A fascinating but terribly sad interview, which I'm only now hearing for the first time. I'm approaching the age Don was when he made Ice Cream for Crow, and even then, in 1982, he already looked quite old and frail for someone his age. It makes me realize how short a time he had as a musician, and how much he and the Magic Bands gave to us all. I'm glad he was able to find success as a painter during the 80s and 90s, and I hope he was able to find joy in life right up until the end. Given how he sounds here, I'm amazed he endured so long.
Laughing all the way to the end...to think Don lived on until 2010. What a tearfully tragic end to a brilliant life. This interview is very touching, a real gem. Thank you.
he was such a sweet man, this was when he was kind of worn from his disease, but what a spirit he had! he never changed despite his roughing illness! he had a very disorganized way of conversation, but thats better than any other conversation you would have about the weather!
This is from 1993 ... I can't imagine was his condition was in the 2000's ... Did this begin around 1982 I notice a change in him around that time... And didn't know for years why he retired ... It was his condition. I wept through most of this ... I sensed a lot of pain.
I appreciate how comfortable Co De Kloet is with the silences. This interview with Van Vliet is a precious artifact - thank you so much for posting it.
Despite his gruffer, slower voice and obvious aging, he sounds as vital and unique then as he was 10 years before. Sounds like he was still enjoying life.
Don was clearly such a treasured spirit , even through this difficult interview there are still flashes of the old captain its hard to image given his medical condition at the time just how much effort must have been expended during the process of the recording . Its not an easy listen but as he struggles with his slurred speech you can still detect the mischief the childlike manner that stayed with him through his life . God bless you DVV thanks for being different compelling and utterly unique .
It seems like his Dutch ancestry was welcomed over there and that his art was just as appreciated early on. Check out his appearance on the geniously absurd Van Oekel's Discohoek.
Real fans of the Captain will feel wistful listening to this. Seems like God gave him a certain lifetime amount of volume and strength in his voice, and he used up most of it earlier in his life making his music. This is not a bad thing for the world, and it seems like a bad thing for the Captain, but it's not really.
The parts around the hour mark where he is reciting some of his old Trout Mask lyrics was amazing. I would've been so excited if I were the interviewer.
Could be just me (of course), but the long pauses the interviewer takes after Don's responses to his questions, instead of acknowledging he heard 'm, or anything, makes it a rather awkward conversation, at times.
Love that he & Frank grew up next together. They were musical geniuses. Hey Garland, I dig your tweed coat. I’ll trade you a domino this size, mothball-scented. The woman silk nude tie painting his chest. One celluloid stay exposed through his nibbled collar. Feet speckled the sidewalk. Faces gurgled through windows. Passing cars gum rubber streaks. Neon plants swim like green seaweed to a deep rhythm of blues. Red thyroid sunsets, flame in speckled chemistry. Pipes run off dark tubes. Erase into marks that pour the dye of darkness. Crystal comes together as silent as ink. “I don’t think I could let it go. I got it at the religious scene” Teeth let go, tobacco juice, an oiled balloon, brown eye in an egg white, black tar bubbles and stripes. A straw hat squeaked on the brim of a feather. Newsprint thumbed through nicotine fingers, a dark olive was turned on. Its small pulp speaker burst into a scream. One large tomato was immediately peeled skin red. It bled into a red “O” and smacked behind accepted fangs. Quick eyebrows danced cutely above a mole. The bridge held a large gold pair of spectacles. The front was smooth. It slightly gathered and wrinkled at the holes. A dark wooden moustache deposited below above Chinese red varnished lips that dented slightly into the evening. “It’s gotten quite cold. I’ve decided I can’t sell you my coat.” Honking, the wind puffed into the clumps above the lattice rows. And out looked Panatella, naked and not ashamed, without no clothes. Wiggle Pig went snout-first into a tree. The rubber turkey was gobbled up by the night’s dark rubber mouth. A white phosphorous raindrop dropped in the sky. Hot silhouettes in a convertible gave this applause. And several white porcelain trays were rolled in by bumblebees. Their wings arranged with pictures out of the past. And the rainbow baboon gobbled fifteen fish eyes with each spoon. Pockets was caught at window level. Approaching the fractured glass, dripping in light, he spoke: “I’ve just looked at myself, and from here to here it ain’t far enough, but from here to here it’s too short.” “And circles don’t fly, they float,” Pena exclaimed and went on to say, “Sun sure did shine this year. Who’d you look like underneath?” Steve Robey sent this to Justin, along with this amusing story: ‘During college (1987-1991), my friend Rob and I would go up to drunk partygoers and recite this entire piece in their ears (one in the left, one in the right). Turned many an otherwise conservative, mainstream drunk into a very confused, conservative, mainstream drunk…..
Mooi! Ik wacht nog steeds op de cd van de voorstelling in Paradiso met Gary lucas en Nona Hendrix en het Metropole Orkest. Iemand die daar de goede -soundboard-opnames van heeft?
This is hard so for me I will see the colours of all living movements caught in a stroke far away but touched by another told to a picture that feels nothing when asked can you write ✍ that down is that fact talked about
For the record, I believe this recording has been severely edited to speed up (without changing the pitch of) Don's voice. I've heard the original and I believe it seemed to be much longer, although nothing has been cut out other than the silence in between individual words. Most audio editing programs have an effect for this. Not to sound as if Im saying this in a negative way, not at all, just as an FYI. Thank you so very much for posting this along with all of your other posts of Beefheart and so many more! Idioska for President 2016!
This man is so far out it's in! He is the definition of an original avant-garde surrealist musician & painter. His shere unpredictably is a joy & curiosity....Zappa, Dali, & Alice Cooper are swirling around in his tea 🍵 🌼🍄🌼😎
A fascinating but terribly sad interview, which I'm only now hearing for the first time. I'm approaching the age Don was when he made Ice Cream for Crow, and even then, in 1982, he already looked quite old and frail for someone his age. It makes me realize how short a time he had as a musician, and how much he and the Magic Bands gave to us all. I'm glad he was able to find success as a painter during the 80s and 90s, and I hope he was able to find joy in life right up until the end. Given how he sounds here, I'm amazed he endured so long.
he sounds too familiar
Death isn't too sad, and nothing is ever really ours to miss. Itll be here for us before you know it, just hang in there
*his Magic Bands
Captain beefheart and his Magic Band
Laughing all the way to the end...to think Don lived on until 2010. What a tearfully tragic end to a brilliant life. This interview is very touching, a real gem. Thank you.
35:22 Love that he asks Co for his favourite Zappa and Beefheart albums and Don only suggests Zappa records that he contributed to. :)
he was such a sweet man, this was when he was kind of worn from his disease, but what a spirit he had! he never changed despite his roughing illness! he had a very disorganized way of conversation, but thats better than any other conversation you would have about the weather!
This is from 1993 ... I can't imagine was his condition was in the 2000's ... Did this begin around 1982 I notice a change in him around that time... And didn't know for years why he retired ... It was his condition. I wept through most of this ... I sensed a lot of pain.
I appreciate how comfortable Co De Kloet is with the silences. This interview with Van Vliet is a precious artifact - thank you so much for posting it.
Shall we start? "I thought we did!" Love Captain Beefheart.
it was very painful and sad to hear the voice, but people can always communicate through the arts&music
:') Not to say he wasn't always charming, but particularly so in old age. What an amazing human being
@@stephenzayfert9356 Yeah it sounds as if he's fighting muscular atrophy/dystrophy.
It’s like listening to an old friend!
The phone message started with 707 for Humboldt County in northern California. He lived in Trinidad at the time.
Despite his gruffer, slower voice and obvious aging, he sounds as vital and unique then as he was 10 years before. Sounds like he was still enjoying life.
he was in his early 50's and looked and sounded like he was in his late 80s
'as vital' as 10 years before? you must be deaf or something. he sounded like a 90 year old here.
"It's difficult to go through somebody when they don't want to be gone through..."
Don was clearly such a treasured spirit , even through this difficult interview there are still flashes of the old captain its hard to image given his medical condition at the time just how much effort must have been expended during the process of the recording . Its not an easy listen but as he struggles with his slurred speech you can still detect the mischief the childlike manner that stayed with him through his life . God bless you DVV thanks for being different compelling and utterly unique .
"I can do exactly what I want [and] I don't have to think about anybody..."
33:44 "He's the only Frank Zappa I know..."
you can see and feel the poem the dust blows forward and the dust blows back.close the eyes and let it happen.
It seems like his Dutch ancestry was welcomed over there and that his art was just as appreciated early on. Check out his appearance on the geniously absurd Van Oekel's Discohoek.
Ah the 707, Humboldt county area code. What a great place to retire. Trinidad is totally killer, I'm glad Don got to live there at the end of his life
Real fans of the Captain will feel wistful listening to this. Seems like God gave him a certain lifetime amount of volume and strength in his voice, and he used up most of it earlier in his life making his music. This is not a bad thing for the world, and it seems like a bad thing for the Captain, but it's not really.
Richie B
I knew him for years still miss him 😭
woah what was he like? his paintings are great too.
You have been Honored !!
LOVE how he slags off Tom Waits - and Waits sued anyone he thought was ripping off his material!!! Waits was the THIEF.
"They will definitely be gone through if I'm doing it [laughter]..."
The parts around the hour mark where he is reciting some of his old Trout Mask lyrics was amazing. I would've been so excited if I were the interviewer.
This is somehow adorable, but extremely sad.
Life is strange. It'll come for us, soon enough
Could be just me (of course), but the long pauses the interviewer takes after Don's responses to his questions, instead of acknowledging he heard 'm, or anything, makes it a rather awkward conversation, at times.
Love that he & Frank grew up next together. They were musical geniuses.
Hey Garland, I dig your tweed coat. I’ll trade you a domino this size, mothball-scented. The woman silk nude tie painting his chest. One celluloid stay exposed through his nibbled collar. Feet speckled the sidewalk. Faces gurgled through windows. Passing cars gum rubber streaks. Neon plants swim like green seaweed to a deep rhythm of blues. Red thyroid sunsets, flame in speckled chemistry. Pipes run off dark tubes. Erase into marks that pour the dye of darkness. Crystal comes together as silent as ink.
“I don’t think I could let it go. I got it at the religious scene”
Teeth let go, tobacco juice, an oiled balloon, brown eye in an egg white, black tar bubbles and stripes. A straw hat squeaked on the brim of a feather. Newsprint thumbed through nicotine fingers, a dark olive was turned on. Its small pulp speaker burst into a scream. One large tomato was immediately peeled skin red. It bled into a red “O” and smacked behind accepted fangs. Quick eyebrows danced cutely above a mole. The bridge held a large gold pair of spectacles. The front was smooth. It slightly gathered and wrinkled at the holes. A dark wooden moustache deposited below above Chinese red varnished lips that dented slightly into the evening.
“It’s gotten quite cold. I’ve decided I can’t sell you my coat.”
Honking, the wind puffed into the clumps above the lattice rows. And out looked Panatella, naked and not ashamed, without no clothes. Wiggle Pig went snout-first into a tree. The rubber turkey was gobbled up by the night’s dark rubber mouth. A white phosphorous raindrop dropped in the sky. Hot silhouettes in a convertible gave this applause. And several white porcelain trays were rolled in by bumblebees. Their wings arranged with pictures out of the past. And the rainbow baboon gobbled fifteen fish eyes with each spoon. Pockets was caught at window level.
Approaching the fractured glass, dripping in light, he spoke: “I’ve just looked at myself, and from here to here it ain’t far enough, but from here to here it’s too short.”
“And circles don’t fly, they float,” Pena exclaimed and went on to say, “Sun sure did shine this year. Who’d you look like underneath?”
Steve Robey sent this to Justin, along with this amusing story:
‘During college (1987-1991), my friend Rob and I would go up to drunk partygoers and recite this entire piece in their ears (one in the left, one in the right). Turned many an otherwise conservative, mainstream drunk into a very confused, conservative, mainstream drunk…..
Thank you so much for this!
Philip Larkin gets the nod, somewhat of a surprise. He liked jazz, but had no time for the modern stuff.
Holy Shit !----Damn thank you for this ! - Wonderful Childlike Genius Mr. Van Vliet!!
This is way too sad to listen to. As others have stated he was only 52 when this was recorded.
Mooi! Ik wacht nog steeds op de cd van de voorstelling in Paradiso met Gary lucas en Nona Hendrix en het Metropole Orkest. Iemand die daar de goede -soundboard-opnames van heeft?
This is hard so for me I will see the colours of all living movements caught in a stroke far away but touched by another told to a picture that feels nothing when asked can you write ✍ that down is that fact talked about
Interview from the other side of the fence…
you cant not adore the guy.
"This 'Waite' character..." 🤣
For the record, I believe this recording has been severely edited to speed up (without changing the pitch of) Don's voice. I've heard the original and I believe it seemed to be much longer, although nothing has been cut out other than the silence in between individual words. Most audio editing programs have an effect for this. Not to sound as if Im saying this in a negative way, not at all, just as an FYI. Thank you so very much for posting this along with all of your other posts of Beefheart and so many more! Idioska for President 2016!
Its not at around 1:08:00 hes says we've been recording almost 70 minutes
I don't think that is correct. I've been listening on 1.5x and it sounds pedestrian
SOULJAH ROCKER....BEEF♡
This man is so far out it's in! He is the definition of an original avant-garde surrealist musician & painter. His shere unpredictably is a joy & curiosity....Zappa, Dali, & Alice Cooper are swirling around in his tea 🍵 🌼🍄🌼😎
.....swirling ☝ up in his cigar 🚬 🔥 ☁ smoke! 🌼💫🌼
Communicate. Please.
Interviewer is unprepared, lackadaisical, not up to it.
Interview from the other side of the fence…