I listened to it today in the late morn/early afternoon. It was actually very soothing. It's like meditation music or something. It's a shame that with all that range he has, he basically sounds like he's just doing different versions of the same song. My favorite parts in his songs are when it sounds like he's trying to elevate some sort of spiritual or emotional importance in the nice chorus of Ella Guru and also on Candy Corn (not on trout mask) where it turns into "beeeee reeeboooorn". By the way, I think it's hilarious that he's saying candy corn is so addictive it must be more than simply candy with the lines, "they taste so good, I get ta need 'em. It can't can't can't can't can't can't can't be... candy. Candy corn."
The only thing I truly dislike about Trout Mask is Zappa's urge to fill it with babbling filler like he does on all his albums. An album is so much more powerful without all the little jokey script-reading in between songs. Especially when they mean nothing. Trout mask lyrics all mean something, even the little song about his fishing trip (I think the 2nd song on Trout). If the songs just kept coming without the little breaks of "oh, this is just too weird, here's a little behind the scenes look at the fun we had producing this album..." Just make it a weird album, start to finish, and let the songs speak for themselves.
Incidentally, the Grow Fins box set has an entire CD that has various versions of the music of Trout Mask, most of which without lyrics, but it's obvious that they really were rehearsing and playing music, but I think that's pretty obvious, anyway. Especially sine they reproduced it live.
NOW THE QUESTION:
Is the Cap'n a pretensious, self-righteous, lazy jerk (as in, his mind is just wrecked, so he makes no attempt to form truly coherent thoughts) or is he a mentally-unbalanced, emotional eccentric hermit that intentionally makes "word salad" out of higher meanings in his lyrics? The guy lives in the desert and makes no sense when he's interviewed and has taken credit for all the music the Magic Band ever played, which is not the case, according to the band. I personally like him, but think he's fucked in the head.
― , Saturday, 31 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Yeah, I'm with you re: Zappa's "humorous" insertions on this album,
they're funny the 1st (approx.) 1 time you hear 'em, but basically they
trivialise the whole thing, put it on the level of "An Evening With
Wild Man Fischer" (where Zappa's making the album into a Frank Zappa
Audio-Verite Collage project is sorta justifiable...not here tho' ,
this is serious music that certainly doesn't need any addditional
"check out how weird these people are" signposts planted everywhere.) &
yeah you're right , it is very soothing music, i think you have to be
pretty used to it before it has this effect tho'. The "Grow Fins"
versions of these songs are cool 'cause you get a clear look at the
music (sounds like the same actual takes, whatever it says on the box)
without any of the surface 'weirdness'... Oh yeah, your question -
why's that an either/or? Both, fairly self-evidently.
― Duane Zarakov, Saturday, 31 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Suddenly, I'm very into this music again... Thanks to the guy that posted the initial question! Are there any
other bands that really sound like this? Possibly side projects by former members of The Magic Band? I don't
know, but whenever I do a google search, I see it inspired Pere Ubu and Devo, neither of which do I find
terribly appealing. That guy from Pere Ubu has the most annoying voice alive. Suggestions?
― , Saturday, 31 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Try Trumans Water, you might like them...kinda like Beefheart gone
punk
― Michael Bourke, Saturday, 31 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
If you want more Cap'n style experimentation what about The Residents? I resisted them for years - somehow they seemed like a joke band to me, and on the whole I think jokes make bad records (even people who are hugely funny - eddie izzard or julian & sandy - don't stay funny for more than a few listens for me, thought that's a possible thread all of its own).
In that way that a new love dominates I am currently obsessed with the Residents - though whether this is a solitary vice or one generally shared I don't know...
― Guy, Sunday, 1 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)