The Mirror Man Sessions

( 1 )

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Douglas Wolk
Let's quash the rumors first: Despite their original packaging, the four long, gristly jams that make up 1971's original MIRROR MAN weren't recorded in 1965 but in late 1967, as part of a projected double LP. This reissue tries to reconstruct what that album might have sounded like. As such, half the disc presents extended live-in-the-studio workouts that shatter Beefheart's earlier concise garage rock into loose, extemporaneous fantasias on blues tropes, while the other half offers utterly unique, hallucinatory songs with instruments and voices doubling up, splitting in half, and drifting across the sound field. Most of the latter were subsequently recorded for ...
See more details below
CD
$6.99
BN.com price
Other sellers (CD)
  • All (7) from $4.91   
  • New (7) from $4.91   

More About This Product

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Douglas Wolk
Let's quash the rumors first: Despite their original packaging, the four long, gristly jams that make up 1971's original MIRROR MAN weren't recorded in 1965 but in late 1967, as part of a projected double LP. This reissue tries to reconstruct what that album might have sounded like. As such, half the disc presents extended live-in-the-studio workouts that shatter Beefheart's earlier concise garage rock into loose, extemporaneous fantasias on blues tropes, while the other half offers utterly unique, hallucinatory songs with instruments and voices doubling up, splitting in half, and drifting across the sound field. Most of the latter were subsequently recorded for STRICTLY PERSONAL; some overflow from these sessions appears on the SAFE AS MILK reissue. Beefheart's singing distills the excesses of the Delta blues he gorged himself on into a wonder of growls and whoops, while the band invents an idiom entirely its own. Directed by drummer John French's uneven pounding, it weaves like a drunk, then snaps back into sublime coordination.
All Music Guide - Steve Huey
The Mirror Man Sessions features the complete remastered contents of Mirror Man, albeit in a resequenced running order, and fills out the rest of the CD with a number of bonus tracks taken from additional recordings, both finished and unfinished, made around the same time for what would have been a double album titled It Comes to You in a Plain Brown Wrapper. As a listening experience, the package will appeal more to those who value the instrumental Beefheart; the Mirror Man album is, of course, essentially a 50-plus-minute jam session, containing as it does only four songs, and the bonus tracks -- many of which appeared on the One Way label's reissue of Safe as Milk -- mostly consist of jams and instrumentals which push the boundaries of conventional blues-rock, with a Beefheart vocal tossed in here and there. Some may miss Beefheart's surreal poetry, gruff vocals, and/or free jazz influence, while others may find it fascinating to hear the Magic Band simply letting go and cutting loose.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 3/1/2008
  • Label: Sbme Special Mkts.
  • UPC: 886972463629
  • Catalog Number: 724636
  • Sales rank: 9,208

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band Primary Artist
Captain Beefheart Harmonica, Vocals, Indexed Contributor
John French Drums
Jerry Handley Bass
Alex St. Clair Guitar
Jeff Cotton Guitar
Technical Credits
Captain Beefheart Contributor
Elliott Federman Mastering
Bob Krasnow Producer
Don Van Vliet Composer, Author
John Platt Liner Notes, Annotation
Michael Mendel Art Direction
David Richman Redesign
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 1 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Review

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Buckle Up!!!!!!!!!

    This is how music was meant to be! God save the queen....and Captain Beefheart!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Review