[EddieE]

Don Van Vliet AKA Captain Beefheart sadly passed away today at the age of 69 having endured a long struggle with multiple sclerosis.
 
Blues singer, composer, poet and painter, Van Vliet was, for me, one of the most unique and powerful voices of the 20th century and certainly played a huge role in my own musical journey.
 
Here are a few of my favourite lyrics of his:
 
 
Oh lady look up in time, oh lady look out of love and you should have us all oh you should have us fall.
 
My smile is stuck I cannot go back to your Frownland. My spirit's made up of the ocean, and the sky 'n' the sun 'n' the moon 'n' all my eyes can see. I cannot go back to your land of gloom, where black jagged shadows remind me of the coming of your doom. I want my own land. Take my hand and come with me, it's not too late for you it's not too late for me to find my homeland.
 
Chalk man has just made his mark. And crumbled.
 
RIP Captain, the world just got a little less weird and a lot less wonderful.

 

[pjc68]

Thats a shame
I was a big fan of CB in the 80,s and 90,s, first album i bought  was troutmask replica, loved when big joan sets up, still listen to safe as millk now and again.
God will have his hands full with him and zappa

R.I.P DON
                                                                                     paddy

 

[charliex]

I can still remember the day in '69 while shopping for vinyl at Sam the Record Man's
on Yonge St in Toronto, and being mesmerized by the cover of Trout mask Replica
shown prominently at the front - - - and the rest so they say 'is history'
RIP Don

 

[EddieE]

My Dad used to play his records when I was a little kid. I didn't like them at all, I remember Trout Mask Replica used to sound like torture to my undeveloped ears. Then but when I got a bit older I started going through his record collection and gave them a go and just "got it" suddenly and couldn't stop listening to them and rapidly acquired the CD issues of all his albums.
 
My Dad only got the records up to Unconditionally Guaranteed when he thought he'd lost the plot (fair play blue jeans and moon beams was pretty poor) so he missed out on the wonders of shiny beast, doc at the radar station and ice cream for crow - all fantastic albums too.
 
I don't think there is any one artist or band I've got as "in to" as I was in to Beefheart for a good five years of my life. Eventually I broadened my horizons but never stopped stopping in on the Captain from time to time.
 
Did a tribute listen through of Trout Mask Replica from beginning to end last night. More of a theatrical experience than an album, and a trip I think everyone should go on at least twice.

 

[pjc68]

Wasnt too keen on doc at the radar station.
Trout mask replica was produced by zappa so that was probably the catylyst for dons
bizzare side coming out.
Clear spot was a good album (big eyed beans fron venus), so was unconditionaly guaranteed but was probably an attempt at comercial success.
I also liked bluejeans and moonbeams and safe as milk.
                                                                                 paddy

 

[pjc68]

Oh
I almost forgot shiny beast (bat chain puller) with some of his artwork on the lp cover.
 
                                                                                      paddy