Noted for his powerful singing voice with its wide range, Van Vliet also
played the harmonica, saxophone and numerous other wind instruments.
The group drew attention with their cover of Bo Diddley's "Diddy Wah
Diddy", which became a regional hit. It was followed by their acclaimed
debut album Safe as Milk, released in 1967 on Buddah Records. The first
disc in this set concentrates on this period of Beefheart s career,
featuring a radio broadcast of a live performance at The Avalon Ballroom
in 1966, and a number of other tracks from various radio sessions from
1967 and 1968. By 1974, six albums in and frustrated by a lack of
commercial success, Beefheart released two records of more conventional
rock music that at the time were critically panned. This move, combined
with not having been paid for a European tour and enduring Beefheart's
less than benevolent behavior towards them, led the entire band to quit.
Beefheart eventually formed a new Magic Band with a group of younger
musicians. The second disc of this collection comes from this era and
features a solid performance by a group who have at times been unfairly
dubbed The Tragic Band ; but as this broadcast attests, they were
actually a solid unit of master musicians playing some quite
extraordinary rock music - albeit music less challenging than Beefheart s
previous fare. Fast forward to 1980 and Beefheart has his original
fan-base back intact, following his critically acclaimed Shiny Beast
(Bat Chain Puller) and Doc at the Radar Station albums - and is out on
the road promoting the latter. Stopping off in January 81 at Vancouver s
Commodore Ballroom, for a performance that again is the subject of an
FM radio broadcast, this show from his late resurgence forms the basis
of the third disc in this collection. Beefheart would completely retire
from music a year later to concentrate on his work in the areas of art
and sculpture - ironically a venture which proved to be his most
financially secure. His expressionist paintings and drawings command
high prices, and have been exhibited in art galleries and museums across
the world.
Captain Beefheart died in 2010, having suffered from multiple sclerosis for many years.
