R.I.P. — Captain Beefheart (1941-2010) — True to his own spirit

Don Van Vliet AKA Captain Beefheart passed yesterday at the age of 69. A truly original artist in every sense of the word. Vliet worked off/on with Zappa through the years and with his own Magic Band. Never one to be fenced in or labeled, his unmistakable tortured vocals can be heard in the songs below. His career shifted to paintings, sculpting and drawings that would prove to be highly sought after works. His last many years had been spent in seclusion after many reports came forward claiming him to be afflicted with multiple sclerosis.

Here’s a Rolling Stone piece from ’70 that well represents the unique mystique that surrounded Beefheart.

Rest well, Captain.

Here’s “Her Eyes Are Blue Million Miles”:

“Tropical Hot Dog Night”:

 

Phish: New Years play for pay

Can’t make Phish’s New Years shows in NYC? How would you like for them to play live… on your computer, for the low, low price of $39.95? LivePhish.com has the info…

LivePhish

Arabesque — Estes Park, CO (10/25/80)

Arabesque – “a little bit Django, a little bit Dawg.” I gave this a listen a while back and fell in love with it. Beautiful music that’s 30+ years old. To put it in perspective, when they’re playing Norwegian Wood on this recording, John Lennon was still alive and well in NYC. Check it out and let me know what you think…

Minor Swing
Breezin’
March of the Siamese Children
Blue Bossa
Some Dark Hollow
EMD
Norwegian Wood
Stockton Blues
Take the A Train
Nine Pound Hammer
Wave
Cherokee
I Got Rhythm

Download/Stream

Jimbo to be pardoned

Jim Morrison to be pardoned 39 1/2 years after his death…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Doors’ Jim Morrison will get a posthumous pardon Thursday for an indecent exposure conviction in Florida that resulted when the late singer pulled what a bandmate called “a mind trip on the audience, and they totally fell for it.”
Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday got a commitment for the second of two votes needed from other members of the state’s Board of Executive Clemency to approve the pardon. (more…)

I guess it’s kind of cool to do this, but why now? His mother and father are dead. He died in 1971. Well, happy 67th Mr. Mojo. Also, for a good listen of the reconfigured Doors, as in the latter portion of their career, when they shifted from art-rock pop songs to white boy- chugging blues and R&B, check out the new Live In Vancouver release. It features Albert King on a few tracks, giving the band a two guitar approach that was only seen on the L.A. Woman album.

Phish — Live Bait, Vol. 3

In celebration of Worcester’s past, Phish has released the Live Bait, Vol. 3. A 59 minute Runaway Jim? Check. An Auld Lang Syne that morphs into a then unheard of jam (was labeled Zappa jam on my original tape) that would later be known as Down With Disease? Check. A fiery Llama and sublimely smokin’ SOAMelt? Check and check. Free? Check.

Check it out here. Check.

Kanye’s verbal leakage.

What shocks me is that this guy is serious. How can you be so self centered, yet so clueless at the same time?

Trey Anastasio — “Stash”

Lotus In The Bliss

Posted by Spoonypony on YouTube. Not sure how I got to this video, but I dig. Good stuff, man.

They Said What??

Taken from The Floor,

“Drinks turned into multiple drinks,” recalls Bayliss. “You know when you wake up the next day after a night of drinking and you can’t really remember what happened, but you know something stupid happened? You’re swimming in remorse and then it hits you. Apparently I had fallen and hit my head and Huey picked me up and carried me to bed and tucked me in. I woke up the next morning with a knot on my head and said to myself ‘wait, did Huey Lewis tuck me in last night?’ I was that guy.“

-Brendan Bayliss

Last night was DiSGRACeful…

Set One
1. Shoot First >
2. Tailspin
3. That Country Tune
4. Downward Facing Dog
5. Akimbo
6. Recreational Chemistry
Set Two
1. Banter
2. Lazarus
3. She
4. Deep this Time
5. Dead Flowers
6. Jazz Wank
7. Rebubula
Encore
1. Crowd
2. Letter Home
3. I’m Fixing a Hole

Stream