Albums: Trout Mask Replica, Safe as Milk, The Spotlight Kid / Clear Spot

Drawing from a diverse range of influences, Captain Beefheart His Magic Band created music that has occasionally been dubbed avant garde - blues , with a loud complex weave of guitar work that would come to influence the punk movement in the following decade, unusual use of percussion, free jazz solos, and surreal lyrics. His album Trout Mask Replica (1969), which was produced by Frank Zappa … , is number 58 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list (beating albums like Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, Prince’s Purple rain and John Lennon’s Imagine) and is his most popular album, regarded by some as the most original musical work to come out of the 1960’s. The Magic Band’s first formation was in 1965 when Don Glen Vliet was contacted by Alex Snouffer, a local Lancaster, California rhythm and blues guitarist.

Together they assembled the first Magic Band, and at this point “Don Vliet” became “Don Van Vliet”, whilst “Alex Snouffer” became “Alex St. Claire”. Nearly all the musicians that Van Vliet worked with were given stage names; Van Vliet’s being Captain Beefheart.

The first Magic Band was completed with Doug Moon on guitar, Jerry Handley on bass and Vic Mortenson on drums, who was soon replaced by Paul Blakely.

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