THUNDERBOLTS
happenings
[provisory
page]
JOHN
FRENCH * BEEFHEART THROUGH THE EYES OF MAGIC
england
2010 book proper pmo 101 (isbn 978 0 9561212 1 9)
872 pages - pictures: 16
pages - hardcover - 16 x 24 cm
from my news page:
01.01.2010
let’s go on with an immediate and long-awaited happening:
england 2010 book JOHN ‘drumbo’ FRENCH * BEEFHEART: THROUGH THE EYES OF MAGIC
after false hope in spring last year – the announcement of the first half of the epic memories of ‘drumbo’ and many of his fellow victims from the magic band – your patience will finally be honoured very soon! with the publication in-one-piece of the immensely thick book scheduled for 11 january, you could even be reading the unbelievable adventures of people being in the strangehold of a musical (and social) dictator by the time of the birthday of the former captain beefheart himself - the 15th, as you all know!
just in case you have forgotten to pre-order this beef-bible, you should correct your fault right away at an online shop or the bookstore around the corner! for your life is worthless if you don’t absorb these essential stories by guys who survived the ups and downs of a weird approach to music. so, of course, you don’t need any pushing by me nor the press release by the (music) company who dares to publish it:
John “ Drumbo” French * Beefheart: Through The Eyes Of Magic
The ultimate book about Captain Beefheart written by the man who spent more time with him than most [other people].
Published in hardback.
880 pages, including 16 pages of amazing photographs, many published for the first time.
Includes reminiscences from key members of The Magic Band and The Mothers Of Invention.
Out 11/01/2010.
Distributed by Music Sales.
ISBN 9780956121219
Few names carry such formidable mystique and rabid cult status as Captain Beefheart, who led various lineups of his Magic Band to make some of the most startling, ground-breaking albums of the last century. In 1982, he retired to concentrate on painting, leaving the mythology he’d stoked himself to grow untamed over the years.
John French is better qualified than anyone to talk about Beefheart, joining the Magic Band in 1966 at the age of 17 just before recording their Safe As Milk debut album, finding himself plunged into a tyrannical regime which would dominate his life for the next 14 years as he played a major role in eight subsequent albums, including translating the mindblowing avant-blues assault of 1969’s Trout Mask Replica into readable music for the Magic Band from the Captain’s piano poundings under torturous conditions he likens to a cult.
Spanning nearly a thousand pages, French’s remarkable memoir starts with a vivid description of the rarely-documented early 60s Lancaster garage-rock scene which also spawned names like Ry Cooder and Beefheart’s childhood friend and later nemesis Frank Zappa, whose appearances in the book will enthrall his own legion of fans. As his spellbinding, often shocking tale unwinds, he encounters names including jazz giant Ornette Coleman, Jim Morrison and Paul McCartney, writing with dry, sometimes surreal humour and disarming honesty about his old boss and even himself, occasionally bringing in his old Magic Band comrades to jog his memory. The book is packed with new revelations, many previously-unseen photos and enough anecdotes to keep the Beefheart faithful ruminating for years, French finally crystallising and bringing to life over 40 years of legend and speculation in what has to be the ultimate book on the mercurial genius of Captain Beefheart.[For more information contact Graham Jones.
Proper Music Distribution Ltd, The New Powerhouse, Gateway Business Centre, Kangley Bridge Road, London SE26 5AN
www.properdistribution.com
E-mail graham.jones@properdistribution .co.uk]
to get into the right mood already, the company also sent me a document with (cite:) EXTRACTS AND SOME FABULOUS PHOTOS. naturally, i would like to share it with you, so please click clack on the link to the quite EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW...
captain beefheart and the magic band in spring 1968
*