Uhm. Well, the original plan was to start this post off with a little anecdote. After working my way through half of Trout Mask Replica, I’m no longer sure that would be appropriate. I’m going to do it anyway, though.
I was in a not-so-serious argument with my father a few weeks ago. While I couldn’t tell you what the subject of debate was, the discussion pretty much came to an end when I stooped to the five-year-old tactic of name-calling. Yup, I called my dad “Captain Beefheart” and walked away.
I figured that if I was going to start using this insult regularly—which I since have—I’ve got to check out some of the man’s music. Since Trout Mask Replica is considered one of the greatest and most important records of all time and all of that, I decided to save it for the final week of The Swole. So here we are, more than halfway through a 78-minute album that sounds like the music of Tom Waits on crack, and I’m somehow not totally appalled. For those uninitiated into the strange world of Captain Beefhart, this is some avant garde jazzcore that could easily be another one of those 2deep4u records. But then you get through close to an hour of the stuff and, you kind of start to like what you’re hearing. This is because you have either a) begun to appreciate the complexity and pure musical gusto that went into this album, or b) been successfully brainwashed by Capitan Beefheart in a Stockholm Syndrome kind of way. Fast and bulbous.
Swole Ear 
Mr. Ear, After 364 days of Swole Ear, you have managed to surprise me. I thought of putting some Beefheart on my list of suggestions but immediately put aside that thought after your reaction to Tom Waits. So, yes, I was surprised that you chose this album (all the more so because it is a double album) and even more surprised that you liked it. And your reference to Waits is absolutely on the money. At a time when he was in serious danger of drinking and smoking himself to death, his future wife Kathleen Brennan introduced him to the Cap’n. Tom gave up his bad habits and re-invented his sound . HIs work from “One From The Heart’ soundtrack and “Swiordfishtrombones” has been inspired by Captain Beefheart., as he has recognized on a number of occasions.
If further Beefheart interests you, you might want to try “Doc At The Radar Station”:
Bad fuggum?
I too am surprised. I think you have to give Tom Waits another try. Swordfishtrombones time for you Swolechik.
Good thing J& is not in touch with Mr. Swole’s pater or he might have something to worry about for the final DRT.
Plus why not “(Joe) Frank’s Wild Years”? Would be appropriate. Or “Mule Variations”? Or “Bad As Me”?
Any song that name checks Mickey’s Big Mouth is okay with me. Never could stand that dog.