I gave Unconditionally Guaranteed another listen and it's really not THAT bad. I don't think it'd be of interest to anybody who wasn't already a Beefheart fan but it's pleasant enough that I can't totally dismiss it. Honestly, the horrible cover art bugs me more than the music inside. In some ways it just seems like a natural progression from the sort of stuff he was trying on the past two albums, but with a lot less energy or creativity.
I bought copies of it and Bluejeans & Moonbeams while in New York in the past week (along with a third-pressing Trout Mask Replica from a flea market!). I needed them to complete my Beefheart collection, but I haven't heard Bluejeans yet and I'm not really excited to do so. I'll probably get to it in the next week or so though.
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