Losing Captain Beefheart was a rare low in 2010, but in loss always comes homage. Al Lover already proved his chops by sampling psyche-rock like Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall, so when we learned he was paying tribute to Beefheart, we could not think of a better project to begin the new year.
Created in the madness of all-night binges on booze and creative juices, Al Lover's Safe As Milk Replica is a distorted reworking of Beefheart's 1967 debut LP Safe As Milk with his Magic Band. Al Lover understands the only way to make a Beefheart replica is by being intentionally gritty, no Pro-Tools plug-in tricks, just fingers drumming on the MPC. Al Lover on the project:
The man was a true innovator, and he deserves to be honored for his
important contributions to music. This is my way of doing that, by
cutting it up and gluing it back together all fucked up and weird. What
can I say, it's all I know. In no way do I intend to try to outshine the works on this record, it
might be one of the most perfect Rock albums ever made, I just wish to
tip the old hat to the guy for a job well done. “Good show sir, you made
some of the best music ever produced on this earth. Your efforts were
not in vain.” This is in my opinion is a way to help preserve the great
works of the past, and help share them with more people. If this effort
makes at least one person who hasn't heard of Beefheart go back and
explore his works, than I have done my job. I remember as a kid my dad
always talking this guy up(Pops was, and is still a big Zappa Fan). It
wasn't till I was in my late teens when I picked up one of his albums,
“Trout Mask Replica”, and I was Like “What the Fuck was this cat up to?
He's fuckin' insane!” Truly original music. Some of the best shit ever.
“Safe as Milk” is an incredible album, and I advise everyone who likes
any sort of music to pick up a copy and bump that shit loud as fuck.
Download Safe As Milk Replica here for free.
