Pages

Dec 18, 2010

Goodbye to the Zig Zag Wanderer: a tribute to Captain Beefheart



If the audio stops playing, press stop and allow time for the stream to load.

It is with great sadness that this week's programme is a tribute to Don van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart. Here is a selection of my favourite tunes from almost every album in chronological order. For a comprehensive obituary, try the Guardian.
  1. Diddy Wah Diddy, The Legendary A&M Sessions, 1966
  2. Zig Zag Wanderer, Safe As Milk, Buddah, 1967
  3. I'm Glad, Safe As Milk
  4. Safe As Milk, Strictly Personal, Blue Thumb, 1968
  5. Veteran's Day Poppy, Trout Mask Replica, Straight, 1969
  6. Willie The Pimp, Frank Zappa, Hot Rats, Reprise, 1969 (Don van Vliet, vocal)
  7. Doctor Dark, Lick My Decals Off Baby, Straight, 1970
  8. I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby, The Spotlight Kid, Reprise, 1972
  9. Low Yo Yo Stuff, Clear Spot, Reprise, 1973
  10. Observatory Crest, Blue Jeans and Moonbeams, Virgin, 1974
  11. Debra Kadabra, Zappa/Beefheart, Bongo Fury, Discreet, 1975
  12. Cathy's Clone, The Tubes, Now, A&M, 1977 (Don van Vliet, saxophone)
  13. Hard Working Man, Jack Nitzche, Blue Collar OST, Mudcrow, 1978 (Don van Vliet, vocal)
  14. Harry Irene, Shiny Beast, Warner, 1978
  15. Hot Head, Doc at the Radar Station, Virgin, 1980
  16. The Past Sure Is Tense, Ice Cream for Crow, Virgin, 1982

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love these mixes thank you. The only suggestion I have is there any way you can give us time stamps for when the songs start and stop. It's hard to figure out which song I'm really enjoying unless I go back or forward and listen to you announce the tracks. Thanks in advance.

Your tracks make my week.

Sir Wilhelm Archer said...

Every time someone mentions their favorite works by Beefheart it's always a different sequence and tone.
And every time it shows the range of his creations and bands. By the way, "Diddy Wah Diddy" was released in 1966 as a 45 in California. They just didn't have enough for an album. And thanks for The Tubes cut. I had no idea. Check out the "Mirror Man" sessions, if you haven't already.
Thanks for another slice of the Beef.

Simon Johns said...

Thanks for the comments.

Aside from the terrible loss a great musician, what was pleasing about putting this playlist together was the breadth of Don and his band's ideas, as hearing the music evolve.

I was also reminded of how wonderful his songs are.