FIRE PARTY
CENSUS RESULTS  & ANALYSIS
Many thanks to Stewart Osbourne for all his time and effort in conducting, compiling, analysing and providing the census results.
Many thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to the census.  
Census conducted April 1999
 
Although the first two and the last two positions were fairly predictable, I think some of the positionings
in between are quite surprising and indeed some of the votes were very close; particularly so between
Doc At The Radar Station and Clear Spot, and between Ice Cream For Crow and Mirror Man.
It is worth noting that none of the individuals who responded actually ranked the albums in this order!
Stewart
(np: Trout Mask Replica!)
 
Favourite Beefheart albums analysed by age group
I have divided the responses up roughly into 4 groups by age:
1) Those born prior to 1954
(no particular reason, it just worked out that way - incidentally there were 9 people born in '53, suggesting that is by far the most popular year for an FP member to have been born..... if anyone gives a shit?!)
2) 1954 - '59
3) 1960's
4) 1970's and '80's

As you will see there are some marked variations which which will inevitably reflect such factors as previous musical backgrounds, when /how the individual first encountered Beefheart, contemporary musical scene etc. etc.

Favourite Beefheart albums were:
 
 
 
It would seem to me that maybe the oldest group were least receptive to Don's 1980's renaissance / possibly the "new" Magic Band?
The second group, most of whom presumably discovered Beefheart at the time of Trout Mask Replica, are the most fond of Spotlight Kid, I would suggest for reasons of contemporanity?
Similarly those born in the '60's are more fond of Shiny Beast and Doc At The Radar Station, probably for similar reasons, although they are the least impressed by Lick My Decals Off Baby (maybe something to do
with the absence of the second guitar?) and Strictly Personal (perhaps because of the production?)
However I find the results of the fourth group the most fascinating; particularly since they will have come to Beefheart with the freshest ears are the least likely to have been affected by other associations.
Generally the feelings of this group are the closest to the overall results although they are the least impressed with Spotlight Kid and most interesting of all (imho) they are actually the *most* impressed with Safe As Milk.
Stewart
(np: Spotlight Kid!)
 
 
The results of the votes on our other favourite acts.
No surprises who's at number 1 I'm afraid - 'though I don't believe we've ever discussed the act who came second on the list....
Of course this section would have benefited from my having received a few more responses; however the fact that we're clearly such an eclectic bunch doesn't help, with a grand total of 218 different acts having been
voted for.
Once again in reverse order:
 
=26 (with 3 votes each):
Beck
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
The Clash
Ornette Coleman
Duke Ellington
Faust
Fred Frith
Joy Division
John McLaughlin
The Kinks
Led Zeppelin
Nirvana
Pink Floyd
Iggy Pop / The Stooges
Primus
REM
Frank Sinatra
Sun Ra
The Who
= 17 (with 4 votes each):
Daevid Allen / Gong
The Beach Boys
The Fall
John Fahey
Robyn Hitchcock
Robert Johnson
Igor Stravinsky
Talking Heads
XTC
= 13 (with 5 votes each):
Howlin' Wolf
Muddy Waters
Pere Ubu
Richard Thompson
= 9 (with 6 votes each):
The Beatles
Bob Dylan
Velvet Underground / Lou Reed
Neil Young
= 5 (with 7 votes each):
Can
Grateful Dead
Jimi Hendrix
King Crimson
# 4 (with 9 votes):
John Coltrane
# 3 (with 10 votes):
Tom Waits
# 2 (with 13 votes):
Miles Davis
# 1 (with 17 votes):
Frank Zappa / The Mothers Of Invention
 
Stewart
(np: Lick My Decals Off Baby!)
Summary of all votes cast for "Favourite other acts"
22-Pistepirkko; Adrian Belew; Al Bowlly; Alejandro Escovedo; Allan Holdsworth; Allman Brothers (2);
American Backdrop; Amon Duul II (2); Andras Schiff; Aphex Twin (2); Arab Strap;
Art Ensemble of Chicago (2); Arthur Brown; Arthur Lee /Love (2); Bartok; Beach Boys (4); Beastie Boys; Beatles (7); Beck (4);Beethoven; Belle & Sebastian; Bill Evans; Bill Laswell; Bill Nelson;Bis; Bjork;
Black Sabbath; Blind Blake; Blind Willie McTell; Bo Diddley(2); Bob Dylan (6); Bob Marley (3); Bob Mould; Bob Wills & Texas Playboys; Marc Bolan / T-Rex (2); Booker Little; Booker White; Bootsy Collins;
Brian Wilson; Brian Eno; Bud Powell; Bukka White; Butch Hancock; Can (7); Charles Ives; Charlie Parker (2); Charlie Patton; Chemical Bros.; Chopin; Clash (3); Clifford Brown; Coil (3); Colloseum; Cream; CSN&Y; Current 93; Custard; Damned; David Bowie (2); Deller Consort; Devo; Dick Dale; Disharmonic Orchestra; Dixie Dregs (2); DJ Shadow; Doors; Dr John; Duke Ellington (3); Ed Blackwell; Edgar Varese (2);
Elvis Costello;Elvis Presley; Enigma; Eric Clapton; Eric Dolphy (2);Esquerita; Eugene Chadbourne; Fall (4); Family (2); Fats Waller; Faust(3);  Firesign Theatre; Frank Sinatra (3); Frank Zappa / Mothers  (17);
Fred Frith (3); Fred McDowell; Funkadelic; Geeshie Wiley; Gentle Giant; George Clinton;
George Thoroughgood; Ginger Baker Trio; Daevid Allen / Gong (4); Grateful Dead (7); Gun Club;
Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers; Gustav Mahler; Hank Williams; Happy Family; Happy The Man; Hawkwind;
Henry Cow (2); Henry Kaiser; Hermeto Pascoal; Hildegard of Bingen; Hole; Howlin' Wolf (5);
Hunters & Collectors; Iggy Pop / Stooges(3); Igor Stravinsky (4); Isley Brothers; Jah Wobble; James Booker;
James Brown (2); Jeff Beck (2); Jeff Buckley; Jefferson Airplane; Jerry Jeff Walker; Jimi Hendrix (7);
Joan Osbourne; Joe Ely;John Cage; John Cale; John Coltrane (9); John Fahey (4); John Lee Hooker;
John Mayall; John McLaughlin (3); John Prine; John Zorn; Jonathan Richman; JoniMitchell;
Joseph Spence (2); Joy Division (3); JS Bach (2); Julian Cope;Kansas Joe McCoy; Kate & Anna McGarrigle; Kate Bush; Keith Jarrett (2); Kevin Ayers; Killing Joke; King Crimson (7); Kinks (3); Klaus Schulze; Kylie Minogue; Leadbelly; Led Zeppelin (3); Lee Perry; Lester Young; Lightnin' Hopkins; Link Wray;
Little Feat (2); Los Lobos; Loudon Wainwright III (2); Ludvig Van Beethoven; Magma; Mahavishnu; Masada; Mavericks; Max Roach; Meat Puppets; Mekons; Memphis Minnie; Mercury Rev; Michael Hedges; Michael Manring; Michael Torke; Mike Keneally; Mike Stern; Mike Watt (Minutemen / Firehose); Miles Davis (13); Misfits; Mo Tucker; Monkees; Motorpsycho; Moxy Fruvous; Mr Bungle; Muddy Waters (5); Napalm Death;
National Health; Negativland; Neil Young (6); New Trolls; Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (3); Nico;
Nina Simone; Nirvana (3); Nurse With Wound; Peter Perett / Only Ones / The One (2); Orb; Oregon (2); Organum; Ornette Coleman (3); Parliament; Pascal Obispo; Pavement; Penetration; Pere Ubu (5);
Pet Shop Boys; Pete Townsend; Peter Tosh; Phil 'Snakefinger' Lithman; Pink Floyd (3);
Pixies / Frank Black (2)  PJ Proby; Placebo; Primus (3); Prince; Prodigy; Professor Longhair; Proyecto Uno; Radiohead; Ralph Towner; Ramones (2); Ray Charles; Red Krayola; REM (3); Residents; Rev. Fred Lane (2); Richard Thompson (5);Right Band Wrong Planet; Robert Johnson (4); Robert Williams; Robert Wyatt;
Robyn Hitchcock (4); Roky Ericksson; Roland Kirke; Rolling Stones (2); Rush; Rutabaga; Ry Cooder; Santana; Scott Walker; Screamin' Jay Hawkins; Secret Chiefs 3; Serge Gainsbourg; Shane MacGowan;
Siegel-Schwall Blues Band; Siouxsie & The Banshees; Skeleton Key; Slapp Happy; Slint; Small Faces;
Smiths (2); Smokey Robinson / Miracles; Smudge; Sneeze; Soft Machine; Son House (2); Sonic Youth (2); Spacemen 3; Sparklehorse (2);Spiritualised (2); Spizz Energi; Screamin' Jay Hawkins; Steely Dan;
Stereolab (2); Steve Miller; Steve Reich; Steve Tibbetts; Steve Vai; Stevie Wonder; Sun Ra (3); Sunny Ade;
Super Furry Animals; Talking Heads (4); Tangerine Dream; Television (2); Thee Headcoats; Three Johns; Throbbing Gristle; Tim Buckley; Todd Rundgren; Tom Jobim; Tom Verlaine; Tom Waits (10); Tony Conrad; Uncle Festive;  Van Morrison; Velvet Underground / Lou Reed (6); Ventures (2);
Vivian Stanshall / Bonzo Dog Band; Walter Roland; Waterson Carthy; Who (3); Wire; Wu-Tang Clan; XTC (4); Yardbirds; Zoogz Rift.
 
Happy now?!?
Stewart
(np: Atlantis - Sun Ra)
 
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