Captain Beefheart

Born Don Vliet, Captain Beefheart was one of modern music's true innovators. The owner of a remarkable four-and-a-half-octave vocal range, he employed idiosyncratic rhythms, absurdist lyrics, and an unholy alliance of free jazz, Delta blues, latter-day classical music, and rock & roll to create a singular body of work virtually unrivaled in its daring and fluid creativity. While he never came even remotely close to mainstream success, Beefheart's impact was incalculable, and his fingerprints were all over punk, new wave, and post-rock. Don Vliet was born January 15, 1941 in Glendale, CA (he changed his name to Van Vliet in the early '60s). At the age of four, his artwork brought him to the attention of Portuguese sculptor Augustinio Rodriguez, and Vliet was declared a child prodigy.

The Legendary A&M Sessions is an extended play featuring five songs by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, recorded early in their career for their original record label A&M Records. The EP was released by the company in 1984 after Captain Beefheart had gone into retirement. The EP is compiled from two singles originally released through A&M in 1966. The first of these paired the Bo Diddley cover "Diddy Wah Diddy" with a track written by Don Van Vliet (Beefheart) called "Who Do You Think You're Fooling?"

Born Don Vliet, Captain Beefheart was one of modern music's true innovators. The owner of a remarkable four-and-a-half-octave vocal range, he employed idiosyncratic rhythms, absurdist lyrics, and an unholy alliance of free jazz, Delta blues, latter-day classical music, and rock & roll to create a singular body of work virtually unrivaled in its daring and fluid creativity. While he never came even remotely close to mainstream success, Beefheart's impact was incalculable, and his fingerprints were all over punk, new wave, and post-rock. Don Vliet was born January 15, 1941 in Glendale, CA (he changed his name to Van Vliet in the early '60s). At the age of four, his artwork brought him to the attention of Portuguese sculptor Augustinio Rodriguez, and Vliet was declared a child prodigy.

Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band have a place firmly in the hearts of many who love their music. Never to shy from controversy this version of the Magic Band sees the Captain in a relatively contented situation. Recorded in May 1974, this ‘live’ performance features tracks that were not in the usual Live set.With a new recording contract Don Van Vliet put a band together to present his new material , gentle ballads such as ‘This is The Day’, sidled up to old favourites ‘Crazy Little Thing’ and the epic ‘Mirror Man’,Don even gives us a consummate version of the Jazz classic ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ and before you know it he’s launching into the ‘bubblegum pop’: ‘Peaches’. A rare collection of Don’s mid seventies material recorded on a night to remember in Cambridge Massachusettes.

Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band have a place firmly in the hearts of many who love their music. Never to shy from controversy this version of the Magic Band sees the Captain in a relatively contented situation. Recorded in May 1974, this ‘live’ performance features tracks that were not in the usual Live set.With a new recording contract Don Van Vliet put a band together to present his new material , gentle ballads such as ‘This is The Day’, sidled up to old favourites ‘Crazy Little Thing’ and the epic ‘Mirror Man’,Don even gives us a consummate version of the Jazz classic ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ and before you know it he’s launching into the ‘bubblegum pop’: ‘Peaches’. A rare collection of Don’s mid seventies material recorded on a night to remember in Cambridge Massachusettes.

Ice Cream for Crow is the twelfth studio album by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, released in September 1982. It is the last Don Van Vliet recorded before abruptly retiring from music to devote himself to a career as a painter. It spent two weeks in the UK album charts, reaching number 90, but failed to make the Billboard Top 200.

Ice Cream for Crow is the twelfth studio album by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, released in September 1982. It is the last Don Van Vliet recorded before abruptly retiring from music to devote himself to a career as a painter. It spent two weeks in the UK album charts, reaching number 90, but failed to make the Billboard Top 200.

Doc at the Radar Station is the eleventh studio album by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, released in August 1980 to critical acclaim. Although about half of the album's songs are based on old musical ideas, Mike Barnes states that "most of the revamping work built on skeletal ideas and fragments … would have mouldered away in the vaults had they not been exhumed and transformed into full-blown, totally convincing new material".

Doc at the Radar Station is the eleventh studio album by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, released in August 1980 to critical acclaim. Although about half of the album's songs are based on old musical ideas, Mike Barnes states that "most of the revamping work built on skeletal ideas and fragments … would have mouldered away in the vaults had they not been exhumed and transformed into full-blown, totally convincing new material".