Captain Beefheart ?

Cheers Met - I assume you are you talking vinyl?
Original issues or later repressings?

I'ver been doing a bit of research and it appears that Beefhearts albums vary from good to very bad in the pressing stakes - lots of dodgy budget reissues.

Here's what I found for Safe as Milk on Vinyl for instance:-

Shopping Guide:
This album is one of the few albums that sounds much like the period that it came from. It's easiest to listen to if you remember the music of that period. It only hints at the later innovations that would come in the band's music, but it's not a bad pick. Not necessarily a good starting point if you don't like music of that era.
· 1968 UK Original on Pye (Blue) NPL 28110 Mono - the original UK release was in February 1968 - why was it only in Mono?
· 1969 UK Re-issue by Pye on Marble Arch MAL 1117 Mono (10 track) - a Budget reissue came out in March 1969 with ``I'm Glad'' and Grown So Ugly'' missing.
· 1970 UK Re-issue as Dropout Boogie on Buddah (Black) 2349 002 - reissued on the budget 99 label in July 1970 - here is where the repackaging/renaming of SAM started - I guess the wierd title Safe As Milk was viewed as a problem by the record companies.
o first pressing with only 10 tracks as the Marble Arch MAL 1117 issue - different matrix number - this was the version sold in the shops in the first weeks - the cover listed all 12 tracks and caused endless confusion.
o standard 12 track version - cover as above
· 1985 UK Re-issue on WEA 252 260-1
· 1969(?) German Release on Buddah (Purple) 6.23171 AF - cover has TELDEC >> TELEFUNKEN-DECCA << Schallplatten-GmbH., Heussweg 25, 2000 Hamburg 19 (Western Germany) - Buddah 623171 is a 1969 12 track Stereo UK Issue of SAM - is this the same?
· 1970(?) German Release as Plastic Factory on Buddah (Rainbow) 2318 014 with Chicken Coop cover - rename and redone cover which is actually quite attractive - I guess the photo represented the new title and not the possible environmental concern of the original Safe As Milk name.
· 1970 French Release on Buddah (Rainbow) 921024 in Super Group Series 921024 with the Cannes Beach Publicity Shot from the 1968 MIDEM Pop Festival on the cover. Gerry Pratt's copy was signed by a friendly Donald Vliet and Mark Boston for Gerry's brother Mick in ballpoint on the back on Thursday 30th March 1972 after the concert at the DeMontfort Hall, Leicester, UK:-
·
· 19?? Dutch release on Buddah (Rainbow) HBDS 5001 - cover as US with Vervaardigd in licentie door N.V.Bovema on back bottom right. Note that number is the same as US original release with H (=Holland?) added.
· 1976 German Re-issue as GOLD ROCK on Buddah 201.719 (Rainbow)- front cover features a 1972 photo - probably off the German TV ``BEAT CLUB'' appearence - and Gold Rock title in photo of embroidery work on gold satin. Back has notes in German covering period upto 1975 and says Im Vertrieb der METRONOME RECORDS Gmbh, Hammerbrookstrasse 73, 2000 Hamburg 1 * Made in W.-Germany
· 1967 US Original on Buddah (Red) - the US release was in September 1967 - the inner has weird artwork and photos, including Ry Cooder in profile, and ``MAY THE BABY JESUS SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND OPEN YOU MIND'' and CAUTION: ELECTRICITY MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH. - one of the copies Gerry had is S/S with original 4" x 15" Bumper Sticker folded inside with Safe As Milk in Red/Green writing on white and baby's head in pink.
o Mono on Buddah (Red) BDM 1001
o Stereo on Buddah (Red) BDS 5001 - this is down as (E) in the US Goldmine Album Price Guide - ie Electronically Re-chanelled Stereo!! - what? - see Cooder quote.
· 1970 US Re-issue on Buddah BDS 5063 - this was the famous Buddah reissue with the Langdon Winner quote about the forgotten classic of rock 'n roll history from his ``I'm not even here I just stick around for my friends - The Odyssey of Captain Beefheart'' article in Issue 58 of Rolling Stone featured prominently on the front. Radio plugs were broadcast featuring this quote. This is the version pictured at top.
o 1970 US Re-issue on Buddah (Rainbow) BDS 5063 - I assume the Rainbow Buddah issue was the original 1970 label.
o 1970 or later US Re-issue on Buddah (Purple) BDS 5063 - same number but Purple Buddah label.
· 1984 US Re-issue on Buddah BDS 69005
Safe As Milk/Mirror Man combinations
· 1977 UK Re-issue as Beefheart File of SAM/MM on Pye FILD 008 - Two inner sleeves contain "rare" photos and informative article by Connor McKnight
o first sleeve has real slot on front
o later sleeve front cover has Internal Memo artwork and no slot
· 1983 UK Re-issue as Music In Sea Minor of selected tracks from SAM/MM on a 10" Album with Cannes Beach publicity shot cover on Buddah PRT DOW 15
· 1984 UK Re-issue as Top Secret of selected tracks from SAM/MM on 12" Picture Disc Design PIXLP4 - has Knebworth photo and Clear Spot period top-hat publicity shot.
· 1984 UK Re-issue as Top Secret of selected tracks from SAM/MM on Breakaway BWY 66
· 19?? Dutch Release as Abba Zaba of selected tracks from SAM/MM on MASTERS MA 0015784
o White label - promo?
o Red label - assume this is the standard issue
· 1988 UK Re-issue of SAM/MM by Castle Communication on That's Original series TFOLP 11 (double)
CD Issues:
· 198X Safe as Milk on Castle Classics(UK) CLACD 234
· 1991 Zig Zag Wanderer on Collection (UK) ORO146 - an all time low re-issue being just Safe as Milk with total track reordering (starts with Autumn's Child!) and has a Knebworth photo on the front!
· 198X Safe as Milk on Repertoire Records(Germany) RR 4035-C
The text of an article printed in this release is available.
· 1992 Safe as Milk on Buddah/Karma Sutra(Canada) BKS 5001 New York, N.Y.10001 - CD says MASTERED BY NIMBUS
· 198X The Best Beefheart (Safe as Milk/Mirror Man selection) on Pair Records by Bu
Buddah (EEC) CDB 019

· 198X Captain Beefheart At His Best (Safe as Milk with sinister track reordering) on The Special Music Company/Pair Records (USA) SCD-4922. Also has really lousy short liner notes."

Err it's quite confusing isn't it?

I think I'll stick with the recent CD remaster.

Cheers

P.

Safe as Milk has recently been re-issued by simply vinyl and the quality is good.Clear spot has been re-issued by Rhino-can't comment on quality as I haven't heard it.BTW, Clear Spot is my personal favourite simply for the inclusion of 'Her eyes are a blue million miles'-wonderful!

Also try and get the "Legendary A&M Sessions" reissue. Excellent collection of early singles.

Simon

Safe as Milk is a great garage band rock record. The sound quality must be metallic. I like Cstle 2 fer Lp versions.

There is no getting away from the masterpiece. Everyone, man, woman and child must own Trout Mask Replica. I fought against it for many years but when you finally realise this is the greatest rock and roll band of all time then ... you can die. I have a very nice vinyl Straight Records SATS 1053 copy that sounds good.

ALL Captain Beefheart records are essential. He is so more important, so more musical, so more funny ( reasons : he understood the blues) than Frank Zappa it's untrue. Along with Mark E Smith one of the few great geniuses of rock music.

John

Thanks for the input here people.

I'm learning all the while when it comes to this man and his music and it's proving to be a real eye opener of a voyage.

I have purchased the majority of your recommendations.

Thanks.

P.

...is the ying to Zappa's yang. Essential, even if it's difficult stuff at times.

Still prefer Uncle Frank 9 times out of 10, though...

TC '..'
"Girl, you thought he was a man, but he was a Muffin..."

Trout Mask Replica is a record that I have for a long time respected, but one that I have found really hard going to get into. I came to it relatively late, buying the CD in the early 90s. I never really got on with that CD at all, though I recently gave it a spin on my CDX. I was absolutely floored by how much more sense it made, and how much more accessible it was than on my previous CD17KI, or even older 965BX. Trout Mask really started to make sense. This change prompted me to buy the current 180 gram vinyl issue, and this is definitely another step forward in intelligibility. I love it now.

So, is Trout Mask Replica the ultimate hi-fi dem album? I am beginning to think that it may be. The sound quality really is nothing special at all, so little to get distracted by in that area, but musically it needs a bloody good system to hold it together. Yeah, I reckon this could be the ultimate flat earth dem record.

Tony.

No, but can anybody name another sighting of the (ahhem) phallus?

Simon

John

Sorry I've just learnt to do pictures.

P

Not the one I was thinking of. (It's not even a Beefheart record).

Simon

Brain, shoulder, rib, lion, leg, it all tastes great if you are a beef eater.

At the Pawdie.......

Please,

I implore you.

If you do nothing else this year give Bluejeans and Moonbeams a spin.

For newcomers to the world of the Cap-teign this has to be the most accessible thing he ever done.

I love this LP. My favourite find of the year so far.

P.

And P, I gotta hand it to you. The fine research and obsessive attention detail you showed in your mid-thread discography are the true hall-marks of the insane vinyl obsessed. My congratulations on your work!

Now I'll have to go see what copy I have and where it fits into the evolution you describe!

Markus