Friday, December 17, 2010

A Nation Mourns

Late afternoon news. The legendary Captain Beefheart, Don Van Vliet, died today of complications from multiple sclerosis. He was 69. Van Vliet lived in the desert in California for the last several years and shunned interviews or any publicity. He was the subject of an obscure documentary that focused only on his paintings and his desert habitat. To bail him out of financial trouble, Frank Zappa toured with Capitain Beefheart near the end of Van Vliet's career. They were old high school friends and Zappa had encouraged him to play music. Their partnership survives as the album "Bongo Fury." If Rock had an avant-garde, Beef was it. For trivia fans,a young Ry Cooder was a side man for the Beef on his first albums. The Beef's live performances have been issued as CDs over the past ten years, completing his oevre.

With his virtuoso friend Frank Zappa, the Beef is one of the most influential musicians Rock has produced.

"Green-Eyed Beans from Venus
Don't Let Anything Get between Us."

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