I Feel Pretty Booglarized.
Joseph Kimsey | Pac NW | 01/03/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Crew without the Captain have put out a worthy disc, but it kind of pales next to the original versions of these fantastic songs. Don't get me wrong, nostalgia from The Magic Band is more relevant than 99% of the newly released stuff out there. It's just that I can't help comparing these to the originals, and the originals are the best rock music ever!
John French is an incredibly innovative drummer, and he is a credible Beefheart impersonator. He sounds pretty close on Circumstances and Dropout Boogie, but why impersonate a voice that is beyond duplication? Captain Don's voice was a force of nature. I don't mean to sound unkind, I'd see this band live in a second! It's just that I find the instrumental versions of these classics to be the most effective.
Speaking of which: the instrumental versions of My Human Gets Me Blues, Abba Zaba, and Steal Softly Thru Snow are simply incredible!! It's a pity that this band didn't perform more of the Trout Mask Replica tracks as instrumentals. I'd love to hear Ella Guru, Pachuco Cadaver, and Hobo Chang Ba in all their instrumental complexity !!! Hair Pie lacks the great Zoot Horn Rollo's aggressive technique, but it's still an incredible experience. Hopefully the new Magic Band will tour around our neck of the woods. I wouldn't miss it!"
Okay, four and a half cause you-know-who is missing
COMPUTERJAZZMAN | Cliffside Park, New Jersey United States | 03/30/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you like Beefheart's music, you'll love this CD. I read some of the other reviews and they knock the fact that this is all updated old material, but isn't that what we really want to hear, anyway? This band still rocks and that's what counts. Plus, it's a lot better than 99% of the crap that passes for rock/alternative music today."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1
