re: #241 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

he was a product of a time and a place that no longer exists.

I am just grateful that it did exist the way that it did

this kind of reminds me of a discussion that I wound up in dealing with Frank Zappa’s music, over on Facebook. I thought I was being daring when I suggested that in spite of his reputation, apparently well earned, I had never actually heard a Zappa guitar solo that did anything remotely for me. I expected immediate flames and backlash. Instead, a number of people just kind of came into the thread to mention that yes, there is a lot of Zappa, presumably done under pressure of trying to pay a full band wages, which is pretty much unlistenable. Someone did mention that the best way to approach Freak Out! is just to think of it in context. Realize it came out in 1966, and consider how absolutely radical it was as a sound for that time. I do think that helps, as has been said here about Beefheart: it has to be considered in regards to the time in which it was produced. Not every great creation has to be a creation that transcends time forever.