The common factor that binds the ‘Captain Beefheart and the Magic band’ and ‘The mothers of invention’ is our good ole Frank Zappa who was instrumental in either forming or commercializing music of this kind.
The 60’s and 70’s was a sweet as purple haze (darned to be born in the 80’s). The lasting impression of the genre of music is tremendous. Well, its not the same sweet as Bob Dylan or Jimi Hendrix, again both at opposite ends of the thin yet broad spectrum of country/blues and rock and roll.
Many of the bands like I mentioned before and the ones that I keep discovering (Borris, the Japanese cult band) indulge in a sort of free style music encompassing sounds of so many generations. Was it something they meant to convey, was it a rebellion against traditional music or just cacophony!!! Contemporary critics then brushed these bands as ‘yet another rock band indulging in art. Personally, I see it as a means of expression.
This is reason why these one of a piece bands dint last too long nor did they sell to many records. Infact they were instances when bands like these went bankrupt spending their personal little fortunes trying to record music and releasing records. I dont know how successful the free style Jazz reflecting band Beefheart was I sure do know that they did not appeal to a larger section of audience. Take for example Jim Morrison, the guy was a poet trying to make a living through music and film making. Music was what he chose and look where he is today. Lyrical content of Morrison’s songs was outstanding and incomparable barring many songs which made a connoisseur re-think about his interest in The Door’s. Why–easy–the songs reflected a emotion that the masses could relate too which meant more record sales and blah blah.
This article might seem some sort of a prosetical ode, but it is only meant to pay a tribute to those bands who in more than one way keep my mundane life from stagnating.
