An interesting experiment has turned up on Youtube. Using AI software Ant 2 Man Bee has deconstructed the Trout Mask album. He’s taken each of the songs and isolated each individual track, breaking it down so you can hear Mark’s bass, John’s drums, Bill’s guitar, Jeff’s guitar and Don’s vocals separately. As Ant 2 Man bee explains: I was shocked at how good the neural net was after I tested using Sugar ‘n Spikes. While it isn’t perfect, it is still amazing how quickly the technology evolved when just a few years ago you couldn’t isolate instrumentations from whole songs without having a very goodRead More →

I suppose it had to happen eventually but it has taken a long while for Trout Mask Replica to become available via streaming platforms. Zappa Records have finally made the legendary album available in HiRes 24 bits 96kHz Stereo via the Qobuz streaming service. It will be exclusively available on Qobuz for thirty days before other services get a look in. According to Ahmet the delay in getting the album streamed was due to them being a small team and not getting around to Don’s album because they were so involved in the reissues of Frank’s music. This presumably also explains why they never botheredRead More →

Now here’s a thing … a whole podcast about the Trout Mask Replica album … and not just one podcast but one podcast for EACH track. This is being bought to you by the Prince Track by Track Podcast set up by Darren Husted (see below for more information about the origin of this podcast series). Darren asked some friends if they’d be interested in creating a podcast for a favourite album and Joel Bakker suggested Trout Mask. Joel then set about convincing assorted Beefheart fans to choose a track, and with him hosting recorded their discussion about the track, the album, how they gotRead More →

UPDATED: 8th May 2020 Eric Gudas has written a fascinating article for the All About Jazz website about the making of Trout Mask Replica. He looks at it from a jazz viewpoint as that’s the audience he’s writing for so it makes for an interesting read. I don’t think there are many articles that have discussed the jazz connections of Don’s music. He draws heavily on the interviews done by Samual Andreyev with the members of the Trout band plus a lengthy interview he carried out with John  French. I am unable to link direct to the article (the site keeps changing its URL) soRead More →

It’s good to see that some people have taken the time to acknowledge Trout Mask’s 50th anniversary. Here we have two online radio shows, both available on Mixcloud,  taking different approaches to celebrating the greatness of the band’s landmark album. Both are well worth a listen. Firstly we have the London based Resonance FM. The host discusses the album with Beefheart biographer, Mike Barnes and the show is described as: Freewheeling music series with Ivor Kallin. This week we celebrate fifty years since the release of Captain Beefheart’s Troutmask Replica, with special guest Mike Barnes, author of the seminal work on the good captain. ExpectRead More →

For many people on the first listen Trout Mask Replica just sounds awful. For those of us that grow to love it, it’s a masterpiece. If you don’t entirely get it yet, this 10 minute feature video from Vox nicely picks apart what’s going on and why so many of us consider it to be uniquely special. If you enjoy this and want something more in-depth then have a look at Samuel Andreyev’s analysis of Frownland and his extended conversation with John French.  Read More →

Liverpool’s Bluecoat Gallery continue their support of all things Beefheart with a special event to mark Trout Mask Replica’s 50th anniversary. Beefheart biographer Mike Barnes will be leading a discussion about the album and artist Derek Tyman will be creating a scale model of the Trout House! Bluecoat Artistic Director Bryan Biggs chairs the event, which continues Bluecoat’s relationship to Beefheart, from his first ever exhibition of paintings at the venue in 1972 to a special weekend in 2017 that explored him as a ‘total artist’ who embraced music, art, writing and performance. The event is on Sunday 16th June 2019. For more details andRead More →

This release, Vault Package #36, by Jack White’s Third Man Records has caused a bit of a buzz amongst fans not least because of the way it had to be pre-ordered on subscription via the label’s website and at $60 it was not cheap. Understandably the cost put many people off but plenty more battled with the website and signed up for it. Third Man Records blurb: In full partnership with the Zappa Family Trust and to celebrate the relaunch of the seminal Bizarre label imprint, Third Man Records is proud to announce its 36th Vault package focused squarely on Captain Beefheart and the MagicRead More →

The remastered Trout Mask Replica is at last getting a vinyl release. It is in the capable hands of Jack White’s Third Man Records. Not only are they releasing the double vinyl album but also the mega-rare France-only single “Pachuco Cadaver / Wild Life”. Other bits and bobs are included in this package. Like all Third Man Records this will not be available in a store. You will have to sign up for a subscription on their website … and to get this Beefheart release (Vault Package #36) you’ll need to do it before 30 April 2018. The cost is $60 plus shipping. For moreRead More →

Song List: Hair pie: bake 1 Hair pie: bake 2 Jam one Hobo chang ba (take one) Hobo chang ba (take two) Dachau blues Old fart at play Pachuco cadaver Sugar N’ spikes jam two Sweet sweet bulbs Frownland (take one) Frownland Ella guru She’s too much for my mirror Steal softly through snow My human gets me blues (take one and cut) My human gets me blues (take two) When big joan sets up (take one) When big joan sets up (take two) Jam three China pig Blimp Herb Overdub Septic tank Jam four Jam five Jam six Publicity blurb: The Captain had aRead More →

We recently posted about composer Samuel Andreyev’s Youtube analysis of the album Trout Mask Replica. A fascinating piece if you haven’t watched it yet. On the back of piece we were able to put Samuel in contact with John French and he has now posted an excellent video interview with John on Youtube lasting an hour and forty five minutes. In the interview they discuss John’s time in the Magic Band (unsurprisingly), concentrating on the time in the Trout House and the making of TMR. Take a look here: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od0_LRNlE5A]Read More →

Have you ever wanted to a closer look at how the music was Trout Mask Replica works, how the different parts interlock and work with each other? The Radar Station has been contacted by Samuel Andreyev, a composer and music analyst who studied at the Paris Conservatoire. Samuel has a YouTube channel in which he analyses key 20th- and 21st-century compositions by composers such as Charles Ives, Igor Stravinsky, Earle Brown  and discusses (mainly) classical music in general. In his latest YouTube posting Samuel has analysed the opening track of Trout Mask Replica, the daunting Frownland. He breaks the track down into its component parts using formalRead More →

Unofficial cover art by Unkie Al Song list: Frownland The Dust Blows Forward And The Dust Blows Back Dachau Blues [spoken] Ella Guru Hair Pie (Orchestral Version) Moonlight On Vermont Pachuco Cadaver Bill’s Corpse Sweet Sweet Bulbs Steal Softly Thru Snow My Human Gets Me Blues Hair Pie (Guitar Version) Further info A fascinating but, sadly, unreleased project from musician Lewis Taylor. Overview by Derek Laskie Troutrageous Replica! I have recently been playing a demo CD called ‘Trout Mask Replica’, a Replica replica, single-handedly made by Lewis Taylor, a professional musician best known for his soul albums and his music for feature films. Lewis chooses not to follow the growlingRead More →

Hmmm… is this the very best surviving clip of Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band? I think it could be. Copies of this amazing footage have circulated for many years amongst collectors but the quality has not been the best. Now that Reelin In The Years have gained ownership of the film they have made it available but you have to put up with their watermark throughout … it’s definitely worth it for the superior quality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUa5DcDmc48 Recorded on 15 January 1971 at WABX Studio, directed by Chuck Reti. (Incorrectly dated on the video). Available on the enhanced disc of Grow Fins but not in suchRead More →

Wild life along with my wife I’m goin’ up on the mountain fo’ the rest uh m’ life ‘fore they take m’ life ‘fore they take m’ wild life ‘fore they take m’ wife They got m’ mother ‘n father ‘n run down all my kin Folks I know I’m next Wild life along with m’ wife I’m goin’ up on the mountain fo’ the rest uh m’ life ‘fore they take m’ wild life ‘fore they take m’ wife? wife? ‘fore they take m’ wife Wild life wild life wild life Wild life wild life wild life I’m goin’ up on the mountain alongRead More →

Hoy hoy When Big Joan comes out Her arms are too small Her head like uh ball She tied off her horse ‘n galloped off into the moonbeams She pulled up her blouse ‘n compared her navel to the moon I dig my life for uh while When Big Joan sets up Her hands are too small She’s too fat t’ go out in the daylight So she rolls around all night I’m just sorta thread With uh drooped body I’ll set up with yuh Big Joan I’m too fat t’ go out In the daylight I’ll stay up all night I won’t droop ifRead More →

Light floats down day river on uh red raft o’ blood Night blocks out d’ heaven like uh big black shiny bug Its hard soft shell shinin’ white in one spot well It’s hard place dat I’m livin’ but I’m doin’ well well The white ice horse melted like uh spot uh silver well Its mane went last then disappeared the tail My life ran thru my veins Whistlin’ hollow well I froze in solid motion well well I heard the ocean swarmin’ body well well I heard the beetle clickin’ well I sensed the thickest silence scream Then I begin t’ dream My mindRead More →

I cry but I can’t buy Your Veteran’s Day poppy It don’t get me high It can only make me cry It can never grow another Son like the one who warmed me my days After rain amd warmed my breath My life’s blood Screamin’ empty she cries It don’t get me high It can only make me cry Your Veteran’s Day poppy (1969) Originally made available at Justin Sherill’s Home Page Replica, transcribed by Jonathan MachellRead More →

Sweet sweet sweet sweet bulbs grow in m’ latest garden Warm warm warm warm warm sun fingers wave In m’ latest garden Flowers dance their faces brave Come talk freely in the garden of m’ lady Her hominy smile her hominy snatch Only uh crow would peck n’ uh chicken would scratch Her lips turned up t’ kiss I see yuh Phoebe baby in yer bonnet With the sunset written on it ‘n the shadow of uh tree Curled around yuh knee in color n’ just behind yuh was the sea of negativity Tinklin’ like mercury in the wind Her feet kept by the groundRead More →