Lick My Decals Off, Baby

Van Vliet had ejected John French from the group after Trout Mask Replica, and Harkleroad took over arranging. Most songs began as piano improvisations by Van Vliet, which Harkleroad shaped into full-band pieces. French returned shortly before recording began, after Art Tripp, late of the Mothers of Invention, had been hired to replace him, so both drummers play on the record. Compared with the short fragments of the previous album, the musical lines are longer and more intricate. In Van Vliet's words, the title meant to get rid of the labels.

It was his highest-charting album in Britain, reaching number 20, with Peel championing it on BBC radio. A promotional film for the title song was later accepted into the Museum of Modern Art. Robert Christgau heard a playful undertone to Beefheart's range, and Pitchfork's Andy Beta called the album taut and streamlined where Trout Mask Replica sprawls. It was out of print on CD for years until Rhino included it in the Sun Zoom Spark box set in 2014.