Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Best Batch Yet Lyrics

Reminds me of the avant garde play style of bands such as Gorguts

I think this is the angriest song I've ever heard

Good sleep music

This is up there for me with Ashtray Heart or Harry Irene. Doc at the radar station is my fav album!

That's some overwhelming technique.

I'm reading the biography by Mike Barnes, and just got to the bit where Eric Drew Feldman talks about this recording.

They're all in the studio getting in to this one, and enjoying it, when Don comes out of the booth and shuts them down. He says he wants to make some changes. He gives the drummer some pointed instructions, tells someone to play their part upside-down - and he wants one of the guitar parts to be yellow. He has them try it again, and cuts them off again because the shade of yellow is wrong - he wants it billowing and sulfurous. The players are all glancing at each other, thinking "What the fuck?" After fifteen minutes of him screwing with them, no one's saying anything, but they're all just seething with rage - at which point, Don says, "OK - now go back to how you were playing it before."

That's the take we have here. These guys may have been the best batch yet, but that didn't meant they got a free pass on the suffering.

No doubting Don loved the music. Also seems clear he was bit of a dick to his bandmates. If we exist beyond this life, like to think Don would sheepishly offer a "hey, man, sorry 'bout that". But who knows.

Anywhoo, infinitely gracious thanks to all whom contributed.

Yeah, Don told me to scowl like a cat while playing drums during a certain section of the song.

The man obviously suffered from--and relied upon--synaestheticism.

@robert williams Mr Williams your performance at the concert in Paris, 1980 is one I have kept replaying for many years. Phenomenal and blistering, thankyou so much

@sbyrne1 Thank you. I worked tirelessly to make sure I was well prepared to do my job and do it well.

and what a batch

Absolutely superb. One of my favourite Beefheart songs. The way the instruments mesh, mingle and jarr, sometimes with the rhythm, sometimes against and over it is is amazing. Nothing is by chance here or coincidental; I've heard a few live versions of this by the band and is almost verbatim of the studio version. They sure must have rehearsed a hell of a lot.

Yeah - this is chamber music. There's some FaceTube video of a convocation of the Bowery Poetry Club devoted to the staging of Beefheart songs. Assorted musicians are involved, along with some chaos, but those songs live in that context. I'm not sure if this stuff is written down somewhere, or if it's just worked its way into plenty of heads.

Yes, I remember seeing that tribute. ('Think I may have commented in that too!) Very impressive, I'd definitely go see them live. My other favourite Beefheart songs are probably Sheriff of Hong Kong, Thousand and tenth day of the Human Totem Pole and some of the Trout Mask stuff like Ant Man Bee, Sugar and Spikes and Pachuco Cadaver. Though it'd be hard to pick out a poor Beefheart song.

We don't have to suffer we're the best batch yet!

THANKS MrWzzzW!

i love shiny things

PAK and RUINS is very similar but newer. THIS SONG ROCKS in a dis-jointed type of way. PLAY THIS at negative 10% pitch on your cd player with max bass and treble for best results. I love it at 1;58 and 3,52 on the cd the way the driving beat just rocks out with the total madness.

It's called "Swallowed! Best Batch Yet". Basically a video of some chick gargling semen while this song plays.

YES! I want the link too haha

I used to have this album when it first came out. The captain is a shaman. I love the otherworldly sounds of the band. Too bad we can't have music as original and riveting as this now.

@kingfeeb well said, on every level

@Rnewmanguy without getting into a line-by-line interpretation (because I think that sort of academic exercise kills good music), the basic idea is that each generation of people has a feeling of specialness and entitlement. They think they're the "best batch yet". But, of course, this belief is a sham and a fraud- they aren't pearls, they're just "cardboard balls, seamed in glue", just like every other "batch".

@Rnewmanguy the lyrics are the opposite of meaningless... and great poetry besides.

Don is dead... :(

Don is very alive in my ears right now.

We are the BEST BATCH YET but still not maybe good enough possibly to save the planet. It's remarkable!

One of the greatest song ever...