Captain Beefheart & His Magic Music

Don Van Vliet is quite probably the most original artist in the history of modern music. He started his career in art appropriately enough as a small child, which was a time period that saw his impressive animal sculptures showcased on local TV in Southern California, which is where Don spent much of his life. As a teenager he was offered a scholarship to study the Fine Arts in Italy, although his parents wouldn't hear of it. And so, the only child was left to his own devices, which included a penchant for collecting old Blues and Hard Bop Jazz records. One of Don's childhood friends was Frank Zappa, and they would often spend time in Don's room playing along to records and sipping Pepsi by the barrelful. The name of Captain Beefheart actually came from an unpublished film script that Don and Frank were working on in the early 1960's, which was given the working title of "Captain Beefheart Meets The Grunt People." A few years later, Zappa would form the Mothers, and it was around this time as well that Don became Captain Beefheart and went about forming his first Magic Band.

While I will spare you a detailed biography, I will in fact hip you to what I feel are Don's top three records under the Captain Beefheart moniker, as Don did eventually retire in the mid 80's to concentrate on painting. It is rumored that Don became relatively independently wealthy with his peculiar and appropriately abstract visual extravaganzas, and this is only right, since his musical career certainly left him unfortunately lacking in terms of a hefty bank account. Now then, here we have what I feel is the good Captain's most magical recorded output...

Trout Mask Replica - So much guitar interplay on this record, which was originally released as a triple LP set back in the year of our Lord 1969. Who knows what many listeners thought when this was first released, but in a lot of respects it fit the time period nicely, while at the same time, it couldn't help but be ahead of its time as well. The absolutely out-to-lunch lyrical content is truly beyond words. The good Captain's growl is in full force and everything he barks into the microphone has an eerie air of truth to it, which is very frightening when some of the lyrics pertain to squids eating dough and someone watching you vomit beautifully. Making use of traditional Rock instrumentation in such an abstract way is indeed inventive, and makes the listener wonder, did Captain Beefheart despise the genre? All of the music is carefully orchestrated and was rehearsed for months, and appropriately, all of the proceedings were produced by Frank Zappa and released on his Straight Records label, which was a label that housed its share of strange and out there music during the time period. Dig into these 28 cuts of surreal poetry and gut wrenching Psychedelic Blues Rock that is turned up to 11.

Lick My Decals Off, Baby - Now you know something is up with an album title like that, and apparently it relates to the Captain's disgust of people labeling themselves as human beings and supposedly painting themselves into a corner by doing so. If "Lick My Decals Off, Baby" isn't a call to personal freedom of some sort, then I don't know what is. Here you have what is essentially a condensed version of "Trout Mask Replica," as it was released just one year later. Instead of three LPs to digest, in this instance we have one to work with. This is in fact the better record, and quite probably Captain Beefheart's best album. Nearly all members of the classic Magic Band lineup were involved in this project, and it is a record that shows just how successfully they have honed their trademark sound within the context of a single year. There is more of a lyrical focus by the Captain, and even an occasional sense of humor on such cuts as "I Love You, You Big Dummy." Other songs express the Captain's sincere interest in the environment and his love for wildlife.

Ice Cream For Crow - Released in 1982, this is the good Captain's musical farewell, and why some might be surprised as to why I did not include the 1980 "comeback" record "Doc At The Radar Station," I happen to be of the opinion that "Ice Cream For Crow" is indeed the best of Don's latter albums. Much of the material here is actually based upon compositions leftover from the Trout Mask sessions. One composition in particular is so sublime and beautiful, it is an instrumental cut that appears early on the record entitled "Semi-Multicoloured Caucasian," and is the sort of song that any music fan could groove on. My favorite number is a nightmarish sea shanty that speaks of Satan's red rolling hatred waters and clinging the vine that choked Mary's only son. The song is paranoia bliss that could give Lou Reed's "Waves Of Fear" a run for its money, the song in question is called "The Host The Ghost The Most Holy-O."

So, there you have it. Do purchase these albums mentioned. Of course, all is personal preference. And I do know that some fans enjoy the original Magic Band on the Blues Rock of their 1967 debut "Safe As Milk," but I tend to prefer the good Captain at his most bizarre, because few in music tackle this frame of mind better. I should make clear nearly all of Captain Beefheart's rather vast catalog of albums has been recently re-released on CD, digitally remastered as fuck and with more bonus tracks than you can shake a trout mask at.

Educate yourself:

The Good Captain Gets funky...



The Good Captain Gets scary...



Fast 'n' Bulbous, indeed!