One of the most maniacal musical geniuses of the 20th century would be 72 today if he were still alive. Captain Beefheart aka Don Glen Vilet released a string of albums by himself and with His Magic Band. He covered many genres from free jazz to folk to blues but his most genre-bending release would be the calculated insanity of Trout Mask Replica. This staggering double album produced by Frank Zappa contained some of the harshest, most cacophonous blues/rock to ever emerge in the history of music. Captain Beefheart wrote wailing parts for drums, guitar, bass, piano, and clarinet that when combined initially sounds like sheet music in a blender, but when listening closer, one hears how deliberate he was in these meter modulations and pitch shifts. An extremely influential album in spirit more than in function (who could possibly replace Captain Beefheart?), Trout Mask Replica is a must-listen for anyone willing to challenge themselves and discover how music should be interpreted, as art.
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