Talk:Trout Mask Replica
Trout Mask Replica: Band Line-up
Lineup:
Don van Vliet bass clarinet, simran horn, musette, tenor/soprano sax, vocals. aka Captain Beefheart.
Bill Harkleroad guitar/flute. aka Zoot Horn Rollo. Also lead guitar in the band Mallard
John French drums. aka Drumbo
Jeff Cotton steel guitar/flesh horn. aka Antennae Jimmy Semens
Mark Boston bass. aka Rockette Morton. Also bass/vocals in Mallard
Victor Hayden bass clarinet/vocals. aka The Mascara Snake.
Doug Moon guitar on the track China Pig.
The Music: (TMR refers to Trout Mask Replica)
The myth that Beefheart composed all 28 songs in just over 8 hours has surely been dispelled. A Uher 5-inch reel-to-reel (from Dick Kunc) and cassette recorder served the Magic Band crew in carefully crafting the pieces over a considerable period of time in the Magic Band House on Enseneda Drive, Woodland Hills, CA. Here Don's bedroom served as a studio and FZ would visit in a mentoring capacity.
During the album development Jerry Handley left the band. FZ had booked Sunset Sound for a session of 3 songs for TMR, so Gary Marker of Rising Sons was called in to play bass. These tracks were yet another version of Kandy Korn, plus Moonlight On Vermont and Veteran's Day Poppy with FZ at the control desk in an unfamiliar studio newly refurbished to 'solid state'. Only the latter 2 tracks made it on to the finished album, where neither Gary or the recording studio is credited.
Victor Hayden (from Strictly Personal album) then joined and Mark Boston replaced Gary. One or two months of intense rehearsal/writing/starving and in-fighting then followed, with Don's ego and expectations mainly the cause- having been given full creative freedom by Frank. One day Dick Kunc did arrive with sound equipment and attempted to turn the house into a recording studio. This venture evolved into no more than a lengthy sound check sprinkled with inspirational minutes and culminated in Don convincing Frank to hire a studio. FZ agreed to give the band 6 hours to lay down 20 basic tracks in Whitney Studios, Glendale, CA.
This gave the band about 18 minutes per track after set-ups. Amazingly they did the lot in less than 5 hours. Chunks of the house-taped stuff was duly cut about and inserted, with The Blimp (A musical icon of TMR) and China Pig (featuring Doug Moon) being highlights.
With the diverse sounds of the Sunset and Whitney studios, coupled with its audio-reportage style cassette work, this album opens up with the rhythmicaly defying Frownland proceeds to take you aurally to places you may be lucky enough not to see in nightmares and spits you out with the almost punk-like I don't want your Veteran's Day Poppy, it can only make me cry...
An album that's as fresh, groundbreaking and audacious today as it was in 1969. Take the trip.
