Born Don Vliet, Captain Beefheart was one of modern music's true innovators. The owner of a remarkable four-and-one-half
octave vocal range, he employed idiosyncratic rhythms, absurdist lyrics and an unholy alliance of free jazz, Delta blues, latter.
day classical music and rock & roll to create a singular body of work virtually unrivalled in its daring and fluid creativity. While
he never came even remotely close to mainstream success, Beefheart's impact was incalculable, and his fingerprints were all
over punk, new wave and post-rock.
