ICE CREAM FOR CROW

• Electricity Safe As Milk, 1967
• Hair Pie Bake 2 Trout Mask Replica, 1969
• When It Blows Its Stacks The Spotlight Kid, 1972
• When I See Mommy I Feel Like A Mummy Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller), 1978
• A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond Doc At The Radar Station, 1980
• Ice Cream For Crow Ice Cream For Crow, 1982

"Ice Cream For Crow" was Don Van Vliet's final studio album before his retirement from the music business to concentrate on painting (or because of an undisclosed illness, depending on who you believe). It was not a bad way to leave. In my not so humble opinion, his last three albums were his mos consistently enjoyable.

this album starts off well, with the title track bouncing along with that angular, disjointed sound Beefheart had always seemed to enjoy, but never quite perfected until the "Shiny Beast" album. The fun continues with "The Host The Ghost The Most Holy-O". a call and response tune that either hoists a glass to or makes fun of religion, depending upon your perspective.

The remainder of the album continues in this vein, with Beefheart's odd poetry serving well over the band's regulated cacophany.

The only low point is "81' Poop Hatch", where the Captain discusses poop for a bit loger than I'd like to hear.

Send comments to Evolver (BETA) | Report this review (#222393) | Review Permalink
Posted Monday, June 22, 2009

Captain Beefheart's swansong is a charming companion piece to Doc At the Radar Station, continuing that album's mixture of jagged instrumentals, unaccompanied spoken word poetry, and twisted songs updating Beefheart's distinctive avant-blues style for a new era. The opening title track is probably the best one on here, Beefheart and the Magic Band creating a piece which is at once addictively danceable and yet, at the same time, completely bizarre. At points the use of slide guitar seems to fit in interestingly with the approach of new wave groups such as Talking Heads and Devo, whose unusual, angular musical styles perhaps owe a little thing or two to Beefheart.

Send comments to Warthur (BETA) | Report this review (#571210) | Review Permalink
Posted Saturday, November 19, 2011

This being his last album, it's really sad to know that he will no longer be making music. Out of all his albums, besides Trout Mask Replica, this is one of his most popular releases. Now the album's title track, which was released as a single did boost its popularity slightly, especially due ... (read more)

Report this review (#532215) | Posted by arcane-beautiful | Sunday, September 25, 2011 | Review Permanlink

I got this album for my birthday present and it took me a couple listens to fully absorb it. This album hasn't got the melodic richness of Shiny beast or an initial strange impact of Trout mask replica. But it is definately a little better than Strictly personal, the record where many odd decisi ... (read more)

Report this review (#204729) | Posted by PurpleCobra | Sunday, March 01, 2009 | Review Permanlink

This album is certainly not Captain Beefheart's finest hour. "Ice Cream For Crow" was Beefheart's last real effort as a recording artist before his retirement from music, and in my opinion it was not a great note to end on. The opening track "Ice Cream For Crow", is reminiscent of his earlier work ... (read more)

Report this review (#146793) | Posted by cynthiasmallet | Wednesday, October 24, 2007 | Review Permanlink

Beefheart's last studio album before he gave up music, relocated into the Mojave desert and concentrated on his painting. For those who like the more 'out there' Beefheart this will not disappoint. I've owned it a long time and never got to grips with it apart from the track I bought it for, ... (read more)

Report this review (#105511) | Posted by zedkatz | Thursday, January 04, 2007 | Review Permanlink

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