Trout Mask Replica

good lord

I mean - it’s an interesting record undoubtedly - but it also is not very listenable. Probably before Gunnars app I had tried doing this 1000 album thing and this record was the first one I had tried - needless to say it was discouraging. Now - so far into this exercise and in context one can appreciate its place in the list yet I think I’m not going to be seeking it out much in the future.

If I could give this album a zero, I would.

4.0

So bad it wasn't even on Spotify

Dit was gewoon raar

an album ive owned since just out of high school (2006) yet had only listened to straight through in its entirety this year. dense, weird, under and over produced. the stuff legendary albums are made from, and this is one of em

Ha! Now look. You may not like it. You may hate it. You may well feel it's the largest pool of pretentious toss ever committed to any recorded medium. But give it a chance. Once you start finding reasons to like it you'll never stop.

I have a lot to say about this album, and also not a lot to say about it. I can appreciate the lyricism and some of the strange rhythms. It's both wildly entertaining and sorta stupid. I'd listen again, but I'd make sure to take some drugs.

I don't know what to say. It is an album, and it's on this list. 2/5

no.

Like when you get a toddler an instrument set for Christmas and they just start banging on it and making noise for 45 minutes.

I mean look at the cover. Nonsense inbound.

This isn't music.

TLDR: what the fuck? The longer version: what the fuck is this shit? As a disclaimer, I listened to a playlist on Spotify that includes most of the tracks from this album since it's not on Spotify as a standalone album. I might say "well, some of these are live tracks, so the true studio version of this album is probably better" except for the fact that I checked Wikipedia for the track listing and then read the rest of the Wikipedia article. My reaction after reading the article: holy batshit, Batman! If you haven't read the article, I highly recommend it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_Mask_Replica There are a number of great quotes in the "Reception and legacy" section such as "it was not even 'ahead' of its time in 1969. Then and now, it stands outside time, trends, fads, hypes, the rise and fall of whole genres eclectic as walking Christmas trees, constituting a genre unto itself: truly, a musical Monolith if ever there was one." I'll agree with that much: it is a singular album. I find it hard to agree with all the publications ranking it as one of the greatest albums of all time, but I think it goes back to my main criticism of critics: they have to listen to so much stuff that they lose their minds over something that's truly different and creative regardless of whether it's objectively good. That's how this album strikes me, but maybe I'm not enlightened or open-minded enough. Matt Groening (yes, the Simpsons guy) also hated it at first, but loved it after 6 or 7 listens. I didn't pay for this double album so it won't get that much time from me, but maybe I'd grow to appreciate it if I tried. Maybe once you get into the mindset of "if it's intentionally discordant and shitty then it's not actually shitty" it works, but I'm not willing to put that effort in. Anyway, given the critical reception and the absolute batshit nature of the album as a whole, I understand why it's on this list and I'm glad to have been exposed to it. I did not enjoy this, and I can't imagine I'll ever listen to this again, but it gets points for creativity and for spawning a great Wikipedia article full of apocryphal shit. 1.5

I feel like a single listen can't really let you form an opinion here. Will have to revisit, so, a neutral rating of 2.

Smooth operator, your love is king. Fabulous songs. Sade has such a beautiful voice

The back story is pretty interesting, with the torture and starvation. And him sitting just bashing the piano to find his melody is again, something interesting to listen to. But, with a fan saying it takes 7 listens to really love it…I’m not ever doing that and I’ll go with my first impression, which is this is either too weird or too stupid.

Good art Good name Dogshit music

Not one I'd play again. Chaos the whole time, almost a so bad it's good kinda thing

absolutely mind blowing

Ah, the infamous Trout Mask Replica. Had briefly dipped into this one before but for only like 1.5 songs and now that I'm at the closing riff of "Veteran's Day Poppy"... well, why not? Basically? There's certainly been music in this list here that I've found more challenging or "unpleasant" - Trout Mask Replica seems a fuckton more significant, interesting and 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 than e.g. The Residents' album I had before. There are some pretty cool things going on past the first impression of cacophony. The odd funky bops, even. The problem is that I just don't think there really is that much of a fabled reward waiting for me after repeated listens. Or that I feel like I want to find it as I now know what a toxic affair this album's creation was. Still, and bottom line, happy to have had this today. Exciting piece of culture.

A tough listen, but not a bad one. I respect what’s happening here, but it’s not my thing.

Spotify can't play this, didn't list

When I first heard this album I listened through it once and was like "huh. well. ok." It seemed meticulously prepared and completely chaotic. I thought maybe listening once to appreciate the deranged conviction would be enough. I was 22 and thought I 'got' some weird experimental stuff but this was an alien world. Then without having listened again, weeks or months later I got pieces of it stuck in my head and had to come back to them. My Human Gets Me Blues was the first and is still my favourite. Incredible guitar on this whole thing. I don't think I've had anything else in my adult life start by sounding near unlistenable and then seem incredibly catchy. I would guess that it's that I hadn't heard that wide a range of music yet, except that Trout Mask Replica is described exactly that way by so many people. I don't think anything is worth starting a cult over, but it's easier to compartmentalize this one as A Long Time Ago. It's not like you can't hear the cult dynamic on the album either - it's uncomfortable. But like Don Van Vliet is dead already and - well - A Long Time Ago.. right? so you don't have to think about it. not like those guys in Led Zeppelin who deserve to have stars removed or whatever. right. glad we've got a completely consistent & reasonable worldview here. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

Rules.

Trippy 60's music, need to be high or on mushrooms to really enjoy it.

Unable to listen on Spotify without paying, but much to my regret I was able to find the full album on YouTube. I am always wary of music that's classified as Experimental Rock, Avant-Garde, or Art Rock - and this album is all three. So bad, I was not able to face listening to the entire album.

Wow what a start on this journey. This album was made in the late 60s and you can tell. The drugs were strong back then. If “Ross” from “friends” put a band together. It would sound like this. I’m giving this a two and not 1 as it made me laugh!

Never has an hour felt so long in my life. Absolute dog shite

We mortals can never understand the genius that is this album 5/5

Singlehandedly this absolute worst fucking album that has ever been on this damn 1001 albums list. The album wasn’t on any streaming platform, so I found an upload on YouTube of the full album. I legit thought it was a troll upload when the “singing” started. After checking the comments, it was the actual album, and I was like WTAF. Yeah, this is unlistenable shit.

On a technical level, what they are doing takes immense amount of skill and you can tell that all musicians involved are virtuosos in their own right. On the question of how enjoyable it is, it is unbridled creativity, a storm of brutal sound that can also be quite intriguing at times, like an LSD-infused dadaist poetry slam.

Beefheart was a unique artist. Either you love him or you hate him, much like Zappa or Rush. If I'm in the right mood, this album is fantastic. Otherwise it's a major miss.

This is horrible.

How do you even begin to review this? I truly didn't like most of this in the way you would enjoy a pop or rock album, but that isn't the point. This is challenging, but at the same time wildly entertaining. Once you get over the immediate shock, the pieces seem to fall into place, and a 2nd listen is much smoother than the first.

I feel this albums is treated like some art is by art critics seeing 3 lines on a canvas and exclaiming "This is awesome, it means X Y and Z!" but they only see if that way because they are bored of 'standard' art after seeing so much. This album is the same and I've obviously not listened to enough music yet.

Not available on Amazon. Found on YouTube. Absolutely terrible

Absolutely wonderful crafted chaos of magic and justice. I will accept no less than 5 stars. The goal is weird, and they crushed it.

Audacious, fiery, unrelenting, calls to mind the works of the dadaist period, the musical equivalent of drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa.

Listened to some CB but not TMR I’ll take Zappa

1.5

I listened to this on YouTube, and whenever a new song came on it was so jarring I thought an ad had interrupted the album

How do you even rate a trout mask replica? By how much it looks like a trout? By how well it works as a mask? How well it imitates the original (without ever seeing the original)? By what the sight of a person wearing a trout mask triggers in you? Is this art? Impossible. And probably all of the above.

Its like the band members did their parts in completely different places not knowing what the others were doing, then they just mashed it together.

Drumbo is fantastic, he’s just a goddamn machine. Everything about this records is meticulously done Perfectly curated this edgy and jarring surreal vibe. Exciting in a deeply special way. The rating here is atrocious, I don’t think the shock would be so big if these people just listened to some fucking jazz for once in their life and realize the music is here actually isn’t that crazy

My smile is unstuck, i can now go back to your frownland

I see so much of this album’s DNA in experimental music today. That said, this was an exhausting listen by the end of it. I think I’m not gonna revisit this one for a while.

I remember the first time I came out this album, some three years ago, the only thought I had was to ask myself, "How many more times **should** I hafta listen to this?" Now, obviously, I had Matt Groening's quote about the album on my mind, the one about how he had to listen to this record several times before he really "got it." And coming into this album all this time later, I still wondered: "How much time **should** I give this thing?" 'Coz I've always had the impression that this was an album you've really had to sit with for a while before you can decide if you like it or not. Which, y'know, might be kind of a dumb way to think of things? I don't think you should be forced to sit with an album — or any piece of art, really — for so long before you're allowed to decide if you like or even "get" it. It's the line about video games: "It gets really good 15 hours in." Like, OK? So it sucks for those first 15 hours, then? So why would I play it if it sucks for that long? It can apply to albums like this: why would I force myself to replay it over and over if I'm not digging it the first time around? What could I possibly gain from multiple replays except, I'unno, sunk cost fallacy? 'Coz if you're gonna spend **that long** with an album and you're not getting anything new out of your **tenth** play that you didn't already get on your **first**... Not that replaying, rewatching, rereading or re-anything-ing art is necessarily a bad thing. You can rewatch a movie, for example, and notice little details you weren't looking for the first time. Similar goes for an album. It can only help you appreciate a work more. But I figure if you're doing that, you already like the movie or the album or whatever, and not because you're trying to find reasons to justify why you've spent hours with this thing. First impressions are important, and if something doesn't give you a good reason to go any further with it... Well, that's as good a reason as any not to. TROUT MASK REPLICA lays all of its cards on the table within the first minute. Like, "Frownland", far as I can hear, is **the** sound of the album. Guitars, bass and drums seemingly playing whatever they want, in what time signature and key they want. They only barely sync. Hell, the vocals feel like they come from a different song altogether. It's the kind of sound where if you're not gawking, slack-jawed, at it now, you will be when you find out that it sounds like this **on purpose**. Like, this isn't The Shaggs amateur hour; this stuff was all specifically composed to sound like this, and they spent **weeks** **rehearsing** this material so they could record it all in one straight shot. On that level, I'm kind of impressed that Beefheart managed to carefully compose his band to sound like a bunch of first year music school dropouts playing in their garage band for the first time. I imagine if you're a music nerd, there's a lot to dig into here. Polyrhythms, polytonality... Stuff like that. Or, hell, even if you're not, maybe you just have a weird enough ear that all this stuff just clicks perfectly into place. Got some kinda special x-ray ears that can hear through the noise and find some kind of odd beauty underneath it all. And, well, clearly enough of both types agree that this thing is as acclaimed as outsider art as it is. As for me... I remember back when I first heard it, I thought it was strange to begin with. Again, "Frownland" is a hell of an opener. If you can't make it past that, you're probably not gonna do well with the rest. As I came closer and closer to the end of the album, though, my ears acclimated more to this album's way of doing things, and by the time I was done... Honestly, I was kind of disappointed? When you're able to look past the layer of weirdness covering this thing and hear what's actually going on... I'unno, it just sounds like blues music? Incredibly atypical blues, sure, like you fed an algorithm the genre (to reference a comment I saw), but... Really, once I got to "Veteran's Day Poppy", I couldn't even begin to guess what was supposed to be so special about this album. (And boy howdy, this thing being nearly 80 minutes...) And for this listen-through, with very different ears than I had those four years ago, I fell into that even sooner. Like, some moments aside, nothing terribly grabbed me. It just flowed by. Honestly, besides "Frownland", I think the only thing I'd probably remember is "The Blimp" — and that's probably mostly 'coz Weird Al quoted it in a CD bonus feature. (Also, the anecdote that Beefheart's band isn't even playing on it, but The Mothers; check the song "Charles Ives" on YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE, VOL. 5). So, y'know, I guess I have weird ears, but not ones that can hear this material and be too wowed by it. (And the runtime didn't bother me as much this time, but it's not like it helped this music **not** fall into the background, y'know) Frankly, I think I enjoyed SAFE AS MILK a bit more. The music there was just as strange as I expect a Beefheart record to be, but there was no expectations of it being some outsider, experimental, avant-garde, "You gotta listen to it 50 times to get it" masterpiece. It was just good-ass blues. And, like, of course I'm happy this guy got to make the exact album he wanted to make with this, but... Y'know, I can't say I agree with TROUT MASK REPLICA being the eleventh lowest rated album on the entire website, but I can understand why it is. It's not like I'd rate it that highly, either: a 3 outta 5. But to me, it's not because I think it's noise acting like it's more important than it is 'coz it slapped itself with an "experimental" label. I **can** kinda hear through to what Matt Groening might have heard his seventh time around. But I don't think I'd be willing to put in the effort to get to that seventh listen, myself. Just the two is fine enough for me. I suppose it just wasn't fast n' bulbous enough for me.

I honestly, Genuinely, have no way to describe this album in an actually rational way. It feels like the most random stream of conciousness in the form of sound. It's peak. 5 stars.

I’m… I’m somewhere. When I wrote my little review for Safe as Milk, there’s one sentence I threw in there: “If you’re gonna try to be this innovative for 1967, then go all in.” This album is them going all in, and I feel like the genie took my wish and bastardized it beyond my wildest dreams. Is that a bad thing? Is that a good thing? Well, it was 79 minutes of something, alright, but you can’t say it wasn’t captivating or intriguing. You can certainly call it bad, but I don’t know that it is bad. Does it deserve to have an average rating of 2.27? No, I wouldn’t go that low. I think I’m at a 3, somehow. I know what this album is trying to do, or at least, I think I do – it’s simply trying to exist. There is an incredible complexity behind the actual compositions and melodies and everything here, and that complexity is entirely grounded and almost canceled out by the most nonsensical lyrics and the most grating vocal performance that any album has ever had. Grating doesn’t necessarily mean bad in this case, it just means… divisive. This album’s gonna be divisive. I don’t think it’s bad, I don’t think it’s THAT good either, but it’s a journey. It’s music that fundamentally challenges the entire structure of the genre, of Beatlemania, and of an artist’s obligation to make music that’s actively commercially appealing. It’s batshit insane, but it’s technically sound, even if it feels entirely wrong or completely uncomfortable at times. There may truly never be anything produced like this, with such little commercial appeal, and yet so meticulously produced to evoke such a reaction that it somehow loops around to having appeal again. I would say it’s like listening to a band trying to perform over Zoom, with each instrument on an individual call, but that’s a disservice to just how brilliantly scattered these compositions tend to be. It’s more equivalent to say, the awful “rival” art present in Pokemon Art Academy on the 3DS – just go look at that shit. It’s designed perfectly to evoke poor artistry, and yet there’s a brilliance within that. The only issue that this album has, besides its obnoxiously long run time, is its obnoxiously self-centered lead vocalist, who honestly drags this album down tremendously for me. It’s not that his vocals are ever bad, but they overpower the compositions and their complexity so much that it genuinely ruins the spirit of the musicality for me. His presence is not only awkward, it’s unneeded, and yet at the same time, his presence is entirely necessary to make the album’s overall tone work. It’s a conundrum, but it’s easily solved by just lowering his voice in the mix, and minimizing his presence, as well as his overly preachy poetry that sounds like a Brennan Lee Mulligan monologue fed through Google Translate 28 times over. With all of that said, it is an enjoyable experience, but an excruciating one – the album did lose me at several points, but it also always managed to pull me back in just by doing some completely goofy bullshit that just happened to win me over more often than not. It’s not an album I’ll ever return to, but it’s one where I think I can genuinely appreciate how ballsy and avant-garde it feels for 1969. It’s an oddly recommended 3.

I just did not get this album. I don't hate it actively, but I just would not listen to this normally.

I'm conflicted. Yes this album is technically brilliant. But my tiny brain is too small to comprehend how or why. I've listened to it twice and I still don't really get it. I understand that not being confined to the 'law of music' is awesome, and more artists should be braver with what they're making (I'm sure lots of drugs helped too) but that doesn't mean that this sounds good. At no point am I going to pick this album over literally any other when it comes to day-to-day listening, and I think you'd have to be an insufferable contrarian in order to do so. That said, I will challenge myself to revisit it another day and see if current-day me is actually a big dummy. Good job Mr Beefheart, continue being fast and bulbous despite what the plebs say.

I just can't...I get it is supposed to be brilliant. But I can deal without this brilliance. 1/5

unlistenable

A double album of weird. Beefheart would have a professional relationship with oddball peer Frank Zappa, as they would come to influence each other in ways that defied conventional songwriting. Trout Mask Replica, arguably Beefheart's most popular release, sees a lot of blue-inspired rock that has been mashed into pieces and spread out so no one is really playing the same song at the same time. Between Beefheart's commanding vocal presence and the band's organized chaos, many of the songs here feel more like experiences than proper songs. I think much of this album's appeal is in it's mythology rather than it's actual content. Stories of cultlike submission from the band after being berated to tears by Beefheart, writing the entire album in a single eight-hour sitting, and even the album getting released at all creates a sort of aura around Trout Mask Replica. How do you make music like this in 1969? I suppose it's not that far out, but it's a helluva lot more impressive than if you were to release it now. Is any of this worth saving? Does it matter? I think it's cool to have music from the fringe sitting on a list like this, getting some recognition amongst the Led Zeppelin and Beatles albums.

Can't deny it's weird. That's what great about it. It's also why it's not for everyone. Favorite song: she's too much for my mirror.

Well, that was wild. I think this would've been more appropriately titled if it was His Magic Mushroom Band because this is the sound of tripping.

"You can't create an album of just random noise and have it in lists of 1001 albums you must listen to" "Hold my beer"

I’m just not a fan of odd noises.

Unpleasant. But oh so good. I have OG vinyl on this.

Fast and bulbous! That's right, The Mascara Snake, fast and bulbous! Also, a tin teardrop! Bulbous, also tapered? That's right! - I initially gave this a 3 but 4 months later I can't stop thinking about it... 5

Truly unique manic expression of experimentalism. An avant-rock masterpiece, strange outsider music, total bullshit? That’s for the listener to decide. I consider myself fairly open-minded, but even I need to get over that initial reaction of “what the fuck is this shit!?!” When Frownloand comes on. But if you can get past that, there some truly interesting stuff here. Closely listening can be intensely stimulating, potentially overstimulating, as you try to keep up with what’s going on. But when you lock in on the right places, there can be amazing things found…I think. Or does it just feel amazing because you had to work to find it? There’s also shit that makes no sense. These dudes certainly made their own album in their own uncompromising way and I respect that. There’s a lot of talent behind this chaos. But it’s also deeply challenging and that’s a lot for 78 fucking minutes…now at this point this is probably my longest review and I still don’t know where I stand on this album.

well…. it’s certainly an album

This album is chaotic, but in a way that feels almost too intentional. The songs stumble and clash, like they’re trying to be something they’re not. It’s like listening to Frank Zappa’s most experimental moments, but without the structure that makes them work. There's a raw energy, but it’s buried under layers of noise and confusion. It’s more of an endurance test than a musical experience.

I guess that this is beatnik music... I had to pause the first song because I thought that something else was playing in the background. It sounds like a bunch of people stroking out with instruments. Woof. Big Woof. What a terrible album.

I’m out

35 minutes in and I'm not finishing this - even if its avant garde or experimental doesn't mean it doesn't suck.

That was one of the worst things I've ever had to listen to

Really really awful, unlistenable noise.

I don't even think this is possible to rate. I didn't really enjoy listening to it, but it isn't a 1 or 2 star. It's not a 4 or 5 either because I doubt I'll ever listen to it again. A 3 feels so vanilla, but here we are. For once though, I really did need to hear this album.

absolutely not.

There I was, hunched over my computer like a modern-day monk, when my wife walked in, eyes narrowing in curiosity. “What are you doing?” she asked. I panicked, slammed the laptop shut, and muttered, “… Nothing.” Deep down, I knew I was entrapped in Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica, a wild ride through the fever dream I didn’t know could exist. “Seriously, are you going to tell me what you were doing?” she pressed, and I felt like the sole punter at a run-down bar, suddenly the focus of unwanted attention. Reluctantly, I confessed the album’s name. Her expression shifted—disbelief melting into resignation. She turned and hastily packed a suitcase as if fleeing a sinking ship, and with each clink of her belongings, the weight of the moment crashed over me. The door slammed shut like a drumbeat of finality, marking the end of something I couldn’t quite grasp. As the silence enveloped me, I reopened my laptop, where Beefheart was still wailing about gophers or some such madness, a surreal soundtrack to my newfound desolation. Should I say it was worth it? Was this plunge into madness a cosmic revelation? Here I sit, baffled after four relentless spins of this 1 hour and 20-minute avant-garde odyssey. And can we talk about the sheer insanity of it all—28 tracks! WTF! How does one even begin to digest this buffet of bizarre sounds? One moment you’re bobbing along to a catchy riff; the next, you’re thrust into a chaotic din that makes you question reality. It’s as if Beefheart and his crew threw every wild idea into a hat, then had a blind man pull out the resulting sequencing, crafting a disorienting soundscape that feels more like a chaotic carnival than a collection of songs. But hey, that’s Trout Mask Replica—a dazzling whirl of jazz, blues, and utter unpredictability. It demands a kind of madness to appreciate. If you’re drawn to chaos and beauty, dive right in! But if you prefer your music with a hint of sanity, with words you can grasp and melodies you can hum, seek out a different groove. Personally, I remain adrift in a sea of surrealism where coherence is a distant shore. Maybe avant-garde isn’t my journey. Perhaps I crave hooks, sweet melodies that sink into my soul. My heart yearns for the simple joy of a catchy chorus, a well-structured song. Instead, Trout Mask Replica makes me feel like I’m trapped in a cosmic bender. It is the sound of cocaine-fueled escapades slowed to a crawl and then slowly sped into the stratosphere on a ketamine high. It’s a sonic maelstrom, a kaleidoscope of sound that resembles an endless rollercoaster with no stops and no straps. So here’s to Captain Beefheart, the jester of the avant-garde! You’ve pulled me into your wild world, questioned my musical reality, and driven my wife away in the process. Yet, amid this chaos, I can’t shake the feeling that this bizarre odyssey is a tale worth spinning—a wild adventure in a universe of gopher conspiracies and chaotic symphonies. Disclaimer: Some events told in this review are fictional, especially the part about my wife and the gophers. Did/Do I own this release? Absolutely not! Does this release belong on the list? Let’s just say, it’s… something. Would this release make my personal list? Not in this lifetime! Will I be listening to it again? This is the new soundtrack to my nightmares. Yet I love it

Can we have Frank Zappa? No, we have Frank Zappa at home. ---The Frank Zappa at home. 1/5. Rarely pulls its head out of its own arse

I do like frown land

I appreciate Captain Beefheart, but sometimes this stuff is artsy for its own sake. I appreciate what that means for artistic expression, but it's not necessarily musically moving for the listener.

Hmm

Svaka avant garde, en ekki svaka gott. Látum tempó og ómstríðu liggja á milli hluta, þetta er samt leiðinleg rödd og gítarsánd og svo ofan í hljóðnemanum að það sé eins og einhver andi í hálsmálið á þér. Einstaka lög töff, t.d. Pachuco Cadaver, en þetta er alltof langt, alltof helvítis langt.

horrible and almost unlistenable but also brilliant

Not on Spotify

Dogshit Sean your a weirdo

Beautiful voice, pretty melodies, breathtaking textures, tear jerking lyrics. Only such magnificent music could be made in the 60s … NOTTT

I was gonna give it a 5 star review for the joke but then I got 50 minutes in and it wasn’t funny anymore. Why the fuck would you HAVE to listen to this album before you die, just because it’s avant garde doesn’t mean it’s even remotely good.

2 stars simply for the audacity.

Well, it's as weird as its name implies. There's quite a few genres that I don't enjoy, but I "get" what it's doing, and I understand if it's doing it well. I don't know what this is, what it wants to be, what the audience is, or whether it's actually doing it. I wasn't hating it as much as that makes it sound, so I was inclined to give it a 2, but it just drags on way too long.

Words genuinely cannot describe this album. i think i fell behind over 40 albums attempting to listen to this. I can't even call it garbage because I think you have to be some sort of absolute genius to understand how to make this. i cannot believe that I can only give this a 1

Nope. I’m out. Music can’t be accidentally this bad. Whoever made this did it deliberately and while it does have a “you have to hear it to believe it” quality what the hell is this doing on a must hear playlist. Unbelievable.

If it doesn't click after hearing it many times over the years, it's never gonna

This made me feel a newly discovered human emotion called blumber.

1/10…experimental rock

5/5. It's wild because I was preparing to hear unlistenable music and then it was just Frank Zappa, just a little more chaotic. Sure, this honestly feels more like artists trying stuff just to try it, even sounding like none of them have picked up an instrument before. And yet other times it is counteracted by intelligent and complicated riffs and musicianship, creating a fine line between both. I think by the end of it, I would say this is an album of so many creative ideas that it's too important not to rate high. And the lyrics in the spoken word songs are so weird it feels like I am having a fever dream. Any musician can hear the amazing songwriting here, it's hard to deny this is an awesome album. Best Song: Moonlight on Vermont, China Pig, Ella Guru (Honestly it depends on the day though which one I like the most)

Gave this album 20 minutes but I didn't finish it. It felt avant garde, but not in a good way (for me). I didn't feel like the artist had anything interesting to say so I lost interest pretty fast. Also, I couldn't get over the name Captain Beefheart, that combined with the album art just rubbed me the wrong way.

This album makes me violently want a Pepsi.

terrible

This is truly a masterpiece - I heard it 30 years ago as a kid but thought "this is crap". Ahhh...the folly of youth. I was wrong. This is a tour-de-force of constant ideas and sounds made even better with the random adverts that YouTube inserts since I cannot listen to it on Spotify. Kind of sums up the whole nonsensical vibe of the album.

Perfectly odd

Incredibly odd chord charts and almost atonal melodic intonations from both the instruments and the vocalists make this an odd album, but there is still some minor pop sensibilities. Not sure how i feel, but it was definitely an experience.

Man oh man, this is a wild album and I really liked it. It’s a hallucinatory journey through Americana.

60’s

Aaaaaaah ! What is this ? 1*

Not in the mood today.

Dafuq is this?!

I can understand artists experimenting, pushing their boundaries, and/or trying something different… but this is just bad. In fact I’d be worried for their clearly drug-addled brains if this wasn’t from 55 years ago and they’re all most likely dead now. A chore to get through, unashamed 1/5

Not on Apple Music

Multi-dementional. A soundtrack to an evening in Wetherspoons. Glorious

I've always felt the same way about this album, and it's really no different after this listen -- if this is your favorite album, no it's not. I really do understand the background history and the appeal of a record like this. I understand the approach to a free jazz/blues/garage, wild rhythm, "fuck you" to the industry approach and all that. And it's great. But this is not a good album on a pure musical enjoyment level. I think other albums (and I'll give this one credit for starting it) have approached the same ethos with a better end result. I just son't revisit this one often because at best it's silly, and at worst it's downright hard to listen to.

All you need to know going in is that this is one of David Lynch’s favorite albums.

WT *actual* F was that? Just no. Breaks were needed to get through the entire album. And why did it have to be a double album? ugh. This is actual bullshit, and it sounds like Beefheart/Van Vliet was an abusive asshole, so this is the one and only time I'm listening to this album. Yes, to the whole thing. I committed to this project. Full album on YouTube, if you dare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF0g-2SeoMM&t=214s

Yeah I'm not having Trout Mask Replica as a serious album. It's terrible for like 95% of the time, it occasionally gets okay (Moonlight on Vermont is tolerable) but this is mostly unlistenable and goes on for fucking ages. I can see there's a quirky nature to it that appeals to a certain audience but it certainly isn't me. 1.

Makes about as much sense as the title. Watching that video that Tim posted now, and the comparison to a weirder sounding Tom Waits is spot on. It's bizarre, and often tuneless and really difficult to listen to. The story behind and around it is actually quite cool, but as a listening experience (which, lest we forget, is actually what you want from an album) it's really not good. Yes, it's innovative and does something different, but sometimes there's a reason why no one does polyrhythmic and polytonal (plus all the rest) at the same time ... Apparently you have to listen to it plenty of times to get it, but I'm not giving it that chance. 1/5.

So weird that this album is coming up when I just referenced it in another review days ago. I think I agree with most people that this is unlistenable drivel. It’s just too far out there. And I think people who say they like this are just being pretentious and contrarian. It sucks. Points for being prolifically terrible though

It takes real skill to play this. It takes a madman to come up with it. It takes a special person to like it. I can hear some snippets of genius in there, but the overall album is too jarring, I'd rather listen to clowncore.

Some of this, I feel like I can get to a place where I get it. It’s bluesy, political, forces you to deal with discordant sounds as a form of expression. But then other times, I felt like I just needed to be on mind altering substances to appreciate it. And then I got distracted by thinking about my father being the same man who loves this band and also voted for Trump. Again, the answer probably has to do with drugs (or lack of them).

A squid eating dough in a Polyethylene bag Is fast and bulbous, got me?

Thanks but no thanks.

I like it but it's not my favorite, plus in Spotify is not complete, ill try to look for the full album somewhere

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band's Trout Mask Replica is a wild ride that's not for the faint of heart. The music is experimental, chaotic, and often downright bizarre. Beefheart's vocals are like nothing you've ever heard before, and the band's instrumentation is equally unconventional. It's definitely an acquired taste.

Why do I get these really experimental albums when I'm in some amount of physical discomfort? Our AC is broken and it's probably close to 86 or 87 in my room right now. Anyway, I'm not giving this a 1 because I don't get it. I'm giving it a 1 because it doesn't get me.

For when the dinner guests have overstayed their welcome...

Well, points for trying and there’s some genuinely cool stuff here. But also this is a lot. Putting 3 stars feels honest because it’s the average of 1 and 5 stars which is the experience but I’ll add a star for the ambition.

So this is album 1,080 for me and here's how the review would once have gone: Something about the unbridled creativity and free expression of the late 1960's, something about Frank Zappa, something about the blues, maybe, takes a while to "get it," listened three times, etc. etc. etc. The truth now, however, is that I was not in the mood for this long-ass noodly horseshit.

In some previous albums in the project, I have felt bad because I thought that I just didn't get it and couldn't connect. I don't feel bad about feeling this way about this listening experience...although, I suppose it could have been worse...

Open mind open mind open mind. Nope. Irritating, long, and really really boring. Next!

It took some effort to listen to this as the album wasn’t on Apple Music in the United States. After being surprised at Captain Beefheart’s Safe As Milk album that wasn’t nearly as weird as I had anticipated, I had thought that maybe this one would also surprise. Nope. It was weird in a borderline-annoying way that overstayed its welcome. Kind of like some drugged-out coffeehouse performances by some really talented musicians. There were some ok moments here, but I won’t be tempted to return to this.

Wild and crazy! I have to say, I found myself enjoying it much of the time, especially when there were horns in there. Similar to feelings I get listening to Primus.

Ett väldigt underligt album, kanske de mest underliga albumet på den här listan. Konstigt nog så gillade jag det mycket mera nu på min andra lyssning än när jag lyssnade det för första gången. Kräver alltså fler lyssningar. Stark 2

This wasn’t available on Spotify so I listened to it in playlist form. Some bits are decent but the rest is just cacophony, and any inclination to knock it up to two stars is fatally countered by the memory of the pretentious ex who used to listen to it because it was recommended by Q magazine…

God help me but I enjoyed that. I think this may be one of the best examples of something that doesn't make sense for everyone but completely makes sense to be on the list. It's going places musically and in style that are unique while blending a lot of more structured genres. Musically this sounded like a bucket of water being dumped on a sandcastle and watching all the structure melt into itself.

I appreciate that this exists and in my youth the chaos would have clicked right in to my brain. I might even listen again. And I think it belongs. I think it also serves as a great calibration tool. If listening to this makes you angry or upset, then you just learned something you don't like which can help you understand what you do like. "When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad."

I had a great time listening to this, actually! The first track is so jarring but really effectively shocked me into the mental state to enjoy my journey to Captain Beefheart's soundscape.

I think previous attempts at forcing myself to like Zappa have desensitised me... This wasn't as jarring as I thought it might have - some good tracks but don't feel as though the quality I listened to it at did it justice. Need to get my hands on the record to make a valid judgement - 2.5 for now.

I am preaching to the choir here clearly - but how can an album be simultaneously creative, original, and complex AND grating and completely wrong. It must be so difficult to purposefully play something that doesn't follow any conventional beats...

Hard pass on this.

Es una porquería

I possess this album, though I'd never got round to listening to it. The captain had a close association with Frank Zappa and I was curious to hear his own music. Well now that I have, all I can say is I can't hear what Frank heard. The spoken bits were very Zappa esk. But musically I can only describe it as cacophonus SHITE! Sorry cap but it's a 1 from me.

That’s not even music is it?

Most people find stuff like this a difficult listen and can't see past the noise. I get that, the drumming was excellent, like a not stop pounding rhythm driving the chaos forward. To play guitar like that takes a lot of practice and planning and certainly not straightforward, these two elements were the genius of this album. The vocals added to the whole experience. They were a massive influence of the Fall so I was hardly going to dismiss this as people throwing instruments around, you've got to look past that and admire the daring attempts at something completely new.

Content Not Available in Spotify.

Album was not available in Spotify, found in on the horribly named YouTube Music. Kind of which I didn't try so hard to find it, it's disjoint, difficult, and disturbing. Maybe it was a bit much at 8:30 on a Tuesday morning. I am familiar enough with Captain Beefheart to know what I was getting in to, but man, this was more than I wanted. Couldn't wait for it to end.

Had heard of this group but never listened to anything by them that I'm aware of. Trippy. Reminded me of a cross between the Grateful Dead and Tom Waits.

DNF. Sorry I just couldn’t with this one.

Odd. Not enjoyable.

"Trout Mask Replica" is the third studio album by American band Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band. Stating the obvious, this double-sided album is classified as experimental combining elements of R&B, garage rock and blues with fee jazz and avant-garde composition. This album is also noted for its unconventional musical style (polyrhythmic, multi-octave vocals and ploytonality) and as one of the most challenging albums of the 20th century. I'll say! The album was produced by Frank Zappa. Captain Beefheart is Don Van Vilet and plays woodwind and brass instruments and is the lead vocalist. His Magic Band includes Bill "Zoot Horn Rollo" Harkwood (guitar), Jeff "Antennae Jimmy Semens" Cotton (guitar), Mark "Rockette Morton" Boston (bass), John "Drumbo" French (drums) and Victor "The Mascara Snake" Hayden (bass clarinet). The album did poor commercially in the US but hit #21 in the UK. Critically, the album is considered Beefheart's masterpiece and in 2010, it was also put into the National Recording Registry for its artistic significance. "Frownland" opens the album. What sounds like bluesy, out of tune guitars and a weird drum beat. Beefheart singing and it appears like he's singing to an entirely different song. I think he's going on about the counterculture and commenting on the normal world. "Moonlight on Vermont" has a grinding rhythm. Screeching, bluesy dual guitars. Guttural vocals. Hey, I might getting into this. "Pachuco Cadaver" brings the funk and adds a groove. This song actually makes musical sense. Beefheart is talking about a woman and a car. "Sweet Sweet Bulbs" adds a prominent bass in a blues-soaked song. Interesting guitars and dare I say a hypnotic song. Swirling guitars give "When Big Joan Sets Up" a rockin' vibe. There's the bass clarinet. The song stops and the pace picks up. They've entered Grateful Dead territory. What the hell was this? Calling this weird is an understatement. High-pitched dscordant, layered guitars with weird notes. Beefheart singing what appears to be randomly. Some of these songs make the Grateful Dead's "Dark Star" sound like the most melodic of songs. Theres a bluesy undertow. The album gets more jazzy as it progresses and I started to find the beauty in chaos somehow. Beefheart's lyrics are trippy but I know there's a deeper meaning in some of these songs. This album was obviously influential to various artists like Tom Waits. If you willing to dive off a musical cliff, I can't think of a better album to start it with.

This... this is torture. I listened to many bad records here on this list, but I couldn't continue after the 4th track or so. Couldn't find it on Apple Music, so I had to use YouTube. The commercials were a welcome break. -5 stars if it would be possible.

Trout Mask Replica is the third studio album by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, originally released in 1969. "Trout Mask Replica" by Captain Beefheart is an album I've always heard about but never gave a fair listen to. I always heard it being a groundbreaking and audacious work that defies conventional music boundaries. The album blends free jazz, blues, and avant-garde rock into a chaotic, yet strangely cohesive (?) sound that's really challenging. The band's innovative approach to rhythm, melody, and song structure is truly interesting, almost creating a surreal landscape where dissonance and harmony co-exist in unexpected ways. It's a work of true artistic rebellion, one that dares to be different and succeeds magnificently. What makes "Trout Mask Replica" so captivating to me is its unapologetic weirdness. Captain Beefheart’s growling, often "abstract" vocals, coupled with the band’s off-kilter instrumentation, create an atmosphere that feels like stepping into an entirely new dimension of sound. The album's complex arrangements and spontaneous shifts keep you on your toes, making each listen somewhat unique. This fearless embrace of the strange and the unconventional sets the album apart as a visionary piece of work that continues to inspire artists and musicians decades later. It's quite clear to see the influence this album had on music as a whole. However, the album’s very boldness also makes it initially inaccessible. The density of the songs and the deliberate departure from traditional structures can be overwhelming on first listen. It requires patience and an open mind to fully appreciate, which may deter some listeners. It certainly deterred me at first. But for those willing to dive into its depths, "Trout Mask Replica" offers a truly unique and rewarding experience, solidifying its place as an essential, albeit challenging, masterpiece in experimental music. Quite a fun listen.

Well this is annoying. The album is not carried on Spotify. So I listened on YouTube. Listening was even more annoying. I have no idea who this artist is - I am guessing Tom Waits? Also I see some Zappa references on Spotify so there’s that. This does not seem genius to me. I am proud of myself for making it through. Basically it is one of those cool to get records. If not liking this is wrong I don’t wanna be right.

Unironic 5 stars. It’s hard to process, but that’s the point. Once you hear how one part complements another, it all makes sense. Active listening is absolutely required, otherwise it will just sound like noise. Ask yourself where artists like Primus, The Residents, and Black Midi would be today without this album.

i puked

FFS. This author must have had the best sex and drugs in these few years. Clearly the drugs addled his brain cos he persisted in adding psychedelic shite to the list even though the world has moved on. Not available on Spotify. My prayers answered

This album is a thrilling mashup of blues and avant-garde jazz that sounds like a musical Frankenstein’s monster. You could convince me that Captain Beefheart had reanimated his band from the dead, replacing their missing limbs and organs with junkyard parts. These songs are vibrant and alive but also strange and unholy. Some songs are straight blues, others are pure experimentation. And on some songs, once you get accustomed to the atonal riffs and conflicting polyrhythms, you can actually find a groove that feels funky. It’s not exactly music you can dance to but it is music you can bob along to and maybe twitch to. This is a big album and and I’m looking forward to exploring it more and spending more time with it over the years. But “Moonlight in Vermont,” “Pachuco Cadaver” and “Veteran’s Day Poppy” were highlights that felt (somewhat) more accessible than the rest. I imagine that Tom Waits must have been influenced by Captain Beefheart. The lead vocals sound similar to Waits’s growl and the spoken word tracks are reminiscent of the sort of interlude he likes to include on his albums. There’s another band I thought of while listening to this, an indie band called Abe Vigoda. Their 2008 album “Skeleton” was something I listened to a bit in college and I still put it on every once in a while when I get a craving for their sound. They play a more pop-oriented, punky version of the controlled chaos Captain Beefheart plays here. I bet they were fans too.

Oh boy the real outsider avant-garde album that every avant garde-ist must hear at some point in their lives. It's uncomfortable cacophony is a welcome sound to me and it's kind of funny and silly and it makes it approachable for such pop-antagonistic music. I've heard bits and pieces of this album over the years, many times by having people say "you ever hear this weird album?" and then playing a song or two before you put on more listenable stuff, but I never heard it all at once. I've always leaned towards being a rebellious "i like weird stuff" kind of person and so this stuff immediately jives with me. It deserves a spot on this list, and it's a cool collection of art.

Not on Spotify so can’t really rate 2** based on some Spotify album that had this in its name

"a reputation as one of the most challenging recordings in the 20th century musical canon" Wikipedia didn't lie

A steaming hot pile of garbage.

I'm all for experimentation in music but it has to have some redeeming quality. This has nothing.

Alright, a little full of itself, but not as bad as some of the prog-rockers

Je comprends toutes les mauvaises reviews de cet album qu'il y a sur ce site. Autant c'est unique, chaotique tout en étant tellement complexe, très humoristique, très marquant, mais c'est horriblement mixé, difficile à écouter d'un trait, très énnervant. C'est autant admirable que détestable. 4/10

Hey, I get it: this is a challenging record. I doubt anyone listens to this regularly, "for fun." If I got in a car and the driver put Trout Mask Replica on the stereo I'd open the passenger door and tuck and roll my way to safety/freedom. But if you're running through this list and barely make it through Frownland, then turn it off and slap one star and some snarky "ew the simpsons guy was wrong!" pap as a review; or even give this a full listen and still think this warrants a flat 1 and a kiss-off...you're not taking this very seriously and should have all your other reviews wiped from the site. And if you think that's unfair: hey, I don't make the rules. 'Cause if I did, that would be one of them.

Bit long, but not terrible

That's not my taste in musik.

I think there was an error on the cover. It should have read "beef fart", an odious warning signal preceding the massive plop that was about to escape from just below a raised tail. I tried to find something to like during this unpleasant auditory assault and I was left wanting. The music was as off-putting as the cover.

I usually only rate things poorly if it's extremely bad or if it's so long and far past the point of any enjoyment. This is both.

Not my first listen of this but the only time in the history of the entire universe where I didn't immediately skip the YouTube ads. An extra star for them rehearsing this for 8 months before laying it all down in one 6-hour take. It's actually more impressive that they where somehow able to rehearse what ever this is. Back to one star actually what an absolute shit show.

Wow... I love post punk and noise rock. Berg and Schoenberg both fascinated me in college. The experimental band music from Ives was some of my favorite to experience live. I throw in an album from The Residents at least once every few months since this list introduced me to Duck Stab/Buster Glenn. Which is all a preamble to say this is the biggest pile of horseshit I may have ever heard. That's not to say there were not highlights. Some moments were fun. The instrumentalists are all virtuoso and crazy tight in the chaos. But the whole this is musical nihilism at its absolute worse. Who is this album for? No one seems to be having any fun with this. It's nonsense and absolute pretentious nonsense at that. Is this some kind of odd exploration of what music can be? Sure, but that doesn't make it interesting or moving. It's weird for it's own sake and as a flag to try to mark the band and listener and cooler than everyone around them. Fuck that.

Given the cover of this album (I know, don’t judge blah blah) I’m very grateful this was not available on Spotify

Wow this album is a mess, it’s too long, it’s too strange, I had to listen to it on YouTube, at times I didn’t know when the adverts stopped and the music started. But there were parts of the album I really enjoyed, it’s different, it’s influential and it’s pretentious. Overall my summary would be you need to listen to this at least once, it will be a chore and good chance you will hate it, but this challenge and life would be boring if we all just liked mainstream rock, so get outside your comfort zone.

I expected to hate this and I didn't dislike it as much as I thought. Very experimental and idiosyncratic.. with all the mixed up time signatures it feels like all the band members are playing different songs at times. Very skilful even if it's not always fun to listen to Not an album I really want to listen to again, but definitely belongs on this list

Honestly thought this was just a /mu/core gem, didn't realize real humans knew it. Very funny that this isn't my least favorite listen thus far.

Rock experimental. Bastante inaguantable. Un 2.

Menudo rollo.

Looking back at my review of Safe As Milk it was an album that I quite enjoyed. This album is much more challenging to listen to and I'm not sure I'll get much out of more listens. Fave: Ella Guru

This is probably a 3 for the actual listening, but I gotta give it 5 stars for the bit, and what a bit it is! Rounding up a bunch of talented musicians and locking them down and making them rehearse the shit out of some horribly complex compositions over and over again until they can nail them every time - and the compositions in question sound, to the average listener, like a bunch of talentless fools playing at random? Top bants! 😆 Also, this review has been something of a personal revelation - I saw some of the other reviews talking about how looooong this was which struck me as odd - I assumed the site was linking to some anniversary edition with a disc of bonus tracks or something (which would have been a great bit in itself!) but it turns out my copy of this album is incomplete! I only had the first disc?! I've taken a crack at this album every now and again over the years and it turns out I've only ever listened to half of it!? 😆 Fave tracks - from the half I'm familiar with, "Ella Guru", "Moonlight in Vermont", "Neon Meate Dream Of A Octafish", "China Pig". From the new to me half, "Pena" (I love all the "fast & bulbous" stuff 😆 ), "Well" (quasi Gregorian chant!?), "The Blimp (Mousetrap Replica)"

Beefy mate, I'm not sure this is quite it. Certainly it's far less accessible than Safe as Milk. There's a really burgeoning category of albums on here that come under 'more fun to make than hear', and this falls into that.

This sounds like an entire band falling down stairs, but they keep playing.

Normally with these reviews, I like to be thorough. I like to listen to every album several times, make sure I know it inside out. With “Trout Mask Replica”, I’m not sure that would be beneficial to my health and overall wellbeing. I’m scared of this album, and I want to capture my immediate thoughts on the first time listening. When I’ve tried to listen in the past, I’ve either turned it off or been yelled at for putting it on (over a quiet lunch at the in-laws’… nobody was happy when I picked it out of their CD collection) The thoughts below will, of course, belong to the uninitiated. No filters, no reflections. But maybe that’s what Captain Beefheart is all about. So, without further ado, please join me as I plunge headlong into “Trout Mask Replica”: …. …. …. …. …. …. …. Nope. I don’t even know where to start: the bastard’s unreviewable. I guess I’ll come back in another few years, and maybe I’ll get it then.

It’s a ridiculous album that I am so happy exists and influenced so many artists I love

Weird & Unique

Matt Groening is way too naive. He got scammed when he bought that expensive double album, and so listened to it again and *again* to convince himself that he had actually made a good "investment" when he acquired that unlistenable record. If that's not a symptom of a "hellbent late-capitalist world", I don't know what is. As suggested in that last remark, a couple of reviewers on this app are probably as naive as Groening. The truth is that if most people keep on listening to *any* record, they will eventually find some redeeming features in them. Heck, this app made me go through albums by Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift or Bonnie Raitt, and I eventually found a fistful of listenable songs in them (Yes, I did, as hard as that was, lol). Didn't work with Limp Bizkit or Kid Rock, of course, but I guess that if someone tortured me by exposing me to their albums 24/7, I would make some sort of effort to focus on the "positive", let's say. To put it in a nutshell, I'm not buying that "you-need-to-listen-to-this record-six-times-to-get-how-brilliant-it-is" yarn. Some truly great records are indeed "slow growers", but we're talking about very different animals here. A "slow grower" implies that if you're not directly and automatically attuned to an album you actually end up loving, you're not entirely put off by it either. This eventual love can't happen if your first reaction is to find the music obnoxious, grating, egregious what have you... And make no mistake, *Trout Mask Replica*'s music is VERY egregious. A couple of famous artists, including some that I find brilliant, like David Lynch, have professed their love for this double-LP. But my take is that they love it because its apparent free-formed nature liberates their own unbridled creativity, just as John Frusciante puts it so nicely in that wikipedia quote. More power to them. Maybe I'm not bright enough as a creator myself. Maybe the fault lies in my blocked shakras. Yet even if that's the case, I don't think those positive takes can "defend" this music so well. Gestalt therapy can for instance help you open your mind's eye and get "in the zone", as they say. But Gestalt therapy should be considered as a means here, not an end. If therapy was considered as an artistic achievement in itself, you would have bland new age sophrological albums sold for yoga classes in this list. Glad there's not any. The "therapy" suggested by *Trout Mask Replica* is admittedly very different. But that doesn't matter. What it has in common with sophrological music is how perfunctory and artificial it sounds. And it also doesn't matter that its contents are supposedly so "difficult", as if only "great minds" could get it (that's elitist bullshit, right?). For the record, I'm not saying that all "essential albums" should be easily digestible. And I do believe that challenging music can be rewarding in the long run. But you need something that counterbalances the solipsistic nature of said challenging music at some point. You need a buoy to prevent you from drowning into nothingness, whether this lifeline is a recognizable rhythm or a sketched melodic hook. Heck, even Throbbing Gristle can pull it off once in a while. And Captain Beefheart himself had tons of great musical ideas as well in his *true* masterpiece *Safe As Milk*, a groundbreaking, tongue-in-cheek and also challenging work for sure, and yet one that could be enticing and even accessible at times... Plus, you need some sorts of relatable emotions. Seems to me that so-called "difficult" acts such as Robert Wyatt or Ensturzende Neübaten have those emotions in spades within their off-kilter music. In comparison, the music on *Trout Mask Replica* is just a stifling hysterical performance *pretending* to display those radical emotions, and doing it within a pointless simulacrum that even worsens things. I've read that Don Van Vliet actually harrassed and mistreated his musicians during the sessions for this album. Probably why it sounds so devoid of true joy in my ears. You can't fake genuine emotions. So fuck Lester Bangs and Rolling Stone magazine. I'm not even mad at Van Vliet, because he followed his vision at least, and he tried hard to think out of the box. Which on paper, is always commendable. But I blame the pretentious fakers having some sort of influence at the time of this album's release. They're part of the scam. That scam gave the opportunity for folks such as Matt Groening to tell a story from their youths, which proves that the album is relevant on a cutural and intellectual standpoint. But musically, it's just a pile of turd. And anyone who says the contrary risks coming off as a pretentious faker as well. Not saying they *all* are. But *some* of them are, you can bet your boots on that... 1/5 for the purposes of this list. 6/10 for more general purposes (5 for general musical competency + 1 for the album's reputation and "impact") Number of albums left to review: 137 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 370 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 219 (including this one - for historical reasons only, and also because this record is the "platonic ideal" of the quote-unquote "hermetic experimental album", and as such, could be considered as one you need to listen to, if only for your "intellectual" edification). Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 278

Could not make it thru this artistic effort. Brutal

mica capito

Experimental, mad and audacious. All of this with Zappa production. Love it.

I get it. But it still sucks to listen to.

I genuinely wanted to give this a second try, but it's not on Spotify! And I'll be damned if I'm both listening to this and also dealing with YouTube Music's horrible user experience, so the initial ranking stands

Strange, uneven, chaotic. Parts of it I really liked and parts I just tolerated. The story of the recording of this album is just as absurd as the final product. As a Tom Waits fan, it's cool to hear the inspiration for his shift in tone during the SwordFishTrombones era and onward. Weird af album, but I'm glad I listened to it and might even go back for more. 3.5.

I’ll admit when something intimidates me. I’m not going to put up a front, especially not when it comes to music. There have been artists I’ve just avoided, no matter how open I want to be, because I just don’t see it going well. I’ve heard Captain Beefheart before. But Safe as Milk did not break any new ground for me. I felt it lied in that same category of mostly forgettable psychedelic rock that haunts the 60s. But I made the note that the album was still weird. Don always had the capacity to make unique and unusual music. But that debut doesn’t even compare in the slightest to Trout Mask Replica. An album better known for why people don’t like it than vice versa. But even with its reputation, this has still garnered a very strong cult following of people who adore it. And that’s simply because it was, and still is, unlike anything another band has ever released. And I’m able to say that as someone who doesn’t enjoy this in much of any capacity. And I don’t think you can argue that this hasn’t influenced a huge amount of experimental rock. This is like the fucked up baby brother to The Velvet Underground & Nico. It’s not hard to understand where this album has gained its reputation from. If you are able to put this on, and not end up disturbed or confused at least once during the listen, you are either trying too hard or already pretty messed up yourself. This sounds like the ramblings and creative outlets of a madman. There is not one fraction of context that could be added to make these lyrics understandable. You can’t convince me otherwise. The actual performances are indeed impressive, and written in a purposefully confusing and technical manner. But I think fans of this lean on that fact too much. Because even so, the music itself still doesn’t sound that good. If you are going to go for complex songwriting, you have to make it sound at least decent. You can’t choose one or the other. But I’m aware, “That’s the point”, and “You’re just not getting it”. I’m assuming that’s what I would be told by some people. And that’s great. To each their own. But this album is not for me, and likely never will be for me. Rating: 4/10

I almost gave up after the cacophonous beginning. But I’m glad I stuck it out. The rest was fun interesting jazzy Zappa-esque.

"The record label does not permit [the streaming of] this track." Listened to Hair Pie: Bake 1... Would've been interesting

Couldn’t find it on Spotify. Apparently doesn’t exist.

Still don’t get it after 60+ years of trying

It was an interesting listen. It's not something that I will put on often because to be honest it was a bit of a chore to get through even though I was just sitting here reading Reddit while it played.

Wondered why I’ve always avoided Captain Beefheart and now I know.

I've heard the name many times before, and may have even dabbled in the past, but Captain Beefheart continues to elude my brain and scrambles my very thoughts.

???????????

Someone was clearly joking when this made the list. Utter tripe…

有点诡异的 无调性音乐？

Cult classic. Unlistenable, in other words.

You guys can admit it's unlistenable. You're not cooler because you like this.

A hard listen, but I don't hate it, I don't know.

Fucks sake, Trout Mask Replica was on Spotify recently and now it isn't again. Will you just make your bloody mind up??? Anyway yes, the greatest album of all time called Trout Mask Replica. Brilliantly insane. It's fast and bulbous, get me? I also enjoyed this: https://alltherecords-blog.tumblr.com/post/91711139974/captain-beefheart-trout-mask-replica-1969

Pachuco Cadaver Ant Man Bee Wild Life Old Fart At Play

Sounds terrible and is not enjoyable but I feel like thats the point.

This was crazy, sometimes annoying and sometimes cool

Suffered through this. I know the point was to “break the rules and conventions of music” but the conventions won this fight smh I suffered

It's interesting

Yeah, I ain’t feeling it. 1.3

Is it bizarre? Yes. Is it disjointed? Yes. Are the random horns a bit much? Yes. Did I start liking it? Yeah kinda! Pachucos Cadaver was the track the bumped this up to a 3

Mom Im gonna be a rock star. Lets form a garage band No one will sign us It dont matter they dont understand our music Lets record our own record and produce it cause no producer will understand our sound. Bring his guitar hero band mates and records and puts this out. You know when you see sonething really sloppy and crappy and say my 6 year old can do that better well he probabaly can. This to me qualifies as performance art more than actual music. I understand that in the late 60s the hippie craze was huge and they were looking for new fresh sounds and some crazy 💩 was recorded and released. This is one of them.

Eww, no, gross.

The version on Amazon is no bueno

Not sure what to think after listening to that. Absolutely bizarre album. Interesting to listen to, but not sure I will relisten.

Total Goldblum. Captain Beefheart must have been so preoccupied with whether or not he could create such difficult and complex arrangements that he didn't stop to think whether he should make something so catastrophically unlistenable. Rating: 1/5 Playlist track: Hair Pie: Bake 1 Date listened: 04/06/24

Some stuff is just weird for no reason - but I feel like this is weird on purpose. There's a difference.

uhhh i don't get it. i think it's funny when he says "a squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous got me" though. 2.5/5

Should be a 2 but it made me laugh

i got a headache and it freaked me out

Could not listen until the end. Horrible

I can understand why it speaks to some folks, but it sure doesn't to me.

Não entendi e obviamente não gostei.

First of all if you are listening with spotify it's not on there anymore. Well after some searching I found it. All I can say is this was a waste of time i absolutely hated this. It was just too strange for me trust me I know quite some "weird" stuff looking at you:"Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict" but this was on a different level

It took me many attempts before i got through the first song and listened to the rest of the album. After a while it is almost listenable. The only reedeming quality is how difficult it is to listen to, makes it atleast interesting, you want to turn it off but at the same time not. But in the end it is not very good.

I understand why people don’t get this album. It sounds strange and a lot of normal structures seem to be absent. If you take the time and have an open mind, you will find out it is just a simple blues album. One with a lot of pseudo avantgarde blues guitar licks that appear more difficult than they are. It is like listening to a verse and chorus only once. Just run each song on repeat a few times and it becomes clear. Great guitar play and fantastic vocals. The lyrics are gibberish poems of tonal association.

Damn, the description is foreboding, this is not gonna be a good time. In this 1001-album process I look forward to the 5* gems I find about once every two weeks, but there's also atrocious garbage that is **unique** that I endure. 1 minute into this album and I know this is the latter. Solid 1* I think musical talent is somewhere in here, but it's put together in a completely unappealing way. Pena was atrocious.

Interesting

Not exactly easy listening but it's more palatable than it's reputation. Not something I'm going to listen to in full regularly but it's frequently thrilling, interesting and I can hear it's influence in a lot of modern music

I've liked some Captain Beefheart stuff over the years, but this album just doesn't stick the landing.

Day135 - they said f it let’s go get weird and i’m here for it and im getting that t-shirt

What a weird album. I don’t usually have a taste for anything this strange, but this one is strangely compelling. I doubt I’ll revisit it, but I really am glad I listened

Oh lord, this was a ride. At first, my gut reaction was Nope, 1 star. Do Not Like. But it grew on me. I laughed because it made me think of a group of newbie band kids, the 1st time with their instruments, everyone making noise and doing their own thing. It also reminded me of something I would hear on Dr. Demento which I haven't thought about in a long time. I could give it 2 stars but I'll go for 3 because I would listen again if I were in the right mood. Also, it's currently not available on Spotify so I listened on YT Music

This one wasn’t available, listened to their hits. Alright.

What a trip

Once you get hooked on listening to this album you want to listen to it again and again. Way ahead of their time.

I can’t pretend that I enjoy the music (*yet*… maybe it’ll all click one day) but I still feel somewhat enriched for having heard this mythical piece of tomfoolery before I die. What I can say with certainty is that I enjoy the album art and title very much. Very much indeed.

I wanted to get around this album already and finally I listened to it for the first time. I didn't find it too challenging to listen to, perhaps because I like all kinds of experimental music. In fact, it is a highly interesting album. Definitely the most unconventional and one of the strangest (in a good sense) albums on this list so far. It's chaotic but if someone listens to it carefully every note is well thought out. The story how this album was made is also fascinating. Many say it takes 7-8 times to get into this album, so I'm still far away from it but I've already liked it a lot. I can't wait to discover all those layers more and more if I listen to it a couple of more times. It already deserves a 5.

a fish made this album

This is definitely one of the records of all time. And I can honestly respect it for that, regardless of the wacky vocal inflections to the highly avant-garde instrumentals that feel more like the musical equivalent of throwing a bunch of shit at the wall and not asking the question of "just because we can do this doesn't mean we should do it." Even at its strangest moments, there's a certain novelty to it that I could appreciate and even found some amusement from just because I never really excepted what would come next.

I don't fucking care.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

What even is this?

This is such a weird album. Some of it sounded like parts of the same song were slightly out of sync eg Ella Guru, but some others felt like they were the backing track to a madhouse eg. Hair pie: bake 1. Some were unlistenable such as Frownland, yet some were actually enjoyable and lacked the general mania of the album such as moonlight on vermont and pachuco cadaver. Sweet sweet bulbs simply felt like an extension of P.C, and therefore unnecessary. Neon meat was just the right amount of odd, with tangible lyrics/spoken word and messy instrumental that wasn't whiny. It reminded me of an old advert. This retro aesthetic is followed on by Sugar 'n' spikes. My human gets me blues was similar in the 'just right' aspect. Dali's car barely missed going over the crass inharmonious border, but was still enjoyable. I wish I could say the same for Hair Pie: Bake 2. Bills Corpse and Pena were...interesting. China Pig reminded me of smooth old blues/jazz music or even country, thoroughly enjoyed that song in the mixture. Well felt like a biblical activist speaking in a megaphone on a street or on the radio- pushing the limits of what a song is, similar to The Narcissist Cookbook (as does Fallin' Ditch). Some gave the vibe of being trapped in a jungle listening to animals making noise, though in their defense, relatively good noise- for animals such as When Big Joan sets up. Ant Man Bee included a fusion of sort of jazz, rock, experimental music- it seemed as if the members of the band all had a different idea of what they wanted the song to sound like- not to say that it didn't work, because surprisingly it did (until around the 2.40 mark at which a horrible shrill sound decided to put me off a bit, though only momentarily). Another song that had a bit of dissonance between vocals and instrumental was Orange claw hammer, but once again this didn't take away from the overall enjoyability, though it was too flat to go on for so long. She's too much for my mirror changed up the flow again, picking up tempo and refreshing the senses (once again bordering on that precarious line of harmony and discordance). Hobo chang ba essentially carried on from the previous song, and not much more can be said aside from the half way point incorporating an actual tuneful beat. The blimp destroyed this in a way that I couldn't decide if I loved or hated, with its wild circus atmosphere. Steal softly through the snow once again played into the clashing aspect whilst bringing it together with some coherent sections, carried on by Old fart at play. Wild life was insanity, goofy as all hell, but had the instrumental and production quality of a middle school music class, instructed by an enthusiastic musician who has to try not to cry every time he teaches them (and not because their playing is beautiful). Veterans day poppy brings the album together, with a softer and slower tone that leaves you to wonder what on earth you just listened to, and whether you liked it or not. The answer....some of it. And the rest of it? Let's just say I'd use it as good torture music.

A bit too much for me. At times, this was difficult to listen to. I like other albums by this group, but this one was too out there for me. while you could say this is technically impressive, but that does mean it's enjoyable.

personal rating: 1/10

Wort a listen, but just one.

I genuinely feel for anyone who has invested significant time in the mental gymnastics needed to convince themselves that this dreck holds artistic value, conditioning themselves through constant repetitive trauma to find artificial enjoyment in it. Life is short. Embrace it. Hug your wife and kids. Call your mum. Cuddle your cat.

I wasn't jiving with this one. It was interesting, but not something I'd listen to regularly.

An album made by fish, for fish. Not for human consumption.

Tough. Really tough. So long. So wild. Tough.

It took days to get through this hot garbage of an album. Hardly any listenable moments and no memorable songs.

intriguing and wtf at the same time

It's like a squid eating dough in a poly-ethelene bag

kind of a classic. Not as bad as I remember

This is definitely one of the albums that has ever existed. It has tracks I think identify as songs? Man straight up, this album was absolute trash. Maybe if you were in the middle of a coke-fueled binge this would be passable? No idea, but man this was a bad album.

My kind of weird. Had to resort to YouTube to find this. I couldn't find it on Apple Music or Spotify. Too bad! Reminded me of Metal Machine Music for how it could be at the same time awful and awesome.

ok this one wasnt on spotify pero i listened to the band's other stuff and hmmmm its country ahaha. but the bass is fun

It’s the ultimate WTF album. I don’t know what is appealing about this album. I think it’s just that it exists, that someone let him make it. I like to listen to it once a year or so just to remind me that something this ridiculous exists.

Album not available on iTunes. Found the songs…most of them at least. Strange cross between bluegrass, rock, and jazz?

I have never listened to something so bad. It is, by far, the worst album and music I have ever listened to in my life. I wish I could give it zero stars. It is the best argument for "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" Jesus Christ.

Þegar ég sá að Zappa Trust væri skráð fyrir þessari útgáfu, vissi ég að eitthvað brjálað væri að fara að gerast. Þetta er brjálað. Það er bara brjálað að þessi plata skuli hafa verið gefin út. Skemmtanagildið er ágætt fyrir pælara, en jeminn eini.

This album isn't creative, it's just bad. There's a difference. St. Pepper's is a great example of creative and good. This one just sounds like dudes on drugs trying to play jazz after reading about it, but never hearing it. I’ve heard this album several times over the years, as it often makes lists like this. I think we’re just in an echo chamber with this album though. Just because a so-called expert thinks it’s good doesn’t make it so.

Not for me. Frank Zappa >>capt. bh

Hier krijg ik knokkelkoorts van

I can't listen to this anywhere and based on the reviews that appears to be a blessing.

Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons, has the best review of this album. He said that the first time through he thought it was the worst album he'd ever heard and with each listen he warmed up to it a little more. By the 7th time around, he decided it was one of the best albums he'd ever heard. Unsurprisingly, many people's first reactions are pretty negative, as reflected by the fact that this is one of this lowest rated albums on this site. It's definitely a challenging one and it requires some effort on the part of the listener. Those willing to try it are in for an experience though. Personally, I love 'Trout Mask Replica' in all it's bizarre glory. It's a different view of the 60s, more chaotic than the typical flower power, summer of love vibes. This album is part bad trip, part confusion. It's blues, it's psychedelic, it's avant garde. The background of the recording reminds one more of the Stanford Prison Experiment than Woodstock, with the band effectively locked in the house, converted into a giant recording studio, under the watchful eyes of Frank Zappa. Officially, Zappa is the producer here, but his involvement is debated. More than likely, he created the space and opportunity for Captain Beefheart to fully explore and experiment, with both music and people. It's a challenging album but it is brilliant if you give it enough time.

The lore behind it is like an always sunny episode but the album is bad.

be fucking for real

part of me wants to go with a 2, the other part wants to go with a four, so i'll settle for a 4 or 5, so i'll settle for a 3

Yeah, no. I couldn’t listen to the whole thing. I didn’t like anything about this album.

Quite possibly the greatest accomplishment from the Chordates since their breakthrough with The Incredible Mr. Limpet. Only possibly arrival by finding Nemo this may be peak Pisces achievement. Now, I suppose it is possible that I’ve been duped, and that these are really humans masquerading as fish for the shock value of an album cover. Well, crap. I just looked on Wikipedia, and it turns out that this is indeed only the creation of strange humans. I should have known. I would have held the fish to a higher standard. It all seemed a bit fishy from the get go.

"This sounds like a guitar center on a sunday"

musicians trying to sound like garbage. why? 0/5

It lived up to its hype

this was bad.

Challenging Listen. Unrestful. Makes me feel uncomfortable. But I can see the musical genius in it and I think it is important to expose yourself to music like this from time to time, it can open up how you think about, experience and create music. As it doesn’t match my musical taste I’ll give it a mid rating.

At first I thought it was ridiculous, but upon listening further I think it's good-bad-avant-garde ish... No... yeah, it gets better but it's not something you listen to on a road trip.

Listened to this while playing Imperium Classics solo. I lost. I was worried at the beginning that I was going to HATE this album...but its weirdness kinda grows on you. I can definitely appreciate why people think is genius level...but I'm not totally sold yet.

Ugh.

Trout Mask Replica is the third album by the American band Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. This double album of experimental rock can be challenging for a new listener. Not only are there multiple rhythms and tones, but it combines genres of garage rock, R&B, blues, and jazz into a medley of insanity. There are also a few spoken word tracks which sound like incantations or sermons from a crazy person. It's no surprise that the recording process was "cult-like," violent, and unsafe, as the band all lived together in the same house on welfare and could only play music everyday - not being allowed to leave. Initially released to poor sales, the cult classic album is now regarded as the band's magnus opus. Surprisingly, critics loved this shitshow of an album, calling it a masterpiece or that it's so bad - it's good. Listeners will either love or hate this album, but multiple listens are said to help you understand what the band was aiming for. I hated this album. It felt like a fever dream a schizophrenic would have, and the run time dragged on. I'm not sure what critics heard when they reviewed this, because it's hot garbage. The only saving grace is the fact that the band played badly or out of tune on purpose, to show that a cohesive album of music could be salvaged. It proves that anything (and I mean anything) can count as music if you try hard enough. I don't need multiple listens of this album, because I don't want to lose my mind. I guess everyone should give this album a listen to see what the buzz is about, but you may want to save yourself the trouble.

I wish I were dead

Produced by Frank Zappa. Experimental. I'm reading the wikipedia article because. this makes no sense to me. I was suspicious of this from the start because this is an iconic album cover and a well-known album, but I can't name any songs from it. Which is usually an indication that it fucking weird I hate this Checking my watch after each song to see when it ends It's like they had to figure out what music isn't before they could figure out what it is and just recorded all of their attempts Oh thank god. it's over Rating 2 stars because I recognize that this did a lot of cool stuff that hadn’t been done before but man was it insufferable to listen to

I’m too fat to go outside during the day. But I’ll stay home with you if you don’t talk about how small your hands are. Honestly would not relist but I’m glad I listened. It did make me laugh sometimes.

Real bad.

This is definitely....something.... Anti music? Definitely unique...I don't ever listen to it though. I appreciate it's creativity and what it's trying to do but it reminds me a bit of ecce homo. The genius is in how terrible it is and it makes an impact but you I never would put this on out of any emotion. I only rate it low because of that reason not because I don't appreciate what it's accomplishing.

Is it hard to listen to? Yes. Is it a relief after days of landfill indie? Also yes.

No idea how to rate this. Quite possibly the weirdest album I've ever listened to, but did get to the end. Absolutely should be on a list of "must listen" albums - but not sure I'd want to play it again.

Apparently you need to listen to this album at least 7 times before you start to “get it”. If you think I’m gonna spend 10 hours of my life wanting to rip my ears off my skull just on the off chance I might start to appreciate this train wreck of an album you can fuck right off. Prisoners of war suffered less

Seeing this get generated was a more effective jumpscare than most horror movies. It's gonna be an interesting day. This album is one of the greatest examples of Stockholm Syndrome. You go into it thinking "What the fuck is this? What's going on?" Until your brain reprograms itself and you start unironically bouncing your leg to Pena. 70 minutes go by, and now you're sitting there like "Why did I enjoy that? Why do I want more of whatever that was?" Literal brain damage music and it slaps. Hard to believe a fairly insignificant harmonica player made this. This feels like something a group of psychologists would create in order to conduct a study on the human psyche. Also, normally I hate when an album is not on Spotify and I have to listen to it on Youtube, but the Youtube comments on the reuploads are so good that it's actually a plus. Personal favorites: • "Played this for my dog and he established an independent city state." • "This sounds like what old chairs smell like." • "What a stroke hears when it’s having you" • "People used to be brought before the Inquisition for expressing this sort of thoughts" • "If this is the replica, imagine the real thing"

After trying to listen to this album for the first few minutes, I was ready to give it a 1. But after deciding to stick it out and I'm gonna bump it up to a 2. This thing is wildly unlistenable but occasionally, there are some moments of interesting music. Most of the credit I'm giving this album comes from the fact that it came out in 1969 and actually managed to garner success while being so unprecedented and out there. It feels more like performance art to me rather than music. Maybe I'd feel differently if I gave it more time to sit with me and settle in but I can't imagine wanting to spend more time and patience on this album.

Got this album as a teenager in the 70s. Been in love with it ever since. It sounds like Don Van Vliet wrote down all the rules of music and then purposefully avoided every single one.

Album #364. Wasn't streaming and then randomly showed up in Apple Music when I searched for the other Captain Beefheart album (#657), so I guess I'm listening to these back to back. I had no idea what this was going to sound like, only that it was going to be weird, of course. Yeah, I get what they are doing. Purposely out of tune, out of time, random nonsensical lyrics, etc. It's a shtick that entertaining for very short while, not the length of a double album. I suppose if you're stoned, this would be highly captivating all the way through. To me, it sounds like a self-aware Shaggs featuring Wolfman Jack, but you can tell these guys could play right if they wanted to. I didn't enjoy it, but I'm glad I finally got to hear it. Favorite track: Moonlight on Vermont, I guess. Now I get to see how their two years earlier album compares.

A second album by this group? Why? I was generous with the first album by rounding up. But holy shit this was bad. I did not finish the album.

A masterpiece, but, takes numerous listens to recognize it. Additionally, wasn't available on Apple Music.

This is creative, but hurts my ears

Wild life was wel vet. Pena goeie dialoog als intro. Well mooi acapella. Reclames tussendoor werden gevierde pauzes tijdens de lijdensweg waar we ons aan onderworpen hebben.

Beginnen aan dit album voelt een beetje aan als het drinken van een bedorven pak melk. Het is direct een klap in je gezicht. Spuug het uit en gooi het weg. Ik heb nog nooit zulke rare muziek gehoord. Of is dit de enige normale muziek die er bestaat en de rest is vreemd? Wie zal het zeggen.. Ik heb de hele tijd dat ik me maar probeer te focussen op 1 instrument tegelijkertijd, maar zelfs dat is echt onmogelijk. Wat ik vet vind is dat je een beetje proto-indierock kan terughoren bij sommige nummers. Bijvoorbeeld bij Hair Pie: Bake 1. Ze zitten er echt tegenaan, een iets gestructureerde opbouw en je hebt gewoon een Arctic Monkeys hit. Zo kan je dat waarschijnlijk nog wel van andere proto-genres zeggen. En dat in 1969. Het album was duidelijk 'voor zijn tijd', alleen wanneer begon dan de tijd dat dit soort muziek gemaakt begon te worden? Die tijd is er nooit gekomen. Beefheart en Zappa zijn de enigen die zo gek zijn dat ze zulke muziek kunnen maken. Er zijn vrijwel geen volledige nummers waarbij je kan denken: dit nummer is écht chill, een highlight. Het zit er elke keer net, (of vaak compleet) naast. Alle instrumenten lijken een verschillend nummer te spelen. Ik moet toch toegeven dat het een beetje op me begint te groeien. Rating: 6,5/10. Muziek moet ook plezierig zijn om te luisteren. Dat is het bij lange na niet altijd. Het album is ook te lang. Één highlightje dan: Sugar and Spikes: bizarre drumsolo van Drumbo (aardige naam voor een drummer) en kloppende(?!?!) falsetto

Van enkele primitieve grommen ging de mens in 100.000 jaar naar een ''Duran Duran - Rio'', én naar dit. God's wegen zijn ondoorgrondelijk. Even de knop omzetten, en head first het chaotische brein van Don van Vliet en z'n magische mannen in. En chaos is het. Er lijken zich tientallen instrumenten te gelijk af te spelen, en het album voelt aan als een huis dat op omvallen staat. Die constante spanning, waarin instrumenten met elkaar overhoop liggen, en je nooit weet wat er een seconde later staat te gebeuren. Het levert een unieke ervaring. Het zet bepaalde vastigheden waar muziek uit bestaat op losse schroeven, op een wijze die sinds dit album niet gereproduceerd is. Free jazz en poëzie gemixt in modderige delta blues, met een dun lijntje bij elkaar gehouden door het gebrom van Don. Het album was alleen te vinden op YouTube, en het lijkt me ook geen gek idee om dit muzikale herseninfarct op afstand te houden van het grote publiek. Heb me kostelijk vermaakt met de comments onder het album, en deze twee vatten wel ongeveer samen hoe ik het album ervaar: 'This sounds like an entire band falling down stairs, but they keep playing.' Maar tegelijkertijd ook dit: 'I have never experienced such a strong desire to keep listening and stop listening at the same time.' Ik hou van muziek die je op het puntje van de stoel houdt, en ''Trout Mask Replica'' zorgt er zelfs voor dat je er meermaals af flikkert. Vaak hoor je over dit album dat je hem een keer of 10 moet luisteren voordat het opeens een magistraal meesterwerk wordt. Ik kan niet wachten tot dit eureka moment zich voortdoet, omdat ik zo van het andere werk van de band geniet. Maar ik zit daar nog wel een luisterbeurtje of 7 vanaf denk ik. Toch moet ik zeggen dat nu ik wat aandachtiger luister (wat me ook twee bebloede oren heeft opgeleverd), dat er best wel wat songs opeens aanslaan. Nouja, het zijn vaak bepaalde passages en elementen die de aandacht trekken. Er gebeurt altijd wel iets extreem onaangenaams wat je ervan weerhoudt om volledige nummers nice te vinden. Dat Don van Vliet sommige instrumenten nog nooit had bespeeld voordat hij de studio in ging voor ''Trout Mask Replica'' is hoorbaar. Hoe 'free' wil je het hebben. Ook hoor je dat de voedingsbodem van deze plaat een gevaarlijke cocktail van insomnia, drugsmisbruik, cult-achtige spanningen, en gewelddadige episodes betreft. Songs die het dichtst in de buurt komen van ''perfectie'' (in het wereldje van Captain Beefheart dan) zijn 'Moonlight on Vermont' en 'Ella Guru'. Die eerste is voor mij het hoogtepunt, ik hou van de gospel-achtige blues die op de mat wordt gelegd, en de stem van Don is op zijn eigenzinnige wijze volmaakt. 'Ella Guru' is het nummer wat het dichtstbij radiovriendelijkheid komt, met een catchy hook die klinkt als een deranged The Kinks-song. Verder zijn het vooral de tracks waar nog een blues geraamte in te ontdekken valt die mij wel bevallen ('Dachau Blues', 'China Pig', 'Sugar N' Spikes'). 'China Pig' is een puike front porch blues en klinkt als een opname van Tom Waits in de 90s. Luister maar eens naar 'Chocolate Jesus' of 'Jesus Gonna Be Here'. Jij ook Floris. 'Pachuca Cadaver' is een ander memorabel moment. Die bouncy openingsriff pakt me helemaal in, en de outro is misschien wel het enige moment dat de band zich in een groove bevond. Dat kan nooit de bedoeling zijn geweest. Maar over het algemeen is het zo'n fucking delirische kakofonie aan riffjes, toetertjes, en vreemde time signatures, dat ik maar moeilijk kan aanwijzen waarom sommige songs er boven uitstijgen. Toch hoor je aan veel moderne noise en art rock bands dat het hun wel gelukt is om het te ontleden, en zo is dit bizarre album tegen beter weten in toch ook wel een blauwdruk geweest voor veel underground acts. De absurdistische humor drijft ook telkens boven, en alhoewel het vaak wel echt uitermate goed klikt met de maffe productie (of lak daar aan), hoeven die veel te lange monologen niet zo van mij. Die gaan volledig over het hoofd van een nuchtere Hollander, denk ik. ''A squid eating dough in a Polyethylene bag. Is fast and bulbous, got me?'' Nee, niet echt, maar wellicht na nog een keer of 5 luisteren. Ik blijf volhouden. Free jazz kan echt een verademing zijn in een landschap vol gestructureerde en in massa's geproduceerde muziek, en de delta blues heeft zoveel waanzinnige artiesten voortgebracht. Maar ondanks dat ik het een dappere en inspirerende mix van beiden vind, luister ik liever naar m'n Ornette Coleman en Eric Dolphy, of m'n Howlin' Wolf en Junior Kimbrough. De band schildert een surrealistisch schilderij, waar de luisteraar uren naar kan kijken zonder er enigszins wijzer van te worden. Toch verschuilt deze tekening - voor de volhardende toeschouwer - ook prachtige melodieën en groundbreaking gitaarspel ('Veteran's Day Poppy' is Slint een jaar of 20 voordat math rock pas echt zijn intrede maakte, en 'My Human Gets Me Blues' etaleert post-punk elementen à la Gang of Four en Minutemen voordat punk überhaupt een ding was). Het was een ellenlange trap waar de band van af donderde, maar ondanks dat er enkele belangrijke aderen in m'n hoofd geknapt zijn voelt het wel alsof ik nu met een verschoonde geest de dag aankan. PS: De vis op de cover is ook gewoon geen forel, maar een karper. Wat het dus een soort replica maakt. Oh Don, never change. 7/10 (fascinerend doch onplezierig) Highlights: Moonlight on Vermont Ella Guru My Human Gets Me Blues Pachuca Cadaver

De dag waarvan je wist dat die ging komen... Het viel me niet tegen maar eerlijkheidshalve; ik heb het einde van de plaat niet gehaald. Door al het gerommel heen hoor de heerlijke Beefheart-sound die op Safe as Milk zo geniaal ten gehore wordt gebracht. Waar deze muziek bewust uit de maat gespeeld wordt, verlies je mij als luisteraar. Ik krijg dat niet positief doorvertaald. Dat roept bij mij ook de fascinatie op wat vanVliet, Zappa en the Magic Band hier nou mee hebben willen bereiken. Dit is niet in één middagje in elkaar gerommeld maar een jaar lang aan geschreven, geoefend en bijgeschaafd. 6,5/10 Highlights Ella Guru Moonlight on Vermont

Too interesting to be boring, too bad to be good. A strenuous endeavor that offends most who decide to partake in it. This album is an abyss that makes you question your understanding of ... well anything and everything. Best Song: None of them Worst Song: All of them PS: FAST AND BULBOUS!

Upon listening to this album, one observes an involuntary physiological response, akin to the visceral reactions humans exhibit towards certain auditory stimuli which, from an evolutionary standpoint, are deemed hazardous and thus avoided for survival. The experience elicited by each note and melody transcends mere aesthetic preference, invoking a profound and almost primal reaction. This suggests that, to some extent, the auditory experience of this album activates a survival mechanism, serving as a reminder of the intrinsic human imperative to safeguard oneself against elements that fundamentally clash with one's natural inclinations.

This album took me a minute to get into. The beginning is chaotic, but not in a way I enjoyed, but I ended up warming up to it about a quarter of the way through - I feel like the songs got more structured after that point. I did really enjoy the vocal interjections, it made me appreciate the album as a fun, collaborative, and artistic project between friends. But, I don’t think I’ll listen again. I also tried to listen to Replica of a Trout Mask by Kansas Fried Chicken (2022), obviously inspired by this album, but I couldn’t get through it. The beginning has the same chaotic vibe that this one does.

Couldn’t really dive deep into it. Someone said “this album sounds like your first day at the job” and I agree. I appreciate the artistic taste and value of it.

I enjoyed "Safe as Milk" well enough, but this didn't do a thing for me. I am disappoint.