This week I have mostly been listening to....

I’ve been listening to ‘Trout Mask Replica’ by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band’s for the past couple of days. Although it’s one of my favourite albums, certainly a desert island candidate, I’ve actually been listening to a new release of the album issued from the record label set up by Frank Zappa’s estate.

Why a new release?  Is it a multi-disc release with lavish notes, out-takes, demo versions, recordings of the musicians asleep and imagining how to arrange ‘Veteran’s Day Poppy’? No, none of the above; it is a single CD release of the original album. What’s special is that it’s an almost completely re-mastered version of the album, taken from different set of source tapes which, in the most part, have not suffered from the oxide loss and deterioration of the Warner Brothers master. If you’re interested in the full story of the new set of source tapes and the re-mastering process, see here.

I guess the real question is, what does it sound like? To my ears the sound is much clearer and brighter than on the mainstream release, most notable on tracks like ‘Ella Guru’, ‘Moonlight on Vermont’ and ‘Ant Man Bee’.  A couple of tracks didn’t get the full re-master treatment, but overall it’s a joy to hear this with fresh ears. Don’t take my word for it though; get hold of a copy from Barfko-Swill and judge for yourself – you’ll never be the same!