Track Listings

1	I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby
2	White Jam
3	Blabber 'n Smoke
4	When It Blows Its Stacks
5	Alice In Blunderland
6	The Spotlight Kid
7	Click Clack
8	Grow Fins
9	There Ain't No Santa Claus on the Evenin' Stage
10	Glider
11	Low Yo Yo Stuff
12	Nowadays a Woman's Gotta Hit a Man
13	Too Much Time
14	Circumstances
15	My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains
16	Sun Zoom Spark
17	Clear Spot
18	Crazy Little Thing
19	Long Neck Bottles
20	Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles
21	Big Eyed Beans from Venus
22	Golden Birdies

Editorial Reviews

Product description

2 LPs on one CD. Both the monumentally great CLEAR SPOT album AND the very respectable SPOTLIGHT KID album

Amazon.com

In 1972 it probably seemed like the year belonged to a blues-tinged wall-of-sound rock band--maybe Deep Purple, who recorded Made in Japan that year--but from an aesthetic vantage, the blues-rock mantle has to go Captain Beefheart. In 1972 producer Ted Templeman took the controls for a pair of stunning Beefheart diamonds (in the rough of course), The Spotlight Kid and Clear Spot, both collected here in full on one CD. Beefheart's voice sounds rightly inimitable, growly and gruff and lyrically cryptic. For its part, the Magic Band is in top form as well, integrating marimba and an assortment of percussion into the slide guitar forestry. There's a distinct and good reason that the celebrated Beefheart box set of rarities is called Grow Fins: the tune, as it appears on this collection, is a classic terrain-defying testament of love as only Don Van Vliet (Beefheart) could provide, a surreal and funny little tune caught in a skein of rough-hewn music that's stood the test of time splendidly. --Andrew Bartlett

Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.24 x 5.67 x 0.39 inches; 3.6 ounces
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Reprise / Ada
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 43168-43734
SPARS Code ‏ : ‎ ADD
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ December 7, 2006
Label ‏ : ‎ Reprise / Ada
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000005JB4
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Best Sellers Rank: #35,176 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #418 in Special Interest
- #430 in Classic Psychedelic Rock
- #686 in Progressive Rock

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4.7 out of 5

201 global ratings

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ThoughtfulDog

Does it matter?

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2007

Verified Purchase

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.

9 people found this helpful

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Frank Canonica

Another essential Beefheart

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

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”

One person found this helpful

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Woody

Still sounds crazy

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2013

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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!

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David Cummins

Two albums for the price of one

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2020

Verified Purchase

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.

One person found this helpful

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Duke

When it blows its stacks...

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2011

Verified Purchase

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.

4 people found this helpful

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Geoffrey R. Balme

great wild bluesy experimental verbal goodness

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2006

Verified Purchase

The Magic Band was at a high point (Though Zoot Horn Rollo says that they didnt' play that well on Spotlight Kid, he recommends Clear Spot) the guitars are groovin' the tracks are exciting and Beefheart's Howlin' Wolf-esque vocals are brilliant on this pair of records.

There are standout tracks all over this collection.

And for fun you can watch a couple of videos on Youtube.com of songs from this collection - Black Eyed Peas from Venus is one of them - great psychedelica - and I'm gonna Booglarize you - with the band bouncing and jamming like something put together by spike jonez.

anyway - you can't go wrong if you like rock, blues, or good guitar noise.

3 people found this helpful

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Errol Vickers

When ever i listen to these two recordings of beefheart ...

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2018

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When ever i listen to these two recordings of beefheart, i can`t but think, modern recording has not really progressed that much.By the end of the mid-seventies most artists/producers/engineers had reached a peak.Though there were/are exceptions,the feel and excitment had vanished. Only to be replaced by formula&hype. The music has been swamped by the reliance on the visual-tittatation to shock and capture the attention of the masses. I must be nearing the grave!

8 people found this helpful

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Jan Arthur Lee

Clear Spot is the reason you buy this.

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2019

Verified Purchase

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

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Eduardo

Two of Beefheart's best albums

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2024

Verified Purchase

At times it feels like hes playing the Delta Blues but in a surreal take that can only be Beefheart.More accessible than his previous albums "Lick My Decals off,Baby" and "Trout Mask Replica" but still pretty out there,if you know what I mean.

hschroedter

Der Captain in Bestform

Reviewed in Germany on January 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

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!

3 people found this helpful

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Colonel Mustard

Essential Beefheart!

Reviewed in Canada on October 7, 2012

Verified Purchase

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!

メイちゃんの棺

大変なお得用盤！名作の２ＩＮ１です。快楽的名盤

Reviewed in Japan on August 11, 2011

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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。

11 people found this helpful

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R. T.

Just gets better and better.....

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2020

Verified Purchase

I became a fan of Captain Beefheart as Ice Cream For Crow was released and his music career was beginning to come to an end.
Not to worry, I had Beefheart's back catalogue of albums to explore. Some I liked, others not so.
This CD contains TWO of his earlier albums, although they are placed in reverse chronological order. I can remember playing this CD for the first time, a long time ago, probably in the 1990's (this recent purchase is a replacement). The songs were good to start off with and they get better and better as they move from 'The Spotlight Kid' and into 'Clear Spot'.
The Spotlight Kid is Beefheart at his blues best. Clear Spot shows different genres of music that include Stax and Swamp Rock, with Beefheart's blustering harmonica perforating both albums. His lyrics can be witty but his delivery is always perfect.
If you want to sample Captain Beefheart then get this CD. Two albums for the price of one, this shows an accessible side to Beefheart's music. If you like this then I would suggest a later album, Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) to try next. If you are an entry level Beefheart fan then The Spotlight Kid / Clear Spot would be a great choice.

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Spotlight Kid & Clear Spot

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