Don Van Vliet RIP

I woke up to hear the very sad news - the Captain is no longer with us. Totally unique - a great singer, a great musician, a fantastic songwriter who has gone to follow the yellow brick road.

Very sad indeed. He was one of my favourite musicians. A true artist.

I saw the Captain at Knebworth; he was on the Pink Floyd bill - although PF were excellent - the Captain was the star for me. PF could never hope to match his set (they would have needed a fully fit Syd to come close)

Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet)- Vocals, Mouth Harp
Winged Eel Fingerling- guitar
Ella Guru Davidson -guitars
Drumbo- guitar / drums
Jimmy Carl Black (introduced as Indian Ink) -drums
Bruce'fossil' Fowler - trombone
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Moonlight On Vermont
Abba Zabba
Band Introduction
Orange Claw Hammer
Dali's Car
When It Blows Its Stacks
My Human Gets Me Blues
Alice In Blunderland
Beatle Bones 'n' Smokin' Stones
Gimme Dat Harp Boy
Electricity
I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby
Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top
Improvisation.
Big Eyed Beans From Venus
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I have to admit the friends I were with were bemused and didn't understand how I could think this was the highlight of the day when DSOTM was on the agenda, but whilst some music is well written and performed, some transcends that are creates a world of extraordinary beauty - that was the Captain and his outstanding magic band.

I've been playing his records on and off all day - I was always thought him one of the very best, now I'm sure I was underrating him - he was truly unsurpassed.

I've dug out my 'Whistle Test' DVD ( No 1) to once again enjoy The Captain's utterly captivating performance of 'Upon the My O My'. It gets me every time.

Unique indeed. RIP Don. Thanks for the music.

John.

Guess he's jamming with Frank in heaven right now.

The mighty John Peel said that in modern music there had only been one true genius and that was Captain Beefheart.

Bummer. Unique, which is an often-misused word.

Found this on Stereophile's website. It shows a couple of his appearances on Letterman and the first part of the Peel doc.

http://www.stereophile.com/con...eart-personal-memory

Not a fan but listening to mark radcliffe and stuart maconie soon after he died they played this track which my wife and I having never heard perhaps any of his stiff before both thought was incredibly beautiful although I suspect lightweight in the canon and all that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2yWkgs_Nk

show me again how to insert videos someone?????