

The group released their debut album Safe as Milk in 1967 on Buddah Records. He began performing with his Captain Beefheart persona in 1964 and joined the original Magic Band line-up, initiated by Alexis Snouffer, the same year. Although he achieved little commercial success, he sustained a cult following as an influence on an array of experimental rock and punk-era artists.Ī prodigy sculptor in his childhood, Van Vliet developed an eclectic musical taste during his teen years in Lancaster, California, and formed "a mutually useful but volatile" friendship with musician Frank Zappa, with whom he sporadically competed and collaborated. Known for his enigmatic persona, Beefheart frequently constructed myths about his life and was known to exercise an almost dictatorial control over his supporting musicians.
Shake it down legacy gifted lyrics free#
His music blended elements of blues, free jazz, rock, and avant-garde composition with idiosyncratic rhythms, absurdist wordplay, a loud, gravelly voice, and his claimed wide vocal range, though reports of it have varied from three octaves to seven and a half. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as The Magic Band, he recorded 13 studio albums between 19. Don Van Vliet ( / v æ n ˈ v l iː t/ born Don Glen Vliet Janu– December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart.
