I think one of the many things I appreciated about Captain Beefheart was the way he had with words. Here are my favorite lyrics from the Good Captain, sometimes insightful, sometimes playful, sometimes just plain silly, but always absolutely original.
“Ashtray Heart” from Doc At The Radar Station (1980)
“You used me like an ashtray heart,
Right from the start…a case of the punks,”
Another day, another way,
Somebody’s had too much to think,
Open up another case of the punks!”
“Dirty Blue Gene” from Doc At The Radar Station (1980)
“She’s not bad, she’s just ge-net-i-ca-lly mean,
Don’t you wish you’d never met her?”
“Grow Fins” from The Spotlight Kid (1974)
“I’m gonna grow fins,
And go back in the water again,
If you don’t leave me alone,
Imma take up with a mermaid and leave you landlubbin’ women alone…”
“Nowadays A Woman’s Gotta Hit A Man” from Clear Spot (1972)
“Nowadays a woman has to haul off and hit a man to make him know she’s there,
Other night a woman came up and hit me like I wasn’t even there,
Yeah, um, dawned on me man,
That a man been doin’ a woman unfair”
“Click Clack” from the Spotlight Kid (1972)
“We’ll I had this girl, threatened to leave me all the time,
Threatened to go down now,
Go down to New Orleans, get herself lost and found”
{Finally tracked down the original cassette that I recorded this show on, so the sound is a bit more improved (at least for a 15+ year old cassette) and no more of those annoying clicks. I’ll be doing a new 2 hour tribute to Captain Beefheart this Sunday on KPFK’s Melting Pot from 4-6pm}
Just heard some news that deeply saddens my heart, Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart passed away today at the age of 69. Captain Beefheart was and remains one of my favorite artists of all time, a man of tremendous talent and creativity. I’d always hoped that somehow someway I’d get a chance to interview the Good Captain, even though he’d been so far removed from the music industry and making music over the last 15-20 years. He certainly left quite a legacy. It especially pains me that because of the fundraiser on KPFK I won’t be able to pay him proper tribute on my radio show, perhaps I’ll do 2 hours on him on the 26th, instead of the vinyl show I’d planned on doing.
I was able to dig up a 2 hour show of Captain Beefheart’s music I did in the mid or late 1990s (I’m thinking 1996 or 1997) when I lived in Atlanta on WRAS 88.5, Album 88. If I can find the cassette copy of this, I’ll replace this version (which has frequent computer clicks, since this was one of the first things I ever transferred into a digital format, 7 or 8 years ago) with slightly better audio, but this will have to do for now as a tribute to one of the most original musicians I’ve ever heard.
The Cool Ruler...Gregory Isaacs. May you rest in peace...
Just yesterday I found out that legendary singer Gregory Isaacs passed away due to complications with lung cancer. For longer than I can remember I’ve had a love affair with the music of Jamaica. Beginning with Bob Marley and moving through Roots to Dance Hall to Ska and Rock Steady and all points in between and back again over the years. Of all the artists from JA that I’ve loved, I’m not sure there’s a better singer than Gregory Isaacs. In truth, I’d rank Isaacs up there in a list of great soul singers of any genre and any locale. For me what separated Isaacs from the others was the intense intimacy of his phrasing and his voice. Like other great singers, it didn’t matter how many times you’d heard a song before Isaacs sang it, when he sang the song, it was his. Below are a few of my favorite performances from the legendary Cool Ruler, whose voice will continue to make the lover’s rock…
{honorable mention…or maybe 5 1/2} “Let’s Dance”
For me this is the quintessential “lover’s rock” jam, built for late nights with your one and only. It features some very rare admissions of tenderness from a man as Isaacs sings “As we embrace and your heart gets close to mine, I get so excited I could cry.”
5. “Storm”
One of my favorite King Tubby riddims pared with Mr. Isaacs equals nothing but pure gold to the ears and the call to remember, “whenever there is a storm, I know there’s got to be a calm.”
4. “One More Time”
From what remains my single favorite Reggae album of all time, 1978′s Cool Ruler, is this upbeat roots rocker where Isaacs begs for his woman to “cool down” and give him “one more chance.” How could anyone resist the Cool Ruler?
3. “My Number One”
Certainly one of his greatest sides, as he attempts test his lover and determine her “future plans” to see if her love is truly true.
2. “Native Woman”
Also from 1978′s Cool Ruler, this one might be the best, most honest and deepest expression of love I’ve heard in a reggae track. I love how this “Native Woman” does not seem to be perfect, as Isaac’s says “she brings me joy into the morning, sometimes.” but its this woman who occupies his mind so totally that “her voice awakes [him] sometimes out of [his] sleep.”
1. “Willow Tree”
I don’t think “Willow Tree” is really considered one of his great sides, Isaacs fans would probably be shocked that “Night Nurse” isn’t even on this list, but “Willow Tree” remains my favorite track from Isaacs because of the deep feeling of intimacy he expresses through his phrasing. When he sings to the Willow tree, “cry not for me, my willow tree,” you can almost picture Isaacs caressing the face (if trees had faces) of the Weeping Willow, pleading with it to stop its tears, because Isaacs has found all that he’s ever been looking for in the love of his life, a “love I’ve searched for.” When Isaacs sings those lines he sounds as if he himself is on the verge of tears, which is exactly what I’m almost brought to everytime I hear it because of range of emotion brought out by Mr. Isaacs, a talent that this world is going to miss dearly.
With MJ’s passing I know that I’ve been revisiting a lot of his music and I’m sure many of you have as well, so this seems like an apt discussion. Pound for pound, which is REALLY Michael’s greatest record???
1979′s Off The Wall, his first record with Quincy Jones and fully away from the Motown sound, or 1982′s Thriller the highest selling record of all time? I’ll be interested to hear what you think…
Michael Jackson’s funeral and memorial were today in Los Angeles. Like so many other people, many of my childhood memories were connected to Michael’s music and artistry. One of the first records that I bought (or rather was bought for me, since three year olds don’t really buy records) was the soundtrack to the Wiz, featuring Michael as the Scarecrow. I can remember missing the Motown celebration (My mom was a teacher and it was a school night!) and waking up in a completely different world, where everybody was talking about and trying to imitate the moonwalk. My first concert was the Jacksons Victory reunion tour at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium in 1984. As a DJ, I’ve marveled at the sheer joy that’s unleashed on the dance floor when you drop the needle on classic J5. On the day of his passing I was fortunate to celebrate and pay tribute to Michael on KCRW, playing 2 hours of music from what I consider his “golden era” from the Steeltown, pre-motown recordings of 1967 to Thriller in 1982. Music critic/scholar Oliver Wang stopped by to share some thoughts on the legacy of Michael Jackson, but most of the focus is where I hope it will remain in the future, on the pure magic in his music.
Michael Jackson Tribute 6/25/09 Playlist:
1. The Jackson 5 – Big Boy
2. The Jackson 5 – Let Me Carry Your School Books
3. The Jackson 5 – A Fool For You
4. Michael Jackson – Ain’t No Sunshine
5. The Jackson 5 – I’ll Bet You
6. The Jackson 5 – ABC
7. The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back
8. Michael Jackson – Rockin’ Robin
9. The Jackson 5 – The Love You Save
10. The Jackson 5 – I’ll Be There (alt. mix)
11. The Jackson 5 – 2 – 4 – 6 – 8
12. The Jackson 5 – Hum Along And Dance
13. The Jackson 5 – It’s Great To Be Here (Kenny Dope Remix)
14. Michael Jackson – We’ve Got A Good Thing Going
15. The Jackson 5 – Dancing Machine (alt. mix)
16. The Jacksons – Enjoy Yourself
17. The Jacksons – Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)
18. Michael Jackson – Ease On Down The Road
19. Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
20. Michael Jackson – Off The Wall
21. Michael Jackson – I Can’t Help It
22. Michael Jackson – Rock With You
23. The Jacksons – Can You Feel It
24. Michael Jackson – Wanna Be Startin’ Something
25. Michael Jackson – For All Time
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