In April 1974, Captain Beefheart released his eighth studio album, Unconditionally Guaranteed. It was not a happy time, and he would later describe the record – and its follow-up, Bluejeans & Moonbeams – as "horrible and vulgar", urging fans to return them to the point of purchase for a refund.
More importantly, in the immediate wake of the album's release, the Captain was fired by his long-term backing musicians, The Magic Band. But promotional chores still had to be attended to, so Beefheart set off on tour with a bunch of studio musicians whose unfamiliarity with the complexities of his work led to performances that were as streamlined as they were perfunctory. The so-called Tragic Band was born.
