Name: Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - 'Avalon Blues' by Idiotska's Live Corner
Duration: 3 min 12 s
Description: Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band play a blues instrumental (dubbed Avalon Blues on some bootlegs) live at the Avalon Ballroom sometime in 1966. Picture is from the band around that time.

composition by Don Van Vliet

Gary Lucas--solo '64 Stratocaster
recorded spring 1982 West Village NYC

later integrated into "Cardboard Cut Out Sundown"
from Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band's 1982 album
"Ice Cream for Crow" (Virgin/Epic)

http://bit.ly/PbFxqY

painting: "Striped Light" by Don Van Vliet

"Oat Hate"--Gary Lucas solo electric

written by Edward Farley, Mike Riley, and Red Hodgson (1935)
arr. Lucas

Gary Lucas--1942 Gibson J-45

recorded on Gary's iPhone NYC 4/3/14

photo taken at "Bonnie Lucas: A Retrospective"
Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Gallery NYC
3/21/14

The Music Goes Round and Around--Gary Lucas solo acoustic

Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band play a blues instrumental (dubbed Avalon Blues on some bootlegs) live at the Avalon Ballroom sometime in 1966. Picture is from the band around that time.

Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - 'Avalon Blues'

Little Scratch

Beefheart - LITTLE SCRATCH

On January 26, 1971, Richard Einhorn interviewed Don Van Vliet -- aka Captain Beefheart -- in a motel room in New York, for radio station WFMU. Also present for the conversation were Mark Boston ("Rockette Morton"), Art Tripp ("Ed Marimba"), and manager Grant Gibbs. Einhorn, who has since gone on to become a composer of some renown, was nineteen years old at the time. 

In 2001 Einhorn unearthed the tape while digging through his archives, and generously made CDs of the interview available to members of The Fire Party, the internet Captain Beefheart discussion list (http://www.beefheart.com/community/fire-party-discussion-list/). The discs did not circulate widely, however, so I asked him for permission to make the recording available again. He agreed, with the proviso that I "please be sure to spread it far and wide." Thanks to Soundcloud, I can honor that request.

+++++

Since my original posting, I’ve unearthed a letter from Mr. Einhorn about his experience. Here is an excerpt:

“At the time I was a dj for WFMU—FM, a 'progressive radio station' in New Jersey that pioneered the 'free form format'. I had been a Beefheart fan for several years and when concerts were announced for early '71 in the city, the station arranged for me and another staffer (I forget whom) to interview him.

Based on info from the timeline website (my tape boxes just say 'beefheart interview'), the interview took place on January 26, 1971 in a Holiday Inn in Manhattan. The site said that the hotel was on the east side, but that may be wrong. According to my recollection, most likely it was the Holiday Inn in the west 50's on Eighth Avenue, the scene somewhat later on of the capture of the fugitive radical Angela Davis.

Perhaps the most interesting thing from my perspective (and the reason I dug it out) is than Don seems very generous, if somewhat paternalistic, towards the band's contributions and throughout the interview stresses their autonomy, their musicianship and their personal musical growth. This appears to contradict Bill Harkleroad's memoir. When I read it, I wanted to check if my recollection was right. (I suspect that Bill is accurate about the lack of formal credit and also 'eyeball to eyeball acknowledgement' but had no idea how much Beefheart praised the band during at least this interview. This is not to say that he doesn't deserve more credit. If Bill was the man doing most of the arranging/ rehearsing, he has been woefully under—appreciated and underpaid. Nevertheless, the genius behind the music is, to my ears, obviously Don).

A little bit about the New York shows. According to the timeline, they took place at 'Ungano's' in New York and there were two shows (I may be wrong but I think the club was actually called Ungaro's). My distinct recollection is that in fact there were four shows, two a night. I recall going to all four and meeting Jan and Don briefly after the last set of day 2 (which was probably after our interview on the 26th). I don't recall the lost instrument disaster, but I do remember seeing Ornette at one of the shows. More importantly, I remember that the group played so well that I was in tears. Apparently Gary Lucas was there too, I didn't know him then, but I can corroborate his perception of Harkleroad. He was simply awesome. As was Don. As were they all.”

+++++

To learn more about Mr. Einhorn's music, visit his web site at www.richardeinhorn.com where you'll find much information about his prodigious output, including music samples. To read Einhorn's touching eulogy for Don Van Vliet, visit http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/in-memoriam-don-vliet-by-tristero.html. 

Obtain the file here: http://bit.ly/1Km08PD

Captain Beefheart Interview by Richard Einhorn for WFMU, January 26, 1971

Oh, you're upset?

A little Serious Sam fanservice. Rant written by Tom Mickleborough.

Sam Rant

Original song by Don Van Vliet a/k/a Captain Beefheart 

recorded in Gary Lucas' apartment in the West Village of Manhattan the day after Don appeared on the David Letterman Show for the second time summer 1982

part two of "Pork Chop Blue Around the Rind" posted herein

Title used for the first Fast 'N' Bulbous album (Cuneiform) in homage to Captain Beefheart

RIP DON VAN VLIET 
1/15/41--12/17/10

Skol in a Hole--Don Van Vliet

extemporized by Don Van Vliet live on the Hampton Jitney on a trip to Bridgehampton with Gary Lucas 7/83


painting by Don Van Vliet
"Stagecoach to Hell"

"Luxury Crunch"--Don Van Vliet

recorded in Gary Lucas' apartment NYC
 the night after Don appeared on David Letterman for the second time August 1983

composition by Don Van Vliet

painting
"Sixteen Chrome"
by Don Van Vliet

"Let's Get to the Good and Go"--Don Van Vliet

Top Leicester 80's pop band All Root Special - live recording taken from mixing desk - probably at the Prohibition about 1985.

Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - 'Avalon Blues'

Idiotska's Live Corner

Recent comments

Herbert Lumby

Related tracks