|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 12, 2016 12:44:45 GMT
To include the music of the said artists and their bands.
Also, the music and ideas that inspired them. The music of artists that they inspired. Music by band members and relatives. Music they guested on or produced. Music that sounds like them but isn't.
And not just music: TV interviews/performances - quotes and sayings - examples of Don's art and poetry - album covers - pictures - etc..etc...
Just about anything Zappa/Beefheart related, no matter how tenuous the link. If it's really obscure - maybe a bit of explanation.
I know, Don would have hated it! Unfortunately for us all he isn't around anymore to kick my arse. 
RIP Both: Frank Vincent Zappa: (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) Don Van Vliet: (January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010)
Some ideas off the top of my head:-
Edgar Varese, Eric Dolphy, Igor Stravinsky, Johnny Watson, BB King, assorted cheesy 50’s doo wop acts, examples of musique concrète, Don Sugarcane Harris, The Turtles, Wild Man Fischer, Ry Cooder, Edgar Broughton Band, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Howlin' Wolf, Stockhausen, Muddy Waters, any members of the Mothers or the Magic Band, any artists they collaborated with/produced, Flo and Eddie, Laurie Anderson anyone who appears in “200 Motels”, any artist recorded on the Bizarre, Straight or DiscReet record labels, Alice Cooper, GTO’s, Lenny Bruce, Throbbing Gristle, Tom Waits, Magazine, The Tubes, Sonic Youth, Pere Ubu, Devo, The Monkees, David Byrne, B52’s, The Fall, XTC, George Duke, Jean-Luc Ponty, Chester’s gorilla, System of a Down, The mudshark, Little Feat, The Residents, bald headed John, the Central Scrutinizer, Pierre Boulez, owt by Moon Unit, Dweezil or Ahmet, any of Don’s blues influences, the Czech band “Plastic People”, Can, Henry Cow, Steve Vai, Eno Tim Buckley, Jeff Buckley, etc… etc… etc…
…and feckin’ Grand Funk Railroad, if you must DC.
Just no pictures of the male member illustrative of Don’s choice of stage-name. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 12, 2016 12:45:30 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 12, 2016 12:45:57 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 12, 2016 12:47:21 GMT
... and just for fans of the Sabs, the Blue Horizon original of this:-
|
|
|
|
Post by The Drunken Communist on May 12, 2016 13:17:29 GMT
Great thread, Skanks  I'll dive straight in with one of my all-time favourite bits of guitaring. EDIT : Am I being dense or is me video not showing? The tag thingys are (video) (/video) right? (Obviously using [] rather than ()) |
|
|
|
Post by The Drunken Communist on May 12, 2016 13:28:21 GMT
Great to see his son carrying on playing Frank's stuff (He inna a band guitarist himself!) Great to see some of the old gang playing with him, too.
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 12, 2016 13:50:32 GMT
Great thread, Skanks I'll dive straight in with one of my all-time favourite bits of guitaring. EDIT : Am I being dense or is me video not showing? The tag thingys are (video) (/video) right? (Obviously using [] rather than ()) I knew you would like it! I think there are enough Frank 'n' Don fans on here to keep this going in combination. That Muffin Man links to YT ok. I'm no expert, I just copy the links into my post and press return on them to embed. |
|
|
|
Post by cheeesfreeex on May 12, 2016 16:16:16 GMT
Love all of Beefheart's stuff, but my least favourite is when it seems there]s an overly Zappa influence.
Bit of a regret not fully engaging with the Magic Band when they played the stage a few years back.
Could really spam this with quality Beefheart tracks. Up there with my favourite albums:
'Clear Spot', 'Doc at the Radar Station' and so forth.
Death By Milkfloat, who later became Collapsed Lung and did 'Eat My Goal' football song got me into Beefheart in the mid Eighties.
'Electricity' etc.
A little later a mate did a compilation tape with this track on it.
I think it put me on a bad footing with Frank and I avoided his music for years.
Start of the millenium and I bought 'Hot Rats' and a few cheapo Zappa comps, and compilations of recommendations, 'Zappa Picks' by Phish and Les Claypool.
It's an ongoing musical mission: to understand why I don't really get Zappa, but love Beefheart's work.
I'll be watching this thread with interest and hope you'll Zapparize me.
One for this evening.
'Tropical Hot Dog Night.'
'Like two flamingoes in a fruit fight.'
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 12, 2016 18:12:06 GMT
Classic! :-)
I think I have some idea where you are at re. FZ. There is that much to go at though, I think it would be a shame to be put off the whole of his work. There is so much variety. Some people like the "humour" and the bizarre characters and storytelling, some find the historical social commentary interesting and some just appreciate the sheer musicianship involved. Instrumental guitar tracks like "Watermelon in Easter Hay" and "Black Napkins" are just sublime IMO.
Anyway, feel free to keep the Beefy end of the thread up. :-)
I think it's fair to say both artists have produced some slightly er..."challenging" material. I'll be sticking with the more accessible stuff for now - so as not to scare the casual viewer off. ;-)
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 12, 2016 18:16:03 GMT
Am I right in thinking there was a Mothers tribute act called the "Muffin Men" played the Wheatsheaf some years back? Anybody remember them?
|
|
|
|
Post by yeokel on May 12, 2016 20:23:33 GMT
Classic! :-) I think it's fair to say both artists have produced some slightly er..."challenging" material. I'll be sticking with the more accessible stuff for now - so as not to scare the casual viewer off. ;-) If you're after some of his 'more accessible' stuff, here's Bobby Brown, the cutest boy in town. Although, for me, Joe's Garage is one of the greatest albums ever made by Frank or anyone else. It is, to my mind, his masterpiece. |
|
|
|
Post by The Drunken Communist on May 12, 2016 20:52:25 GMT
Instrumental guitar tracks like "Watermelon in Easter Hay" Ah, Frank's favourite tune. There's an emotional video of Dweezil playing it on Youtube.... Let me go find it. |
|
|
|
Post by RichieBarkerOut! on May 12, 2016 21:43:04 GMT
The only Zappa related track I know...
|
|
|
|
Post by cheeesfreeex on May 12, 2016 22:01:16 GMT
No need for that Rich.
Not so soon anyway.
|
|
|
|
Post by pretzel on May 12, 2016 23:14:36 GMT
The captain is one of those artists who slots perfectly into that category of 'I like him but feck knows why anyone else would'  |
|
|
|
Post by cheeesfreeex on May 12, 2016 23:58:32 GMT
All sorts of bat shit crazy stuff from the Brave Captain that gets the muzical voodoo juices flowing. 'Making Love to A Vampire With A Monkey On Me Neck' and such. But equally it's the moments of beautiful, unreconstructed simplicity that gets me.. "Web Core, web core."  |
|
|
|
Post by cheeesfreeex on May 13, 2016 1:40:18 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 13, 2016 12:45:52 GMT
I love the Beefheart tracks posted so far chaps. My Head is my only Home is just beautiful.
He has a singular way with wordage that it took Syd Barratt a shedload of lysergics to achieve.
"If you beat around the bush, you'll lose your push"
How about this boster:-
Sleepin' in a bayou on a old rotten cot
Can't find my kind of folks havin' fun
I have to run, run, run, run
Run to find a clear spot
|
|
|
|
Post by The Drunken Communist on May 13, 2016 12:53:35 GMT
A favourite Frank track of mine, can't help but smile all the way through it as the sounds carry you off into your own little world... And fuck did Frank know how to make some bizarre bastard videos!
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 13, 2016 13:09:05 GMT
Talking of "bizarre bastard videos!"
A touch of Claymation:-
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 13, 2016 13:12:04 GMT
To compliment DC's sublime "Watermelon" here's a decent live performance of "Black Napkins"
Danger. Genius at work. |
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 13, 2016 13:24:47 GMT
Classic! :-) I think it's fair to say both artists have produced some slightly er..."challenging" material. I'll be sticking with the more accessible stuff for now - so as not to scare the casual viewer off. ;-) If you're after some of his 'more accessible' stuff, here's Bobby Brown, the cutest boy in town. Although, for me, Joe's Garage is one of the greatest albums ever made by Frank or anyone else. It is, to my mind, his masterpiece. It is indeed a fine achievement mate!
Watch out for this guy though -
Remember, the white zone is for loading and unloading only. You'll love it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 13, 2016 13:30:49 GMT
A favourite Frank track of mine, can't help but smile all the way through it as the sounds carry you off into your own little world... And fuck did Frank know how to make some bizarre bastard videos! Did a vehicle come from somewhere out there,
Just to land in the Andes?
Was it round and did it have a motor,
Or was it - some-thing diff-erent?
On Ruth.
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 13, 2016 13:55:43 GMT
Enjoy -
Those little golden birdies look at them
And the mystic Egypt tossle dangling down
Old sleeper-man shush, don`t wake him
Up one hand broom star was an obi-man
Revered throughout the bone-knob land
His magic black purse slit creeped open,
Let go flocks of them
Shush sookie singabus
Snored like a red merry-go-round horse
And an acid gold bar swirled up and down,
Up and down, in back of the singabus
Shush sookie singabus
And the panataloon duck white goose neck quacked
Webcore, webcore
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 13, 2016 14:02:46 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on May 13, 2016 14:06:12 GMT
...and the influenced.
Same again with added Apache - grazed the charts.
|
|
|
|
Post by pretzel on May 13, 2016 17:55:05 GMT
A couple of decades back, I recall hearing Annie Nightingale telling the story about how Don Van Vliet started to use the stage name 'Captain Beefheart', so I did a quick google and unearthed this......
Zappa and Van Vliet began collaborating on pop song parodies and a movie script called Captain Beefheart vs. the Grunt People, the first appearance of the Beefheart name. Van Vliet's stage name came from a term used by his Uncle Alan. Alan had a habit of exposing himself to Don's girlfriend, Laurie. Alan would urinate with the bathroom door open and if she was walking by, mumble about his penis, saying "Ahh, what a beauty! It looks just like a big, fine beef heart." In a 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, Van Vliet requests "don't ask me why or how" he and Zappa came up with the name. He would later claim in an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman that the name referred to "a beef in my heart against this society"
|
|
|
|
Post by brilittle on May 13, 2016 18:04:35 GMT
Beefheart................Drop Out Boogie
Zappa..................Willie The Pimp
That's me top trumps for them.
|
|
|
|
Post by PotterLog on May 13, 2016 21:36:16 GMT
THAT'S RIGHT, THE MASCARA SNAKE
|
|
|
|
Post by cheeesfreeex on May 13, 2016 22:11:26 GMT
Beefheart................Drop Out Boogie Zappa..................Willie The Pimp That's me top trumps for them. Lovely concept. Avant Garde Musical Top Trumps. Be interesting to see who you could pitch against Zappa and Beefheart in the pack. What the categories would be etc. Beefheart has a 7 rating for headgear, and a 9 for being lyrically obtuse. Interesting game, I might devise one. Zappa Beefheart Miles Davis Velvet Underground David Bowie Lee Scratch Perry Can Soft Machine Eno Pink Floyd Throbbing Gristle The Fall Massive Attack Radiohead Super Furry Animals Aphex Twin Liars Now to work on the categories. Number of members, names and outfits etc. It must have been done already. Trump or snap. |
|
