{Finally tracked down the original cassette that I recorded this show on, so the sound is a bit more improved (at least for a 15+ year old cassette) and no more of those annoying clicks. I’ll be doing a new 2 hour tribute to Captain Beefheart this Sunday on KPFK’s Melting Pot from 4-6pm}
Just heard some news that deeply saddens my heart, Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart passed away today at the age of 69. Captain Beefheart was and remains one of my favorite artists of all time, a man of tremendous talent and creativity. I’d always hoped that somehow someway I’d get a chance to interview the Good Captain, even though he’d been so far removed from the music industry and making music over the last 15-20 years. He certainly left quite a legacy. It especially pains me that because of the fundraiser on KPFK I won’t be able to pay him proper tribute on my radio show, perhaps I’ll do 2 hours on him on the 26th, instead of the vinyl show I’d planned on doing.
I was able to dig up a 2 hour show of Captain Beefheart’s music I did in the mid or late 1990s (I’m thinking 1996 or 1997) when I lived in Atlanta on WRAS 88.5, Album 88. If I can find the cassette copy of this, I’ll replace this version (which has frequent computer clicks, since this was one of the first things I ever transferred into a digital format, 7 or 8 years ago) with slightly better audio, but this will have to do for now as a tribute to one of the most original musicians I’ve ever heard.
Captain Beefheart Freeform on WRAS Album 88 9-26-1996: First Hour
Captain Beefheart Freeform on WRAS Album 88 9-26-1996: Second Hour