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cynical_genx_man t1_iy4jy3f wrote

>This one, at least for me, requires to be at the forefront of my attention

And with that, you've unlocked the door to Captain Beefheart, as well as Thelonius Monk, Zappa, Sun Ra, John Cage, Stravinski, and so many other genuine and truly influential artists of the 20th century.

But the reward for giving your attention to this music far outweighs the effort you put in.

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rluen OP t1_iy4mlf4 wrote

I know, but this one was more challenging that other experimental recordings, it does not go quietly into the background.

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AgentFlatweed t1_iy4mr3e wrote

This is now my favorite description of Trout Mask Replica.

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[deleted] t1_iy4m3x4 wrote

When my kids won’t get ready for bed, I threaten to play this album.

Honestly this album is awful. It is simply terrible to listen to. there are zero auditory positives. It’s fucking horrible.

I assume the critical acclaim is just a very long term and successful troll by Zappa, and a mass bandwagon effect among people that want to sound smart about music.

One of the very first reviews was “very great to play when you’re feeling shitty, because you’ll never feel as shitty as this record”. Yeah that’s about right.

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rluen OP t1_iy4mrsh wrote

While making them stare into the cover!

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darrellbear t1_iy4rks4 wrote

Give his Making Love To A Vampire With A Monkey On My Knee a listen, it's sheer poetry. It's from his Doc At The Radar Station album, which rocks. Beefheart was the musical guest on SNL off the strength of the album.

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rluen OP t1_iy73uzi wrote

That is a cool song! thanks for the recommendation :)

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jacknimrod10 t1_iy4pmw1 wrote

At 14 years old I saw the video for Tom Waits 'in the Neighbourhood' and thought it was just the worst ' music' I had heard in my life. A few years later, as I was turned on to different music and literature by more learned friends, my viewpoint on Tom Waits turned on its head. Same with Beefheart. This album in particular takes a bit open-minded acceptance and forced listening the first few times. Then it starts to seep into your dreams. That's all it takes.

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rluen OP t1_iy5672y wrote

Let's see how I feel about Tom Waits, him I like him better that Captain Beefheart on my first go on the list, I think it requires less work that this one.

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iambluest t1_iy4qkqi wrote

That's not a trout

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Al-Anda t1_iy4yv9j wrote

Oh god. This is a hard listen. I’ve only made it through one time.

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rluen OP t1_iy57e6q wrote

Wait I while and try again, it requires some ear training and full attention, for this one I fully condone either felling love or hate.

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growgillson78 t1_iy52w53 wrote

The follow up Lick My Decals Off Baby is a better shorter version of this album, though there is definitely some diamonds there is too much rough on Trout Mask

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rluen OP t1_iy73otp wrote

That too, is a long album to approach casually, with that length and that amount of experimentation it really requires commitment.

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Ash_LLR t1_iy5opcd wrote

I love Beefheart/The Magic Band but haven't listened to this as a whole album for a long time, I must admit. It's hard to get to grips with. It helped me when I stopped expecting everything to gel and focused on what one guitar is doing at a time (I believe it's mixed with one panned left and one panned right, which helps). Also, it has to be said that some of the tracks are much more accessible than others - I think one way to approach the album would be to start by listening to say Ella Guru, Moonlight on Vermont and Veteran's Day Poppy, then throw in maybe Steal Softly thru Snow, Sugar n Spikes, China Pig, Orange Claw Hammer, building up to Frownland etc. once you've got a bit more of a handle on the basic approach. I seem to remember listening to the instrumental tracks for much of the album at one time and thinking they were often somewhat more accessible than the finished versions with vocals.

For anybody wanting to get into Beefheart in general (and fans of course) I can't speak too highly of the reformed, John French-fronted version of the band that was active from 2004-2015 or so. It shouldn't have worked but it really, really did. Fantastic live (check out the Magnetic Draw DVD), always did a few Trout Mask tracks.

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rluen OP t1_iy739jf wrote

The vocals are a big part of why this record can't be listened as background music, the complexity of the compositions is already challenging, but with the singing it is just too much, demands full attention.

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Ash_LLR t1_iy5p4fz wrote

For God's sake don't let Trout Mask put you off Beefheart entirely. Try Clear Spot, Safe as Milk or Shiny Beast for a more accessible jumping on point.

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rluen OP t1_iy73ga5 wrote

It didn't put me down, I liked the album but is demanding. I really enjoyed Safe as Milk too, waaaay more approachable.

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thatguyryan t1_iy6segq wrote

Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons: 'The first time I heard it, I thought it was the worst thing I'd ever heard. It was just a sloppy cacophony. Then I listened to it a couple more times and, about the third time, I realised they were doing it on purpose – they meant it to sound exactly this way. About the sixth or seventh time, it clicked in, and I thought it was the greatest album I'd ever heard'.

Andy Partridge of XTC backs him up. 'I put it on and just thought, "What the f*** is this? They're mucking about! They can't even play their instruments. They're all out of tune. The drummer can't drum in time. The singer's not even singing, he's just growling…". Eventually I had a road-to-Damascus experience. It just clicked'.

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rluen OP t1_iy746ma wrote

I read that they recorded it very quickly, not because they played random stuff, because they practiced for months! It's like a Picasso, that dude could paint realistic stuff but rather do something unique.

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BodhiK187 t1_iy5vnr6 wrote

Tropical Hotdog Night!

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