The songs that inspired the man
Song list:
- Slim Harpo – I’m A King Bee
- Lightnin Slim – My Starter Won’t Work
- Richard Berry – Louie Louie
- Clarence Gatemouth Brown – Midnight Hour
- Howlin Wolf – Somebody In My Home
- Bo Diddley – Diddy Wah Diddy
- Ornette Coleman – Eventually
- Robert Johnson – Terraplane Blues
- Blind Willie Johnson – You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond
- Johnny Guitar Watson – Hot Little Mama
- One String Sam – I Need A Hundred Dollars
- Jimmy Reed – Little Rain
- Muddy Waters – Rollin N Tumblin (Part 1)
- Al Simmons With Slim Green And The Cats From Fresno – Old Folks Boogie
- Mississippi John Hurt – Candy Man Blues
- Lead Belly – Red Cross Store
- Louis Armstrong – St. James Infirmary
- John Lee Hooker – Crawlin King Snake
- John Coltrane – The Invisible
- Sunnyland Slim – Goin Back To Memphis
- Bukka White – Parchman Farm
- Sonny Boy Williamson – Don’t Start Me Talking
- Little Walter Jacobs – Key To The Highway
- Howlin Wolf – Smokestack Lightnin
- Blind Willie Johnson – Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time
Released by Chrome Dreams CDCD5027
Further information
From Chrome Dreams publicity:
“This compilation brings together the records
it is known Captain Beefheart was listening to prior to making his
own music [often in the company of school chum Frank Zappa] and
throughout his musical career. Records that have been partly responsible,
in their own way, for establishing a recording style whereby experimentation
is de rigeur and following whatever came before is forbidden.”“Includes 16 page colour booklet illustrated with rare photographs”.
Review by Steve Froy
Okay, this idea isn’t something new. A similar collection was released a few years ago by Ozit called Gimme Dat Harp Boy although their collection was more of an impressionistic soundscape of what Don might have heard in his younger days.
What Chrome Dreams have done is pull together the original tracks from many of the jazz and blues artists that influenced Don and the Magic Band and formed the basis of some of their live and recorded music.
However, it bears more than a passing resemblance to my Blues Roots of Captain Beefheart web article. In fact, I’d go so far as to say they have ripped off numerous chunks of my text … without any acknowledgement! The person credited with the compilation and notes is ‘author and music historian’ Derek Barker.
This plagarism has somewhat soured my view of what is a very good compilation. At least they have included a few things I haven’t listed. There’s a nicely produced glossy 16 page booklet that includes a short background piece on Beefheart and Zappa, some good photos and short comments about each track.
It’s available at a very cheap price in the UK so well worth picking up.
Help us out
If anyone is able to complete or update any of the information above, then please do get in touch.