1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #137. Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica (1969)

Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica (1969)

Label – Straight
Producer – Frank Zappa
Art Direction – Cal Schenkel
Nationality – USA
Running Time – 77:38

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. "Frownland" – 1:41
2. "The Dust Blows Forward 'n the Dust Blows Back" – 1:53
3. "Dachau Blues" – 2:21
4. "Ella Guru" – 2:26
5. "Hair Pie: Bake 1" – 4:58
6. "Moonlight on Vermont" – 3:59
7. "Pachuco Cadaver" – 4:40
8. "Bills Corpse" – 1:48
9. "Sweet Sweet Bulbs" – 2:21
10. "Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish" – 2:25
11. "China Pig" – 4:02
12. "My Human Gets Me Blues" – 2:46
13. "Dali's Car" – 1:26
14. "Hair Pie: Bake 2" – 2:23
15. "Pena" – 2:33
16. "Well" – 2:07
17. "When Big Joan Sets Up" – 5:18
18. "Fallin' Ditch" – 2:08
19. "Sugar 'n Spikes" – 2:30
20. "Ant Man Bee" – 3:57
21. "Orange Claw Hammer" – 3:34
22. "Wild Life" – 3:09
23. "She's Too Much for My Mirror" – 1:40
24. "Hobo Chang Ba" – 2:02
25. "The Blimp (mousetrapreplica)" – 2:04
26. "Steal Softly thru Snow" – 2:18
27. "Old Fart at Play" – 1:51
28. "Veteran's Day Poppy" – 4:31

The best thing about this record – a double album no less – was when it was over. Easily the worst record of the 137 that I have played so far. After having reviewed Captain Beefheart’s “Safe As Milk” at #81 and coming away liking it, I was looking forward to their third record “Trout Mask Replica”, as it is considered Captain Beefheart's masterpiece. What a letdown! Not surprisingly taking control of the proceedings was producer Frank Zappa. In reading background on this record I found out that Beefheart and his Magic Band rehearsed the material for this 28-song double album for over a year!! How one can rehearse something to be THIS bad is beyond my comprehension.
The music – if it can be called that – ranges from stabs at R&B, blues, and garage rock to free jazz and avant-garde experimentalism. Sometimes there was actually a melody with jagged, dual-guitar parts; stuttering, complicated rhythmic interaction all of these elements mixed in seemingly at random, making absolutely the worst noise possible. Topped off by with Beefheart’s groans and poetry read in a growl.
The record is regarded as an important work of experimental music and a major influence in alternative rock. Yeah, whatever – it’s awful! It reached 21 in the UK charts. It ranked fifty-eighth on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
It is NOT recommended!


You can purchase the CD here

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Nancy Wilson from Heart is 56; Jimmy DeGrasso, formerly with Megadeth, is 47; Wolfgang Van Halen from Van Halen is 19;

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