Customer Reviews

Riding Some Kind Of Unusual Skull Sleigh: On The Arts Of Don Van Vliet

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well I like to read any piece about Don, and I wish more people would get turned onto his musical work; a lot of the painting stuff I can do without.This book is really no revelation if you already are a big fan,but may provide some background for a Beefheart neophyte. It basically quotes Bill Harkleroad's "Lunar Notes" which is recommended over this, and a lot of info comes from the Radar Station website,which you can read for free. Typos are a plenty, and a couple of things strike me as a little misinformed, like his reference to co-writer Herb Bermann on "Safe As Milk" who has pretty well been exposed as a fictitious person created by Don for some type of royalty scam, and I thought that was common knowledge; just read the liner notes for the "Safe As Milk" re-master.Too much of this is opinionated rather than factual.

I was so hugely disappointed in this book i can barely describe it. This was by far one of the worst written and most poorly edited books I have ever read. Bamberger really takes it over the top trying to intellectualize Beefheart's music & paintings. Leaving the reader to say "who cares?". It really just ends up taking away from how great his music & art really is. Left me with a bad taste in my mouth...Definitely not worth the high price.

Very interesting 200 pages book that explores both sides of Captain Beefheart arts :music and painting.It analyses his ecological view of
interconnection of all things that will disappear with his 1986
painting "Riding some kind of unusual skull sleigh " which is the last
painting to include a human figure.
Recommended

Bamberger is to Beefheart as Sandberg is to Lincoln. This is the primer and reference book for the subject. Bamberger's detailed descriptions and thoughtful insight will give any reader a greater appreciation of this phenomenal artist. If you have listened to "Trout Mask Replica" more than once or are curious about Van Vliet the artist, you must have this book.