“It’s by far the most complex piece on the whole record”
April 30, 2018 10:43 PM   Subscribe

“The point is to try to come to terms with what the thing is, and what is it about it that’s so innovative and exciting. It’s been an incredibly influential album. Many people have claimed it as being an influential record, and lots of people frankly hate it and can’t stand it.”
Samuel Andreyev is a Canadian composer living in France. In this video he breaks down the one hundred seconds of “Frownland” by Captain Beefheart and its complicated structure. If you like dry talks, this is the video for you!
posted by Going To Maine (9 comments total) 39 users marked this as a favorite
 
I will note that I found this talk via the much shorter and friendlier explainer video from Vox. I think this video is not as good as the other one, though.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:47 PM on April 30, 2018 [2 favorites]


Oh! And Youtube itself pointed me at -and then I lost- and then I found- this documentary from the beeb about Captain Beefheart’s career as a whole.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:51 PM on April 30, 2018 [1 favorite]


Best analysis of Beefhearts music I've seen! I want those transcriptions!
posted by Ansible at 11:57 PM on April 30, 2018


Oh, this is fantastic! Thanks so much!
posted by TheCoug at 8:01 AM on May 1, 2018


The Vox piece does make the point that Frownland is still really bluesy - something that I think Andreyev assumes but doesn't say explicitly.
posted by hawthorne at 8:12 AM on May 1, 2018


I found- this documentary from the beeb

When I see "the beeb" I think Justin Bieber. DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT
posted by JulesER at 9:58 AM on May 1, 2018


bulbous and tapered. I had almost forgotten that.
posted by DesbaratsDays at 1:02 PM on May 1, 2018


Also, a tin teardrop.

I dunno. I'm completely on board for Beefheart being the Voyager Mission of 20th century music, and there is a purity of essence in what he delivers that means I will never get off. Yet I suspect I'm in the last generation that actually gives a fuck about him, at least for a good long while.
posted by Devonian at 5:45 PM on May 1, 2018 [2 favorites]


Can we get the whole song played in that synth / midi? That'd be great
posted by vibratory manner of working at 3:29 PM on May 2, 2018


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