CAPTAIN BEEFHEART — Unconditionally Guaranteed (review)

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART — Unconditionally Guaranteed album cover Album · 1974 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
0.5/5 ·
Warthur
The entire Magic Band quit after this album, and no wonder. The first of Beefheart's two ill-fated albums on Mercury Records finds him faced with an unsympathetic production job and a lineup on the verge of mutiny. The drift into commercial territory which had yielded fascinating and evocative results on The Spotlight Kid and Clear Spot zooms out of control, resulting in most of the songs being played and mixed in a spineless, soulless commercial style, with the Captain's eccentric lyrics and vocal style being de-emphasised like on no previous Magic Band album. Occasionally the instrumental backing starts creeping towards more interesting territory, as on I Got Love On My Mind, but it never quite manages it. Anyone who listens to this album without hearing any of the Captain's better work would come away with the impression that the Magic Band were a third-rate, plastic soft rock band; anyone who listens to this who has heard the likes of Trout Mask Replica or Lick My Decals Off will rage at the utter waste of talent the album represents. Avoid.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Green Puma / Tropical Dandy Jazz Related Rock
THE LINK QUARTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vinny Golia Quintet : Can You Outrun Them? 21st Century Modern
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bow Code Fusion
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Paper Plane Pilot
MIKE DE SOUZA
js· 5 hours ago
Green Puma
THE LINK QUARTET
js· 5 hours ago
Heavy Cream
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
js· 7 hours ago
Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 20 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed