CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND THE MAGIC BAND - Bluejeans & Moonbeams (Virgin – 88 473 IT) Holland 1974 LP | vinyl: NM (mint-) | cover: VG+ (some storage wear around the edges) 

Despite its uncharacteristically mainstream sound the album failed to chart. Having no musical training or instrumental experience, throughout his career Van Vliet had relied on a musical director within the band who could translate his often unorthodox ideas into a form that was musically playable. This role had been successively filled by Alex St. Clair, John French, and Bill Harkleroad on his previous albums. With the entire Magic Band having quit after the recording of his previous album he no longer had such an intermediary. As a result, the album is generally considered the nadir of Van Vliet's musical career. One of the musicians, Micheal Smotherman, said "Don was just as confused as he could be throughout the whole process ... I would push his face up to the microphone and he would start singing. And when it was time to stop I would pull him back gently."