Clear Spot

Trout Mask Replica had made Beefheart a critically acclaimed artist but sold poorly, and for this album he wanted more commercial success. He chose producer Ted Templeman and engineer Donn Landee, who had worked on hits for the Doobie Brothers and Van Morrison. Roy Estrada, formerly of the Mothers of Invention and Little Feat, joined on bass, credited as Oréjon in the sleeve notes. It was the first studio album without drummer John French, with Art Tripp as the sole drummer. Pitchfork wrote that across their two 1972 albums on Warner Bros. he sounded as if he was being groomed to be the next Van Morrison.

It was first issued in a clear plastic sleeve with the title embossed on it, so the black disc showed through. It reached 191 on the Billboard 200 and did not chart in Britain. Q put Big Eyed Beans from Venus at number 53 in its 2005 list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The Tubes covered My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains, Joan Osborne recorded His Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles, and the Black Keys covered Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles.