Groundbreaking, captivating, and nothing short of odd, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band was the band of frontman Captain Beefheart, aka. Don Van Vliet, for almost twenty years. Recording thirteen studio albums, the band’s members constantly rotated, and the band metamorphosized from initially performing R&B covers like Bo Diddley’s “Diddy Wah Diddy” to oddball psychedelic blues rock like “Zig Zag Wanderer” to absolute incomprehensible experimental music such as “Frownland”.

The band’s magnum opus is no doubt Trout Mask Replica, praised for its highly unconventional musical style, including polyrhythms and polytonality, and is regarded as one of the most challenging recordings of all time, and is ranked on Rolling Stone as the 60th greatest album of all time. Other high-regarded albums by the band include Safe as Milk, Lick My Decals Off, Baby, and Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller).

The Magic Band quickly gained a reputation for their oddball style, and experimental albums like Trout Mask would continue to be released until 1982’s Ice Cream for Crow where Van Vliet quit the music industry upon its release for a solitary life of painting and poetry.