Don Van Vliet, aka "Captain Beefheart"

[WildcatOne]

I was privileged to attend a concert in 1970 of the good Captain and the original "Trout Mask Replica" band. I've never seen anything like it before or since. We ended up right in front of them; by the time they were halfway through the first set, most of the crowd had left. I was a fan of Captain Beefheart before "Replica" came out, though...he was one of the greatest blues singers ever and he never got the credit he deserved for it. His voice was like Howlin' Wolf meets Bob Seger with a 4 and a half-octave range...set to a spaced-out blues background...but yes, "Trout Mask Replica" was the blueprint of modern experimental music...including but not exclusive to: jazz-rock fusion, avant-garde, new wave, punk, space-rock, spoken word, heavy metal, free-form and progressive rock...and at many points on that album, all of them rolled into one...it was not regarded as just a classic album, it was often used as a touchstone; the base from which a wide array of subjects would originate...or gravitate towards...what I'm trying to say is that our planet was fortunate to have him drop in and show us what the rest of the story really is...rest in peace, Don, and thanks for enlightening us. WC1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Beefheart

PS Edit: Thought I'd mention...at that live show, they duplicated "Trout Mask Replica" note-for-note. It was done exactly the way they recorded it...which holds true to the story that they worked up all that material and rehearsed it 16 hours a day for 8 months before they went into the studio...they walked in and nailed it cold, straight off the record...unbelievable, man.

[draglist]

"The camel wore a nightie...

At the party of special things to do..."

When you are the guy that Frank Zappa goes to when he wanted to get harder edged, you got something there...

Farewell, Captain. bp

[Bret Kepner]

Farewell, Cap'n.