Sunday Big Note – Listening Session #7
I had a completely different artist in mind for this week’s listening session before the sad, untimely passing of poet, painter, musician and all round iconoclast, Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart).
It wasn’t too difficult, though, to pick my favourite concert from the many that I’ve collected through the years. Each had their own very special charm (even those with the Tragic Band backing Beefheart). It came down to a choice between Beefheart’s 1980 Paradiso show in Amsterdam, and the one I’m presenting today. This particular show, quintessential live Beefheart in my opinion, shows Vliet and the Magic Band at the top of their game, verbally and musically (fortunately caught live and mixed directly to a 2-track stereo reel-to-reel tape).
Listening to the follow tracks, you’ll probably agree that Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band‘s November 18th, 1978 performance at My Father’s Place in Roslyn, Long Island, New York is one of the major performance highlights of Vliet’s astounding career:
Tropical Hot Dog Night
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Nowadays A Woman’s Gotta Hit A Man
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Owed T’ Alex
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Dropout Boogie
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Harry Irene
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Abba Zaba
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Old Fart At Play
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Well
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Ice Rose
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Moonlight On Vermont
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Floppy Boot Stomp
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
You Know You’re A Man
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Bat Chain Puller
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Apes-Ma
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
When I See Mommy I Feel Like A Mummy
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Veteran’s Day Poppy
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Safe As Milk
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Suction Prints
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Line-up:
Don Van Vliet: Vocals, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, harmonica and whistling.
Jeff Moris Tepper: Guitar and slide guitar.
Richard Redus: Guitar, slide guitar, slide bass and accordion.
Eric Drew Feldman: Bass guitar, synthesiser and keyboards.
Bruce Fowler: Trombone, air bass.
Robert Williams: Drums, percussion.
Mary Jane Eisenberg: Shake bouquet.
Goodnight, Captain.
December 26th, 2010 at 1:13 am »
Great show, UG. Thanks.
December 26th, 2010 at 4:37 pm »
Good Choice, UrbanG.! (This doesn’t have that disturbed audience member’s heckling either, unlike Paradiso ’80.)
December 27th, 2010 at 8:57 am »
A quote from Harry Barris:
Indeed! I discovered it nearly impossible to edit out that distracting heckler completely from the 1980 Paradiso show, which is unfortunate because otherwise it’s one of Beefheart and the Magic Band’s great performances. Why the venue didn’t toss the asshole out I’ll never understand. Perhaps they think heckling is a given right in Amsterdam?
December 27th, 2010 at 7:16 pm »
is there a torrent of this show available anywhere?
December 27th, 2010 at 7:33 pm »
Excellent quality two disc was once available from Rhino Handmade. Is it still in print? “I’m Going To Do What I Wanna Do”
December 27th, 2010 at 8:48 pm »
A quote from Danny:
A quote from Blob:
While Rhino Handmade only produced a limited edition hard copy of this show, they still offer downloads in mp3 ($13.99), and flac, wma, and apple lossless formats ($20.99) at:
http://www.rhino.com/shop/product/captain-beefheart-and-the-magic-band-im-going-to-do-what-i-wanna-do-live-at-my-fathers-place-1978-us-release
December 28th, 2010 at 7:11 am »
Ah, thanks for that.
December 30th, 2010 at 2:19 am »
It must certainly be heresy to not like Captain Beefheart,
but I don’t like Captain Beefheart.
That’s not exactly true, I love a few things that he has done, but most of it are pieces that I cannot listen to consistently.
Hey, I used to love Led Zep, too.
Not anymore.
December 30th, 2010 at 6:30 am »
A quote from Spectral Igloo:
What exactly do you like besides the funky sounds they pipe into the homes for aging baby boomers these days?
December 30th, 2010 at 7:05 pm »
Oh, I dunno. Ever heard of a band called “GO FUCK YOURSELF”?
December 30th, 2010 at 8:29 pm »
I love that band!
December 31st, 2010 at 7:13 am »
What about a band called machine gun fellatio?
January 1st, 2011 at 9:52 am »
A quote from Spectral Igloo:
Indeed, I have! Didn’t they open for “TAKE A JOKE, PLEASE”?
That said, I’m always open to suggestions for future listening sessions. It’s always easier to say what one does not like than what one does not. Whether it’s Led Zep, Beefheart, Return To Forever, or more recent music, what I like about music transcends time and the fads and trends of taste and fashion. Music is music. Whatever turns you on is good. I’m not here to change your mind or tastes, just present what’s available (and Zappa related).