026: Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica (1969)
"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, because I couldn't believe Frank Zappa could do this to me…. About the sixth or seventh time, it clicked in, and I thought it was the greatest album I'd ever heard."
—Matt Groening
This week, the Discord and Rhyme crew settle in for a breezy, fast ‘n bulbous chat about one of the most infamously impenetrable albums of the 20th century. Sure, we could have made it easy on ourselves and chosen one of Captain Beefheart’s shorter, more accessible records, but where’s the fun in that? On this episode, Dan guides Mike, Phil, and Rich through Beefheart (and the Magic Band)’s 1969 magnum opus Trout Mask Replica, a double (yes, double) album that, depending on who you ask, is either a hugely influential, groundbreaking masterpiece or completely unlistenable noise. Listen as we discuss the insane story behind how the album was made, list the dozens upon dozens of bands and artists who have scrapped the album’s sound for parts in the decades since, and break down why people who enjoy it aren’t just trying to prove how cool they are.
Miscellany
Correction: Dan mistakenly introduced the album as being by The Magic Band. His Magic Band actually didn’t become The Magic Band until the 1970 follow-up album Lick My Decals Off, Baby. It’s small details like this that will drive an OCD person insane managing an iTunes library.
This lineup of the band indeed did go on to perform in a Captain-free incarnation under the name Mallard, releasing two albums in the mid-1970s and touring with Jethro Tull. In 2003, John French reformed The Magic Band, taking on vocal duties himself, and toured with a rotating cast of old and new band members.
Some of Captain Beefheart’s early collaborations with Frank Zappa can be heard on Zappa’s 1996 collection of odds and ends, The Lost Episodes. This compilation notably contains Beefheart’s first recorded vocal on the track “Lost in a Whirlpool.”
This album has recently been treated to a lovely vinyl re-release by Third Man Records. However, its availability of CD seems to be somewhat tricky, as Amazon currently only offers it through overpriced third-party sellers. For those of you who actually still buy CDs, the best place to find an affordable copy is straight from the official Captain Beefheart store: https://store.captainbeefheart.com/trout-mask-replica-cd.html
Our Spotify playlist for this episode does not include the actual album, because it’s not on there.
Other links
“Frownland” analysis by Samuel Andreyev (YouTube)
Why this awful-sounding album is a masterpiece (Estelle Caswell, Vox)
The Odyssey of Captain Beefheart (Langdon Winner, 1970 Rolling Stone cover story)
Discord & Rhyme roll call
Dan Watkins (host)
Phil Maddox (moderator)
Rich Bunnell
Mike DeFabio
Chris Willie Williams (Disclaimer)
Trout Mask Replica tracklist
Frownland
The Dust Blows Forward ‘n the Dust Blows Back
Dachau Blues
Ella Guru
Hair Pie: Bake 1
Moonlight on Vermont
Pachuco Cadaver
Bill’s Corpse
Sweet Sweet Bulbs
Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish
China Pig
My Human Gets Me Blues
Dali’s Car
Hair Pie: Bake 2
Pena
Well
When Big Joan Sets Up
Fallin’ Ditch
Sugar ‘n Spikes
Ant Man Bee
Orange Claw Hammer
Wild Life
She’s Too Much for My Mirror
Hobo Chang Ba
The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica)
Steal Softly Thru Snow
Old Fart at Play
Veteran’s Day Poppy
Other clips used
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band:
Big Eyed Beans from Venus
Zig Zag Wanderer
Tropical Hot Dog Night
Others:
Ween - Transitions
Ween - I’m Dancing in the Show Tonight
Procol Harum - The Thin End of the Wedge
Todd Rundgren - Dogfight Giggle
Dave Matthews Band - Dancing Nancies
Dave Matthews Band - What Would You Say
Frank Zappa - Willie the Pimp
Ween - Strap on That Jammy Pack
Complete - Hoogie Boogie Land
Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz
XTC - Ella Guru
Steve Reich - Come Out
The Pop Group - She Is Beyond Good and Evil
Gang of Four - Guns Before Butter
Steely Dan - Reelin’ in the Years
The Primevals - China Pig
The Fall - No Xmas for John Quays
Yes - Close to the Edge
Shellac - Watch Song
The Simpsons - Rappin’ Ronnie Reagan
Ralph Stanley - O Death
XTC - Living Through Another Cuba
Wilco - Via Chicago
Frank Zappa - Let’s Make the Water Turn Black
Yes - Heart of the Sunrise
Tortoise - Glass Museum
Songs we mentioned but didn’t clip
Captain Beefheart and His/The Magic Band
Diddy Wah Diddy
Electricity
Others:
Ween - Mister, Will You Please Help My Pony?
The Shaggs - Philosophy of the World
Frank Zappa - Debra Kadabra
Mr. Bungle - Everyone I Went to High School With Is Dead
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
King Crimson - Lizard
Frank Zappa - I’m the Slime
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe
Joe Jackson - (It’s a) Big World
Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
Pavement - Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era
The Beatles - Love Me Do
Blue Öyster Cult - Astronomy
Madvillain - America’s Most Blunted
Fats Waller - Shortnin’ Bread
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Our House
The Doobie Brothers - China Grove
The Grateful Dead - China Doll
They Might Be Giants - The World’s Address
Kendrick Lamar - Mortal Man
Frank Zappa - Prelude to the Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask
The Cryan’ Shames - Sugar and Spice
Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
Janet Jackson - Miss You Much
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
The Fall - I Feel Voxish
Queen - Hammer to Fall
Slint - Good Morning Captain
Sherwood Schwartz and George Wyle - The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle
Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life
Wild Man Fischer - Merry-Go-Round
Ice Cube - It Was a Good Day
Parliament - Mothership Connection
Carly Rae Jepsen - Now That I Found You
Yes - The Revealing Science of God
PJ Harvey - Meet Ze Monsta
Band/album personnel
Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) - vocals, saxophone, bass clarinet, musette, simran horn, hunting horn, jingle bells
Drumbo (John French) - drums, percussion, arrangement
Antennae Jimmy Semens (Jeff Cotton) - guitar, “steel appendage guitar,” vocals
Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad) - guitar, “glass finger guitar,” flute
Rockette Morton (Mark Boston) - bass guitar, narration
The Mascara Snake - bass clarinet, backing vocals
Doug Moon - guitar
Gary Marker - bass guitar
Credits
“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of:
Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste
The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...
Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
Herbie Hancock - Hornets
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Hair Pie: Bake 1 (this episode only)
You can buy or stream Trout Mask Replica and other albums by at some of the usual suspects such as YouTube and Amazon (but not Spotify or iTunes). Follow Discord & Rhyme on Twitter @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Follow Rich @zonetrope, Dan @DanSWatkins, and Phil @pamaddox. Editing is by Rich, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for production. See you next album, and be ever wonderful.