Friday, January 3, 2014

The 17th Night of the Living Van Vliet - Captain Beefheart Festival 2013-2014

In the spirit of the Zappadan Festival, in which we celebrate each year the life and music of Frank Zappa from the date of his death to the date of his birth, I propose we do the same for Don Van Vliet.


January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010


Fans need no introduction, others can read the extensive Wikipedia entry. My own experience with his genius is this.

Although I was born in 1953, and experienced the music and culture of the 60s and 70s like everybody else of my generation, I somehow never got into Zappa or Beefheart. My friends and I were into other things, Jimi, Janice, The Doors and a little bit later, The Yes Group and Queen. 35 years passed in the blink of an eye and one day in 2009 I discovered the Zappadan Festival.  That prompted a full immersion in the many albums of FZ, which as everyone knows can keep one very busy for a very long time. Naturally this activity led me to Captain Beefheart.  I've never been the same since, music appreciation-wise.

Hot Head is the first cut on Doc at the Radar Station


She can burn you up in bed
Just like she said
Cos she's a Hot Head, Hot Head, Hot Head

She can throw uh pot t'show (?)
She can start a fire aglow
Cos she's a Hot Head, Hot Head, Hot Head

She puts her head into the fire
Makes you red hot perspire
Cos she's a Hot Head, Hot Head, Hot Head

She was burnt before she was born
Burnin' up a storm
Cos she's a Hot Head, Hot Head, Hot Head

Lick out like flame
'n' burn you to a shame
'n' bite the burnin' flame

Things are burnin' big
She's a red hot pig
She's a hobo wire toaster
She's a circle on a spit

She's a Hot Head, Hot Head, Hot Head

She can stitch you to a wheel
Take you to her fire
'n' spin you round 'n' round
Boy, you take you down

Fire Fire Fire

She's a Hot Head, Hot Head, Hot Head

Burn you up in bed
Just like she said
Cos she's a Hot Head, Hot Head, Hot Head

She can lick out like a flame
Burn you to a shame
Yeah, bite a burnin' flame

She can burn you up in bed
Coil you up instead
Cos she's a Hot Head, Hot Head, Hot Head

She can throw uh pot t'show (?)
She can start a fire aglow

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