FOT Forum
The Best Show on WFMU => Show Discussion => Topic started by: Dammit on January 11, 2018, 08:45:59 PM
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Man, it always pays to listen to the entire show from start to finish. It is the only place where things I like are actually discussed. Seriously, I can't wait until the topic of Oscar Goldman from the 6 Million Dollar Man comes up one day.
So, I have an answer to a question that nobody asked: "Dammit, what is your favorite Captain Beefheart song?" "Why that would have to be Odd Jobs."
Odd Jobs - Captain Beefheart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHMgHnHSv88 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHMgHnHSv88)
I like this mashed-up version of the song best, because you can hear Beefheart's early piano version flow into full band version and then back out again into the early piano version. Basically, this one captures all of the lore of his compositions and some of his best lyrics.
From what I understand, Beefheart could not read music; instead, he would whistle (https://youtu.be/oV5Bd8Eu0ko?t=30), throw tin ashtrays at walls (https://youtu.be/ED3oIxZKgU4)(That's the drum solo! Learn it!), and bang at his piano while recording his musings on a tape recorder. Apparently, Beefheart's rough recorded demo for the song can be heard here: Odd Jobs - Piano Demo (https://youtu.be/oqafZFTFiLw). It is quite beautiful to me, even without the words.
I can imagine Don playing away into the recorder what he was hearing in his head...and then his elves (mainly, Drumbo-the-elf and the later elf, Gary Lucas) taking the recording, creating the compositions, the parts, and bringing it to life, while Beefheart would nap and then take credit for the band's work upon waking up. Here is the song as a work in its final version: Odd Jobs - 2012 remaster. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQYLA_Qr3vEs)
The lyrics, too, are pure poetry. For me, Beefheart's story of Odd Jobs - a hobo who rides a "form-a-heap" bike but "don't come around anymore" with his "candy store" - and his descriptions of the setting, where maybe a child is looking out a window from her perch in the world amid carpet backing, tacky wallpaper, and dead flies collecting on the window sill - are magical. Maybe it is because I grew up in a neighborhood where there were lots of "Odd Job" characters around who would come and go (and go they would by police car, hearse, or the (H)orse) that I find the song, story, and lyrics so compelling.
Finally, for those who have read this far, there is a great John Peel documentary on Captain Beefheart here (https://youtu.be/BN-WtV-IL68). If for nothing else, it is worth hearing Ry Cooder's story of the "joys" of working with Beefheart (https://youtu.be/dBa8bS_vZkM?t=633).
[Verse 1]
The rug ripped up in cloth popcorn balls
The walls an old candy striped sack
In the corner wrinkled black and white
A table held up by legs
The peeled back red enamelled mouth of linoleum screamed
At the pasteboard door
A knob rolled off in some corner sticky
A curtain blew into a sink
Dead flies and newspapers
Charred fire brown wings and toast
[Verse 2]
Hobo ain't been around for some time
The gate danced without its paint on
"Odd Jobs" is written on
Spiders were the window's eyes
The sun made them look silver
The little girl from in back of the clothesline
Cast a shadow like a crow
It's beak spoke open
Why doesn't old Odd Jobs come around anymore
He used to ride his form-a-heap bike
And his basket was a whole candy store
He used t'make Xs from door to door link to find why X marks the spot (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c6/4c/b6/c64cb6ebb45bbc6016e55cc9290b4da6.jpg)
All the women and the young girls around here
Ask why old Jobs don't come around anymore
Ask why old Jobs don't come on home
And the gate without its paint on danced
And creaked and moaned
[Outro]
Here he comes peddlin' up on his form-a-heap bike
A bag of skin and bones
Spokes were scraping two rust fenders, oh
Dammit wonders if Herb Bermann (http://www.beefheart.com/herb-bermann/) contributed anything to the lyrics on this one.
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“Hot Head” is my favorite. Very disco-y.
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I didn't think I liked Capt. Beef until I heard "Tropical Hot Dog Night" on WFMU and now it's like my theme song. Also very effective for turning my mood around!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0uqyjGuxyA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0uqyjGuxyA)
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Hobo ain't been around for some time
The gate danced without its paint on
That was wonderful, Dammit.
Well researched!
This guy has me leaning toward Fownland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FhhB9teHqU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FhhB9teHqU)
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BIG EYED BEANS FROM VENUS!
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Thank you!
That whole album (with the song that you referenced) is great - probably what kept me trying to understand Beefheart, kind of like Marc Maron said: https://youtu.be/PLHHQkNF0ro (https://youtu.be/PLHHQkNF0ro)
I think I heard that Bat Chain Puller's theme came from Don hearing windshield wipers drivers slide back and forth. I remember those old cars, and I can confirm that it sure does sound like that: https://youtu.be/fkzC8RYT1vY (https://youtu.be/fkzC8RYT1vY)
Here is an episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom for no reason at all: https://youtu.be/jta8I0XdJ-M (https://youtu.be/jta8I0XdJ-M)
Regards,
Dammit
Update: It looks like I figured out the windshield wipers thing from the top comment on youtube. Nice police-work there, eh?
Hobo ain't been around for some time
The gate danced without its paint on
That was wonderful, Dammit.
Well researched!
This guy has me leaning toward Fownland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FhhB9teHqU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FhhB9teHqU)
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making love to a vampire with a monkey on my knee
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Top 6 (in no particular order):
"Run Paint Run Run"
"Ashtray Heart"
"Sun Zoom Spark"
"Electricity"
"Clear Spot"
"Space Age Couple"
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Top 6 (in no particular order):
"Run Paint Run Run"
"Ashtray Heart"
"Sun Zoom Spark"
"Electricity"
"Clear Spot"
"Space Age Couple"
Excellent selection, Nec.
I'd bump Clear Spot up a bit.
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Ice Cream For Crow
Floppy Boot Stomp
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Ice Cream For Crow
Floppy Boot Stomp
No Ape Ma, Nec?
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Dez Cadena covered Apes Ma. I friend of mine met his mom in a bar in Las Vegas. He didn't mention Black Flag at all, just her son's obscure Beefheart cover.
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Falling Ditch - I know, I know, go for the hits
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Grow Fins
Long Neck Bottles
Big Eyed Beans From Venus
Dropout Boogie (YA WANNA DO WHAT??)
White Jam
Booglarize Ya, Babyyyyyy
that Hot Dog song is one wicked jam from an album i never heard... i have to go spend a little time with that Bat Chain Puller
nice time!
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It looks like a new podcast called, Lost Notes from KCRW, has found a lost conversation with Captain Beefheart: http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/lost-notes/electricity-conversations-with-captain-beefheart (http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/lost-notes/electricity-conversations-with-captain-beefheart).
I haven't heard it yet...and I am unlikely to file a report.
Regards,
Dammit.
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It looks like a new podcast called, Lost Notes from KCRW, has found a lost conversation with Captain Beefheart: http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/lost-notes/electricity-conversations-with-captain-beefheart (http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/lost-notes/electricity-conversations-with-captain-beefheart).
I haven't heard it yet...and I am unlikely to file a report.
Regards,
Dammit.
Thanks, Dammit, thanks.
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It looks like a new podcast called, Lost Notes from KCRW, has found a lost conversation with Captain Beefheart: http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/lost-notes/electricity-conversations-with-captain-beefheart (http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/lost-notes/electricity-conversations-with-captain-beefheart).
I haven't heard it yet...and I am unlikely to file a report.
Regards,
Dammit.
Thanks, Dammit, thanks.
Finally got around to listening to this bit of beef-art. Majestic like a crow's wing-tipped eel.
Garland, I Dig your Tweed Coat makes sense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbTaDl3Q8wk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbTaDl3Q8wk)
Garland, Don's Cat: https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/lost-notes/electricity-conversations-with-captain-beefheart/BeefheartMcKenna08.jpg/@@images/9da8487d-af3e-41f9-88cc-526885e29efa.jpeg (https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/lost-notes/electricity-conversations-with-captain-beefheart/BeefheartMcKenna08.jpg/@@images/9da8487d-af3e-41f9-88cc-526885e29efa.jpeg)
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Stolen Valour tho'
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Heh - had no idea that Frank Sinatra's label was Reprise.
I wonder what he thought about Beefheart's tv spot for Lick My Decals Off Baby: https://youtu.be/X8gwhaWV_OU (https://youtu.be/X8gwhaWV_OU)
Maybe that was the inspiration for Sinatra's concept album? Prolly not.
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He briefly went commercial but just couldn't hide the weird.
https://youtu.be/cf_jDbjuNqY (https://youtu.be/cf_jDbjuNqY)
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Here are two items of no interest to non-Beefheart and Beefheart fans alike.
*The Most Ever Company*
Some crazy kids have UTub channel called, The Most Ever Company. I think these kids is amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAAXhuoVQegswRVz1C92unw/videos
Here's an impromptu Dali's Car, for example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBYi1DYH2iQ
They do some Beefheart transcriptions that are, quite frankly, music to my ears. The whole list is here, but some faves are below: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLftB2gYwhiFGQZodEfF2ItWCS8QqVWodn
Variations on Hair Pie (Bake One)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXHpYn2t3Vs
One Red Rose that I mean (Beefheart Transcription
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-uqmYTLp9E
Pena [Beefheart transcription]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8p2obwkf9E
Next up is the Beefheart Project from Toronto.
*Beefheart Project Toronto*
The pizza may suck iin Toronto, but these geese can fly.
This exegesis on one of Beefhearts song is the most detailed explanation of how Beefheart's music is arranged and played is very engaging. It's an hour long, but worth the time: https://youtu.be/nJVCMV0bfgM.
Their version of Hair Pie Bake II is...well, just look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZNJlLKRAHE
Peaches over Gold, dammit!
https://youtu.be/MG4msJr0pdk
Yer Welcomed.
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Fallin Ditch. Also, the only Beefheart song I've ever heard.
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You and me both...
https://youtu.be/SCgSv9iSTQs
Fallen Ditch on Trout Mask
https://youtu.be/_WePYZnUt0s
That bass line returned in later Beefheart songs, I believe.