by Ned Raggett (AMG)
Producer Ted Templeman was a bit of a surprising choice given his firmly
mainstream production credits, with the Doobie Brothers already under
his belt and Van Halen lurking in the near future. As it turned out, such
a combination led to a better-working fusion than might be expected, making
one wonder why in the world Clear Spot wasn't more of a commercial success
than it was. The sound is great throughout, and the feeling is of the
coolest bar-band in town, not to mention one that could eat all the patrons
for breakfast if it felt like it. Fans of the fully all-out side of Beefheart
might find the end result not fully up to snuff as a result, but those
less concerned with pushing back all borders all the time will enjoy his
unexpected blend of everything tempered with a new accessibility. "Nowadays
a Woman's Got to Hit a Man," besides having a brilliant title, shows
the balance perfectly -- Van Vliet serves up his rough asides with all
his expected wit and sass, while the Magic Band trade off notes here and
there just so. At the same time, the track is strong blues-rock that doesn't
pander, with a particularly fierce solo thanks to Zoot Horn Rollo. "My
Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains" is a great love song, the
softer arrangement saved from being too off by Beefheart's delivery. Other
winners include the title track, a sharp combination of an off-kilter
arrangement for a straightforward melody, the great shaggy-dog story of
"Golden Birdies," and "Big Eyed Beans from Venus,"
a fantastically strange piece of aggression.
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