Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, dead at 69 - Bob Dylan connections

Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart, is dead at the age of 69. It was reported that his death was due to complications from multiple sclerosis.

Van Vliet was a painter, poet, songwriter, singer, and band leader. He was respected as a revolutionary avant-garde artist. His best known work was probably his 1969 double-album, Trout Mask Replica.

While Van Vliet was most closely associated with Frank Zappa, there have been some instances of similarities between Dylan and Beefheart's over the years.

Both artists changed their names early in their career. Dylan and Beefheart were both musicians and visual artists. Dylan has been listed as an influence on Beefheart, and some articles have even listed Beefheart as an influence on Dylan, although that would be harder to prove.

On Theme Time Radio Hour, Dylan played two Beefheart tracks. For the "More Trains" episode, "Click Clack" was used. After talking about Neil Young's association with Lionel Trains, Dylan had this to say:

Here's a song I bet Neil loves, by a guy a lot of people think is way out - Captain Beefheart. His roots can be traced back to Howlin' Wolf and Louis Armstrong, as you can hear from this record "Click Clack".

After playing the track, Dylan has Simpsons creator Matt Groening explain the importance of Beefheart.

For "Birds", after Mel Blanc's "Daffy's Rhapsody", Dylan played "Ice Cream For Crow". Here's Dylan's introduction:

Mel Blanc did a million voices, but our next artist just did one, but it's heck of a voice. Don Van Vliet was born in Glendale, California. He stopped performing in the 80's and focused on his painting. He was a really good painter, but I wish he made more records. This song is about a frozen treat, and a corvid. Wanna know what a corvid it? It's a type of bird. Crows, ravens, jays, and magpies are all corvids, and they are some of the most intelligent of all the birds. Here’s a song that goes as straight as the crow flies.

Here's what the Captain had to say about Bob Dylan over the years:

"Bob Dylan? Oh, you mean Robert Zimmerman. He's no genius. Quote me any of his songs and I would pick out the origins of all his imagery. He steals his stuff from real geniuses like Robert Johnson." (1972)

So what kind of rock 'n' roll do you like these days then, Don?

Oh, I like that Stylistics' record 'Betcha Bye Golly Gee Whiz': that is a great, great song. Also the Stories' 'Brother-Louie'. Also, I really like Dylan's new album. I mean, I think that is the most representative Dylan album there is. You know that song 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight'? Incredible. Really advanced music. (1974)

What sort of music do you listen to these days?

I don't listen to nothin' - I don't need to. Bob Dylan impresses me about as much as.. well, I was gonna say a slug but I like slugs. 'You gotta serve somebody' - s---, trash poetry. Too much LSD. You know, they usually do that - they go right up to Jesus. What about Buddha? He seems like a lot more fun. (Circa 1980)

Dylan and Beefheart songs have appeared on a couple of the same compilations, including the 2003 benefit album,  Where We Live: Stand For What You Stand, and more famously on the soundtrack for the Big Lebowski, which contained the Clear Spot version of "Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles".

Side notes:

Two of Dylan's friends, Jack White and Tom Waits, are big Beefheart fans.

One of White's bands, the White Stripes, recorded a limited edition single featuring Beefheart covers, while White, accompanied by Dead Weather co-member Alison Mosshart, visited Beefheart's childhood home last summer. Similarly, Dylan visited the homes of John Lennon and Neil Young in recent years.

Tom Waits' career took a sharp turn when his wife turned him on to Beefheart. In 2005, Waits listed "his 20 most cherished albums of all time." Number six was Dylan and The Band's Basement Tapes, while Trout Mask Replica took the third spot.

Ry Cooder played on the first Captain Beefheart album, 1967's Safe As Milk. Cooder has played with Dylan on a number of occasions, including the finales during the three night "Great Music Experience Countdown" in Nara, Japan, from 1994, and last year's appearance on The People Speak.

Bob Dylan approached Frank Zappa to produce his 1983 album, Infidels.

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