What CD Would You Give Don Van Vliet As A Birthday Present?

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He's 63 today,

http://www.beefheart.com/datharp/albums/official/pics/youngdon.gif

Come on everyone:

"Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Donnie...."

.... Aaaah, but now here comes the difficult bit: we've sung the song, he's blown out the candles and eaten a big slice of cake and now he's looking at us all excitedly, wanting his present.

What are we going to give Donnie for a birthday present?

I reckon a CD seems like a wonderfully imaginative gift idea – but which one?

What CD would you buy to grab the attention and re-awaken the love of music in a 63 year old artist; who used to be a musician and grew up listening to the blues and avant garde jazz; and who has a reputation for being extremely difficult to please; but who probably hasn’t heard much if any new music for the last 20 years?

And why?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I’m going for Endtroducing by DJ Shadow myself.

I think Don will appreciate the eclecticism - and I reckon he’ll be fascinated by the way that fragments of “found” sound have been sculpted into an entirely new whole without the whole painful process of having to find a way of communicating everything to a bunch of musicians first, then drilling them over and over again until they finally manage to get it near enough right.

What about you?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Does he like music anymore?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh and happy birthday Don, wherever you may be, thinking of you always - we love ya, ya big dummy.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't there one where someone reads an almanac?

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Vol 2. Probably not that far from what the good Captain would have come up with had the technology been available to him back in '69; again, no need to drill other musicians - Beefheart's lucid dreams straight from the mind onto the record (think of how "Dada's Car" would have sounded on a Fairlight).

Given his love of the freestyle soprano saxophone, I would also wager that he'd be blown away by Evan Parker's The Snake Decides.

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Why would you assume that Beefheart would embrace new technology?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:48 (twenty-two years ago)

... I mean I'm not saying he wouldn't necessarily.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:48 (twenty-two years ago)

.. dada's car?

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:50 (twenty-two years ago)

It was his tribute to me

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmm, that's a fair point. By the time of Ice Cream For Crow ('82) he could have gone in that direction, but still hung on to the band. Perhaps he needed the company and/or musicians to boss around...can't really see him getting into the No Neck Blues Band or Jackie-O-Motherfucker school of bands (far more post-Dead than post-Beefheart). Maybe give him John Cale's HoboSapiens as a comparison point to see how one of his contemporaries moved on?

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

What about the Mallard re-issues? I'm sure he'd love to get those in the post.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha, what about the new Magic Band album with Drumbo on vocals (though I would have presumed he would have been sent a copy of that anyway)?

Although really I would reckon that CB would be perfectly happy if he didn't listen to any "new" music.

I have obviously resisted the temptation to recommend anything by Derek Bailey...

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

A Beefheart and Bailey duet - I'd pay serious money to witness that!

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I could be wrong but Beefheart always struck me as one of those musicians who doesn't really listen to much music and probably doesn't listen to watch you'd expect him to listen to - I suspect he'd probably listen to Erc Clapton before he'd listen to Derek Bailey.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I wonder what he makes of Back to the Front...

I'd give him the Boredoms' Vision Creation Newsun. The good ol' mama heartbeat maniacally stretched and torn in dozens of directions simultaneously, then left out for the crows to pick over.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"Wasn't there one where someone reads an almanac?"

I imagine the one you're thinking of is "Ned Raggett Reads The Almanac".

"Why would you assume that Beefheart would embrace new technology?"

I'm not at all sure that he would; although I do think he'd appreciate the possibilities of being able to make music without all that unpleasant messing about with musicians cluttering the place up with their guitars and their drums and their bodies and continually forgetting things and getting them wrong.

Also, he often used to refer to the process of composing songs and getting the band to play them in terms of sculpting - and I think the process of creating a whole song from bits of sound might appeal to him in the same way.

"By the time of Ice Cream For Crow ('82) he could have gone in that direction, but still hung on to the band."

I'm not so sure - the technology (not to mention the uses to which it was being put) was a lot more primitive, a lot more expensive, a lot less common and required far greater patience and a more technical approach in those days than it does now.

Also, at the time, I think his decision was based partly on his failing health and partly on the art galleries telling him that he had to give up being a musician if he wanted to be taken seriously as a painter. I'm not sure either of those factors would be as relevant to him sitting at home making music with a PC today.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe PIL's Metal Box?

― Stupid (Stupid), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

He's got that one...

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:38 (twenty-two years ago)

"Yeah, I wonder what he makes of Back to the Front..."

As I understand it, he is aware that it's going on and doesn't seem to have a problem with it (unlike most of the recent compilations etc. that he's refused to co-operate with) but isn't particularly interested either so I'm not sure that he's heard it.

"Maybe PIL's Metal Box?"

Don was well aware of John Lydon and would certainly have heard that one (it was released in '79) before he retired.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:39 (twenty-two years ago)

He 'reviewed' it on a radio interview, as in...

"nicking my old lines, I thought he was better than that..."

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Damn.

Okay, fine. How about Bone Machine, or maybe Surfer Rosa?

― Stupid (Stupid), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Enya. everyone loves enya.

― Kevin Erickson, Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think Bone Machine would be a very good idea - I seem to recall reading somewhere that Tom Waits was extremely eager for Don to approve of Swordfishtrombones but that Don wasn't at all impressed....

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:47 (twenty-two years ago)

He does like P.J. Harvey though.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

i'd get him some Califone maybe

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's a bit much for Tom Waits to ask Don to like his 'cooky' stuff. It's a bit like Coldplay asking Radiohead if they like the new album...

"Er... no".

(I don't know if Radiohead like Coldplay's last album, I can only guess that they wouldn't be interested)

― Stupid (Stupid), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:51 (twenty-two years ago)

It would have to be that Kenny process team CD that was released on sasha's label a few years ago. I'd love to hear what he would say abt that one.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"He 'reviewed' it on a radio interview, as in...
"nicking my old lines, I thought he was better than that...""

Although presumably he was referring either to the line "Think it's swell playing in Japan / When everybody knows Japan is a Dishpan" in "New York"; or maybe the line "There's an Unlimited Supply" in "E.M.I."; both of which were of course Sex Pistols rather than PiL.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:55 (twenty-two years ago)

couple of years ago bono 'interviewed' don van vliet for dutch musicmag oor (in an issue edited by anton corbijn). found a translation of the article here. There are some references to music. Van Vliet plays something by Duke Ellington and Sonny Williamson over the phone during the interview, Bono has to explain what hiphop is and apparently the Captain considers PJ Harvey to be cute.

Of course, it is much more fun *imagining* what kind of music he would make/listen to today...

― (jg) ((jg)), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:55 (twenty-two years ago)

"He does like P.J. Harvey though."

So I understand....

I can only assume that the subject of fox hunting hasn't come up in conversation.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:57 (twenty-two years ago)

"couple of years ago bono 'interviewed' don van vliet for dutch musicmag oor"

Presumably this would have been after Bono had his record company people approach Don with a view to him recording some duet with him, to which Don's response was allegedly "Who is this Bongo?"

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

yes.

Oh for crikey. Buy him a trombone. Or a jigsaw.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh dear, poor old Beefheart reduced to ripping off old Morecambe and Wise dialogue, viz. Eric: "Hello Bongo!" Ernie: "Ringo!", ribtickling etc.

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I think actually, far from being "poor old Beefheart", he was actually in the extremely fortunate position of genuinely not knowing who the hell Bono was...

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:03 (twenty-two years ago)

"Buy him a trombone."

Whatever did happen to Bruce Fowler? "Tropical Hot Dog Night" - best use of trombone in pop? Do I feel a thread coming on?

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:04 (twenty-two years ago)

"Or a jigsaw."

Or we could get him some Boots vouchers so he can get himself what he really wants.

As long as they stock it in Boots.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:05 (twenty-two years ago)

P.J. Harvey in Boots

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Whatever did happen to Bruce Fowler?"

He's been doing some odd bits of session work (he does quite a bit of film soundtrack and "extra" work apparently) as well as working occasionally with other Mothers-related musicians / projects including George Duke, Band From Utopia, The Grandmothers and releasing a couple of "solo" albums.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd be surprised if he had a CD player... So I think I' buy him a cheap cutout of some crap because he won't use it anyway.

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Cheapskate.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:35 (twenty-two years ago)

This and DVV not knowing who "Bongo" was has made my day. Actually I read that Bongo piece and the Captain is unfailingly polite and attentive to the Bongo creature and pays him and U2 several compliments - I assume this is the legendary Van Vliet charm offensive in action.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I wish I didn't know who Bongo was.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:59 (twenty-two years ago)

After he'd complimented U2, did he go on to insist that he has never taken drugs and wrote the whole of Trout Mask Replica in one continuous 8 hour sitting?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:00 (twenty-two years ago)

You will not be too surprised to learn that he could barely get a word in edgeways ('scuse pun).

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Who 'he'?

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry, Bono talked rather more than Beefheart - but then he talks more than most people (everyone?), unfortunately

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Some Diamanda Galas, say 'Malediction & Prayer', might be of interest.

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Let the chap decide for himself- get him a record token!!!!!!!!!!!

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.humcevoy.plus.com/wmds.jpg

― 39 Steps + 40 Winks (39 Steps + 40 Winks), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry, wrong forum.

― 39 Steps + 40 Winks (39 Steps + 40 Winks), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:46 (twenty-two years ago)

That's OK; I rather suspect Don would find those statistics interesting.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I'd give him the new Ensemble Pierre Labbé album, Risque et Pendule. I think he'd appreciate the way it mines the seams between avant-garde jazz, prog, and chamber classical.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I know he likes the Rolling Stones, so I'd probably buy him that new compilation.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

...or maybe a good Rod Stewart compilation, he likes him too.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

trumans water - spasm smash xxxoxox ox & ass (ossinaxx at long last) - homestead/dutch east india 1993

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 15 January 2004 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Since he may well not have heard a Rolling Stones album since Tattoo You or a Rod Stewart album since Tonight I'm Yours, I wonder what he'd make of the fact that these contemporaries of his are still working and of the style and quality of their more recent releases....

Gygax! - why would you choose that one?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

It was the first thing that popped into my mind... disconnected attempts at rock/pop filtered through equal parts heavy method and improvisation... it's an epic of fractured music, a continuation of the beefheart work ethic.

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 15 January 2004 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I that case, I must own it!

I looked up Kenny Process Team on AMG and that sounds interesting too.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 15 January 2004 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I'd get him something by Philip Jeck.

― J (Jay), Thursday, 15 January 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I bet the new Missy Elliot joint would blow his mind.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 15 January 2004 17:42 (twenty-two years ago)

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