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Don Van Vliet ( / væn ˈvliːt /; born Don Glen Vliet; [2] January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as the Magic Band, he recorded 13 studio albums between 1967 and 1982.
- Electricity (1967) Legend has it that A&M boss Jerry Moss ditched plans to sign Beefheart and his Magic Band after hearing Electricity and declaring it too negative for impressionable young teens.
- Big Eyed Beans From Venus (1973) The Magic Band are at their magnificent best on this not-quite-metal racket, with Art Tripp’s staccato drums forming a backdrop to gnashing twin guitarists Mark Boston and Bill Harkleroad.
- Moonlight On Vermont (1969) Its title a sly rejoinder to the popular ‘40s standard Moonlight In Vermont, this song from Beefheart’s most iconic album the Frank Zappa-produced Trout Mask Replica, is a corrosive bastardisation of swamp-blues.
- Lick My Decals Off, Baby (1970) The title track from the album that Van Vliet once proclaimed his own personal favourite, this atonal beauty is fired by a trebly guitar line and impossibly itchy percussion.
Feb 27, 2011 · Track #1 from the album Trout Mask Replica (1969)
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- “Diddy Wah Diddy” (single, 1966) The Captain’s debut single takes Bo Diddley’s strolling 1956 Willie Dixon cover and attaches battery cables to its nipples.
- “Electricity” (Safe As Milk, 1967) The intro sounds like the Summer of Love, but then Beefheart comes in like a bad trip, his voice between Howlin’ Wolf and a cartoon witch-cackle.
- “Beatle Bones ‘N Smokin’ Stones” (Strictly Personal, 1968) John Lennon and Paul McCartney were reportedly Beefheart fans. But that didn’t deter Van Vliet from tweaking the Beatles on this psychedelic blues incantation.
- “Moonlight on Vermont” (Trout Mask Replica, 1969) With a reconstituted band and free creative reign from childhood pal-turned-label chief Frank Zappa, Beefheart’s electric blues go abstract expressionist, and his verbal collages get denser: “Vermont” quotes both the 19th-century spiritual “Old-Time Religion” and experimental composer Steve Reich’s 1966 piece Come Out – while tossing in Beefheart’s own bent poetry.
May 12, 2011 · Learn about the life and music of Captain Beefheart, the influential rock artist who retired from the industry in 1982. Explore his albums, photos, videos, tributes and more on this fan-run site.
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Apr 22, 2024 · Captain Beefheart, innovative American avant-garde rock and blues singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Performing with the shifting lineup of musicians known as His Magic Band, he produced a series of albums that had limited commercial appeal but were a major influence on punk and experimental rock.
Dec 17, 2010 · Learn about the life and music of Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, a visionary singer and bandleader who defied conventions and genres. Read his own words and those of his friends and critics in this classic article from Rolling Stone magazine.
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