Don Van Vliet, known to most as Captain Beefheart, died today of complications arising from Multiple Sclerosis. He was 69.
There had been rumours of MS for quite some time, but they were never confirmed until now. It's so damn sad when your heroes die, and I don't have many left now. His was the kind of music, and the kind of art...hell...the kind of GENIUS that stays with you forever.
***It slipped my mind to include this originally, so I'm adding this in now - Captain Beefheart's 10 Commandments of Guitar Playing - I think we could ALL learn something from this AND it really does give an insight into how his mind worked with regard to music and composition***
I will remember him thusly, and invite you to also remember him by listening to one of his greatest works of art, Lick My Decals Off, Baby.
He had a long struggle... I hope he's off somewhere beautiful, making love to a vampire with a monkey on his knee.
ReplyDeleteGenius, indeed.
Man, I just got back from 150 minutes of unbearable pain and suffering in the form of Tron: Legacy and THIS is the first thing I see when I get back home? Fuck it man, there is no justice. The Gods have no sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteI keep coming back to the conclusion that it really IS only the good ones that die, y'know? The cunts of this world keep hanging in there, and then when they eventually shuffle off quietly, they become less cunt-like in death.
ReplyDeleteSurely this is the end of this round of celebrity death?