Considered by many to be a substandard effort due to the circumstances of its release (producer
Bob Krasnow, the owner of
Blue Thumb, the label which debuted with this album, remixed the album while
Don Van Vliet and crew were off on a European tour, adding extraneous sound effects like heartbeats and excessive use of
psychedelic-era cliches like out-of-phase stereo panning and flanging), 1968's
Strictly Personal is actually a terrific album, every bit the equal of
Safe As Milk and
Trout Mask Replica. Opening with
"Ah Feel Like Ahcid," an
a cappella blues workout with its roots in
Son House's
"Death Letter," the brief (barely 35 minutes) album is at the same time simpler and weirder than
Safe As Milk had been. Working without another songwriter or arranger for the first time,
Captain Beefheart strips his idiosyncratic
blues down to the bone, with several of the songs (especially
"Son of Mirror Man/Mere Man") having little in the way of lyrics or chords beyond the most primeval stomp.
Krasnow's unfortunate sound effects and phasing do detract from the album at points, but the strength of the performances, especially those of drummer
John French, make his efforts little more than superfluous window dressing.
Strictly Personal is a fascinating, underrated release. ~ Stewart Mason
