[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aiiee I think the best advice on 'getting' TMR was given by, no suprise, Don himself when he said ( approximately) "Just put the album on and go do something, like housework, dust, etc . Let it play in the background" This is how it worked for me, cacophany time after time until *one* time, I heard the main riff in Ant Man Bee, and I was hooked so hard I'm still on the line

Yeah, I completely agree with that. A cousin introduced me to the Captain back in high school, and my friends and I listened because it was so bizarre and (of course) drove other people nuts. But, for some reason, it caught on and started to sound like it was brilliant. Now, I'm reasonably sure it is, sort of like a Jackson Pollock painting. Didn't appreciate Pollock at first, either, but he's grown on me, too.

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax i'm not sure, but i believe they had a falling out sometime around Bongo Fury. Zappa produced Trout Mask Replica, i believe.

Don basically destroyed his friendship with Zappa during the Bongo Fury tour. Beefheart drew pictures of Zappa as the devil. He wasn't amused.

Regarding Beefheart... you have to have an open mind to appreciate him. His songs are some of the most unique and creative to ever exist. They are simply so brilliant, that they held the door open for NOBODY - that's a huge accomplishment. Think about it: His songs were so different and unique, that to create anything that would sound "like" a Beefheart song, it would only be related to on its level of insanity and weirdness. The songs composed by Don Van Vliet (Beefheart's real name) are so personal and different that they NEED to be listened to in order to discover what a truly free-thinking spirit can accomplish.

His voice has an incredible octave range, his lyrics are amazingly nonsensical from a lyrical point of view, but when the different sounds of the words, and the word ordering, are examined, they begin to make absolutely perfect sense (yes, he wrote some of the most meaningful and heart-felt songs of his time), and the music works PERFECTLY with everything else. Even better was the fact that the music was extremely complex and warranted a large amount of thinking and decoding. He put out some of the best music of his time, if not of ALL time.

Stay with Trout Mask Replica. It will grow on you.

 

[shesmylovernow]

TMR is not an album you will like your first, second, third listen, etc. It's one you need to keep listening to. Don't dismiss it as a 'drug' album b/c it isn't that at all.

A few things that may help you enjoy it:

1) Think of it as a children's album. The Captain essentially was a man who never grew up; I think this a pretty good way of approaching what may be his most youthful album.

2) Expect absolutely nothing of the album. Forget everything you've heard about it being a masterpiece or a piece of pretentious garbage. Give it a fair chance with a clean slate.

 

[aiiee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shesmylovernow TMR is not an album you will like your first, second, third listen, etc. It's one you need to keep listening to. Don't dismiss it as a 'drug' album b/c it isn't that at all. A few things that may help you enjoy it: 1) Think of it as a children's album. The Captain essentially was a man who never grew up; I think this a pretty good way of approaching what may be his most youthful album. 2) Expect absolutely nothing of the album. Forget everything you've heard about it being a masterpiece or a piece of pretentious garbage. Give it a fair chance with a clean slate.

I think #2 may be a very important part of enjoying TMR. When I was first exposed to it, I thought they were just sqwonking and screeching from their beds in the bug barn. I, like the poster above, mostly enjoyed playing it for amusement and for enjoying the bewilderment of friends who listened to it. I think the fact that I was *suprised* when I started to hear the grooves was as much fun as the music itself. Enjoy it, don't enjoy it, don't worry about it, it really doesn't matter. As someone once said, "The stars are matter, we're matter, but it doesn't matter"

 

[Kees]

It is worth the effort.
Only: don't make it an effort.
Don't worry about any aspect of the music: just let it happen.
After a while you'll be wondering why you didn't get it in the beginning. It's right there in front of you.
You only have to pick it up like an inquisitive child, without any preconception.

Happy listening.

 

[caterpillar_36]

Gotta kinda concur with gratefulshrink. Trout Mask may well be their least accessible album, because of its length and experimental nature. Listening to it *many* more times may open it up for you, but if you're looking for a gentler, more accessible introduction to Beefheart, I'd suggest checking out "Safe as Milk", "Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)", and/or the combo release available of "The Spotlight Kid" and "Clear Spot".

 

[Denim]

I have to admit that I received a lot more positive comments on Capt. Beefheart than I anticipated. I haven't pick up any other albums yet, and I haven't thrown in the towel (so to speak) on Beefheart. Many thanks for the insight that was offerred here.

In the meantime, I've return to more traditional groups for a while. I'm sure I'll run across something else soon that will beg for answers. Of course, the knowledge of the members here will be put to the test again.