Label: Liberty

Reissued 1998, Originally released 1968

1994 CD reissue, only issued in the UK, of the 2nd CAPTAIN BEEFHEART album, originally issued by Blue Thumb in 1968. 12 page booklet with extensive liner notes by Mark Paytress. The legendary bridge between Safe As Milk and the opus Trout Mask Replica, Strictly Personal features late 60s-style psychedelic production techniques that tend to confuse the purists, but sound better and better all the time. Legendary and a lot less commonly available than the Virgin/WEA/Buddha BEEFHEART titles... "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 clichés 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. Strictly Personal is a fascinating, underrated release."

Track listing:

1. Ah Feel Like Ahcid
   
2. Safe As Milk
   
3. Trust Us
   
4. Son of Mirror Man - Mere Man
   
5. On Tomorrow
   
6. Beatle Bones 'N' Smokin' Stones
   
7. Gimme Dat Harp Boy
   
8. Kandy Korn