TROUT MASK REPLICA

Still a very controversial record after all these years, so I says that's how you know it's one of the all-time classics! I think people who slag this album off as "unlistenable" have obviously never listened to free jazz. This music really isn't THAT far-out, the weird factor musically comes mainly from the way DVV slices & dices so many different genres, none of which are particularly "popular music" (delta blues, free jazz, that "20th century classical" John Cage type of music which isn't anything like "classical music" at all really.)

Zappa's personality as producer sometimes intrudes a bit (count on FZ to exploit the freakout factor and amplify it with his own sensibilities, most obviously on "The Blimp" which is actually a Mothers backing track.) But he also captured the Captain better than any other producer ever did (one song is recorded in the back yard! Such tricks lend a truly unique atmosphere.)

Maybe you'll hate it, if you're lucky perhaps it will change the way you experience music forever. Certainly anyone who is interested in 20th century music (progrock or whatever) NEEDS to hear it and decide for themselves.

Personally I wouldn't be caught dead on a desert island without it!