from the press message for this long awaited book: [blah, blah, blah...]
Mike Barnes' critical biography gives an assured survey of all of Don Van Vliet's work and an insight to the extraordinary personality behind it. Publication date: July 2000 = Format: Paperback = Price: £ 12.00 [british pounds] = Extent: 400pp

this promotional text came from quarter books ltd * 27 goodge street * london w1p 2ld * england * tel 020 7636 3992 * fax 020 7637 1866 * e-mail quartetbooks@easynet.co.uk at which firm you can order this publication directly, if you like. but as the isbn number indicates, it will be distributed efficiently throughout the world of book shops so it will be no problem to get your copy (what every real beefheart fan will do, of course) - even in tzummarum!

the one and a half year old book about the musical career of don van vliet sold well, not only at the common shops but thanks to the internet everywhere else too. however, some people in the land of stars and stripes wanted to have their own usa version (you don't have to be weird to be weird - teejo). so cooper square press * p.o. box 191 * blue ridge summit * pa 17214 * usa * tel 800 462 6420 * fax 800 338 4550 * email custserv@nbnbooks.com licensed the publication and added a HARDCOVER edition with a DIFFERENT COVER PICTURE to its catalog - and also to its website with e-ordering facilities (for 27 us dollars plus post handling).

but, er, what's the FURTHER difference, besides the international standard book number aka isbn? a quick review: of course the 'yankee edition' contains over 99% of the original english text, but it has at least óne additional story - as i've been told - and extended notes (er, mike, be careful, thinking that 'merseytrout' is a good performance almost puts you out). and only five of the pictures inside survived the crossing to beefheart's native ground - but nevertheless are in much better condition than before! the remaining originals have been replaced by eight private shots of don (and his wife jan) during the 'doc at the radar station' rehearsals and tour, taken by manager / band member gary lucas.

p.s. a hardcover book is much easier to read than a stiff glued one, because the pages wrinkle up real warm....

as the uk paperback was quite a success, it was reprinted several times without changes to the front of the book. but when the original publishers sold the rights to an other firm, omnibus, some 'upgrades' were made. although nót with the first repeat, as it has the same outside as the 'quartet books' (however, the 'uk' pictures could have been replaced by the ones from the 'usa' publication).

but the next reprint - published soon afterwards - was fitted with a SUBTITLE and a john peel QUOTE: 'if there has ever been such a thing as a genius in the history of pop music, it's beefheart'. the front cover also got a slightly different lay-out and a much SHARPER PICTURE.

the peel beefheart

pretending that selling this 'new' version isn't an insult to people who already own a copy of this book - or twó, because of the different us edition - a notorious e-shop even invited us to buy bóth uk issues (offering a super small discount, of course)....

while the book just had been re-published in a redecorated jacket, it appeared that the writer had changed some parts of the content and wanted to add a bit of new information. so - already three month later! - a REVISED EDITION was brought out, confusingly with the same isbn as before. but in order to distinguish the editions by their outside, the publisher fortunately had the idea to replace the john peel QUOTE by a cite from the mojo magazine: 'perceptive, informed and passionate...'.

the new beefheart

ok, easy, easy! i know you're terribly dazed or simply don't want to believe me.... but stay relaxed, and click on the internet address of the publishing company in a moment: www.omnibuspress.com. it will re-direct you to 'musicroom', a website which appears to be the online shop of music sales limited which elsewhere on the web is often mentioned as the publisher of this book. and if you check the product details of this publication we're talking about, you'll see that the 'mojo quote' edition is of a later date than the 'peel' biography.

but...: that's not all! for now you only have seen óne of the TWÓ JACKETS of this revised publication, namely the uk outfit. because sometimes i happen to shop in germany, and i discovered that this book also is available in a totally different lay-out. the most spectacular difference is the FRONT PICTURE: in stead of captain beefheart from the early 80's it has a psychedelically colored picture of him shot during the 1969 'trout mask replica' time.... i could be wrong, but i suppose this amazing cover exclusively has been designed for the EXPORT copies.

however, to fans who want to know all, and collectors who like to have everything it simply means they have to spent a lot of money again to obtain this next stage of the (probably) never-ending history of captain beefheart. watch out, folks, a joint venture of positive bank balance lovers is trying to screw us! for i doubt whether the revision was really needed....

CONCLUSION mainly of interest to latecomers and freshmen

the export beefheart

MIKE BARNES * CAPTAIN BEEFHEART the biography

england 2009 book omnibus press isbn 0 7119 4134 3 revised edition
paperback [further details unknown]
* [exact changes unknown]

five years after 'omnibus press' started with reprinting the book it seemed to be time for another REVISED EDITION. can someone who didn't get tired of buying all the different versions of this 'never ending story' tell me what the exact changes - besides the new isbn number - are? (the release of this latest installment is / was SCHEDULED for 2 NOVEMBER)

*

you're lucky that the writer allowed some websites to publish parts of the biography on internet. i haven't chosen a chapter myself (please, wait), but 'perfect sound forever' has just cybered a complete chapter of what they think is 'the first full-length biography' (but they're not perfect - which they confirm through means of the ugly manipulated picture they used):

OUT RECORDING A BUSH
the analysis of 'trout mask replica'
(version taken from the original print)

if that taste doesn't convince you of the quality of the writing, probably nothing can....