Feature Photo: Jean-Luc, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
50 years ago in October, Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart released what I consider one of his most commercially accessible albums that still maintained the edgy quirkiness that Beefheart expressed on his 1969 masterpiece Trout Mask Replica. The album – Clear Spot. And it was just that. A clear spot. Right from its minimal striking black and white cover to the songs on the album containing the Captain’s inventive, bizarre use of the English language, his clear bluesy melody lines, abstract rhythms and song form all functioning in a very accessible way.
The overall production is very polished, unlike the rawness of his two previous efforts i.e. Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off Baby. His aggressive raspy – “Howling’ Wolf” voice rings throughout but there is an uncommon tender side that peaks through on a few of the songs. Unlike his almost sell out albums Unconditionally Guaranteed and Bluejeans & Moonbeams, this collection comes off as a very original, cohesive artistic statement. Producer Ted Templeman and engineer Don Landee managed to bring the right balance between art and commerce to the project.
For starters, the album opens up with a medium-tempo, swampy, funky track called “Low Yo Yo Stuff.” It’s an inviting number that sort of sets the tone of the album. If Creedence Clearwater Revival had a baby with Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band this would be the results. Of note: the drum beat (especially the placement of the snare rolls) is inventive. And throughout this album, we are treated to the wonderfully seductive grooves of ex-Mothers Of Invention drummer, Art Tripp (now a chiropractor in Mississippi).
Next in line is “Nowadays A Woman’s Gotta Hit A Man.” The Captain’s feminist tune is a driving, bouncy, blues-based track that features expertly played slide guitar from veteran Magic Band member Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harlkeroad) and a very springy r&b horn part that underlines Van Vliet’s spirited vocals.
This track is followed by the most commercial song on the album: “Too Much Time.” It might be Captain Beefheart’s most radio-friendly song he’s ever released. It’s basically an R&B song of regret and need to be loved. The horn part is catchy and the female background vocals (on a Beefheart record? – Yes!), provided by the famed trio The Blackberries, perfectly support the Captain’s sincere delivery. It was the obvious 45 single released from this album.
While we are left singing the catchy hook we are then thrust into “Circumstances.” This is an aggressive, philosophical song that is pure Beefheart madness. Van Vliet plays blues harmonica over a gated groove that sounds like someone breathing. Again, the snare syncopations are unique and almost serve as a secondary hook.
We then switch gears to one of Captain Beefheart’s most mellow and sweet songs he’s ever created; the melancholy “My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains.” Though the song form is somewhat conventional with clear verses and choruses the semi-jazzy chord structure shifting from major to minor color the song into more original territory. The highlight is Van Vliet’s tender delivery of his easily relatable, personal lyrics on top of the smooth guitar work and tasteful rolls of the marimba executed by Art Tripp. This is a stand-out track that prompted the Tubes to cover it on their 1977 album Now.
A bizarre, highly magnetic composition breaking out of the previous melancholy plays next: “Sun Zoom Spark.” It’s a song of polarity, tension and pressure and the band relays this feeling with snarky guitar and bass parts locking into a frenetic drum rhythm that incorporates an engaging cowbell part. The production is a perfect match for Captain Beefheart’s frustrated, playful vocals. Again, this has the quirky Captain Beefheart stamp on it but unlike most of his catalog the song comes off as pretty accessible blues-rock. “Sun Zoom Spark!” – that is one catchy phrase.
The next song which on vinyl would be the start of side two is the title track “Clear Spot.” This is a mid-tempo rock song that centers around a limited harmonic landscape mostly between the slight dissonance of E/Bb. Van Vliet keeps the song interesting with intriguing lyrics and a very authentic swampy blues vocal. A perfect setup musically for the next tune, “Crazy Little Thing.”
“CLT” is about a young girl who has captured Captain Beefheart’s fancy and boy she must be hot because this is the hottest, funkiest tune on the album. The kind of tune you’d want on a loop to dance to because it’s only two and a half minutes!
A southwestern shuffle follows (in the vein of ZZ Top) with “Long Neck Bottles.” This is another song about a female but one that is perhaps Captain Beefheart’s contemporary. She apparently does not put up with any bullshit. She knows exactly what she wants and the Captain respects and fears her. The groove is infectious and Van Vliet’s vocals are very exciting. His competent harmonica playing is featured on this track.
We switch gears then to a very beautiful and touching song called “Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles.” It has what I can only describe as a warm, American Indian vibe to it cadencing with a descending scale that adds to the song’s melancholy feel. vocal is tender (probably the most tender in his entire catalog). I speculate he may be singing about his wife Jan who he was married to for decades up until his death in 2010. The song’s claim to fame is its inclusion in the movie The Big Lebowski.
Next, what might be the Captain’s most popular song played on FM radio at the time: “Big Eyed Beans From Venus.” It’s an electrically charged bizarre song with the Captain proclaiming that a man or a woman without these beans is losing out on the spiritual, sexual wonders of life. These big-eyed beans can disintegrate all the self-imposed boundaries us humans set up between us in our daily lives. Or maybe the lyrics having nothing to do with that. With the Captain’s subconscious approach to music making one never knows. In any event, the song features vicious slide guitar playing by Zoot Horn Rollo layered with many mandolins and supported with pouncing drums and bass. It’s a beast of a tune incorporating a little stop-and-go with a long leaning note held by the slide guitar. Right from the opening riff the level of energy is apparent and it builds to a wonderful climax and then fades out making us ponder Van Vliet’s esoteric observations.
The album concludes with “Golden Birdies”, an abstract / beatnik spoken word piece set to music. It’s Beefheart at his most subconscious here and it’s not so much what he is saying but the conviction behind what he is saying. The background music seems scored out and is very reminiscent of his old schoolmate and friend and rival Frank Zappa. It is replete with a twisted, heavy low-end bass part played by ex-Mothers Of Invention, Roy Estrada or “Oréjon” as he is nicknamed here and angular guitar lines played in unison with marimba reacting to the words. This is my pick for the most visual piece on the album and a definitive closer.
With more publicity behind it and Beefheart keeping his mood swings in check, I think the album would have reached higher than 191 on the Billboard top 200. His 1976 masterpiece, the slightly less commercial Shiny Beat (Bat Chain Puller) is Clear Spot’s logical successor.
As avant-garde and “outside” as Captain Beefheart is known, he was able from time to time to take his idiosyncratic singing and songs and create left-of-center yet fairly accessible sounding albums. Clear Spot is one of those albums and a great place to start anyone who wants to explore this highly original, singularly bizarre American music maker.
Written by John Tabacco
Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band ‘Clear Spot’ Album Review article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
