Photo by Philippe Gras of Art onstage with Beefheart
at the Bataclan Paris, April 1972.
Ed Marimba
Art Tripp :
"Don Van Vliet was primarily a painter and sculptor. What he did in music was no different from what was represented by the images in his wonderful paintings. You could say that whenever Don was with other people, in most circumstances, they were participants in a painting. That was predominantly Don's view of life: as an art statement, with reality being a nuisance. Symbolism took precedence over substance."
Now I have said (here prolly ) that I have bought and owned as much of Beefheart's output as I could ever find (official and unofficial) and this leads up to and includes the Magic Band on their own and Mallard too, band members separately as well, so am something of a completist, as to the Don Van Vliet creative output (including his paintings)
It therefore comes as no surprise to find I am something of an apologist for the so called ‘tragic’ band formed hurriedly less than a year after I saw the Cap’n and the band in what I consider their finest incarnation the UK tour of ‘73
Don’t get me wrong I appreciate the hardcore fans who HATE this incarnation and I DO get it . . . . I just don’t agree. Quite.
I was such a fan at the time I thought the 'love over gold' time of his romantically trying be more ‘successful', to make more money (sic?) and get hits post the Magic Band leaving him after the depths of his bullying and abuse which all the then band members faced (sic John French and Bill Harkleroad separate published accounts serve as public record) I thought Bluejeans and Moonbeams a delight, Unconditionally hilariously fun, I found Same Old Blues (JJ Cale cover) and that ilk a sheer delight and still do too. The signs were always there that Don would sing about the opposite sex whether in a horny sexual way (Sun Zoom Spark, Big Eyed Beans, Crazy Lil Thing, Long Necked Bottles to My Head is My Only House Unless It Rains, Peaches, etc)
Here in mitigation I present the band in 1974 in Manchester and with Del Simmons on sax and the band rocking their very best to keep up, I maintain they did their very best to match and back the Captain. You may disagree and you are welcome to but I ask nay plead that you pause a moment and suspend your judgement as we revisit Full Moon Hot Sun!
Brilliant live footage of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band in full cry, performing Full Moon in 1974 at Manchester. There are no half-measures here, an outstanding rhythm section laying down solid groove behind Beefheart wailing on harmonica and one out-of-this-world saxophonist. An enigmatic, mysterious and troubled artist, the whole band walked out on Beefheart at some point, but in terms of sheer artistry, this performance provides ample evidence of a legacy characterised by unique greatness.
Frankly I agree!
in addition I add :
Barely a year after we saw them at Oxford Poly 2/05/1973 when it was the classic line up of John, Mark, Bill, Ed (and possibly Orejon on bass who I do not name as he is now a convicted pedophile serving life)
Featuring Del Simmons on sax with a towering solo (IMHO) here . . . .
Don van Vliet at Thee Experience sometime in late November or Early December of 1969.
note the spelling!
11/28/69, Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band begin performing at Thee Experience in Hollywood, California. The venue had a large painting of Jimi Hendrix on it with the front door as his mouth! It was also the first performance with Art Tripp III (Ed Marimba) on the drums, who would become one of the core members of the Magic Band until 1974. I've got no audio of it, sadly, but these sepia-tone pictures tell a tale with Don in his one-of-a-kind Trout Mask Replica era garb.
"In short, I was fed up with Frank. I had met Don at Frank’s log cabin in Laurel Canyon. He invited me over to hear the band, but I shined it on. Later I met him and the Magic Band guys when they and the Mothers played a benefit together at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood. (Don Ellis and Canned Heat were among the other acts). I went out front to hear their music, and it knocked me out. After the show he again invited me out to Ensenada Drive. Soon after, Frank disbanded the Mothers at the end of ’69 to form a “power quartet” consisting of him, me, Ian Underwood, and a singer/bass player named –I think– Jeff Simmons. I couldn’t stand the guy, and since Frank wasn’t making the rehearsals, I started backing away. We did play one gig together. Probably the only time –outside of the earlier benefit– a Zappa band ever played with a Beefheart band. It was at a club called “Thee Experience” (yeah, I know) on the east Sunset Strip owned by Marshall Brevitz, who’d had a similar club in Miami. I played drums for both bands at that show." -
Art Tripp III, 'Ed Marimba’
from the legendary and always fascinating Beefheart expert Lynn's Live Lounge
Don and Jan Van Vliet at home in Northern California, taken circa 1988. Thanks to Ray Dratwa for the larger version of this photo.
