Captain Beefheart & Frank Zappa
Don Van Vliet,
aka Captain Beefheart,
dead at 69
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Musician and artist
Don Van Vliet, who performed a complex brand
of experimental rock under the name Captain Beefheart,
died Friday. He was 69.
Van Vliet was probably best known
for the album "Trout Mask Replica,"
which was released in 1969
by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band.
The album's angular, dissonant take on blues rock
and Van Vliet's growling, surreal lyrics
put him outside the mainstream,
but staked his place in rock history.
Rolling Stone magazine recently ranked "Trout Mask Replica"
number 58 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The album was produced by fellow experimental rock pioneer
Frank Zappa, a high school friend from the desert town of Lancaster,
Calif.
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.
In the 1980s, Van Vliet turned full-time to art.
He painted in a raw, expressionistic style and showed
his acclaimed work widely even as he withdrew from the public eye.
He is survived by his wife of more than 40 years.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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