la dimension de trastos: CAPTAIN BEEFHEART DEAD

Captain Beefheart (real name Don Van Vliet) died yesterday from complications from multiple sclerosis. He probably influenced a dozen bands in your your collection and you may not have a single thing by him. Let's just say this; his music was an disjointed mix of blues, jazz, and rock. It was punk and no wave before they existed.

Tom Waits wrote yesterday "He was like the scout on a wagon train, he was the one who goes ahead and shows the way. He was a demanding bandleader, a transcendental composer (with emphasis on the dental), up there with Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra and Miles Davis. He drew in the air with a burnt stick. He described the indescribable. He's an underground stream and a big yellow blimp.

"I will miss talking to him on the phone. We would describe what we saw out of our windows. He was a rememberer. He was the only one who thought to bring matches. He's the alpha and the omega. The high water mark. He's gone and he won't be back."

Capt. Beefheart & his Magic Band, Cannes beach 1968

Though often critically acclaimed, his music was just a little too out there for mass consumption. His first album (which contained the single "Diddy Wah Diddy") wasn't initially released for that very reason. But he was never concerned with popular acceptance, and did things his way his entire career, regardless of the reward. That alone is something to be championed. The fact that his music was challenging is icing on the cake. And he was a painter as well. He really had it going on, friends. You wish you could be half as creative.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Saturday, December 18, 2010

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART DEAD

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