It's fair to say that there's never been an album quite like Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band's Trout Mask Replica - and this time, it's complete with, well, a trout mask replica! The singular 1969 album is being reissued as part of Third Man Records' Vault series. Every quarter (March, June, September, December), the label sends subscribers a limited edition package of exclusive vinyl with various swag. The 36th such set, due in June, is Trout Mask Replica, with subscriptions open until April 30.
On Trout Mask Replica, Don Van Vliet (a.k.a. Captain Beefheart) fully realized his vision of experimental, surreal rock music. Producer Frank Zappa, Beefheart's frequent collaborator, friend, and foil, aided him in fusing rhythm and blues, garage rock, free jazz, and beyond into an unforgettable, avant-garde whole. Despite the high esteem in which the album (Beefheart's third) is held, fans have had to content themselves with a bare-bones 1990 CD reissue. Two discs' worth of Trout Mask sessions and miscellany did appear on the 1999 box set Grow Fins: Rarities (1965-1982), but that's been about it. The album has been out-of-print on CD and vinyl for years. Third Man is celebrating the LP's legacy with a new vinyl edition remastered by Bob Ludwig and cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The source is a safety master housed in the Zappa family vault. The attention to detail lavished on this release doesn't end there. Cal Schenkel's original cover photo has been tracked down, too, and utilized for the jacket. The double-album Trout Mask Replica is pressed on two 180-gram "fruitcake fish-scale" colored vinyl LPs.
As usual for the Vault Packages, Third Man has included additional material. A French-only single of "Pachuco Cadaver" b/w "Wild Life" gets its first-ever reissue, pressed on white vinyl and housed in a replica glue-pocket picture sleeve. Both the album and the single have been pressed at Third Man's own Detroit facility. The most amusing item might be an actual replica of a trout mask, inspired by the cardboard cutouts found in original editions of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. A fabric patch replicates the cover artwork, and a tote bag bears a new illustration by Jess Rotter. Finally, Third Man founder Jack White's 2011 epitaph for Don Van Vliet (originally published in Mojo magazine) has been printed and can be inserted into the LP jacket.
This marks the first collaboration between Third Man and the Zappa Family Trust, and ties into the family's relaunch of the Bizarre Records label, originally distributed by Reprise Records. (Trout Mask Replica originally appeared in 1969 on Bizarre's sister label, Straight, and later pressings appeared on Bizarre.) Vault Package subscriptions to begin with the Trout Mask Replica set are available now directly from Third Man Records at the link below!
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, Trout Mask Replica (Straight 2 STS 1053, 1969 - reissued Third Man/Bizarre, 2018)
Side One:
- Frownland
- The Dust Blows Forward 'n The Dust Blows Back
- Dachau Blues
- Ella Guru
- Hair Pie: Bake 1
- Moonlight on Vermont
Side Two
- Pachuco Cadaver
- Bills Corpse
- Sweet Sweet Bulbs
- Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish
- China Pig
- My Human Gets Me Blues
- Dali's Car
Side Three
- Hair Pie: Bake 2
- Pena
- Well
- When Big Joan Sets Up
- Fallin' Ditch
- Sugar 'n Spikes
- Ant Man Bee
Side Four
- Orange Claw Hammer
- Wild Life
- She's Too Much for My Mirror
- Hobo Chang Ba
- The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica)
- Steal Softly Thru Snow
- Old Fart at Play
- Veteran's Day Poppy
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, Pachuco Cadaver b/w Wild Life (Straight (France) single 2C 006-91.200M, 1969 - reissued Third Man/Bizarre, 2018)
- Pachuco Cadaver
- Wild Life
TTZL says
"The album has been out-of-print on CD and vinyl for years" ?
Rhino released a 2LP in 2009 and Zappa Records released a remastered CD version in 2013.
Joe Marchese says
I know time flies, but that was 9 years ago and 5 years ago, respectively, and both editions are out-of-print. (Regarding the vinyl, Third Man's own website reads, "Out-of-print on vinyl for nearly ten years..." There's no issue with accuracy here, sorry.
Robert Lett says
No CD? Ugh.
scott says
I have not heard the 2013 CD remaster but did read of supposed damage to possibly two songs "frownland" and "hair pie bake 2". With all of the remastering and utilizing safety tapes, how do the two damaged songs sound as well as the whole CD? Does anyone have any detailed info/opinions about the 2013 CD remaster and how those songs sound after the remastering? I am a CD person and was interested in getting the CD.