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A three CD collection of instrumental tracks from Clear Spot and Lick My Decals Off, Baby plus a whole bunch of outtakes from The Spotlight Kid/Clear Spot era that didn’t make it onto the recent Reprise/Rhino boxset. Song List Disc 1 My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains (Inst.) Clear Spot (Inst.) Crazy Little Thing (Inst.) Dirty Blue Gene (Inst.) Big Eyed Beans From Venus (Inst.) Untitled Blues Jam (Inst.) Sun Zoom Spark (Inst.) Nowadays A Woman’s Gotta Hit A Man (Inst.) Low Yo Yo Stuff (Inst.) Circumstances (w/Vocal) Li’l Scratch #1 (w/Vocal) Li’l Scratch #2 (w/Vocal) Suzy Murder Wrist U Bean So Cinquo (ObensoRead More →

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Just when you’re waiting for a Magic Band DVD two turn up at the same time. If you saw the earlier posts you’ll know that John French set up two Indiegogo crowd-funding projects a few months back to finance the release of these two DVDs – Magnetic Draw and Singing Through You. Well, here they are: Singing Through You documents the band’s 10th anniversary gig at Under the Bridge, London in March 2013 plus it includes an interview John did at Rough Trade Records to promote his book about Beefheart. Read our short review of Singing Through You Magnetic Draw catches them a year later atRead More →

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10th Anniversary concert live in London Song List My Human Gets Me Blues Low Yo Yo Stuff Diddy Wah Diddy Bass Solo (Hair Pie) Clouds intro into Golden Birdies When It Blows Its Stacks Hot Head Doctor Dark Drum Solo into On Tomorrow Alice In Blunderland Suction Prints Hair Pie (Bake 1) Steal Softly Thru Snow Owed T’Alex Click Clack Floppy Boot Stomp Moonlight On Vermont Big Eyed Beans From Venus Electricity Recorded at Under The Bridge, London on 16 March 2013 Notes From the sleeve notes: On their 10th anniversary The Magic Band celebrated by playing music of Captain Beefheart in front of aRead More →

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This electrifying film is a front row ticket to the powerful avant garde blues sound of The Magic Band as they perform the music of Captain Beefheart live in concert. (Blurb on DVD cover) Song List First Set Clear Spot Abba Zaba Bass Solo When It Blows Its Stacks Golden Birdies Hot Head Nowadays A Woman’s Got To Hit A Man Ella Guru Pachuco Cadaver Kandy Korn Second Set On Tomorrow Suction Prints Hair Pie Bake 1 Steal Softly Thru Snow Grown So Ugly Owed T’Alex Mirror Man Sugar ‘N’ Spikes Big Eyed Beans From Venus Circumstances Electricity   Recorded live at the Engine Shed,Read More →

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Avalon Ballroom San Francisco 1966 plus bonus tracks Song list Down In The Bottom 02:39 Don’t Start Me Talkin’ 02:16 The Sun Is Shining 02:41 Tupelo 04:23 Somebody In My Home 02:53 Old Folks’ Boogie 03:22 St. James Infirmery 06:18 Evil (Is Going On) 02:36 Harp Instrumental 03:15 Somebody In My Home 02:40 Sure ‘Nuff ‘N’ Yes I Do 02:06 Call On Me 03:04 Yellow Brick Road 01:33 Plastic Factory 02:55 Sure ‘Nuff ‘N’ Yes I Do 02:47 Yellow Brick Road 02:54 Abba Zaba 03:36 Kandy Korn 04:24 John Peel Interview 13:50 Notes Publicity blurb: Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band had supported Love atRead More →

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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 FresnoRead More →

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18 Mississippi Delta blues, free jazz and brooding swamp boogie songs which inspired the legendary artist   Song list: 1. Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightning 2. Muddy Waters – She’s Alright 3. Bo Diddley – Diddy Wah Diddy 4. John Coltrane – Bakai 5. Thelonius Monk – Monk’s Dream 6. The Nutmegs – Story Untold 7. The Turbans – When You Dance 8. Mississippi Fred McDowell – 61 Highway 9. Blind Willie Johnson – John The Revelator 10. Big Joe Williams – Providence Help The Poor 11. Howlin’ Wolf – Moanin’ At Midnight 12. Cecil Taylor – Song 13. Ornette Coleman – Invisible 14. MuddyRead More →

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A selection of tracks that helped mould the avant-garde sounds of Beefheart including some from The Man himself. Song list: 01. Intro [The Birth of Captain Beefheart] 02. New Minglewood Blues – Noah Lewis Jug Band 03. The Lion – Duke Mitchell 04. Didddie Wa Diddie – Blind Blake 05. Mope-Itty Mope – The Boss-Tones 06. New Black Snake Blues (Part One) – Victoria Spivey & Lonnie Johnson 07. New Black Snake Blues (Part Two) – Victoria Spivey & Lonnie Johnson 08. Best Batch Yet – Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band 09. His Majesty the Policeman – Lord Buckley 10. Rubber Dolly Rag –Read More →

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The Meridian Arts Ensemble is a classical brass quintet from the US (sort of Kronos Quartet for brass music). Channel Records CCS 8195 © 1995 (CD).   Song list: Igor Stravinsky: 01. Fanfare for a New Theatre Frank Zappa: 02. Peaches En Regalia 03. Let’s Make the Water Turn Black 04. Oh No 05. Igor’s Boogie 06. Eat That Question 07. Echidna’s Arf Kenny Wheeler 08. Song for Someone Captain Beefheart: 09. Ice Rose 10. A Carrot Is as Close as a Rabbit Gets to a Diamond 11. When I See Mommy, I Feel Like a Mummy 12. Apes-Ma 13. Dropout Boogie 14. Suction Prints MiltonRead More →

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Play written by Ko van den Bosch and staged by the Dutch theatre company NNT (Noord Nederlands Toneel). Performed: April 2010 – Theater de Machinefabriek, Groningen December 2011 – Bellevue, Amsterdam Performers: Frank Lammers – actor and singer Wouter Planteijdt – guitarist (Sjako!) Dolf Planteijdt – guitarist (Morzel Pronk, producer of The Ex) Joost Buis – trombone, lap steel guitarist (Astronotes and guest musician with The Ex) René van Barneveld, aka Tres Manos – guitarist (The Urban Dance Squad) Richard Heijerman – drummer (Morzel Pronk and Sjako!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOyWNaOAHhc – a short promo for the 2010 performance Song list: Suction Prints Ah Feel Like Ahcid / Love Lies BatRead More →

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  Released: 2005 Label: De Bonte Koe Records BKR003 Song list: 1. Frownland 2. A carrot is as close as a rabbit gets to a diamond 3. Blabber ‘n’ Smoke 4. Wedding Dress Song/Handsome Cabin Boy 5. To The Beach/Swim In Paint 6. Lumpy Gravy 7. Orange Claw Hammer 8. Gimme A Pepsi 4 9. The Thousandth And Tenth Day Of the Human Totem Pole 10. Broadway Bookie Wookie 11. Gimme A Pepsi 3 12. Honolulu 13. Bothering Heights 14. Doctor Dark 15. Alice In Blunderland 16. The Great Horse Massacre 17. Boo 18. I Took Her ‘n’ I Shook Her 19. Apes Ma 20.Read More →

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  Song list: 1. I’m Gonna Booglarise Ya, Baby 2. White Jam 3. Blabber ‘n Smoke 4. When It Blows Its Stacks 5. Alice in Blunderland 6. The Spotlight Kid 7. Click Clack 8. Grow Fins 9. There ain’t no Santa Claus on the Evenin’ Stage 10.Glider Overview by Steve Froy Benjamin Horrendous will already be known by many as a member of the Beefheart tribute band, The Fourfathers, who have privately released a number of albums of Beefheart covers interspersed with some of their own material. However, this time Ben has decided to go solo, just him and guitar (and some foot stomping on Alice) and to giveRead More →

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Eugene Chadbourne & Jimmy Carl Black perform versions of Captain Beefheart songs   Song list Buggie Boogie Woogie Willie The Pimp Drop-out Boogie Sure ’nuff ‘n’ Yes I Do Clear Spot Steal Softly Through Sunshine Steal Softly Through Snowdrop (Excerpt from “Insect And Western” by EC) The Past Sure Is Tense Veteran’s Day Poppy (Including “Ponca War Song” trad. arranged by EC and several themes by Thelonious Monk) Chasin’ The Captain Jack (by EC) Based on a Kiowa Sioux lullaby (I’m Gonna Booglarize You, Baby) Pachuco Cadaver [This is actually split into 2 tracks on the CD] (Including La Rosa by EC) The Dust Blows Forward And The DustRead More →

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Frank Zappa featuring Captain Beefheart at Providence College, Rhode Island Vol. 1 Side A 1. Improvisations 2. Camarillo Brillo 3. Muffin Man 4. Stink-Foot 5. I’m Not Satisfied Side B 6. Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy 7. The Velvet Sunrise Side C 8. Pound For A Brown Side D 9. The Torture Never Stops Vol. 2 Side A 1. Montana 2. Improvisations (inc. Chariot, Moon Trek, Sam w/ The Showing Scalp Flat Top) Side B 3. Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top 4. Penguin In Bondage 5. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead Side C 6. Echidna’s Arf (Of You) 7. Drum Solo 8. Advance Romance Side D 9.Read More →

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Song List Mirror Man Upon The My-O-My Crazy Little Thing Full Moon Hot Sun Sugar Bowl This Is the Day Keep on Rubbin’ Be Your Dog Sweet Georgia Brown (Ben Bernie & His Orchestra Cover) Abba Zaba Peaches Notes Publicity blurb: Brilliant live performance from the Cowtown Ballroom, Kansas 22nd April 1974 Includes the entire KUDL-FM broadcast Complete with background notes and rare images Following the collapse of the original Magic Band in early 1974, Captain Beefheart swiftly assembled an all-new line-up to promote his controversial Unconditionally Guaranteed LP. Comprising Fuzzy Fuscaldo and Dean Smith (guitar), Del Simmons (sax, flute), Michael Smotherman (keyboards), Paul Uhrig (bass) andRead More →

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Yet another version of Live at Cowtown Ballroom, Kansas City April 22, 1974 Song List Side A Mirror Man Upon The My-O-My Full Moon Hot Sun Keep on Rubbin’ > Be Your Dog Side B Crazy Little Things Sugar Bowl This Is the Day Sweet Georgia Brown Abba Zaba Peaches Overview Yes, it’s yet another version of the Cowtown Ballroom show from 1974. This one claims to be 180g virgin vinyl and is “Manufactured in Europe”. The label – DOL – is a trademark of Vinylogy which is a Russian company – www.vinylogy.ru I find this release rather endearing in that it seems to be aRead More →

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A various  artists tribute featuring covers of 20 Beefheart songs (19 to be exact, as one is Willie The Pimp; although I’m not sure about track 8!). Label: Animal World Recordings Released: 13th May 2003 Song list: Dirty Blue Gene – Mike Watt Flash Gordon’s Ape – Weasel Walter Orange Claw Hammer – A Warm Palindrome Electricity – Racebannon Neon Meate Dream Of An Octafish – Miss Murgatroid Ink Mathematics – Monotract Hair Pie: Bake 2 – Trumans Water Dacaer Pinga & Black Alaska – “Bad Ronald baked a Wooden Hairpie, and no one would eat it, not even old Whale Waist Seymour” Too Much Time – Jad FairRead More →

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A various artists compilation featuring women artists from Philadelphia performing 20 Beefheart songs with imaginative arrangements. Label: Genus Records Released: 7th June 2005 Song list Where There’s Woman – Sweetie The Past Sure Is Tense – Winterbrief The Witch Doctor Life – Global Transmission Run Paint Run Run – Big Mess Orchestra Apes-ma – Radio Eris Abba Zaba – Voices of Africa Sugar Bowl – Jane Gilday Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles ­ Faye Davis w/ The Next Skip Heller Generation My Head is My Only House Unless it Rains – Nancy Falkow Crazy Little Thing — Mia Johnson w/Tom Gillam Band Lick MyRead More →

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Song list: 1. The Dog Faced Hermans – Zig Zag Wanderer 2. XTC – Ellaguru 3. The Scientists – Clear Spot 4. The Membranes – Ice Cream For Crow 5. The King Of Luxembourg – Long Necked Bottles 6. The Beat Poets – Sun Zoom Spark 7. That Petrol Emotion – Hot Head 8. The Primevals – China Pig 9. Sonic Youth – Electricity 10. Good and Gone – Harry Irene 11. The Screaming Dizbusters – Frying Pan 12. The Mock Turtles – Big Eyed Beans From Venus CD includes 2 extra tracks: 13. The Beat Poets – Gimme Dat Harp Boy 14. The PrimevalsRead More →

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Robyn Hitchcock is a big Beefheart fan and has already covered some of Don’s songs. See his entry in our Covers section. For this tribute project he has put together a band to perform the Clear Spot album live in its entirety. On the Wychwood Festival site he explained: The most exciting gig I ever saw was Beefheart at the Colston Hall, Bristol in 1973. He was a big guy and the whole room vibrated [with] the low frequencies coming from his voice … he was large and he sort of elbowed the musicians out of his way and they’d run around. We’re not doing that. What you’re going toRead More →