THESE GUYS ARE GODS

Downloads of the performances here.

"Trout Mask Replica" is one of my favourite albums. I love the "field- recording" aspect of the production. The music is complex and primitive at the same time. I like the conversations in-between the tracks. Beefheart's sax playing is great. The album contains some of his best lyrics such as on "Well".

If you're looking for a more accessible way into "TMR" try the album that came before it : "Strictly Personal". It has distinctly strange Beefheartian songs such as "Beatle Bones 'N' Smoking Stones" but some of the tracks are not dissimilar to more conventional psychedelic rock records from that period.

The BBC did a beefheart doc acouple of years back (John Peel was narrating it). There is some great footage, specially 'Electricity'. I've watched that one abt 10 times. Very funny.

Dan- Trout mask was my first beeheart. Very difficult if you haven't heard much Ornette/cecil (and I hadn't done when I got it but i think some free jazz could get you to appreciate the dynamics on TMR).

I didn't like it but I gave it another go because there were two/three tracks that I really liked. And i loved the words and his vocal range. I don't know whether you'll enjoy it but I'll just say that you should try and give it a few plays.

I've read a review of a 'new' beefheart album- Dust Sucker. Anyone got this?

greil m says the clash are "influenced" by beefheart rhythm; dave q says punk (inc. the clash for sake of argt?) is based in beefheart rhythm; mark p says the clash are "influenced" by ELP!! mark s says "influence" is a category error btw

troutmask is a very lo-fi recording: why? (yes yes because zappa wanted to undermine beefheart who he feared: but why as a positive chosen decided agreed-on artistic reason)

From a modernist viewpoint it seems fitting that such groundbreaking music should have such an unusual production style. "TMR" must have sounded completely unique in 1969.

I don't like lo-fi recordings usually but i love "TMR". I can see how some people might say that the strange conversations and production style are just gimmicks that detract from the music but I think the album is wonderful.

I found the album pretty much unlistenable until I got it on vinyl a few years back. Two reasons make me think it's meant to be heard on vinyl: 1) It's easier to digest the record in 7-9 song chunks than one 79 minute block; 2) it actually forced me to listen to what was going on, instead of listening to the first ten seconds of a song and going "What is this shit?" and skipping to the next one. If you'd like to try this, the album was reissued on 180gm wax last year.

As for more accessible, get the first LP, Safe As Milk. That's probably my favourite, and it's mainly a str8 ahead blues rock LP, with the odd flourishes (theremin), but not at all out there like Trout Mask.

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND THE MAGIC BAND-Dust Sucker CD (Ozit Morpheus/BF6003) $23.99 12 tracks from the original Bat Chain Puller album plus six live tracks. For Beefheart fanatics only as there is talk of hiss, dropouts, etc. You’re warned. UPC:6 55035 00032 9

"Lick My Decals..." isn't as good as the album that preceded it but it is still an interesting record. It contains almost the same line- up as "TMR" and has a similar style of music. I find some of the songs a bit dull especially "Bellerin' Plain", but there are some great tracks such as "Woe-is-uh-Me-Bop" and "Japan in a Dishpan". I find the album suffers from a lack of the eccentric non-musical elements that add variety and space to "TMR".

Plus, I like the marimba.