|
Author
|
Topic: Captain Beefheart Connection
|
GuyManDude
Silver Member
|
posted 13 October 2004 15:07
   
Folks, I just posted the following to the GIGs list to answer a comment about Morris Tepper opening for PJ on this tour. I thought it might also spark an interesting discussion here. Hopefully it isn't something that has been already rehashed a million times before. Anyway, I'm a huge fan of both PJ and Captain Beefheart so maybe some of you will find the original post interesting. Here it is:The show was fantastic as usual. Third time I've seen her and I think she is one of the top 2 or 3 acts in the world for the last 10 years. Now, a little musically history from an "old-timer" (41 years old). Excuse me if you already know this. Morris Tepper (who I thought was pretty unlistenable - sorry) was in Captain Beefheart's "Magic Band" toward the last few albums. He went by "Jeff Morris Tepper" then. On the last two tours PJ's keyboard/bass player was Eric Drew Feldmen. Also of the "Magic Band". Pick up Captian Beefheart's "Doc at the Radar Station" for an introduction to his music. Both of these guys are on that album PJ is obviously a huge Beefheart fan. I started to notice this about the time of "Rid of Me". I've heard she is one of the few people in the world that still has contact with "the Captain" (real name Don Van Vliet). He is retired from music, but is still an artist (he painted most of his album covers). He lives in northern, CA and suffers from MS. Interesting facts: 1). PJ's songs are published by "Hot Head Music". "Hot Head" is the name of a Captain Beefheart song on "Doc at the Radar Station". 2). The song "Hot Head" has a lyric "Don't you wish you never met her" which PJ reuses in her song "Rid of Me”. This was when I first says to myself “This crazy chick is into Captain Beefheart fer sure!” 3). Captain Beefheart has a song called "Tropical Hotdog Night" with a repeated lyric asking "all of the young girls to come out and Meet the Monster tonight". 4). This may be a stretch, but to me the melody of the chorus for “Telco” sounds almost exactly like the melody for the chorus of “Her Eyes are a Blue Million Miles” from Beefheart’s “Clear Spot” album. 5). The melody of the verse for “I Think I’m a Mother” is dangerously close to the melody to “Dropout Boogie” from Beefheart’s “Safe as Milk” album. 6). To me, the whole “Dance Hall at Louse Point” is very Beefheartesque. John Perrish must be a fan as well. I could go on, but you get the idea. I’m a huge fan of both and if you love PJ you should check out Captain Beefheart. He is a little less accessable then PJ, but if you can tolerate Morris Tepper, you’ll have no trouble with Beefheart. Sorry Morris, loved you in the Magic Band, but I have a little trouble with the live, solo stuff. It is cool PJ is helping him out though. Check out www.beefheart.com for more info on the Captain’s music and art.
IP: Logged |
OrigAnon
Gold Member
|
posted 14 October 2004 11:36
quote:
Originally posted by GuyManDude:
Now, a little musically history from an "old-timer" (41 years old). Excuse me if you already know this..
41! OLD!!!! PSHAWWWWW!!!!!
You wait 'til your 57, young un!!!!!
Still, it's nice to see the youngsters picking up on the good 'ole Cap'n.
Some good info included in your mail but you didn't put the explanation of his name (yeah, I do know).
Incidentally, for the earliest Cap'n vocal excursions there was a Frank Zappa CD released around 4/5 years ago with a teenage Beefheart vocal on 1 or 2 tracks that were quite interesting. Also, anyone wanting an excursion into where Polly may head if ever she decides to cover any more blues songs could do worse than seek out 'The A & M Sessions' mini album (which may be included on CD issues of Safe as milk?) IP: Logged |
staticdust
Gold Member
|
posted 14 October 2004 17:43
what's the reason behind his name origanon?
and isnt the 'little fish big fish' line in down by the water taken from a beefheart song as well?IP: Logged |
lynn
Gold Member
|
posted 14 October 2004 22:08
from a book called 'Rock Names':
Captain Beefheart - When he was thirteen, Don Van Vilet moved with his family from Los Angeles to Lancaster, California. There he met Frank Zappa, a classmate at Antelope Valley High School, who nicknamed him Captain Beefheart because he seemed to have a "beef in his heart" against the world.IP: Logged |
Framescourer
Silver Member
|
posted 14 October 2004 22:30
Bought Trout Mask Replica on a recent shopping spree (that included Pixies, Morrisey, My Bloody Valentine and Dance Hall at Louse Point). I'd heard it is something of an anomaly in his canon, if you like...... then I was in a record store and heard what I assumed was more ur-Beefheart - only to find out it was Tom Waits' latest album, Real Gone. The same Tom Waits who's using Marianne Faithfull in current American productions of his show The Black Rider. The same Marianne Faithfull who's just recorded Before the Poison with (etc...) IP: Logged |
lynn
Gold Member
|
posted 15 October 2004 03:30
I saw The Black Rider in San Francisco last Saturday and it was amazing and the music was very good.IP: Logged |
OrigAnon
Gold Member
|
posted 15 October 2004 09:37
quote:
Originally posted by lynn:
from a book called 'Rock Names':
Captain Beefheart - When he was thirteen, Don Van Vilet moved with his family from Los Angeles to Lancaster, California. There he met Frank Zappa, a classmate at Antelope Valley High School, who nicknamed him Captain Beefheart because he seemed to have a "beef in his heart" against the world.
The story I heard was that when a relative saw the size of the infant Don's 'organ'(and we ain't talkin' Hammond B3 here) they compared it to a 'beef-heart'!!
You pays your money........IP: Logged |
Framescourer
Silver Member
|
posted 15 October 2004 10:43
quote:
I saw The Black Rider in San Fransico last... and it was very good
Pleased to hear it. I saw his be-cabareted version of Buchner's Wozzeck in London about two years ago now which was also good. IP: Logged |
Grooley
Silver Member
|
posted 15 October 2004 18:03
A thing that has always puzzled me about Beefheart is the evolution of his appearance throughout his career. I mean, he started out as a kind-of-heavy guy in a suit who just looked pretty cool and made music that fit that impression. Then he became this big fat mighty-looking goateed "hippie-pimp" dude and made music that fit that impression. Then a couple of years later, he has lost a tremendous amount of weight, got a moustache and looks like a thin, scruffy, middle aged librarian or something. And still, he makes music that fits his appearance. It's not strange to change over the years, but the weird thing is that I just can't fit the "images" together at all. When I look at diferrent photos from Beefhearts career it's like a different person.
IP: Logged |
50ft queenie
Gold Member
|
posted 21 October 2004 22:46
quote:
Originally posted by staticdust:
what's the reason behind his name origanon?
and isnt the 'little fish big fish' line in down by the water taken from a beefheart song as well?
no it's from an old blues songbook. pj mentioned that in an interview. but she didnt remember who wrote it. IP: Logged |
Maebh
Silver Member
|
posted 13 November 2004 20:32
Wow. Thanks GuyManDude I´ve asked Santy for Captain Beefheart records! Speaking of Woyzeck, does anyone know if Tom Wait´s music for it can be listened to on record or CD?IP: Logged |
staticdust
Gold Member
|
posted 21 November 2004 04:13
i really liked moris tepper when i saw him open for pj recently. i didnt see him in 2001 but i've heard from a few people that he really sucked as an opening act back then. but i thought he was pretty good live so i picked up a copy of his new album and i also got 'big enough to disappear' cause it has some of the songs he played at the gig. well now that i've listened to his album i can understand why you said he's unlistenable. he writes these folkie songs with awkward rhythms, it feels like he's trying to mix blues-punk, folk and disco altogether (in a strange way). it was really good to hear his songs when he performed them solo acoustic and a few of them with josh on guitar or drums. i also got the humor in his lyrics when i was listening to it live, but on the record it's just not funny anymore.IP: Logged |
AlmostPhony
Silver Member
|
posted 23 November 2004 03:29
My boss is in the middle of this huge Beefheart thing and he was blown away when he heard "Dropout Boogie." He put it on for me, and I was going, "what IS that? Why does that sound so familiar?!" Then I realized PJ borrowed the pattern for "I Think I'm A Mother." I think that's so damn rad. Also, apparently the first line on Safe As Milk is "I was born in the desert" which is also the first line of To Bring You My Love. I think the "little fish, big fish" stuff is from a Leadbelly song. I work at a record store and one of my co-workers is Midnight Hatsize of Captain Beefheart. It's pretty neat. Moris Tepper even did an in-store for us. IP: Logged |
masterplan
Silver Member
|
posted 06 December 2004 05:25
I went and saw elvis costello last night with my dad, and in the car on the way home he was talking about captain beefheart. It's strange, he was never reeeeally a music type. I'll have to check out some of this 'captain beefheart' shiznit.IP: Logged |
scythe75
Gold Member
|
posted 22 December 2004 13:03
Are you the same Guy Man Dude who used to play really fast, widdly guitar (on Shrapnel Records?)..?IP: Logged |
PJ Harvey
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! 
