Art Tripp...A.K.A. "Ed Marimba" from Captain Beefheart's band...blogs a memorial to Don.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Art Tripp writes about Don

In 1984 Don and I had renewed our friendship for many years in north California after we’d both left the music biz. Our homes were only about a mile apart. He came to my office periodically for chiropractic treatment, and we’d also get together frequently just for laughs.

In the late 1980’s he seemed to be developing some neurological symptoms which were resistant to cure from chiropractic adjustments. I told Don and Jan that he needed a consultation with a neurologist. He refused to go, and Jan was unable to convince him. Around 1992 he and I had a falling out. As a result, I never did hear any further reliable information about the course of his health. From what I’ve read recently, it sounds as though he had the progressive form of multiple sclerosis.

We always joked about Zappa, but yet Don ---even more so than I— had a deep respect for Frank’s talent. And now I feel the same way about Don Vliet. He was a unique individual with more demons than the average human, but whose talent extended beyond the stratosphere.

The completely unequalled gift that Don had was his cornucopia of ideas; whether they were music phrases, images, paintings/drawings, or third-stream observations, puns and double entendres. His brain was a bottomless well of arts images.

Don had the gift of gab—an extremely hip salesman. He could get you to thinking that yellow was actually red. Don was primarily a painter and sculptor. What he did in music was no different from what was represented by the images in his wonderful paintings. You could say that whenever Don was with other people, in most circumstances, they were participants in a painting. That was predominantly Don’s view of life: as an art statement, with reality being a nuisance. Symbolism took precedence over substance. The art world has lost a major force, and Don’s friends will always recall the times that they spent with him.

My thoughts now shift to his wonderful wife, Jan. I hope she doesn’t suffer too long. She was devoted to Don for 40 years, and a man could not have asked for, nor have received, a better wife. She is a strong woman who will begin a new chapter in her life now with the wind at her back.

Art Tripp
19 December 2010

http://blog.beefheart.com/

[TroglodyteScholar]

1. Kick for DV n/t

[90-percent]

2. Nice quote

"but yet Don ---even more so than I— had a deep respect for Frank’s talent." -Artie Tripp

That's nice to hear. One nice thing about high school chums Zappa and Van Vliet is that their music careers crossed paths and went to extremes on and off for over 20 years. Break ups and make ups.

Beefheart joining Zappa on his 1976 Bongo Fury/U.S. Centennial was my Beatles reunion and I was thrilled.

Thanks for this link. Tripp has never been very nice about Frank ever since the 1969 break up of the Mothers by Zappa's decree. The band members were kind of left high and dry and could not even collect unemployment!

I always kind of like the 1966-69 Mothers the best. Although I was just fine with "FRANK ZAPPA AND the Mothers.

-90% Jimmy

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. I just listened to "Lumpy Money" the other day...

...it is one of those posthumous releases from the "Zappa Family Trust"...essentially the 3-CD "directors cut" of We're Only In It For The Money & Lumpy Gravy:

http://www.zappa.com/fz/discography/2009lumpymoney.html

Disc One

Lumpy Gravy (Primordial). Frank Zappa’s original mono edit for Capitol Records. Original tracking sessions at Capitol Studios, Produced by Nick Venet

1. I Sink Trap – 2:45
2. II Gum Joy – 3:44
3. III Up & Down – 1:52
4. IV Local Butcher – 2:36
5. V Gypsy Airs – 1:41
6. VI Hunchy Punchy – 2:06
7. VII Foamy Soaky – 2:34
8. VIII Let’s Eat Out – 1:49
9. IX Teen-Age Grand Finale – 3:30

We’re Only In It For The Money 1968 Original mono mix, Produced by Frank Zappa.

10. Are You Hung Up? – 1:26
11. Who Needs The Peace Corps? – 2:32
12. Concentration Moon – 2:22
13. Mom & Dad – 2:16
14. Telephone Conversation – :49
15. Bow Tie Daddy – :33
16. Harry, You’re A Beast – 1:21
17. What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? – 1:02
18. Absolutely Free – 3:26
19. Flower Punk – 3:03
20. Hot Poop – :26
21. Nasal Retentive Calliope Music – 2:03
22. Let’s Make The Water Turn Black – 1:58
23. The Idiot Bastard Son – 3:22
24. Lonely Little Girl – 1:10
25. Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance – 1:34
26. What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? (Reprise) – :58
27. Mother People – 2:31
28. The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny – 6:23

Disc Two

Lumpy Gravy. 1984 UMRK Remix (stereo)

1. Lumpy Gravy - Part One – 15:57
2. Lumpy Gravy - Part Two – 17:15

We’re Only In It For The Money. 1984 UMRK Remix (stereo)

3. Are You Hung Up? – 1:30
4. Who Needs The Peace Corps? – 2:35
5. Concentration Moon – 2:17
6. Mom & Dad – 2:16
7. Telephone Conversation – :49
8. Bow Tie Daddy – :33
9. Harry, You’re A Beast – 1:22
10. What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? – 1:03
11. Absolutely Free – 3:28
12. Flower Punk – 3:04
13. Hot Poop – :29
14. Nasal Retentive Calliope Music – 2:03
15. Let’s Make The Water Turn Black – 1:45
16. The Idiot Bastard Son – 3:17
17. Lonely Little Girl – 1:12
18. Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance – 1:35
19. What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? (Reprise) – :57
20. Mother People – 2:31
21. The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny – 6:26

Disc Three

1. How Did That Get In Here? – 25:01
2. Lumpy Gravy "Shuffle" – :30
3. Dense Slight – 1:42
4. Unit 3A, Take 3 – 2:24
5. Unit 2, Take 9 – 1:10
6. Section 8, Take 22 – 2:39
7. "My Favorite Album" – :59
8. Unit 9 – :41
9. N. Double A, AA – :55
10. Theme From Lumpy Gravy – 1:56
11. "What The Fuck’s Wrong With Her?" – 1:07
12. Intelligent Design – 1:11
13. Lonely Little Girl (Original Composition - Take 24) – 3:35
14. "That Problem With Absolutely Free" – :30
15. Absolutely Free (Instrumental) – 3:59
16. Harry, You’re A Beast (Instrumental) – 1:16
17. What’s The Ugliest Part of Your Body? (Reprise/Instrumental) – 2:01
18. Creationism – 1:11
19. Idiot Bastard Snoop – :47
20. The Idiot Bastard Son (Instrumental) – 2:48
21. "What’s Happening Of The Universe" – 1:37
22. "The World Will Be A Far Happier Place" – :21 (Eric Clapton dialogue excerpt)
23. Lonely Little Girl (Instrumental) – 1:26
24. Mom & Dad (Instrumental) – 2:16
25. Who Needs The Peace Corps? (Instrumental) – 2:51
26. "Really Little Voice" – 2:28
27. Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance (Instrumental) – 1:24
28. Lonely Little Girl - The Single – 2:45
29. "In Conclusion" – :25 (Eric Clapton dialogue excerpt)