Collection from the avant-garde musician / artist. Captain Beefheart's "Now Playing" vinyl LP includes 10 seminal tracks from across the artists' catalog. Captain Beefheart's music was characterized by complex rhythms, unconventional song structures, and Van Vliet's growling, multi-octave vocal range. After a prolific career marked by both critical acclaim and commercial struggles, Van Vliet retired from music in the early 1980s to focus on painting. He lived reclusively in Northern California until his death from multiple sclerosis on December 17, 2010. Captain Beefheart's influence extends across genres, impacting artists in punk, new wave, and alternative rock.