Ever listened to a math rock band?

No, I haven´t ever heard even the name. I have heard Minuteman, but also not their music (only Mike Watt -song that I´ve heard is Madonna-cover Burnin´up in Whitey Album. That´s great!) I have to check these out from youtube someday.

Very interesting article!!! I have to say that Beefheart has never come into my mind when I have heard White Stripes.

Every math rock band, no wave band, avant-progressive band, etc owe a huge debt to Beefheart. Most punk bands -- many record labels. Even Sonic Youth were obviously inspired by Beefheart. Everyone from the Beatles to Henry cow, from The Residents to Sun City girls, from TFUL # 282 to the White Stripes. There was rock before Beefheart and rock after Beefheart, basically. He changed music the same way Godard changed cinema.

I've only heard a handful of his songs which I enjoyed, but I've never had a chance to buy any of his work.

RIP.

I tried to say in my earlier message that I know also there is lots of artists who appreciate Beefheart but you don´t hear his original style ( I mean that at first his music sounds quite chaotic but then it turns out very diciplined) much in other bands productions. If someone makes Beefheart based music, it is easy to hear because Beefheart self was quite original and in his music is hard to hear any influences (of course he took influence to his vocal style from Howling Wolf). I don´t hear much Beefheart influences in Sonic Youth (if you want to hear of course you can hear them for example Confusion is sex-album), Beatles or White Stripes although I truly believe that they appreciate Beefheart. Of course there is one important reason (that was also in that article) why it isn´t heard: it is not the easiest style of music.

The Fall comes to mind....

musically, not vocally.


Actually, even vocally sometimes.

I'm with Mortte on this one. Very little is like Beefheart, musically. Certainly not the Fall! Sort your ears out, sunshine.

Beefheart is quite odd, in that he usually sticks to standard-ish rhythms and regular pulse but fractures punctuation of the bars something ridiculous. I think the math rock thing is pretty close, except... well, math rock is fucking awful, and tends to make really jarring time signature changes; Beefheart, when he does change time signature (which is rare) tends to do so within the logic of the song, rather than to draw attention to his amazing penis (which, in the case of math rock, is not an amazing penis but a sad little mushroom).

Lyrically, there's probably a bit more. I can't think of much off the top of my head, but the Dadaist/ concrete poetry thing with heavy desert/ animal/ 'surreal' influences isn't entirely unheard of (Enablers?).

Actually, The Fall sounds more like Beefheart vocally than musically! The Fall's music is repetetive as hell, usually one or two riffs, Beefheart usually had at least a hundred riffs per song. The vocals, though, are similiar... ranting, arhythmic, etc. That's really the only thing they have in common, besides Mark mentioning Beefheart in at least 3 songs.

Fair point on the vocals, I can see what you're saying... Beefheart's got a better range (though nothing like the 8 octaves he claimed), but yeah... I can hear that.

I take if you've heard the Fall covering Beefheart, Herr Park?

Right right, obviously not the type of music the band is playing, but I meant the weird switches. I was thinking more Safe as Milk as an influence to time signature switches, within the context of the song. The Fall has done that quite a bit. Usually only once in a song though.

But definitley vocally, the screaching weird shit.

I have heard only very early Fall, from some 77´punk document (that didn´t remind me Beefheart at all) so I must listen some newer production.

Now I have listened Minutemen, Mike Watt, Math Rock Bands and the Fall. I hope Mike Watt fans will not have anger about my next comment, but to me Mike Watt sounds a little bit of "poor man´s Beefheart". There are elements from Beefheart, but I think the wholeness is much more mediocre that Beefheart. But I don´t mean Watt´s music is mediocre, it´s only if you compare it with Beefheart. In many songs the drums play typical 4/4. Also Watt is not very great vocalist. I think he´s quite ok, but he doesn´t get me excited.

I agree about Math bands with Glice. They sound very near of Beefheart music, but I think Beefheart music lives, Math rock doesn´t.

The Fall has also elements from Beefheart at least some songs but to me there´s same things missing as in Watt´s music.

I still think John Parish and Tom Waits has made the best newest Beefheart based songs.

I think I will grow much more critical about the music older I get.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5tmg...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs3z1qu1SsE

Just listen these. I think most of the beefheart fans have never heard that great artist.

^Uhh, great.

I would say some beefheart music is very repetitive too, except he's repeating weird, complicated things, rather than weird, simple things.

Veterans day poppy, second half, comes to mind.

Lately ive been diggin "Click Clack" & "Glider"

Yeah, I know. Haha. You know what's weird? Despite being in the band longer and more often than anybody, there's next to no videos of john french/drummo playing with the band. So it's nice to finally see what it's like to watch that dude play.

Here´s few links from the great artist that Beefheart owed a lot (by the way there´s lot of same in the Beefheart "Sure ´Nuff `N yes and the third one)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux6N00CwudA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxY26WM17Lo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPKdkXBMnmE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_wUcwooc8