Saturday 18 December 2010

Fast and bulbous no more.



RIP Captain Beefheart.

I picked this song because it once inspired a short story of mine.

Another genius/lunatic bites the dust. We're running out of them. Soon, all we'll have left are generic boy/girl/uncertain bands and Graham Norton. The future is bland.

10 comments:

JJ said...

Please don't remind us Leggy how amorphous this rotten little planet is becoming.

Woodsy42 said...

Sad indeed. He was an icon of my youth too. I agree with you, innovation and individuality is leaving the field and making way for mediocrity and blandness.
Incidentally that song clip is a different audio mix to the one I remember on the original album.

sixtypoundsaweekcleaner said...

I want to know where all the black bands of my childhood have got to? You know...The Stylistics, The Detroit Spinners, The Three Degrees, etc.

Yes, I realise it's not too PC to ask these days, but I'm sick of Simon Cowell and his bland crap. What is going on?

subrosa said...

Tut tut LI, you omitted Bruce Forsyth. Mind you I have a rather quiet respect for the man. He's survived longer than me.

Frank Davis said...

I saw Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band at the Bristol Colston Hall in, oh, 1976 or so. The band included Rockette Morton and Zoot Horn Rollo.

The show started with Rockette Morton coming onto the stage alone, hooking up his bass guitar, kicking off his shoes into the audience, and dancing as he played. I guess that was why he was called 'Rockette'.

After a while, the rest of the band strolled on, picked up their instruments, and came in behind Rockette. I don't remember the rest, except Mr Zoot Horn Rollo hitting that long hooning note, ...and making it float.

Best damn rock'n'roll show I ever saw.

ftumch said...

EEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLEEEEECCCCCCTRICCCCCCCCCCCITTTTTTYYYYYYYY

Great song, great album. The original zig-zag weirdo.

"The future is bland."

The future is to be decided by committee, to the benefit of the greater good. No-one shall be offended or harmed. Ever.

Buy bubble-wrap!!!!

Leg-iron said...

Subrosa - Brucie is one of the few remaining mad ones. Not as mad as Milligan or Bentine or Howerd or even Monkhouse (who I seriously underestimated as a youngster) but nuts nonetheless.

There were once loads of weirdos on screen but now... Allan Carr? Not a patch on Larry Grayson. the rest are just... normal.

Once Bruce goes, the only crazy bugger left is the next King Charles and we don't have a good record with kings of that name.

Leg-iron said...

Woodsy42 - it's a different mix to my copy too, but then it was live.

£60/7days - apparently the music industry is also not too happy with Cowell's annual blandathon. They've contacted the owls.

Leg-iron said...

Frank- Was the Mascara Snake in that lineup?

My favourite exchange from Trout Mask Replica was between the Captain and the Snake.

Snake: Fast and bulbous.
Captain: That's right, the Mascara Snake, fast and bulbous.
Snake: Bulbous, also tapered.
Captain: Yeah, but you got to wait until I say 'Also, a tin teardrop'.

(background: Oh, for Christ's sake. Go again, go again.)

Snake: Fast and bulbous.
Captain: That's right, the Mascara Snake, fast and bulbous. Also, a tin teardrop.
Snake: Bulbous, also tapered.
Captain: That's right.

And then, Pena, which is not for the Beefheart beginner.

Anonymous said...

If you want a picture of the future, imagine American Idol/X Factor as the only form of entertainment - for ever.

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