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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
 Posted - 09/24/2003 : 15:42:58
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It's an interesting story.....I don't know how many Beefheart fans are out there, but, I've noticed that somewhere between the release of 'The Spotlight Kid/Clearspot' (1972) and 'Unconditionally Guaranteed' (1974), Don Vliet seems to have aged by 10-15 years. 1972> He looked as if he was about 30. 1974> He looked about 45-50. I must assume that it was during this period that he did not sleep. When you also consider that his 1974 release was an attempt at reaching a mass audience .... insomnia would maybe explain it....because a few years later, he went right back to being avant-garde. Stranger still is since he retired from music in 1982, he seems to have aged very little.
For those of you who are not familiar with Captain Beefheart, look up the two albums mentioned above and take a look at his picture on the cover.....very eerie.
http://www.hmv.com |
Edited by - frank_black_francis on 09/24/2003 15:44:12 |
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brank flack
- FB Fan -
USA
32 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2003 : 15:48:55
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| yes, and i saw a post by someone that the magic band is playing in Long Beach and it's true! Us orange county folks will have some fun. |
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apl4eris
~ Abstract Brain ~
USA
4800 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2003 : 16:52:47
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So do you think it's true, fbf, about the un-somnambulist? I gotta get me a pair of wood-grained tinted sunglasses.
Maybe I'm fishing up the wrong tree, but I've never gotten to see the Don live, and I doubt they'll play in this slow, lowly cow-town. I have, however, seen the Residents, at the House of Blues, Chicago. If you are familiar w/them, do you think it's the Captain and clan all dressed up?
BTW, nice to see that you get into Nader (or is it all a ploy?), and you don't even vote here!
"Toynbee ideas in Kubrick's 2001 resurrect dead on planet Jupiter"
-Unknown |
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2003 : 03:31:39
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quote:
Originally posted by apl4eris
So do you think it's true, fbf, about the un-somnambulist? I gotta get me a pair of wood-grained tinted sunglasses.
Maybe I'm fishing up the wrong tree, but I've never gotten to see the Don live, and I doubt they'll play in this slow, lowly cow-town. I have, however, seen the Residents, at the House of Blues, Chicago. If you are familiar w/them, do you think it's the Captain and clan all dressed up?
BTW, nice to see that you get into Nader (or is it all a ploy?), and you don't even vote here!
"Toynbee ideas in Kubrick's 2001 resurrect dead on planet Jupiter"
-Unknown
It seems to be true...the unsomnabulist. It might help explain his off-again on-again relationship with Frank Zappa....and his hiring of a completely newer, younger band. I do get the impression sometimes that the Residents are the Magic Band all dressed up.
I read from the 'Nader Page' every week. I could vote at the US consulate....I have dual-citizenship (Born in Providence, Rhode Island)....but I dont vote here either. |
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anazgnos
= Cult of Ray =
USA
383 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2003 : 23:09:10
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Well, you all know Eric Drew Feldman is more or less a member of the Residents, right? I don't think he's an original member, but since he did play with Snakefinger after the Magic Band I'd assume his involvement comes from that time period (also around the time that two of the original four Residents are thought to have left). Anyhow I believe the beans were spilled fairly recently by a Mr. Frank Black, explaining EDF's absence at one of his own gigs. As far as the rest of them, don't think so...I personally love a lot of the Residents initial, analog period, but my interest in their work seems to taper off after Mark of the Mole, though I have heard some later stuff that I like. The Magic Band playing at All Tommorrow's Parties is without Don Van Vliet, but Drumbo does a mighty Don impersonation, and I do think they have Don's blessing. Apart from Drumbo its Robert Williams, Denny Walley, Gary Lucas, and Rockette Morton. I'd bet Morris Tepper might step in for a number or two being that he's playing the festival too.
 "Join the Cult of Frank / it's more fun than a trip to the Black Lodge" |
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Blackolyte
- FB Fan -
USA
109 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2003 : 23:53:20
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Hey Anazgnos,
I love the Woodring's Frank pic you use. I take it you're a fan?
Sorry about this being off-topic. |
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Bluish Black
- FB Fan -
United Kingdom
108 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2003 : 05:28:20
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| The Magic Band are doing a show in London at the Royal Festival Hall on Friday, January 23 2004. The tickets are already on sale. Got mine yesterday. |
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apl4eris
~ Abstract Brain ~
USA
4800 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2003 : 05:57:26
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Hmm, anazgnos, well I had no idea about EDF's involvement - I had missed those spilled beans. I only ever saw the Residents live w/ "Old Time Religion", and, perversely, have half-way wanted to remain in the dark about their identities. The intermingling does arouse my interest, however.
Now I'm going to be obsessively searching through our LPs to find the old Beefheart records - guess now's as good a time as any to organize all that music (hell, I mean, we only moved a year ago)....Thanks!
"Toynbee ideas in Kubrick's 2001 resurrect dead on planet Jupiter"
-Unknown |
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anazgnos
= Cult of Ray =
USA
383 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2003 : 02:09:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Blackolyte
Hey Anazgnos,
I love the Woodring's Frank pic you use. I take it you're a fan?
Sorry about this being off-topic.
yes, i certainly am. had the pleasure of meeting him (at a signing) recently. nice guy.
"Join the Cult of Frank / it's more fun than a trip to the Black Lodge" |
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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =
USA
653 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2003 : 22:55:07
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To my knowledge, EDF is not a standing member of The Residents, although I would not be surprised to find that he had played a bit on some of their albums.
It is however my understanding from someone in the know, that for the past several years, Iggy Pop's drummer has played and/or recorded with The Residents, as has his guitarist (Eric something or other).
Anyone else who can confirm this?
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
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Atheist4Catholics
= Cult of Ray =
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2003 : 23:54:31
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No one will know for sure if it's true or not. Van Vliet says he had too much painting and writing to do and didn't have any time for sleeping. Apparantly, he ceased to be able to communicate to anyone and alienated his friends. I think he had a habit of doing that even when he was getting enough sleep. None of the Magic Band were supervising him 24/7 so who's to say he didn't nap. He's lied and contradicted himself countless times; sometimes to throw off the press, sometimes as a means to explain himself, like a parable. He told David Letterman that the only schooling he'd ever had was a half day of kindergarden, yet you can see his high school graduation photo at www.beefheart.com and Frank Zappa talks about going to high school with him in his autobiography. I think he said it that way to illustrate how little public schooling meant to him. Perhaps he told everyone that he didn't sleep for 85 weeks to illustrate how devoted to making art he was during that time.
Personally, I doubt the story. That said, Beefheart is by far the most brilliant and alien human I've ever heard about.
 "Join the Cult of Clootie / and you'll get more booty!" www.mp3.com/clootie |
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apl4eris
~ Abstract Brain ~
USA
4800 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2003 : 08:45:01
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I agree w/ atheist, that it's probably a really good tall tale, but I don't speak from any firsthand knowledge - I wasn't sure if fbf was trying to carry on the tradition of leg-pulling fun, so I held my tongue ;)
the frank black song index, http://members.cox.net/fbsi/index.html
has a little background on this song.
I could have been inclined to believe it fairly quickly, considering what certain drugs can do to a person...
"Toynbee ideas in Kubrick's 2001 resurrect dead on planet Jupiter"
-Unknown |
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anazgnos
= Cult of Ray =
USA
383 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2003 : 18:24:35
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| Don't know why I didn't mention this at first, but it is know that Don was a pretty heavy coke addict in the mid 70's, so it's probably safe to assume he wasn't sleeping much. The guy spun some wonderful stories about himself and never really attempted to keep them straight himself (he didn't REALLY have an 8 octave vocal range, he didn't REALLY write Trout Mask Replica in one day, etc.) so it's best to just regard them as all in good fun, from one of the more colorful musical geniuses this planet is likely to see. I think this period is explicated in Mike Barnes' Beefheart bio, which I haven't personally read but I'm sure it's good. |
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Atheist4Catholics
= Cult of Ray =
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2003 : 09:15:42
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Barnes doesn't say much about the 85 Weeks thing and I've never heard anything about Don being a coke user. He dabled in acid a bit, but quickly became bored with that. By all accounts, he was not using hard drugs during Trout Mask. The writing TMR in one day rumor is supposedly PARTIALLY true. He improvised the nuts and bolts of all the songs on the piano in one day, but then John French the drummer spent weeks transcribing his piano tapes and creating parts for all the musicians.
"Join the Cult of Clootie / and you'll get more booty!" www.mp3.com/clootie |
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