Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best, but not the worst either!, 26 Sep 2000
This album is often mentioned as one of the Captains's poorer efforts, but I'm not convinced. Sure, this album doesn't feature any of the patience-testing freak-outs of "Trout Mask Replica", nor any of the jazz-groove noodlings of later albums, but it does contain some good examples of where their 60's pop and blues sentiments can work together well. Only complaints are that it's a bit too short, and the Captain seems to be running short of lyrics in places, but apart from that, this is one of the more enjoyable Beefheart albums that you can actually play to other people as well!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Join me in my discovery of the records of Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band..., 6 Jul 2007
This is the second Beefheart album I've heard. It was actually the first I bought, but I bought Safe As Milk right after it and decided to listen to that first since it was the first album and had better reviews. The accepted opinion on this one appears to be that it's a good album when compared with music in general, but dreadful when compared with (most of) Beefheart's other output. How amazing is that? The guy is so good that you can only compare his work to his other work.
Anyway, I love Safe As Milk. It's my new favourite album. I am obsessed with it. It is a work of audacious genius, and I'm sorely tempted to buy every other Beefheart album all in one go. The only thing that stops me is that I'm a bit skint this month. But how good is Unconditionally Guaranteed? I first listened to it the other day while wasshing up. My first thought was, "this is rubbish". It didn't have the big sound that Safe As Milk had, and it didn't have the weird musical variation, nor the absolutely manic vocal performance. In fact, it sounded more like some of the later stuff by The Doors; kind of sterile and loungey. Nevertheless, by the time it had finished I wanted to listen to it again. Straight away. And the moment I started listening to it that second time... it sounded better. And since then I've listened to it a lot. Yes, I like it. Yes, it is good when compared with most other music, and no it's not as good as Safe As Milk. But there's no weak tune on it, and each tune that comes on makes me think, "oh, good". "This Is The Day" is probably the best, but really, I like them all. It is a bit like mid-era Doors, but, in a previous review of Safe As Milk, I said The Doors seemed lame in comparison... and they seem kind of lame in comparison to this too. So overall, I'm really glad I got it, and I can't wait to get my next Beefheart record.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A terrible Beefheart album but not a bad album., 30 April 2007
If you are a Beefheart nut who loves a bit of Trout Mask, Doc at the radar station, lick my decals off baby or any of the other hardcore beef stuff then you should seriously avoid this album.
This is the Captain's attempt at commercial success but it was a serious flop in the U.S. charts and was created as the Magic Band were slowly disintergrating.
The album itself is not bad at all but is nothing in comparison to the motherload magic band stuff. Unconditionally guaranteed is too commercial for any real Captain fan and the album only contains one or few gems that are worth a listen - upon the my o my, magic me and the song that the album is worth purchasing for this song alone - This is the day.
So in all I would stay a way from this album unless you are into the bluejeans, clear spot ...beefheart stuff probably left to the people who want to like the Cap'n but are freaked out by The Trout stuff.
If this album were by a mediocre band it would have probably been well liked but unfortunetly it is by the meister and we do expect much better, no wonder he completely dismisses this and bluejeans from his musical C.V.
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