Amazon.comLurking in the musical underground of the '70s were numerous groups extending Captain Beefheart's use of "dissonance, density, and clashing parts," merging them with elements of noise and free improvisation. Starship Beer was one of these. Comprised primarily of collegians Wes Mingin, Pat O'Brien, and Kevin Whitehead (who later became better known for his music writings), they even coined a phrase for their brand of zany mayhem: nut music. It reflected their self-view, as they took neither themselves nor the notion of instrumental skill too seriously, resulting in music which was charmingly off-putting and wittily irritating. Free-form horn trios, wiggy Cream-like rock jams, and tongue-in-cheek minidramas were their stock-in-trade. A brainy irreverence permeates the material, giving it a kinship to the work of Eugene Chadbourne, though it clearly lacks his chops or ambition. Definitely, a '70s curiosity item. --Wally Shoup