Captain Beefheart Radar Station

dang wrote: post #3

sargun wrote: post #2

Why is this a radar station?

It's a reference to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_at_the_Radar_Station .

The site sort of reads (to me at least) like it's a classification of the type of site it is, like "XYZ Pod Cast".

Re: Captain Beefheart Radar Station

#6

Post by briga » Mon, Jul 02, 2018, 3:55 AM UTC

A lot of people listen to about 30 seconds of Trout Mask Replica and then immediately write off Van Vliet's music as unlistenable twaddle, just weird for the sake of being weird. And it certainly is weird music--but when you really start listening to the album you start to discover a twisted inner logic to every atonal guitar shreik and weird drum beat. It all comes together to create something pretty unique in the world of music. Captain Beefheart wasn't making rock music--he was reinventing what music could be. There are few artists today who would dare to release something so blatantly off-kilter. Love it or hate it you can't deny it's in a league of its own on the creativity scale.

For some more traditional blues jams I love his Mirror Man Sessions. Not quite as revolutionary, but it shows a different, more listenable, side of Captain Beefheart that might be a gentler introduction to his work.

Re: Captain Beefheart Radar Station

#7

Post by sntoe34nteo9 » Mon, Jul 02, 2018, 4:13 AM UTC

briga wrote: post #6

A lot of people listen to about 30 seconds of Trout Mask Replica and then immediately write off Van Vliet's music as unlistenable twaddle, just weird for the sake of being weird. And it certainly is weird music--but when you really start listening to the album you start to discover a twisted inner logic to every atonal guitar shreik and weird drum beat. It all comes together to create something pretty unique in the w…

I'm not very familiar with his work, but your description above reminded me of something. Back in the late 80s or early 90s, River Phoenix's band, "Allica's Attic" came to perform on the campus of the University of Miami where I was a music student at the time. My girlfriend at the time had a crush on him, so took me to see the show.

I could say something similar about their music - that it was in a league of it's own. I think because they didn't understand the rules of listenable music, they were free to try whatever they wanted. Unfortunately, it didn't work. They were awful. But it was in spite of what they were doing, not because of it, oddly enough. They really did say "F you!" to the rules and try new stuff. They just weren't very good at it. Also, Mr. Phoenix was incredibly arrogant and rude to the audience at the time, which didn't help. But it was fascinating to watch.

Re: Captain Beefheart Radar Station

#8

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jul 02, 2018, 5:13 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Captain Beefheart Radar Station

#9

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jul 02, 2018, 5:14 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Captain Beefheart Radar Station

#10

Post by mirimir » Mon, Jul 02, 2018, 5:50 AM UTC

sntoe34nteo9 wrote: post #7

briga wrote: post #6

A lot of people listen to about 30 seconds of Trout Mask Replica and then immediately write off Van Vliet's music as unlistenable twaddle, just weird for the sake of being weird. And it certainly is weird music--but when you really start listening to the album you start to discover a twisted inner logic to every atonal guitar shreik and weird drum beat. It all comes together to create something pretty unique in the w…

I'm not very familiar with his work, but your description above reminded me of something. Back in the late 80s or early 90s, River Phoenix's band, "Allica's Attic" came to perform on the campus of the University of Miami where I was a music student at the time. My girlfriend at the time had a crush on him, so took me to see the show. I could say something similar about their music - that it was in a league of it's ow…

Mothers of Invention concerts were a lot like that. They prototypically ended with "Louie Louie", getting ever louder, until the sound system failed. Plus much insulting of the audience. On the other hand, insulting was the norm, and mutual, at Butthole Surfers concerts :)