TROUT MASK REPLICA

Wow, this album has always stirred up polarised emotions. Some people can't stand it, some think it's the greatest thing ever recorded. The fact is that regardless of what anyone thinks, few artists have ever been as progressive on record as Beefheart was on this album and as such it is absolutely essential listening. 9 months of solid rehearsing, isolated from the world, then all down in one take - has anyone ever been this close to the edge of the abyss and come back to tell us about it, I doubt it. One could wax lyrical about the influences, the extraordinary vocal range, the unbelievable musicianship etc, but one thing makes this album stand head and shoulders above anything else for me - it's as close as popular music as music has ever got to art.