Emily: On paper, Trout Mask Replica sounds pretty good. Inspired by blues and jazz? An influence on post-punk and alternative? Number 58 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 500 albums of all time? Check, check, check - sign me up! Unfortunately, this album did not live up to any of these proclamations. It was a lot of sounds that didn't really go together, some off-key singing, some spoken-word interludes, and distant and distorted production. In a word, it's a mess. After sitting through almost an hour and a half of it, my head hurts, my laptop battery is almost dead, and my ears are craving some rhythm and melody. Maybe I'm just too bourgeois, too mainstream, or too 21st century to understand Trout Mask Replica. Or maybe my ears just work too well.
Favorite Tracks: Pachuco Cadaver; Sugar 'n Spikes; When Big Joan Sets Up
Zack: After I finished listening to this album, I tried to write this review. Unfortunately, it gave me such a strong migraine that I was unable to look at the bright light of my laptop screen. This gave me even more time to stew in my thoughts and realize how much I truly despised this 79 minute marathon of terror. And yet somehow Rolling Stone decided that it is the 58th best album ever. That blows my mind more than a woman of loose morals with a hair dryer. The vocals are very scratchy and rough, which has led me to believe that Captain Beefheart is actually Captain Hook’s younger brother. Instrumentally, it’s random and free-range. It has an artsy feel to it that makes it similar to audio Salvador Dali, but not nearly as friendly on the ears as Dali is on the eyes. To clarify, I’m not talking about Dali’s art there. It’s a sexy little moustache, isn’t it? This album made my ears hurt and caused quite a series of cringes. If that’s your thing, then this is a perfect album for you. If you’re a normal person who does not have a vendetta against their eardrums, then stay away.
Least Despised Tracks: My Human Gets Me Blues; Moonlight on Vermont; Veteran’s Day Poppy
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