Captain Beefheart

Don Van Vliet (born Don Glen Vliet on January 15, 1941 in Glendale, California), is a musician and painter, best known under the pseudonym Captain Beefheart.

Influence

Many bands (such as the Clash) have claimed a Beefheart influence, although few have truly been able to assimilate Beefheart's idiosyncratic approach. Tom Waits's shift in artistic direction, starting with Swordfishtrombones, is said to be due to his wife introducing him to Beefheart's music. Punk rockers The Minutemen were great fans of Beefheart's music, and were arguably among the few to effectively synthesize his music with their own, especially in their early output, which featured disjointed guitar and irregular, galloping rhythms.

Related Topics:
The Clash - Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones - The Minutemen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many musicians who have worked with Captain Beefheart consider it to be the formative experience of their lives as musicians (despite the rigours of Beefheart's unorthodox methods). Some of these alumni have subsequently found collaborators who also seem to have been touched with Beefheart's creative spirit. After Beefheart left the music business, Eric Drew Feldman played with Snakefinger, Pere Ubu, P. J. Harvey and Frank Black. Gary Lucas played guitar and collaborated with Jeff Buckley.

Related Topics:
Eric Drew Feldman - Snakefinger - Pere Ubu - P. J. Harvey - Frank Black - Gary Lucas - Jeff Buckley

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2000, The White Stripes released a limited (1300 copies) red-and-white 7" vinyl disc on Sub Pop records' Singles Club. The disc contained covers of 3 Captain Beefheart songs: The Party Of Special Things To Do, China Pig, and Ashtray Heart.

Related Topics:
The White Stripes - Sub Pop

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~