3x RADIO BROADCASTS ON 3 CDs - CAPTURING DIFFERENT ERAS OF THE CAPTAINS CAREER. Noted for his powerful singing voice with its wide range, Van Vliet also played the harmonica, saxophone and numerous other wind instruments. The group drew attention with their cover of Bo Diddley's "Diddy Wah Diddy", which became a regional hit. It was followed by their acclaimed debut album Safe as Milk, released in 1967 on Buddah Records. The first disc in this set concentrates on this period of Beefhearts career, featuring a radio broadcast of a live performance at The Avalon Ballroom in 1966, and a number of other tracks from various radio sessions from 1967 and 1968. By 1974, six albums in and frustrated by a lack of commercial success, Beefheart released two records of more conventional rock music that at the time were critically panned. This move, combined with not having been paid for a European tour and enduring Beefheart's less than benevolent behavior towards them, led the entire band to quit. Beefheart eventually formed a new Magic Band with a group of younger musicians. The second disc of this collection comes from this era and features a solid performance by a group who have at times been unfairly dubbed The Tragic Band; but as this broadcast attests, they were actually a solid unit of master musicians playing some quite extraordinary rock music - albeit music less challenging than Beefhearts previous fare.