Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica (Vinyl 2LP)

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica was released in 1969 as a double album on Frank Zappa's Straight label and produced by Zappa. Its 28 pieces fuse Delta blues, free jazz and avant-garde into one of the most singular rock albums ever made – today a classic that appears on many all-time lists. This is a 1974 US reissue on Straight/Reprise in a gatefold sleeve.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Straight, Reprise Records – STS 1053, 2MS 2027
• Format: Vinyl 2LP, Album, Gatefold
• Pressing: US Reissue
• Country: USA
• Year: 1974 (original: 1969)
• Genre: Rock, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Avant-garde

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: close to NM-
• Sleeve: VG (some ring wear)

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Frownland
2. The Dust Blows Forward 'N The Dust Blows Back
3. Dachau Blues
4. Ella Guru
5. Hair Pie: Bake 1
6. Moonlight On Vermont

Side B

1. Pachuco Cadaver
2. Bills Corpse
3. Sweet Sweet Bulbs
4. Neon Meate Dream Of A Octafish
5. China Pig
6. My Human Gets Me Blues
7. Dali's Car

Side C

1. Hair Pie: Bake 2
2. Pena
3. Well
4. When Big Joan Sets Up
5. Fallin' Ditch
6. Sugar 'N Spikes
7. Ant Man Bee

Side D

1. Orange Claw Hammer
2. Wild Life
3. She's Too Much For My Mirror
4. Hobo Chang Ba
5. The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica)
6. Steal Softly Thru Snow
7. Old Fart At Play
8. Veteran's Day Poppy

Personnel

Captain Beefheart (vocals, bass clarinet, saxophone, musette), Zoot Horn Rollo (guitar, flute), Antennae Jimmy Semens (guitar, vocals), The Mascara Snake (bass clarinet, vocals), Rockette Morton (bass, narration), Drumbo (drums). Produced by Frank Zappa.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
No – this is a 1974 US reissue on Straight/Reprise (2MS 2027). The first issue came out in 1969 on Straight (STS 1053).

Why does the album sound so unusual?
Beefheart often sketched the pieces without conventional notation; the Magic Band rehearsed the intricate parts for months in a shared house in Los Angeles. The result is deliberately jagged and unpredictable.

What do media close to NM- / sleeve VG mean?
The records are almost near mint (just short of NM-). The sleeve is graded VG: clearly visible wear, mainly ring wear. More on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have other editions?
Yes – e.g. the UK Reprise editions from 1972 and 1985. Find more in our Psychedelic Rock collection.