Record Review: Trout Mask Replica

Lately I've been picking up CDs at the library, figuring to burn them if I like. Imagine my unbridled pleasure when I saw one of rock's greatest albums of all time (according to Rolling Stone and countless professional and amateur reviewers), waiting for me to bring it home for a spin. Finally, my chance to hear Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replicahad arrived.

Too bad - it just is not good.

Critically acclaimed for it's "sophisticated" arrangements and "unconventional" approach to music, TMR has been praised as a benchmark album, that requires many listens to really "get". Among the best ever, with the Captain up there with Mozart, Beethoven and those guys.

Ummmm - no it isn't, and he's not.

What the Captain has done here, and I give him all due credit, is execute an "emperor has no clothes" album, at once revealing the ignorance of his reviewers, and his contempt for them. For that I applaud him, with enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, legions of Rolling Stone readers are still subjected to fawning reviews of this album, which was almost certainly created as a joke. Oh TMR has it's moments, occasional amusing lyrics, bizzare babbling children's songs, and snippets of real melody, but too much of it sounds like out of tune instruments being cleaned, or teenagers experimenting after breaking into Frank Zappa's basement. No doubt there were drugs involved, but somehow Pink Floyd and The Beatles still managed to be able to write listenable music.

It's worth a listen, just so you can say you did it.

Does anyone have a copy of The Velvet Underground & Nico?