THE SPOTLIGHT KID

This is definitely more the "bluesrock" Beefheart than the "freaky progressive" Beefheart, but I'm giving out ratings on overall quality not "prog-quotient", so I say it's a bit of an underrated . . . well, not quite "a classic" but "a very good album by a legend."

The best thing about this album is the quality of the songs, which is pretty high. "Blabber & Smoke" is a great song about pollution, quite moving in an understated way. "Click Clack" is a truly great train song (in ye olde blues tradition) that really "rocks" in that off- kilter Magic Band way (they're hardly just playing a 4/4 backbeat here!!!!!) "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby" is also very rocking in a non-traditional way. "Grow Fins" is about going off to sea to fall in love with a mermaid. "Alice in Blunderland" is one of the catchiest instrumentals he ever cooked up.

This is a must-have for Beefheart fans (even if it is overshadowed by "Clear Spot" from the same year, with a similar title.) Makes a pretty decent entry point to the Captain's universe for the non-initiated too.