Some albums are so far ahead of their time the world might never catch up. And I would suggest that Captain Beefheart’s unhinged magnum opus Trout Mask Replica belongs at the top of that the list.
Easily one of the strangest and least-commercial albums ever to be released by a major music label, the polarizing 1969 double-LP has forever divided listeners into three distinct camps: Those who love it, those who hate it, and those who just have no idea what the hell is going on. I’ve been in the first camp since I first heard it as a teenager. My Sonic Reducers partner Eric Alper is in the latter camp (though I’m pretty sure I can lure him over to my side). The rest of the world can choose sides when the infamous album — which has just been remastered again — finally comes to streaming services in a few weeks. Join us as we spend a few minutes celebrating this long-overdue event, take a deeper dive into legends and lies surrounding the album and its enigmatic creator, and let you know what you can do with your unwanted Beefheart albums. Sonic Reducers: One topic. Two music nerds. Five minutes. Everything you need to know.
