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On a UK TV quiz show not so long ago this question was asked: Which singer released a Christmas compilation album called Christmas From The Heart? a. Captain Beefheart b. Neil Young c. Bob Dylan I still can’t help chuckling about this, the thought of Don releasing something called Christmas From The ‘Heart … ho ho ho, hoy hoy hoy… The closest he ever got to a Christmas song was with There Ain’t No Santa Claus On The Evenin’ Stage on The Spotlight Kid album and that was more likely to put an end to any festive celebrations than encourage them! There is one other songRead More →

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It is with great sadness that I heard of Gary’s passing yesterday, 8 December. His family announced he had died following a massive stroke. Gary ‘Magic’ Marker was a good friend of Don van Vliet’s in the early 1960s around Los Angeles. He helped produce the Safe As Milk album and for a time played bass with the Magic Band but wasn’t interested in it as a permanent gig. I befriended him online about 20 years ago and he was always happy to talk about his Beefheart experiences and his time in the music world generally. He had a great fund of stories, was a greatRead More →

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Another Magic Band tour has just ended and there are still many fans across the UK with silly smiles on their faces. The band were on top form and there was a good turn out at most of the venues which is great news considering this tour nearly didn’t happen. The first problem for the band came with Denny Walley deciding to quit so that he could follow his own musical path concentrating on the Zappa side of his repertoire. This was a big blow to the band (and us fans) as Denny’s guitar playing is something special and with no other ex-Magic Band guitarists willing toRead More →

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The first limited edition of this great little book, The Mystery Man of The Magic Band,  sold out pretty quickly but Brass Tacks Press have just published a second edition. Check out my original review So if you missed it first time around here’s your chance to get a copy – visit Brass Tacks Press website. This edition is not limited. It has a new foreword by actor Alec Baldwin who was a friend of Herb’s during his later Hollywood years. The rest of the text is the same apart from one additional endnote from Herb about the lyrics for Dirty Blue Jean. Cover Photo byRead 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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Gary Lucas will be hosting his Captain Beefheart Symposium at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic on Sunday29th November 2015. It starts at 8pm in the Music Room. Gary has been presenting these Symposium events since 2011 as a tribute to his former friend and mentor, Don van Vliet. They take the form of various live music performances and readings, reminiscences from Gary about his time with Don and The Magic Band. Don’s art is also discussed and unreleased music played. Special guests for this Liverpool event are: Mike Barnes, music writer and author of the excellent biography of Beefheart Bryan Briggs of Liverpool’s Bluecoat Gallery, theRead 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 →