Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Wow, this album is one of the most divisive I've ever heard. Nobody thinks that Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica is simply "okay." Most of the reviews on this page either dismiss it as contrived, deliberately atonal, pretentious trash, or think it's a work of genius, and naturally both crowds are antagonistic towards each other. So let me clear this up: You are not necessarily an MTV-watching mainstream drone for hating this album. By the same token, enjoying Trout Mask Replica hardly makes you a Mensa member (that said, you probably are more interested in "out-there," non-conformist music if you are in the latter camp). This album is strictly an acquired taste, and that's how the Captain intended, I think. I enjoy plenty of weird stuff--Zappa, The Boredoms, some RIO prog, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Zorn, etc. along with quite a bit of abstract jazz and fusionized metal; and after multiple listens I still find this album to be pretty exhausting, especially in one sitting where 2 LPs of this material tends to become obnoxious after a while. It probably would've been better as a single record. I don't hate the Captain for making this album. For better or worse, it's interesting, and both a product of its era (in that it seems to be psychedelic in a rather odd sort of way) and yet exploits musical idioms that were unheard of in rock during its time. The free-jazz-meets-Delta-blues-at-a-postmodern-poetry-slam sound of Trout Mask Replica is rather unique. There's plenty of abstract rhythmic ideas going on--it all sounds rather stupid at first, but Beefheart actually intended it to sound this way, and the Magic Band practiced for nearly a year trying to hammer these compositions out. So, you can't call it "amateurish" or "incompetent." These guys knew what they were doing. As for Beefheart himself, I rather like his great bluesy growl at times. It's like Howling Wolf if he read a lot of Burroughs and did plenty of acid. Trout Mask Replica is definitely innovative. So, why do I persist on giving it only one star? Actually, if I could change the rating I'd give it two, as there are a few decent (not outstanding, merely decent) tracks on here that are listenable--Ella Guru, My Human Gets Me Blues, China Pig, Moonlight On Vermont, and Veteran's Day Poppy. And then there are the straight poetry tracks and other bits that are amusingly weird, though not musical in any real sense. The rest of Trout Mask Replica is not my bag, frequently bordering on unbearable in its pursuit of the abstract. It goes off on tangents that make bags of cats thrown in a dryer seem downright musical. Case in point: Either of the Hair Pie Bake tracks. I can't imagine many people listening to this album without hitting the skip button at least once. So, what we have here is a bold, unconventional, and influential recording...that does not compel me to listen with any sort of frequency. It's just not worth the effort, and believe me I have tried. Those interested in checking Beefheart out probably shouldn't start here anyway. The bluesier Safe As Milk is more accessible and musical, while still being quite avant-garde. If you like that album and want to dive deeper, go right ahead and try your hand at Trout Mask Replica. You may love it; you may hate it; but you should definitely *listen* to it.