Don Van Vliet "Captain Beefheart" has died.

[Logeek]

For those of us old enough to remember, The Captain made it alright to be... different.
Years ago I went to see Muddy Waters at the Roxy in Hollywood. A little Corvair pulled up to the curb and out popped the Captain in full Trout Mask Excellence! He was the nicest Guy, chatting up everyone in the line... and clearly very exited to see the Master of the Blues.
Another time I was driving through the Mojave desert. I looked out my window and there was this person that I immediatley recognized: The Captain, this time in a Volvo. He saw me lookin', checkin' him out and he gave me a big smile, a sort of hand wave benediction and he was gone. Wow, I still can't believe it...

[oblique strategies]

Wonderful stories.

R.I.P.

[djsynchro]

WH ?

[sporkles]

WH ?

Damn! If I could only remember the URL to "Let me Bing that for you", I'd be having a laff right now!

[razorblade]

The Blimp The Blimp The Mother Ship The Mother Ship!

RIP Captain....

[Bagatell]

WH ?

"Could it be that Beefheart was the big dummy and Vliet the ventriloquist?..."

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Captain+B ... =Beefheart

Webcor, webcor

[Jarvisimon]

It is indeed a very sad occasion but he probably doesn't see it that way, seeing as he had been ill for some while.

Anyway, despite not having released anything since "Ice cream for crow" (early 80's), nobody else has even gotten close to his rather twisted angle on Rock, Jazz and Blues.

Thanks Don.

[LoopStationZebra]

It is indeed a very sad occasion but he probably doesn't see it that way, seeing as he had been ill for some while.

Anyway, despite not having released anything since "Ice cream for crow" (early 80's), nobody else has even gotten close to his rather twisted angle on Rock, Jazz and Blues.

Thanks Don.

Nobody? Pfft. He once heard Zappa playing and then attempted to crawl up Frank's arse for the rest of his career.

[LoopStationZebra]

And while everyone is waxing poetic about how swell he was, the stories of how abusive he could be to band members and roadies and crew and club owners are the stuff of legend.

[chaibuka]

here's an example of the off the wall humor that was going on.

Sam with the Showing Scalp Flat Top [live]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAwQRtQdhrE

[Machinesworking]

Nobody? Pfft. He once heard Zappa playing and then attempted to crawl up Frank's arse for the rest of his career.

Don't agree at all. Sure they influenced each other and Zappa was more popular, but Beefheart influenced a lot of musicians, especially Trout mask Replicas.
Some people change things a bit, he did. Never was much into his music, but I respect his influence.

[LoopStationZebra]

I totally took umbridge with this statement:

nobody else has even gotten close to his rather twisted angle on Rock, Jazz and Blues

Because, quite frankly, Zappa not only got close, he arguably surpassed Beefheart on many musical levels.

I never knew they went to high school together until I watched the Mothers of Invention documentary.

[Machinesworking]

I totally took umbridge with this statement:

nobody else has even gotten close to his rather twisted angle on Rock, Jazz and Blues

Because, quite frankly, Zappa not only got close, he arguably surpassed Beefheart on many musical levels.

I never knew they went to high school together until I watched the Mothers of Invention documentary.

OK I get ya, Beefheart added a lot more Dada shit to his stuff, I wouldn't discount him as important, Zappa was cool with him ya get me?
Fuck yeah to old school hippy weirdos

Too bad he was a bitch to work with though.

[LoopStationZebra]

The odd thing is that while there were certainly experimenters that came after those guys, they were usually of the total avante garde variety. With the exception of, I dunno, The Residents , who else was even exploring true mondo bizarro fusion within the rock/pop/jazz framework? I honestly can't think of anybody.

Bah. Even the Residents is a poor example.

[Machinesworking]

The odd thing is that while there were certainly experimenters that came after those guys, they were usually of the total avante garde variety. With the exception of, I dunno, The Residents , who else was even exploring true mondo bizarro fusion within the rock/pop/jazz framework? I honestly can't think of anybody.

Bah. Even the Residents is a poor example.

The Residents were going around the same time. Earliest recordings are from 69 or some shit? Solid recordings by 74.
They liked Beefheart that's obvious though.
Love the early stuff, commercial album, Duckstab EP etc.

Not just rock pop jazz, the schizoid staccato playing of the Magic Band for instance was a big influence on Devo and early New Wave in general.
A lot of Punk and New Wave bands were influenced by his stage antics, and gravely voice etc.
I don't doubt that the 80's King Crimson was influenced to a degree as well. Songs like Elephant Talk and Indiscipline etc.
Discipline is still one of my favorite records of all time.