Jan Van Vliet »
“Bong? Oh, Fury!” by Dennis Allen
In 1981, a friend and I were shopping for spirits at a “liquor supermarket” in Lancaster, California by the name of “Liquor Barn” (My friends nameRead More
1969 Captain Beefheart’s wedding by Mike Bugbee
My first meeting with Don Van Vliet–whom I’ll just refer to as Beefheart–came on a rainy night about 12 hours before his wedding. It was NovemberRead More
A Meeting With The 25th Century Quaker by Danny Houston
There used to be a great club in Glasgow, Scotland called The Maryland, and the owner Willie Cuthbertson (one of the great unacknowledged heroes of ScottishRead More
Art Tripp writes about Don
In 1984 Don and I had renewed our friendship for many years in north California after we’d both left the music biz. Our homes were onlyRead More
Blabber ‘N Smoke lyrics
All you ever do is blabber ‘n smoke There’s ah big pain in your window ‘N all your waters turn t’ rope It gonna hang youRead More
Captain Beefheart’s Far Cry by Lester Bangs
He’s alive, but so is paint. Are you? Don Van Vliet is a 39-year-old man who lives with his wife Jan in a trailer in theRead More
Don Van Vliet 1941-2010 – Steve’s tribute
We’re very saddened to hear that Don has passed away. He has succumbed to complications with the multiple sclerosis that he’s been suffering with for manyRead More
Rhino box set: Riding Some Kind of Unusual Skull Sleigh by Don Van Vliet
Published by Rhino Handmade/Artist Ink Editions ISBN 0 7379 0284 1 Deluxe Slip Case (23.5cm x 32.5cm x 7cm) Limited Edition (1500) with original signed print.Read More
Strictly Personal by Dave DiMartino
On September 30, 1993, Dave DiMartino received a phone call from Don Van Vliet. I heard that you have a new studio up there. Is itRead More
The Spotlight Kid by Anton Corbijn
I am a photographer who is a friend of Beefheart’s, rather than being an authority on him. When I met Beefheart on an NME assignment inRead More