1. Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee
2. Lightnin Slim - My Starter Won't Work
3. Richard Berry - Louie Louie
4. Clarence Gatemouth Brown - Midnight Hour
5. Howlin Wolf - Somebody In My Home
6. Bo Diddley - Diddy Wah Diddy
7. Ornette Coleman - Eventually
8. Robert Johnson - Terraplane Blues
9. Blind Willie Johnson - You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond
10. Johnny Guitar Watson - Hot Little Mama
11. One String Sam - I Need A Hundred Dollars
12. Jimmy Reed - Little Rain
13. Muddy Waters - Rollin N Tumblin (Part 1)
14. Al Simmons With Slim Green And The Cats From Fresno - Old Folks Boogie
15. Mississippi John Hurt - Candy Man Blues
16. Lead Belly - Red Cross Store
17. Louis Armstrong - St. James Infirmary
18. John Lee Hooker - Crawlin King Snake
19. John Coltrane - The Invisible
20. Sunnyland Slim - Goin Back To Memphis
21. Bukka White - Parchman Farm
22. Sonny Boy Williamson - Don't Start Me Talking
23. Little Walter Jacobs - Key To The Highway
24. Howlin Wolf - Smokestack Lightnin
25. Blind Willie Johnson - Mother's Children Have A Hard Time

Chrome Dreams CDCD5027

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".

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 inludes 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.

If anyone is able to complete or update any of the information above, then please do get in touch.