TROUT MASK REPLICA

It's hard to rate Trout Mask. I mean, look at the reviews that have already been written. You either love it or you hate it. The album is a mixed bag. You can pull something out of this album that's just Beefheart improvise singing, you can pull out a song with wicked experimentation, you can pull out a song that has very intricate melodies that are strung together nicely, and you can pull off meandering songs set as a backdrop to Don's poetry. Songs like Moonlight on Vermont and Ella Guru are a typical intricately melodic cool Beefheart songs while, Hair Pie: Bake 2 is an instrumental workout that combines pattern over pattern proving to be a very interesting a great piece of music. However there are songs like Dachau Blues and Frownland that seem to go all over the place while Don sings, and then songs like Fallin' Ditch and Hair Pie: Bake which make the album seem like a collection of left-out songs from other albums. However, then you read the rehearsing and how this album was went about making, and you wonder that this entire thing is entirely interesting. The style in which the songs are played, all over the place, or tightly wrapped, reflects the songs that are included on this album and where they're at. The whole album is entirely fresh while listening to, because nothing drags on, it's a frantic and experimental album, but you have to realize that some of these melodies and compositions, the players, and Beefheart's writing (at some moments in this album) have not been matched, by Beefheart, and by most other people trying to imitate him (a lot). Approach with caution and don't expect it to be bad, and you can find some things in this behemoth that could floor you.