Captain Beefheart: Documentary - 4/4

"THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS CAPTAIN BEEFHEART" IS A POETIC CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW OF DON VAN VLIET'S STRUGGLE WITH ART AND LOWER CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ONE HOUR DOCUMENTARY HAS THE WELL-KNOWN FAMOUS BBC QUALITY AND ENTHUSIASM. NOT IN THE LEAST BECAUSE THEY FOUND THEIR VIP JOHN PEEL DARING TO PRESENT THIS PROGRAM, AND DON'S PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHER ANTON CORBIJN WAS WILLING TO CO-OPERATE WITH THEM. THE RESULT IS PURE OVERWHELMING MAGIC AS THEY ALSO DUG UP A TREMENDOUS LOAD OF CRAZY FILM MATERIAL.

OF COURSE THE DOCUMENTARY INCLUDES RECENT INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER MEMBERS OF "THE MAGIC BAND" AND A COLLECTION OF OTHER MORE OR LESS INTERESTING PEOPLE: * not at all: one or other executive from the record moloch 'virgin' (soft sponsoring?). * a bit: a few painting experts. * QUITE: BRUCE FOWLER and ERIC DREW FELDMAN. * NATURALLY: MATT GROENING - cartoonist of 'the simpsons' - AS THE ADDICTED FAN. * VERY: THE INEVITABLE FRANK ZAPPA; AND JIMMY CARL BLACK (the indian of the magic band) IN THE NICE ROLE OF JUDGE ON THE BEEFHEART-ZAPPA QUESTION ["frank is good, but don is the real thing"]. * EXTREMELY: RY COODER, DOUG MOON. * EXTRA-ORDINARY: JOHN FRENCH.

SOME OF THE TRUE STORIES THEY REMEMBER, ARE UNHEARD MEMORIES OF: * DON'S TEENAGE YEARS IN LANCASTER. did you know that frank zappa, when his high-school was out, spent most of his time at the parental house of don [who already had wisely dropped out] to drink pepsi and listen to rhythm and blues records till deep at night? * THE BEGINNING YEARS: HOW THE "LOCAL HEROES" TRIED TO ACT AS A MARKETABLE POP GROUP! * MYSTERIOUS 1967 HAPPENINGS WITH VIOLENT CHANGES IN THE BAND LINE-UP. troubles around the 'safe as milk' recording and why they didn't perform at the monterey pop festival: because of don's flashes of anxiety that let him think he had heart-attacks. * TROUT MASK CAPTIVITY: THE ENDLESS REHEARSALS AND THE DAILY MEALS OF ONE CUP OF SOYABEANS. * BONGO FURY TOUR: DON PRODUCED THREE THICK SKETCHING-BOOKS FULL OF DRAWINGS OF FRANK (got you...!) IN EACH THINKABLE FORM. a very funny story. * AFTERWARDS. about the PAINTER VAN VLIET; and his health.

AS A BROADCAST WITH ONLY TALKING HEADS IS QUITE DULL, THE TEEVEE STATION ALSO SEARCHED FOR MEMORABLE PICTURES AND SHOTS OF THE PLACES WHERE THE LEGEND OF 'CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND' TOOK ITS SHAPE - AND THEY MANAGED TO LAY HANDS ON AMAZING STUFF LIKE * PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE YOUTH OF DON IN GLENDALE, HIS TINY TOWN OF BIRTH. shots of birthday parties with his family, also showing that he once was very proud on a glimmering cowboy outfit he got (yes, he has been innocent too). * THE (MODERN) TOWN OF LANCASTER AND THE MOJAVE DESERT AROUND IT. * COMPLETELY UNKNOWN PICTURES OF THE VERY FIRST MAGIC BANDSAND POSTERS OF SOME OF THE EARLIEST LOCAL CONCERTS. * HIS PARENTAL HOME IN LANCASTER, THE 'TROUT MASK REPLICA' TEMPLE (also see this picture), a trailer like the one he lived in during his self-chosen desert loneliness AND THE CURRENT VIEW FROM HIS WINDOW ON THE CALIFORNIAN COAST.

BESIDES MOVIE SHOTS FROM EXHIBITIONS THE DOCUMENTARY CONTAINS TINY BITS OF INTERVIEWS WITH CAPTAIN BEEFHEART/DON VAN VLIET ABOUT QUESTIONS SUCH AS: * MONEY. MUSIC. ART. LIVING IN THE DESERT. * WHY HIS (1972) PAINTINGS ARE IN WHITE, GREY AND BLACK. answer: because they are more dramatic than coloured ones - PEOPLE SHOULD USE THEIR IMAGINATION TO COMPLETE THEM. * THE ELIMINATION OF THE "MOMMA HEART-BEAT". * HOW HE DRILLS THE MAGIC BAND: BY WHIP...!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Movie

[loislombardo]

wow i wish i had a pair of bongos

[crippledfonzzzz]

@loislombardo Bongo Fury ;)

[jesseleboutillier]

that was really great fonzzzz!!

[crippledfonzzzz]

@jesseleboutillier you got ta love the captain :)

I had to mute the last track 'Glider' ..WMG Japan owns the rights :(

[raahead]

genius

[MrMarkmyword]

boogie