Captain Beefheart is weird. Maybe that’s why he often created music which nobody else had thought of before.
His distinctive gravelly voice spells out a psychedelic vision of a party, half Alice in Wonderland, half Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
I’ve got no clue what he’s on about, to be honest. However, when accompanied by the intensely bluesy backdrop on this track, it all becomes strangely pleasant.
A lazy drum groove sets the languid pace, as the funky bass cavorts happily with the guitar. It’s a masterclass in syncopated cool…
Released in 1974 on Bluejeans & Moonbeams, the song is one of the better tracks on an album largely considered to be directionless. Although it still inspired Kate Bush. Not a bad achievement!
The White Stripes released a suitably abrasive cover of the song in 2000, all distorted guitar and face slapping snare hits. In classic Stripes style, it is brilliant.