Obviously I took a long break from this project. I lost, along with some other things, the motivation to be creative in blog form. I also, deep down, believe I put things on hold because a part of me was aware this album was coming up and I had no idea what the fuck I was going to say about it.
I wish I could describe the first listen in detail. I hated it. After five listens, I was afraid of it. After ten listens, I was intrigued by it. After fifteen listens, I made a sandwich. And by about listen number twenty, I loved it. Trout Mask Replica became an album I couldn’t stop listening to and talking about and reading about; my fascination was fed by the freshness and creativity of the music and lyrics. It is and will forever be the most original record I’ve ever heard. Mainly this is due to the fact that matching Trout Mask Replica’s uniqueness is, on a human level, an impossibility.
I eagerly and cautiously recommended the album to people, profusely warning of its absolute insanity and insisting that repeated listens would reveal its genius. The admonition was overcompensating since most of my friends felt I exaggerated the strangeness of the album. But I can honestly say this is a record that changed the way I listen to music.
It’s bizarre, artistic, forward-thinking but not without its roots. There’s elements of blues (“Fallin’ Ditch”, “China Pig”), jazz (“Hair Pie: Bakes 1 & 2”), and rock (“Moonlight in Vermont”). But some of the music resembles nothing that came before it. The oddly poetic “Old Fart At Play” and the just plain nonsensical ramblings of “Pena” and “The Blimp” all contribute to fact that Trout Mask Replica is an equally inspired and inimitable work of art.
favorite song: "Moonlight in Vermont"
how was that sandwich on round 15?
ReplyDelete... i'm so glad you've posted again! don't stop! i need a project like this.