eighteen years ago)

I think a lot of other people might have voted Clear Spot too.

But I think Safe As Milk pips it for me....

― gnarly sceptre, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:49 (eighteen years ago)

i'm voting for "Doc at the Radar st.". Great great album. The guitar tones on this are amazing.

― baaderonixx, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:50 (eighteen years ago)

This poll lists my five favorite Beefheart albums, so on a personal level, I can't complain. Sometimes the obvious choice is not wrong - I voted for "Trout".

― o. nate, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:56 (eighteen years ago)

I voted "other" because Clear Spot is the one I listen to the most. Seriously. But I've never heard Doc at the Radar. Can someone tell me why I should?

― Billy Pilgrim, Monday, 23 April 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago)

"Doc at the Radar" is a continuation of the fractured-blues stomp of "Trout Mask" - guitar-driven, "angular", with archetypal crazed Beefheart vocals and no attempts at "commercial" appeal - played by a tight new replacement Magic Band. The most "new wave" of Beefheart albums.

― o. nate, Monday, 23 April 2007 15:13 (eighteen years ago)

haven't we all done this before? anyway, Clear Spot is defensible as the best studio record. It's certainly the best-sounding of those made with (mostly) the classic band. It's always been a tie, in my opinion: Decals and Doc and I think the former is better, maybe, but the latter has "Dirty Blue Gene" which is a primer of the Beefheartian musical world, and one of the most accessible things he ever did. In addition, Doc has the best lyrics of any Beefheart record--OK, things like "Old Fart at Play" and "Moonlight on Vermont" are prolly a little more, er, direct, crazed, and certainly they're sung in the true Beefheart bellow, which thinned out a bit on his last 3 records. Christgau always picked Shiny and while I see his point I've never liked "Love Lies" or "When I See Mommy I Feel Like a Mummy" too much. "Tropical Hot Dog Night" is definitely one of his best and most revisable songs, though.

― whisperineddhurt, Monday, 23 April 2007 15:38 (eighteen years ago)

I never really got the love for Decals. It's a bit straitlaced after listening to Troutmask.

― the next grozart, Monday, 23 April 2007 15:41 (eighteen years ago)

Shiny Beast is like a comp of all his styles: Bluesy, MORy, TMasky, etc.

― Mark G, Monday, 23 April 2007 15:56 (eighteen years ago)

I'm abstaining on the grounds that this is the least "scientific" poll yet created what with predetermining what a best Beefheart album could be.

So I'll vote for my favorite side of Beef: side one of Doc.

― Kevin John Bozelka, Monday, 23 April 2007 18:34 (eighteen years ago)

lick my decals, to be contrarian.
wanna bet NO ONE votes for trout mask? except people who have only HEARD troutmask.

― ian, Monday, 23 April 2007 23:54 (eighteen years ago)

I don't like Trout Mask, really. I remember loving Ice Cream for Crow and Clear Spot, but I haven't had them for a while. I voted for Doc.

― filthy dylan, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 02:07 (eighteen years ago)

Not voting in this "scientific" poll. If one starts with ALL the albums, I'll vote in that.

― Rock Hardy, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 02:35 (eighteen years ago)

"Decals," cause in under review this one british guy keeps pronouncing it DEH-culls.

Also cause it is awesome. But then I haven't heard Trout Mask cause I'm waiting til I find it on vinyl.

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 02:46 (eighteen years ago)

Fuck this— Strictly Personal.

― I eat cannibals, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 02:46 (eighteen years ago)

oh, i'd vote for trout mask. i've actually never heard doc at radar station, though (that's the only one - except for bluejeans and moonbeams), so i guess i'm not allowed to vote.

― Tim Ellison, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 03:12 (eighteen years ago)

Troutmask is special to me, as one would guess, because I grew up listening to it. It took me a long time to track down a copy of Strictly Personal when I was in college, as it was pretty hard to find. That was an influence in making it my favorite for a while. Then it was Shiny Beast ("Floppy Boot Stomp" and "Tropical Hot Dog Night" were like the aural equivalent of bouncing around on neon helium-filled rubber animals), then Clear Spot, then Ice Cream. Most consistently, however, my favorite has been Decals.

Doc seems to have a lot of his best work, but it's serrated edges have always been just a bit too grating for me to thoroughly enjoy. I need to hear the recent remaster still. Too bad there's no bonus material on that or Shiny Beast (how about an extra disc of the 1976 Bat Chain Puller version?).

― Fastnbulbous, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 03:52 (eighteen years ago)

I voted for the nonexistant melodic album.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 07:29 (eighteen years ago)

Safe As Milk exists. Clear Spot exists. The Spotlight Kid exists.

― gnarly sceptre, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 08:36 (eighteen years ago)

"wanna bet NO ONE votes for trout mask? except people who have only HEARD troutmask."

Sure, how much would you like to give me?

We asked 300+ Beefheart obsesives to vote for their favourite Beefheart album....

― Stewart Osborne, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 08:57 (eighteen years ago)

A poll of 'best' CB albums without "Clear Spot"? Ridiculous. Can some kindly moderator remove this crap?

― Tom D., Tuesday, 24 April 2007 08:57 (eighteen years ago)

I'm voting for "Doc", the first Beefheart album I heard, what an introduction!

― Tom D., Tuesday, 24 April 2007 09:04 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, my love for Doc is also linked to the fact that my first encounter with the Captain was seeing him perform 'Hothead' and 'Ashtray Heart' on Saturday Night Live...

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 09:06 (eighteen years ago)

Trout Mask...

― sonderangerbot, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 15:31 (eighteen years ago)

you take life much to serious...

― Zeno, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 20:10 (eighteen years ago)

wanna bet NO ONE votes for trout mask? except people who have only HEARD troutmask.

i have basically every scrap of music Don Van Vliet had anything to do with and i voted for TMR...

― Stormy Davis, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 20:50 (eighteen years ago)

xpost wot, it's chico time?

I vote "Restart the poll with *all* the studio albums. It's not like there's tons of them!!"

― Mark G, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 08:17 (eighteen years ago)

"i have basically every scrap of music Don Van Vliet had anything to do with...."

I bet you haven't got "Death March" by The Omens

― Stewart Osborne, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 16:30 (eighteen years ago)

I don't really like Captain Beefheart.

― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 16:32 (eighteen years ago)

I bet you haven't got "Death March" by The Omens

I sure don't! Tell me more...

― Stormy Davis, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 17:06 (eighteen years ago)

fugit i voted for trout mask. unconditionally guaranteed seems like my third fave overall (after trout mask and safe as milk) and is the one i've listened to most in recent years.

― Tim Ellison, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 18:27 (eighteen years ago)

Decals, of course. Trout Mask is a close second, Strictly Personal a distant third . . . WHAT DO YOU MEAN STRICTLY PERSONAL'S NOT ON THE LIST?

― J, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 18:41 (eighteen years ago)

"I sure don't! Tell me more..."

Legendary "lost" recording supposed to have been made by Zappa in the very early days of Studio Z and featuring iirc Don, Doug Moon and Jerry Handley pre Magic-Band.

Same sort of era as "Lost In A Whirlpool", "Tiger Roach", "I Was A Teenage Malt Shop", "Metal Man Has Won His Wings", "Speed Freak Boogie", and "The Birth Of Captain Beefheart".

Doug Moon has indicated in a couple of interviews that he may still have a copy, and there may be one somewhere in the Zappa Trust archives - but none of the many obsessive Beefheart collectors that I've ever traded with has had it or even heard of anyone (other then Doug Moon) who has it, claims to have it, or is even rumoured to have it.

Still, it had to be worth asking, just in case.

― Stewart Osborne, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:19 (eighteen years ago)

Safe As Milk exists. Clear Spot exists. The Spotlight Kid exists.

I said melodic, not bluesy.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:20 (eighteen years ago)

No-one cares what you say

― Tom D., Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:22 (eighteen years ago)

Those are melodic *and* bluesy. And I'm no blues fan.

― Mark G, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:27 (eighteen years ago)

# [POLL closes: March 04] best of the Captain Beefheart studio album - the scientific poll [Started by Zeno, last updated 7 minutes ago] 41 new answers

? does this mean this poll is running until March 2008?

― blueski, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:38 (eighteen years ago)

Probably. Run it over a year. That's scientific!

(Where did you get the date from?)

― Mark G, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:40 (eighteen years ago)

Oh I see, the style sheet change in Preferences.

It's strange!

― Mark G, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:41 (eighteen years ago)

if you copy the text from New Answers and paste it into Wordpad you get the poll date included, curiously.

― blueski, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:51 (eighteen years ago)

NEXT YEAR???

Right! I'm starting a new poll!

― Mark G, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:55 (eighteen years ago)

*groan*

― blueski, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:56 (eighteen years ago)

it's supposed to end tomorrow.
and the copy paste to wordpad doesnt work.

― Zeno, Thursday, 26 April 2007 16:15 (eighteen years ago)

eight months pass...

ha! I voted 'trout' because it drives me insane. I also like all the rest of his shit. He's not my favorite, but I don't think he put out a bad album.

I searched Beefheart because I just heard 'party of special things to do' by the white stripes for the first time (and I call myself a fan?). It's like cassette recorder lo-fi, but it rocks like a retard!

nicky lo-fi, a retard who loves the retarded :~)

― nicky lo-fi, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 02:26 (seventeen years ago)

oh shit i already voted in this poll huh

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 02:31 (seventeen years ago)

What, and it prevented you?

That's one hell of an old cookie!

― Mark G, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 04:58 (seventeen years ago)

Hang on, 2009????

RIGHT, I'M STARTING A NEW POLL!!!

(about your favourite Elastica album)

― Mark G, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 05:00 (seventeen years ago)

I agree that Clear Spot really needs to be on here. But I voted Shiny Beast. "Tropical Hot Dog" night is one of the most underrated songs ever.

― Nate Carson, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 05:07 (seventeen years ago)

yes

― Mark G, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 05:08 (seventeen years ago)

seven months pass...

I voted for the nonexistant melodic album.
-- Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 07:29 (1 year ago) Bookmark Link

You'll love Bluejeans and Moonbeams. Melodic, and often not bluesy...

― Mark G, Monday, 1 September 2008 09:13 (seventeen years ago)

Safe As Milk is brilliant.

― chap, Monday, 1 September 2008 21:56 (seventeen years ago)

Give it up for "Mirror Man" people; four beautifully primal songs.

― kwhitehead, Tuesday, 2 September 2008 02:45 (seventeen years ago)

Yes, surely 16 months is plenty of time for Geir to alter his opinions.

― Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, 2 September 2008 03:27 (seventeen years ago)

Clear Spot is the best one

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 2 September 2008 03:59 (seventeen years ago)

xpost I wouldn't bet on that...

― Mark G, Tuesday, 2 September 2008 08:56 (seventeen years ago)

― Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, 2 September 2008 16:39 (seventeen years ago)

six months pass...

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

― System, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 00:01 (sixteen years ago)

Voted "another", because on "Bluejeans and Moonbeams" he did at least attempt to make normal music and not just noise.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 01:05 (sixteen years ago)

ice cream for crowwww

― ian, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 01:13 (sixteen years ago)

got nothing but love for trout mask and beefheart has earnt a lot of love from me, but those later albums feel completely different, like he's wandering around purgatory out of focus unable to remember how to swing properly. barely anything i even like after decals, listening to it just bums me out. he should have gotten hairier.

― ogmor, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 01:43 (sixteen years ago)

Personally I love Safe as Milk, bit annoyed it's not here.

― chap, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 02:03 (sixteen years ago)

It's on the first line.

― Ivan, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 02:10 (sixteen years ago)

Still Decals. It channels the weird chaos of Trout through the blues of Clear Spot. Doc is I'd say #2 followed by Clear Spot & Ice Cream.

― been HOOS, where yyyou steene!? (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Tuesday, 3 March 2009 02:11 (sixteen years ago)

It's on the first line.

Balls, totally didn't see that and voted for 'other'.

― chap, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 02:44 (sixteen years ago)

I'm not a fan, really, but this guy I know was talking to me about Safe As Milk saying he really liked it. I didn't see it on the first line in this, either.

― Still More Goth Than Your Cat's Asshole (Bimble), Tuesday, 3 March 2009 03:29 (sixteen years ago)

YOU GET TO BE!
YOU GET TO BE!
WITH ME!!!

...and also to be the monster tonight

― chocolatepiekid, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 06:40 (sixteen years ago)

Hmm, so the time has come for one of the first polls to come to fruition, and I guess a vote for "other" is a vote for "Bluejeans and Moonbeams".

― Mark G, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 09:24 (sixteen years ago)

There was another poll with "Clear Spot" on it, wasn't there?

― Queueing For Latchstrings (Tom D.), Tuesday, 3 March 2009 10:47 (sixteen years ago)

yes: Best/Favourite Beefheart Studio Album (Poll ends May 1st 2007)

― Mark G, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 11:15 (sixteen years ago)

Voted for Decals, but seriously there are at least 4 other absolutely top Beefheart albums.

― Marco Damiani, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 11:37 (sixteen years ago)

yes the other four in the poll?

I stick with Trout Mask, and in no way will I admit that is the serious choice

― sonderangerbot, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 11:41 (sixteen years ago)

Voted for other because of "Bat Chain Puller".

― Three Word Username, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 16:59 (sixteen years ago)

ah, the guitars and generally beat-ness of Safe as Milk. gotta be.

― tomofthenest, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 17:02 (sixteen years ago)

oh, what the 'original' BatChainPuller?

and not the "Shiny Beast/Bat chain puller" album?

― Mark G, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 17:06 (sixteen years ago)

I imagine so

― Queueing For Latchstrings (Tom D.), Tuesday, 3 March 2009 17:06 (sixteen years ago)

Decals, followed by Trout Mask. I also have a soft spot for Clear Spot. Big Eyed Beans from Venus is sheer genius. For some reason I never really *loved* Doc and Ice Cream - they sound rather dry to my ears.

― Duke, Tuesday, 3 March 2009 19:39 (sixteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

― System, Wednesday, 4 March 2009 00:01 (sixteen years ago)

Yes, Bat Chain Puller and not Shiny Beast.

― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 4 March 2009 07:55 (sixteen years ago)

For some reason I never really *loved* Doc and Ice Cream - they sound rather dry to my ears.

― Duke,

Funny, I never loved "Lick" because it sounded too wet. DATRS is in my top 10 records of all time, usually.

― staggerlee, Thursday, 5 March 2009 02:17 (sixteen years ago)

can we have a re-poll a few years after Lick gets (maybe) reissued? I like to think I chose it on the strength of the marimba playing, and I'll be the first to say it really is that good an album, but I suspect the underdog/rarity factor skewed things a teeny tiny bit in its favor.

*flounces off*

― dumbsocietypigeons (unregistered), Thursday, 5 March 2009 02:29 (sixteen years ago)

Ridiculously inimitable ILM poll resuly

― Queueing For Latchstrings (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 March 2009 10:17 (sixteen years ago)

"it is rather old" (J.R. Hartley)

― Mark G, Thursday, 5 March 2009 10:21 (sixteen years ago)

nine months pass...

I think Shiny Beast might be my favorite, been feeling this trio a lot lately:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAc4i4MByiY

― ~~dark energy~~ (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 6 December 2009 06:09 (sixteen years ago)

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