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By Hannah May Kilroy ( Prog ) published 29 July 22

After withdrawing from music for almost 50 years, the former Captain Beefheart guitarist will release his debut solo album The Fantasy Of Reality in August

Jeff Cotton, best known for his tenure in Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band in the late 60s, has released a new single Does It Work For You with an accompanying music video, which you can watch below. 

The single is taken from Cotton’s debut solo album The Fantasy Of Reality, which will be released on Madfish on August 12. 

Cotton was a member of Captain Beefheart from 1967 to 1969, playing guitar, lap steel and contributing vocals. He played on the groundbreaking Trout Mask Replica in 1969 under the pseudonym Antennae Jimmy Semens, and appeared under his own name on 1968's Strictly Personal and 1971's Mirror Man, which had been recorded in 1967. After leaving the band in 1969 he contributed to the cult band MU, before withdrawing from the commercial music business for almost 50 years.

Of the single, Cotton says: “Does It Work For You, the first tune on my new album, The Fantasy Of Reality, exemplifies the overall sentiment of this new work. I sincerely hope that you experience some of the ‘old magic’ and pick up on the lyrical positivity. We’re all in this together, and because there’s never been a time quite like this, it is good that we remind one another, that despite it all, love is our ‘reality’.”

His debut solo album is made up of 22 tracks and is a melting pot of ideas, blending together together musical strands such as jazz, delta blues, Hawaiian (where Cotton lives) and the avant-garde. Cal Schenkel, who designed the cover of Trout Mask Replica, contributed to the internal artwork of the album. 

The Fantasy Of Reality is available for pre-order now. 

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