Guest book » Guestbook part 12: March 2002 to December 2002

Every Beefhear-fan should read Lunar Notes [ A Captain Beefheart Experience ] written by Bill Harkleroad ( Mr Zoot Horn Rollo !). By the way, Zoot Horn Rollo is still active, he’s got a new album out for some time now. Check it out, guys.

is this dude still alive? [Editor: yes.]

coulda eaten crow, but I had a healthy dose of beefheart, and I’m better for it.

……anybody been out of body lately, I’ve been out to the supermarket so there!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where can I get me some dung, baby?

During 1974 Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band played a gig at the Guild Hall venue. I had heard friend’s L.P.s but never acquired any of his music. This particular event changed my perception of Don van Vliet’s creative talents. After the gig the promoters displayed Don’s drawings and paintings. Amung the throng of observers was the man himself, taking in the ‘foyer vibe’.

Witajcie kochani wariaci!! Miło widzieć, że każdego lub co drugiego dnia znajduje się na tym świecie wariat mający nagłą potrzebę złożenia hołdu temu “zapomnianemu” wielkiemu artyście. Człowiek jak ja wie, że nie jest osamotniony w swoim potajemnym upodobaniu, które jest czymś więcej, niż posiadaniem “smaku” i dawaniu mu “folgi”. (It is in Polish, which sure as hell is very interesting language (and it is very difficult; fortunately, I was born in Poland so I do not have a problem…), and it can be read as: Welcome my holy freaks! It’s nice to see, that each one or each second day there’s a crazy person in this world with an urgent need to pay homage to the “forgotten” artist. A man like me knows, that he is not alone having such a secret predilection, which is something more than having just “a taste” and letting it to be “satisfied”. (bla, bla, bla… – great thanks for the site!!)

Greatings from Germany

Great site ! The Captain’s work has enriched my life;I never leave the house without a copy of Bat Chain Puller. Pure genius.

Living Legends? Not many of us left that are as modest as the Captain. He’s the last in *my* lifetime.

thanks for a great site.love peace & happiness to you all.

just acquired 45(size) Capricorn recording studio of Captain Beefheart…blew me away…just found this site…just visiting.

Great stuff. Probably the first music to really take off the top of my head and scramble my brains- whilst always being warm, witty and human… I slept with the gatefold LP sleeve of trout mask at the foot of my bed.

Dear Don,or Mr. Van Vliet, or Captain – Thanks.

The first time I saw the Captain live was in ’72 on Staten Island when I was in high school. Didn’t have a driver’s license so I convinced my Dad to let a 16 year old girl from my class drive me in the family wagon on the Staten Island Ferry. Had tickets for the late show of course-it was a school night. Show was in something that looked like a movie theatre. Stood outside and heard the howling within as the first show ended. Sounded great! My girl was a little apprehensive at the raging, shrieking cacophony from within as the first show. When the door s opened, I hung back watched the crowd fill in and noticed a bunch of empty seats in the first two rows in front of the stage. We jumped on em and had the best seats in the house. Rocket Morton came out and slowly oozed in to this incredible solo and just centered the stage. When then Captain came out, he just walked to the stage picked up his horn and seamlessly blended in. Eventually he took the band with him into Hair Pie but it was truly incendiary cosmic opera with the masks and the helmets and hats. If they had announced we were that moment teleporting for mars-I would nodded and hailed the stewardess! After the show, we were sitting in the car on the ferry when I spotted the Captain edging down the wall of the ferry’s garage, making his way to Manhattan like the rest of us. A couple of fans came up and tried to make conversation but he wasn’t interested. His eyes were vivid and gleamed.

did not know we had feeling for music

Lovely to hear your older toons, ’twas such a delight. I remember well when i was but a child………ha aha ahh arrrrrrrrggghhh……..oh yes now I remembeer…….drugs

this Colin B. Morton fellow should be called Britain’s most Pompous Zen Buddhist. What an ass! “I hate this, I hate that, I am so smart, I know Zen Bla Bla BLa”

I’m glad to see your site on the web. Thanks!

captain beefheart is the greatest music ever and totaly changed my way of thinking and opend my mind to a whole new world

Just ordered Trout mask and Dust Blows through Amazon via your site. Always apriciated the Capt.; now it’s time to upgrade to cd. Thanks for the great site…especially the poems and lyrics. Why doesn’t Odd Jobs come around anymore?

ROCK ON BEEFHEART!

Does anyone else ever find that they say Beefheart quotes and have to explain them? For example, whenever I say “Not bad,” I have to follow it up with “just genetically mean”, or if I say “check this out” I always follow with “big eyed beans from Venus.” Also, a great band in music today is the White Stripes. They are huge Beefheart fans and it shows in their music. They don’t have a lot of talent, but something about their “White Blood Cells” album is completely addictive. They have 3 beefheart covers on the net, “Ashtray Heart”, “China Pig”, and “Party of Special Things to do”. Pretty encouraging that MTV’s latest “next big thing” band are Beefheart fans.

Fast and Bulbous!!! Thanks to the Captain and his magic band for the great music and the squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag. Bulbous also tapered

When moneys tight and hard to get and your horse has also ran and all you have is a heap of debt the captain is your only man

captain beefheart is god…enough said

Listening to Don’s birthday party. KILLER. Checkin out the paintings. I would say he paints like Dali, but with more substance. Sanity is SO BORING. Russ

I happened upon this website in my semi-regular travels around the Web’s wondrous and sometimes exasperatingly opaque world of music and musicians…this site is a gift from beyond…artistry of many shapes and sizes to be found in the hollow wind of its stacks…I shall return at another time to throw in my two cents’ worth re: the lyric transcriptions I have been reading (some are wonderfully insightful; others, puzzle)…as for the Captain, his path is his own and I am pleased to watch the vapour trail and to let the dreams take me where they will…that said, I do find the rating system below unnecessarily obtuse…

The Apocrypha 4CD box set was issued in 1994 on the bootleg Great Dane Records. Captain Beefheart appeared on Disc 1 tracks 1 and 2. “Lost In A Whirlpool” (2:13) and “Do It In C” (1:35) were recorded in 1958 in Lancaster, CA. Musicians were Frank Zappa, Don Van Vliet, and Bob Zappa.

Goed hoor tegek en tot later

I’ve been enthralled by Captain Beefheart since I was a kid listening to John Peel on BBC radio 1 in bed at night. Don is without doubt the very bees knees and the king of the tip-top thing. Here is a packet of stuff which will live for decades more. I wish I knew you better Don, but the music will do for me. Live in peace and happiness for many more years.

Captain Beefheart is the greatest rock god of our time. His rythms rock my soul. I sleep with my trout mask beside me every night.

All I ever do is blabber and smoke :)

I am a member of a US Rock band and I found your site searching for music. It is very good. Thanks

Escapism is fine. It keeps us sane.

Here’s an old fart who discovered the Captian about 30 years ago, knew a giant when he heard one, bought what he could, and grieved when the world turned a deaf ear. My two boys treated me to The Dust Blows Forward. This collection of genius leads me to implore the Universal Nous to comfort the Captain and lead him to convergence. I still think his best effort is Bluejeans and Moonbeams. I frequently put this on my system when people are visiting, and wait confidently for someone to say, “What is that? That’s beautiful!”

Wow! Great band, great music, and a great site. Thank you for sharing. I’ve got you linked to my mega 60’s site! Peace and Love….. Pammi :)

Fast and bulbous – I heart the Beefheart. The Captain for President!

Had the pleasure to see the good Captain in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, U.K. in 1972 at the “City Hall”. Mr. Zoot Horn Rollo was on guitar, and Mr. Rocket Morton was on bass. Many years ago that was and i still smile when i think about. My favorite tune? Of course, “BIG EYED BEANS FROM VENUS” John Peal on Radio One use to howl when he played that! Do hope Don is still doing well. My regards, Dean

In 1972 I shoplifted an 8-track of Clear Spot. My life was permanently and forever changed. Every recording, every photo and every recorded remark from the Captain over the last 30 years has been a blessing and an inspiration. This is the most important website in cyberspace. The future of humanity may very well depend on these pages. Anybody that digs Beefheart is okay with me.

Cool!

‘The past sure is tense’ is too good to be true. They should play it in maternity wards to give the babies a good start in life.

Hallo Master…

My band is called ‘Adolf Ratfucker’s douchebag’ – but for an UNKNOWN REASON we can’t get a contract…WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?

i have came to the conclusion that nothing is real anymore, so how can this site be real? realness is art, music, poetry. the captain is real!

Aloha, I am here at the airport waiting for my aircraft. Good that the internet is available, so I surfed to your website. It is great. At home I will bookmark it. Many greetings K.

Hands Down Donny Van Vliet Is one of the best frigging musicians that ever lived baby!!!!!

Great site!

Liverpool stadium spotlight kid tour March (I think) ’72. The best ever gig in the history of the world ever. Got that? Ever!!!

its always a treat to sit down and open your mind to the captain!

Well, here it is. Now I’m totally booglarized.

I very like eat the beef and look C.B. drawings and paint.

“When I feel like dyin’ the sun come out ‘n stole m’ fear ‘n gone..” Beefheart’s music is what keeps me sane!! Although I’m going mad trying to find a copy of “Decals”.

Hello Don & Jan , Hope all is well !! Will The Orange Claw Hammer Rise Again ??? marc & stacey

I’ve discovered Beefheart’s music only last year (being 21), and since then I’ve been seeking info about him and I must say this site was the thing I needed, great site, keep up the good work…

Grooved on trout mask replica since I woke up in vomit & beer in a bananna bin in 69…

This site is great. I saw Beefheart once in the city of Groningen (1980, very loud!!) and once in The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. A long time ago of course (I’m 46 now). In Amsterdam he yelled into the microphone: ” fuck Virgin!!!” It was the Uncond. tour and he seamed not happy with his new deal. Still, I like that record too. Of course, Trout is the best, but not for girls..

Greetings! I discovered Don Van Vliet´s music a few months ago, and now I ask myself: “Why? Why, so late?” His music is fascinating, great and idontknowwhatelse. I´m only 16 years old and most of the people in my f****ing city don´t know Cpt. Beefheart…and many don´t know Frank Zappa! Can you believe this? I don´t really know, why I signed this guestbook, maybe to tell the whole world, that I love Cpt. Beefheart & The Magic Band or maybe I don´t have nothing better to do. *just kidding*. I think now it´s the time to excuse myself for my absolutely bad English…I don´t know what to say anymore…*damdidam*…since I heard the “Mirror Man-Sessions” the first time, I can´t forget the songs. None of them, especially “Kandy Korn”. I think this is my favourite song from the Captain, but “Tarot Plane”, “Trust Us” and “Safe As Milk” are also pretty good. (if there exists one “bad” Beefheart-song”). Oh god! and don´t forget “Trout Mask Replica”! I think I don´t need to say many words about that album…Wow! So, I think I wasted enough guestbook-room, for other signs. I think I can go to bed now. don´t let the good music die! and you, guys, from this homepage, go forth and kick ass! (wow, what a great last sentence,isn´t it? no, it isn´t, i know ) :-( godd bye your fan chris

Hi Everybody, keep the Captain’s name flying high… as a plane… as a bird

Came across this site by accident. Man what a fuckin treat. I thought you died Capt.

Don Van Vliet has one of the best voices of our time besides Howlin’ Wolf from the 40’s- 50’s era and prior to him Charley Patton from the 20’s….I know the Captain is ill, but I need to ask his permission to start my own cover band of the Captain’s music, my band’s name I can’t release yet because I’m still in the process of finding a drummer with the caliber of ” Drumbo ” John French and some sax players, God Bless Don Van Vliet!!!!

Yo beef, you make the greatest music ever! Your lyrics are so awsome and all your poetry is great. I think your best album is “Trout Mask Replica”. Your band does outstanding work for the fans. Talk to ya later!

Well I picked up Dust Sucker recently and find it to be of better quality than the other shite sounding BCP versions. I’ve heard a cassette and a cd boot called the original BCP, I’ve not heard the version that was coupled up with the mono Safe, someone mentioned this is “vastly better”, cant imagine that it is. I’d like to hear it though. I find the dust sucker version to be a little hissy but so far its the best version i’ve heard, they definitly could have cleaned it up a bit. Mike Barnes mentions that the album will be issued from the Zappa family at some point, hope this is true. What about Warners getting the outtakes out from Spotlight/Clearspot era?

I’m an oldster (46) who never saw the Captain and only saw the Mothers once. From around ’72 to ’75 I was absolutely obsessed with both bands and still have all the records. The charm slowly disappeared the more I found out what assholes the two guys were, with Beefheart apparently being the larger and hairier one. But I learned alot and was turned on to a lot of jazz and avante-garde music, film, literature, art that I don’t think I would have explored if it hadn’t been for my discovering Beefheart first. My mom had told me once that genius and rational kindness rarely co-exist. I’m not sure why that is (the Ying Yang thing, I guess), but some years ago I heard an interview with John Cleese and he said that once therapy and such allowed him to lead a happy, normal life, his creative energy was gone. He likened it to releasing the high-pressure steam in a locomotive, it loses the driving force. I know that my kids (12, 13 & 15) have no use for either band, but I hope that somewhere among the sound-alike, boring muck they can find something, someone that will help open their minds (and not their veins) the way the Captain did with me.

Doc At The Radar Station blew my mind wide open in 1980 when I was 20. I go back to it 22 years later (knowing what I know now!) and it blows my mind again, but in new and unexpected dimensions… (THERE’s MORE THAN WHAT YOU THOUGHT!) Even though I can sit there and anticipate every twist and turn in the music and lyrics, it still startles me. Rock music is at an all-time low right now. It’s good to dip into the well from time to time to resucitate your belief. For me the well is Captain Beefheart.

I saw the magic captain twice at Bickershaw festival & Newcastle City Hall in the early 70s (two of the best times of my life)

Always loved your music

Your site is getting more tremendous by the day. Fully enjoy your input. Please keep up the good work!

I saw Captain Beefheart, probably 1973 at town hall. Bob Seger and a magician opened. I sat in the steep balcony, the place sold out, and raucous, scary! Chants of ‘bring on the beef’ ‘we want beef’ and ‘beef beef beef’ through the first two acts. as the magician did his thing, people were asking his assistant to strip! lots of yelling and catcalling, because the magician sucked, and the audience wanted BEEF. Then Bob Seger played an unmemorable set wearing a dark raincoat, he looked pretty greasy. The audience was not placated and continued to yell and even throw things. Finally they came on – the audience was still wild, but appreciative. Don played a saxophone for a while – people asked for Drumbo, but were told the new drummer was Ed Marimba. The show was too short, but at the end I was drained and in a way glad it was over – it was as weird and wild as I had hoped. Was anyone else there ? I want tape (or cd)!

I wish Buddha would remaster Lick My Decals Off; Bat Chain Puller & Doc @ the Radar Station!!

Just crashed on this site by visiting www.billymahonie.com. Like it. Talk about it. Visit it…

Captain Beefheart Rocks!!!

At this very moment I’m listening to Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) and the thing hasn’t dimmed in the thirteen years since I first heard it. Timeless music is a fast-diminishing commodity. Thanks for the site.

1972 – Spotlight Kid tour – Academy of Music New York – Unquestionably the greatest 20 minutes of live music I’ve ever witnessed, untill the J. Giles Fans Booed this Visionary off stage. I felt like a disciple witnessing Christ’s crucifiction.

I will never forget the night, when this man and his music saved my life!!! (and this is not a picture)

i run so hard to find a clearspot! – anybody got any drumbo transcriptions!

Love your site. Even went by the Trout House.

like nothing i ve heard like nothing i ve felt

Hello everybody. You are great.

feel free to feel free…

Hi I think that Captain Beefheart is really interesting. And I was wondering where I could find books of his poetry if he has any. I love your site it is really good. Keep up the good work.

When talking about websites, this one is a real neon meate wet dream for every Beefheart fan. To the ones who achieved all this: well done and thank you. I bumped into Beefheart’s music about one year ago (at the age of 18) and a new world opened. And being a greenhorn at the time, I could use a faithfull guide like the Radar Station. And still now I enjoy every minute spent at the Station. And no day passes without me and my dad (58) dancing the candle mambo, going for a ride in the tarotplane, singin’ the Smithsonian Institute Blues, digging tweed coats, reaching our fingers in old sugar bowls, making love to vampires (and that most of the time with a monkey on our knees), letting our wallets flop out, following yellow brick roads, growing fins or clicking our heads like uh barrel of red velvet balls. To go short: dig it! Captain & Bands: thanks (of course this silly word cannot express!)

Have visited site several times over last couple of years. Very impressed by ammount of info and continuing development. Wondered if you might mention Johnny Dowd as a possible link. He has a site (click link above) If you have not come across him he is definitely worth a listen for any Beefheart fan. Very interesting experimental country based music and currently performing/recording. Keep up the excellent work.

Under the hat i am. Had my first Captain Beefheart experience in 1969, i was 11. He was ahead of time, and i felt it im my bones my buddys did not. And i loved it, and still. I paint no more, more computer-music. See what i always did. CB-fan Frank

I’ve been a fan of Beefheart for thirty years and still listen to the albums often. Only just bought a computer and gone on-line. The site is amazing — admiration and respect! I am a poet and in 1998 had a book published called ‘On The Buses With Dostoyevsky’. My publisher contacted Don about the possibility of using one of his paintings as the cover art. He selected ‘Avah Creen’. Don let us use the painting free of charge, he only asked for a copy of the book. I’ll be dropping in to the website as much as possible in the future, I only wish I understood more about computers and the internet…

Don, for all the pleasure your music and art gives and has given, many thanks.

i love captain beefheart, his music is brilliant my dad thinks that beefheart is great too. I bought him Trout Mask Replica for christmas, ella guru, hair pie bake 1 and moonlight on vermont are the best trcks, from jasmine, at school, 13 years old

Was Captain Beefheart ever Knighted? When I was on tour with Root Boy Slim we would play your music as a prelude to the show and this would set the stage for a wild ride. Yhanks

Need to meet up with atleast 2000 more beefheart fans at this years glastonbury festival in the uk. I plan for us all to invade the stage with kippers when Rod Stewart comes on. Shouting “randomity” and “In the name of the almighty beefheart” Get in touch if you can help.

dust sucker is not all bad for abootleg. is mr tim west out in space or in Brum?

Beefheart has been a major influence in my music writing since late 1968, and am glad to see others are awake. I love this site almost as much as the Captain’s art, music, and rightous philosophy. Keep up the good work, and keep up the site. Got me?

The first time I heard The Magic Band was in 67, and I still hail them as almost as good as Son House or someone really fundamental. It just kills the fascists!

WOW!!! Far and away the best site I’ve stumbled across on the net. And I’ve been stumblin’ awhile. I’d really hate to give the curator any bad ideas, unless of coarse he’s really hungry, but I’d gladly pay for some of this stuff, if I had to. It’s great to know that somebody appreciates good music enough to just post it as a collector.

Visit the Chrome Dinette page, your Zappa Radio Station on the web.

Love your Music and Paintings weekly. I LOVE IT.

Well Don what is there to say? You and your Magic Band are fucking amazing! Safe As Milk (and in particular Plastic Factory and Big Black Baby Shoes aka Ice Rose) is/are great. Pity the art work isnt a little bit cheeper. THE BLIMP, THE BLIMP, FRANK, ITS THE BLIMP!

I was there. I was there! I saw the Captain in Brussels. Why am i still here? I mean, on this planet. Congratulations & thanks.

very nice site!!

My mind cracked like custard…

Howdy, had to take the time to say I hope all is fine and I wish I had a dime for all the wonderful times I’ve had listning to your rhymes. I love your paintings but miss your music!

Many thanks for all the work put in to make this such a superb site. I’ll be Back and back and………….

Don, thanks for the Magic Band, thanks for the energy, thanks for the poetry and the paintings, but most of all thanks for caring about the animals. You gave us plenty, I got nuthin’ for you but respect.

I’d forgotten how much The Man and the Magic Band meant to me until recently re-discovering and wow! Music that’s as vital as anything I have heard since I saw Captain Beefheart at Leeds University way back when? 73? Thanks website people for this great resource. Love over Gold!