Captain Beefheart - Dirty Blue Gene

[@henrykrinkle2402]

"Reagan's bad. He saddle-soaps his hair." There will never be another Don Van Vliet XD

[@calum66]

He had what very fews artists posess but all true artists crave; a totally focused and independant vision. John Peel reckoned he was rock musics only authentic genious. I'm not sure I get his painting....... but on the other hand if I had the cash I would definitely buy one. So there you are!

[@KylieRamone]

A true master has gone and the world is a sadder place for his passing

[@lagginswag]

its crazy realizing how popular this music would be now. its like a mixture of complete abstract expressionism, math rock, freak folk, indie. etc. shit would sell like hotcakes, CAPT COME BACK MAN WE LOVE YOU, one of the best

[@robertomarinus4615]

Yes we miss him

[@grandwazoo9112]

As much as I love Drumbo, this guy is the best drummer.

[@billychuck59]

i can't believe how many insanely great incarnations of the magic band he put together. he's my hero and i miss him.

[@THX10538]

If you got ears, you gotta listen Old woman sweat, young girls GLISTEN!

[@pyannaguy]

The last refuge of resistance is Art.... Beefheart is a mighty fortress...eternally "There ain't no this, and there ain't no That!" - What a wondrous characterization of Duality.

[@arobsec]

So freakin' awesome.... The Magic Band smokes!

[@Guy4755]

"Old woman sweat, young girls glisten". Love what he says about Reagan at the end, "saddle soaps his hair".

[@jamespealing3518]

the musicianship is astounding

[@Guy4755]

Got to see this band live at Harpo's in Detroit back in 1980. Needless to say it was fantastic. The Captain had incredible stage presence, his voice was this cosmic bark that electrified the crowd, myself included. When they shut this band down they broke the mold. Sadly, Don aka The Captain has had multiple sclerosis for many years, he'll never be able to perform again. Still, he was able to launch a second career as a successful painter, back in the Eighties. We wish you well Sir Captain.

[@bzfgt1]

This is amazing, I wish it sounded better and that my computer would play it louder. One of his best songs, and the band is totally on here.

[@KatieJoyV]

Ha! - "I hope Reagan doesn't start a fight" !! That's awesome! Don Van Vliet was much more of an impromptu stream of consciousness poet. He seems to have a hard time remembering the words in a live setting.... although this is the best he did, out of the 3 from this concert I just viewed. Love you Captain Beefheart! - the Magic Band is really rockin' at this gig!! :-)

[@latvianderk]

artists like the captain can change and evolve a song...that's the visionary in him... the perfectionist....always adding, subtracting,toying, tinkering.....a great, great artist.

[@billychuck59]

i can't believe how many insanely great incarnations of the magic band he put together.

[@RichJayL]

That intro just kicked my posterior. What a band.

[@tzleague]

Did he really say ........ If you have ears, you got to listen , old women sweat, young girls glisten ? God I love it !! ONLY The Captain can think up these things. Anyone ever hear That Buggy Boogie Woogie (swept me off my feet)? Love Live The Captain !!

[@danielglickman2840]

Gary Lucas and Morris Tepper on guitars

[@keith9482]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYnLl42vq6yAiaM Daniel, thank you😎👍🏻stumbled upon this very interesting character who dissects and reacts to great music!!

[@bluesman7703]

I'm speechless!!! Wow ! DIG it !!!!!

[@festilina]

I've been a professional musician all my life, but I still have no clue how you get to this.

[@michaelstevenson470]

That's because Beefheart was an original, and 'far, far, outside the box'. Zappa was a very smart guy who tried to fake being weird. Beefheart was a very smart guy who didn't have to fake it.

[@Huedtunes]

@@michaelstevenson470 well put and I think why I've always been pulled to Beefheart so much more than Zappa though still respect Zappa's music

[@Brock2097]

Hope this art-drop glues you right! Drop by drop, bright by bright, day by day, night by night.

[@RRaquello]

This was the song got me into Cap Beefheart. It was on a sampler album & I listened to it over & over. My parents thot they'd heard everything, but they weren't prepared for this, LOL. Hearing it live, you appreciate it more coz you know these guys could really play it & it wasn't just studio engineers covering up, like with most R&R musicians. Most people just hate it, but if you get it you really get it.

[@horsetiziano]

My goodness, why was he never fully appreciated during his time? What an amazing performance. Wish I could have seen him live. Wow...this was one hell of a tight band. Amazing

[@vollsticks]

What a band

[@Jack-vy6uo]

I met him several times with and without FZ.Always pleasant I was happy to see him finally get respected for his painting

[@Honeysucklebommie]

My favorite Magic band style.

[@bluzide1]

Thanks Captain

[@Brock2097]

Love how Vliet simplifies the vocals for this one, letting The Magic Band's power shine along with him. So great, can't get tired of listening to it, no matter how many times I visit this page. Hewish can't get enough thanks for sharing this material with us.

[@calum66]

Beautifully put . I was just thinking ,before I read your comment , that what ever else rock aspires to be ..... this definitely is ART.

[@nri1969]

Everyone's got their own favorite Beefheart song, and this is mine. Love the Reagan ad-libs, hilarious. Thanks for posting this. It's nice to see that CB & The Magic Band's concerts were professionally documented once in a while. I looked at your other videos, too-either I stole your record collection, or you stole mine, I'm not sure which.

[@tedpikul1]

a good soul, will be missed.

[@bennyvega100]

Awesome! This is my favorite Beefheart song.

[@pyannaguy]

Thanks, calum, Yes, you're (we're) right about this. The word 'artist' gets tossed around much too casually in Popular Culture, I think, but CB is the musical and lyrical Picasso (and then some) of our time. I wondered, as I looked at what I just said, if that was not an apt metaphor, or at least a badly mixed one, but then I remembered how much i actually liked what I've seen of his painting. I also recall that he started out as a sculptor as a real young kid. Peace...

[@piperian396]

This has to be my favorite song on Doc at the Radar Station.

[@Brock2097]

This burns like FIRE!!

[@skinnydoggyz]

@mathchadwick word, the sharp rhythms are like picasso, i've tried to convince my brother to adopt some style from this drummer but he's one of those non believers.

[@strawwoodclaw]

Thank God For Captain Beefheart / Don Van Vliet

[@misterbonzoid5623]

A favourite of mine. Superb genius. Thanks for posting.

[@telegramsiam2]

im sittin here bubblin like an open cola in the sun

[@frediablo]

RIP Captain.

[@jackhillty1]

its so joyful

[@Ramentastic]

I LOVE that bouncy rhythm from 1:20 to 1:54

[@SkopTeocratico]

Great Rhytm of Dirty Blue Captain Gene!

[@Anglosaxon69]

Thank u Hewish ...

[@dylanfan1969]

He played on Ashtray Heart. I'm pretty sure it was the only song he played on Doc At The Radar Station.

[@UndeadYakboy]

Amen!

[@Germancroda14]

yesterday my sister said I woke up her at the middle of the night yelling DONT YOU WISH YOU NEVER MEET HER! and I used his back as a guitar >

[@telegramsiam2]

@babushkapal hahaha heck yeah. both are great though that weird Bagpipe Blues guitar in the old version is a trip

[@aakkoin]

@pazzensutra yep... the captain has a fascinating vision of music and life... he's like a perfectionist searching for controlled chaos. The lyrics sound brilliantly spontaneous but still very smart, deep, funny and/or frightening... it's like a perfect melting pot of human emotions... so very, very blues... The Captain himself said that his music is trying brake the catatonic state that society and pop music creates. just.... fuckin..... GREAT

[@Blueslide]

Sometimes art has different meanings to different people. For me having some dirty blue genes in my family laundry tree, I can relate to wishing I had never met her. A friend rumored to me that the Capt. has a "wasting disease" and wonder if he has met her too?

[@dylanfan1969]

Sweet.

[@Joe-mk2pj]

I met the captain and Duffy's Bar 1980

[@MANNY11RED]

Different class-we mere mortals can only guess what he`s getting at. Not putting myself down-just making an observation.

[@elbajoloco66]

GENIOUS!!!

[@boogerkingcrown]

I hope Reagan doesn't start a fight!

[@Israfvel]

@lagginswag Popularity was his aim till Bluejeans and Moonbeams, up to the point where all the things that made Beefheart Beefheart - the worldplay, the instrumentals, the everything - were thrown aside for a vain thrust at stardom. Sensing the wide word would never love some people who were, are, and/or will be nonconformists, he went ahead and made his last three albums.

[@pit2ryan3]

There are many live versions of this song, and Beefheart is the only one in the band who is allowed a free interpretation ...

[@Honeysucklebommie]

I actually thought Don was physic and had picked up on a relationship I was stuck in way back then with a Jean, my back ached and my work was never done,she was'nt bad she was just genetically mean and she did everything that song implies word for word.

[@kidmongo1]

insane

[@Mungo10]

RIP, Don

[@gisleyber2s]

Great video, but interestingly, perhaps sadly, Don wasn't singing his lyrics as they were on the records. This must have made it difficult for his band at times.

[@kyleronson1]

YES

[@gotoads3618]

I saw Reagan in person once. Nothin' special. I wish I met Dirty Blue Gene.

[@THX10538]

@JoeKa9994 OOOOLD woman sweat...young girls GLISTEN!

[@shrn666]

HAA! i never noticed that the beginning is a lot like mission of burma's "ok, no way!"

[@ern3901]

damn. I met her. she was alright though...

[@Warp75]

Cookin'

[@nerderspree]

How they managed to not get tangled in all the wires amazes me

[@JanVanGalen]

Actually, he's the Art School-type Frank Zappa- epigon (you may want to look that up...). Still quite singular (look up as well)

[@psiclick]

There aint no good and there aint no blame!!!!

[@petrabarbara]

rip

[@Brock2097]

I think licensing issues are a problem, as it probably always is for pre-VHS video footage. Whatever TV station holds the rights to this would probably charge an arm and leg for video-release permission.

[@hoedanook8181]

Jammie .....

[@Germancroda14]

not at all there are many versions of Dirty Blue Gene

[@cabletim88]

Oh my...the sensitive type..

[@0nyxBlackman]

Zappa is technically brilliant, but there is something missing from his work that I can't put my finger on. Sort of like, he's not creating art, he's giving us a technical demonstration. Beefheart on the other hand, it sounds all wrong, but it's all beautiful.

[@a-j6798]

Well said.

[@526723]

Reagans Bad!!!!!!!

[@volkerjanssen7905]

How does the band even keep this together? It is extremely complex stuff. And that's just one of the songs.

[@cabletim88]

I think they were childhood friends too...tbh

[@dylanfan1969]

This isn't John French though.

[@cabletim88]

He's the poor-man's Frank Zappa...

[@MartijnHover]

Don't think the captain is anybody's epigon. Smartass! lol

[@bizzle1783]

i think tupac did...wtf lol!

[@freespeech4u2]

@blackjack777 although the music is more than DVD worthy. the picture really sucks and would not be good enough to put on dvd

[@samadhist]

"The rose that grew through concrete" -- Please fess up; you didn't write that line.