"Record producers have always been certain that Don Vliet was just a hype away from the big money," according to a 1970 profile in Rolling Stone. "But Beefheart stubbornly continues what he's doing and waits patiently for everyone else to come around."
By shunning commercial success and a more accessible sound, Van Vliet became a role model for subsequent generations of musicians. His music is cited as an influence on the rise of punk, post-punk and new wave. Beefheart is also claimed as a kindred spirit by free jazz musicians and avant-garde classical composers.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
More on the Passing of Don Van Vliet
Yahoo News has the obit.
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Frankly, I don't know what my life would have been with out the influence of Van Vliet. I heard him when I was 17 and it profoundly influenced the way I listened to music and thought about art.
ReplyDeleteAs Tom Waits said, "Once you've heard Beefheart, it's hard to wash him out of your clothes. It stains, like coffee or blood."
Thanks for this, Mike, I didn't know he had passed. :(
ReplyDeleteMicrodot, what a great quote!
ReplyDeleteI don't recall the main stream media ever mentioning this guy, therefore he never existed.
ReplyDelete