Spotlight Kid & Clear Spot

Excellent - Just what I ordered!

Some albums/songs create a moment's transcendence in a life harried by the day to day. Some artists create a moment's identification between me and the music. And then there are the artists who have changed the way I think about the world. Don Van Vliet is of the second type in my ears. He opened my eyes to the golf ball around me and for that I am in his debt. And to the point, Clear Spot is the album that I think of when I think of the captain (not that I don't respect The Spotlight Kid). I haven't owned a copy since I was 17 and I can still hear the songs echoing through the canyons of my mind. I repurchased this combo a few months back and after all these years my memory only matches the music. How often can we say that?In the 21st Century I listen to RadioHead or Mark Sandman (see ya on the flip side) or Tom Waits and I can hear Van Vliet in all of them. He is the musician's musician because, to me, he dared to walk out into the void and embrace what he found there. I am happy to blabber and smoke in his company.If you like Captain Beefheart's peculiar distillation of life you will love this album.

These recordings were off the wall but really good 30+ years ago + still are worth having. Remember that this guy was influenced + promoted by Frank Zappa.Spotlight Kid is really out there, especially the vocals but has great lyrics. Clear Spot is much more tame + bluesy, very well played + very good vocals but still a little off the wall. Not for everyone but if you remember liking 1 or both of the albums when they 1st came out you still will. Wonder where this guy is now!

I had never liked Spotlight kid and bought this for Clear spot which I was fond of. Now, years later Spotlight kid is really quite oddly appealing. These two are essential for Beefheart fans. And might be good for people who have never listened to his music. My favorites are still the very first release “Safe as milk’ and “Bat chain puller as well as “shiny beast, Bat chain puller”

I have been watching this CD 2-fer here for a while, but for some reason I never purchased. I find it amusing that many of these songs I was still humming to myself, even after not hearing them for some 35 years!These were two of my favorite albums from decades ago. My vinyl copies did not survive the 70's.When Don Van Vliet passed recently, I decided it was now-or-never. I purchased and am having great fun rediscovering these albums.Note the packaging is thoughtful, containing "new" liner notes, and drawings/lyrics from The Spotlight Kid.The moon was a drip on a dark hood... Rest in Peace, Don. I will not forget you.

If you're looking at this, you know what to expect from Captain Beefheart already so I won't go into that. There are two albums on one cd here, The Spotlight Kid and Clear Spot. Kid is pretty tame by Beefheart standards. Good stuff, but not their best. Clear Spot, on the other hand, is excellent, one of the Captain's best. Well worth buying for for that album alone.

These are two of the best Beefheart albums I have heard. These seem a little more "standard" then the rest. Maybe you could say more easily digestible for the common listener. I don't see it approach what someone would call "sell out" for an artist known for being bizarre. I am a fan of all things Beefheart and will be listening to this more frequently then some other albums. Anywhere is a good place to start with Beefheart and this release is likely a great way to start.

Clear Spot is a great, fun and goofy album. Worth it!

Love this music, Beefheart is perhaps a marmite artist, whose work I rate very highly. I love marmite too BTW. Only buy if you have tried it, but do try it and see which side you fall.

The disk contains the complete albums, The Spotlight Kid and Clear Spot. The former is a recognized classic, with a dominating blues approach. The latter is less widely recognized, unjustly. The albums are linked in that Clear Spot utilized much of the material from the recording of The Spotlight Kid. Essential Beefheart!

Er war schon einer der besten Sänger seiner Zeit, hat das aber nicht so dick aufgetragen wie manch Anderer. Clear Spot war schon immer meine Lieblingsplatte in Viniyl von Beefheart, hab ihn irgendwann auch einmal live gesehen in Holland.Besonders "Sun Zoom Spark", "Low Yo Yo Stuff" und "Crazy Little Thing" gefallen mir mit ihrer raffinierten Rhythmik und dem ebenso einfachen wie genialen Arrangement dieser eher fetzigen Titel, während "Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles" und "My Head is My Only House Unless It Rains" ruhigere besinnliche Titel sind und gerade das Letztere die großartige Stimmakrobatik des Captains eher dezent anklingen lässt, beide jedoch wieder geschickt verwobene und kunstvoll instrumentierte Sets mit Xylophon, Akustikgitarre, E-Gitarre und fein abgestimmter Rhythmusgruppe mit Drums, Bass und Gitarre vortragen in einem hervorragend gemixten Studiosound, den ich beim Captain nie besser gehört habe.Nicht ganz so gut, aber eine nette Dreingabe ist das komplette Album "The Spotlight Kid", welches sich ebenfalls komplett auf der CD befindet.Insgesamt ist diese CD auf jeden Fall ein Superschnäppchen!

キャプテン・ビーフハートは私にとって唯一無二のアーチスト。こんなに好きなアーチストもヴァンダー・グラフ（ピーター・ハミル）やシド・バレット（最初期ピンクフロイド）以外いやしない。これはタイトルが紛らわしい名作２作の、２ＩＮ１ＣＤです。前半の「ザ・スポットライト・キッド」の方は、セルフプロデュース。凸凹したパーカッションの質感と、ふにゃふにゃしたアメリカンなスライド・ギター、それとちょっとは穏やかなドンのヴォーカルが大変心地良い。5曲目の「アリス・イン・ブルンダーランド」が特にイイ。全般にシンプルかつブルージーなしみじみ聞ける作品です。後半の「クリアー・スポット」はテッド・テンプルマン製作のアグレッシブだが聴き易い名作。オフビートを多用した跳ね上げるようなリズムと切れのいい攻撃的なギターリフ、ドンの唸り、絞り出すようなヴォーカルスタイルは、まるで初期のＰＩＬである。２作ともウチで休日の昼間から酔っ払いながら、だらだら聞くのに最高である。ビーフハートを聞けるこの瞬間こそ、この世の快楽の果てである。

このアルバムを聴く人は、もうすでにビーフハートにはまっている人だろうと思うので余計な事を言っても仕方ないような感じはあります。ただ「Her Eyes〜」のようなビーフハートのバラード？調のような曲が聴けるのが良いと思います。他にも「Alice In〜」をはじめポップな曲が並びます。ビーフハートの、単なるキレてる天才っぽさじゃなく、豊かな面が感じとれます。他のアルバムのような疲れる感じはなく、確かに楽しいアルバムです。