This is a substantially revised version of a review first published on GMR.
What does it take to make a record a classic? I use the word “record” because that’s how Captain Beefheart’s masterpiece, Trout Mask Replica, was first presented to the world. Two vinyl 12″ records, in a foldout sleeve, with an odd picture of the Captain wearing a fish mask on the front. Weird…and classic! How can it be a classic when so few people have really listened to it? Well, that’s a question Kevin Courier asks in this addition to Continuum Books’ fine 33 1/3 series.
Courrier covers a lot of ground in the book’s 144 pages, giving a potted history of Don Van Vliet’s musical ouevre, with stops at Zappa, Ry Cooder, and a succession of sidemen who accompanied the Captain on his journey. I realized that I don’t even own a copy of Trout Mask Replica! Must’ve sold the original vinyl one day when I needed grocery money. Sure, I still had Grow Fins, Revenant’s amazing boxed set of out-takes from these sessions; and a healthy batch of vinyl Beefheart (mainly later works); as well as Rhino’s 2-disc anthology, and Rhino-Handmade’s live double . . . but no TMR!
This meant I had to go looking for it. Nobody I knew had a copy, that was for sure. It wasn’t in any of the racks of the local CD shops. So I simulated listening to it, by digging into the rough recordings of Grow Fins, and listening to whatever sound bites I could find. And probably, by so doing, heard more of the album than many readers ever have! First of all, who bought double albums with photos of weird guys wearing fish heads as a mask? And was the fact that Frank Zappa produced it in its favour or not? Think back to 1969. Golly, that’s nearly 40 years ago!
Courrier provides an excellent rationale for rediscovering this collection of rhythms and glass finger guitar mixed with Howlin’ Wolf yelps. It’s darn fascinating music. He gives the history of why Ry Cooder left the band after a very brief stay; and how musicians like Bill Harkelroad came to be named Zoot Horn Rollo. He describes the first time he heard this bizarre music himself, and the impact it had on him, and on his circle of friends. I recall a high school dance where they gave away a copy of a Beefheart album, only to see it destroyed later, when the poor innocent fellow who won listened to it! Such was the reaction to the Captain’s ouevre. And TMR was where it all started. (Okay, there were a couple of earlier albums and Courrier mentions them…but let’s face it, Van Vliet’s reputation hinges on this one!)
It’s interesting that the album is treated as vinyl. Not a CD. Courrier discusses the value of the four different sides of a double album, not one 72 minute-long collection of tunes. That’s what makes these 33 1/3 books valuable. They maintain a connection to the past, not just in their reassessment of old records, but in their respect for the medium. It was a time when graphic design meant something. 12″ x 12″ is a far better showcase for a photo of a trout mask man than a jewel case is!
There are many of these little books, all with their own personality. The Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime by Michael Fournier, and the Pixies Doolittle by Ben Sisario are just two of them; but you can see for yourself here the broad spectrum of albums they have covered. You might even find yourself suggesting an album they haven’t covered yet!
(Continuum Books, 2007)
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