Monday 4 May 2015

Captain Beefheart: US Review



(Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band)
Label(s): 
Genre: 
Release Date: 
Monday, December 8, 2014
Grade: 
B+
Tracks: 




Lets go back in time shall we, back to the year of 1973. It's March, the location is the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver and taking the stage is the band, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. That's pretty much what you will get with this latest CD to be released by Gonzo Multimedia, a live concert that was recorded back in 1973 and it's almost like going back in time for your ears. If you just close your eyes, maybe add in some smoke smell since it is the early 70's and smoking was allowed in places back then, you would almost feel like you were at the concert yourself. Of course the best part of listening to the concert now vs. back then, I don't have to wear the clothes of the 70's.

Now if you are wondering or getting excited that you will get to listen to this rare concert that's from the past and thinking that you will get a re-mastered CD where the songs are crystal clear, you won't get that. At least, I don't think this CD got re-mastered and if it did I really wouldn't want to listen to it before this. At any rate, the quality of the CD is not that great, when I first listened to it my first thought was that this was a bootleg recording. That's not out of the ordinary for some old concerts, I've listened to a lot of CD's that have been put out by record companies that were of bootlegs, some good, some ok, some so bad that they should have been left alone. This one however is somewhat good, not great, but it's one that I have no problem listening to.

Here is the main problem with this recording, the audio sounds as if it's being recorded from a far distance. That's why I thought bootleg, because it could be someone way in the back of the audience that's doing the recording. Though it's not so far that it's too low, it's just not as clear as if it was being recorded off a sound board. Still, it's a fun CD, one that makes me think that the concert itself was a whole lot of fun to be at. The music is rough, it don't have that polished edge like a studio, but it has that raw, fun, we are here to play some music that will get you pumped sound, and for that I enjoyed this album. I'm not really a fan of Captain Beefheart, but this concert is one that I liked listening to.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:


Harpo's Detroit Dec 11th 1980
CD - £9.99


Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver 1973
CD - £9.99

Le Nouvel Hippodrome, Paris 1977
2CD - £11.99

The Lost Broadcasts
DVD - £9.99

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