Third Man Records Vault #36 (Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica)

If this is an April Fool, they'll have made some serious coin from it. If not...




"Easter Morning, 1969… Frank Zappa calls up Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band and tells them the album he is producing for them is done. The Captain instructs the band to dress in their Sunday best clothes before they all go to the studio and listen to the complete finished work for the first time. By all accounts, the experience tiptoed between celebratory and downright religious.

Trout Mask Replica is a touchstone in the history of recorded music. The mix of dada absurdist blues and previously unexplored experimental avenues has long been praised as one of the greatest albums of all time. As so eloquently put by John Peel, "If there has been anything in the history of popular music which could be described as a work of art in a way that people who are involved in other areas of art would understand, then Trout Mask Replica is probably that work.”

In full partnership with the Zappa Family Trust and to celebrate the relaunch of the seminal Bizarre label imprint, Third Man Records is proud to announce its 36th Vault package focused squarely on Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band's Trout Mask Replica.

Out of print on vinyl for nearly ten years, this remaster was helmed by industry legend Bob Ludwig and cut by the estimable Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. Utilizing crystalline-quality safety masters kept in the Zappa family vault for decades by the trustworthy Joe Travers, the audio here is positively glorious. Every last skronk breathes full life into the room. Every twisted guitar figure uncurls onto paths previously unpaved. Every last bark and howl shines resolute through the vast emptiness of your mind.

Previous countless Trout Mask Replica repressings used scans of scans of scans of the cover image, but for Vault Package #36 the original Cal Schenkel cover photo has been tracked down and reproduced here at its clearest — its resolution from the original release in 1969. If you’ve only ever seen a jpg online or fuzzy, smeared-looking CD issues from the 90’s, be prepared to be wowed by the fully engaging spectrum this iconic image casts. This 2xLP is pressed on heavyweight 180-gram fruitcake fish-scale colored vinyl for that full-on frenetic feeling.

The French-only 7-inch single of “Pachuco Cadaver” b/w “Wild Life” will also be included as part of this overreaching package. As the only single ever pulled from this admittedly dense album, this is the first time EVER that “Pachuco Cadaver” has been repressed and comes wonderfully housed in a replica glue-pocket picture sleeve and pressed on a white colored vinyl. ALL vinyl in this package is lovingly pressed at Third Man's state-of-the-art plant in Detroit, Michigan for that extra-special attention to detail.

Additionally, Third Man Records has undertaken the creation of the first ever replica trout mask. Much in the spirit of the cardboard cutouts included in original copies of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s album, this mask will be a hit at Halloween parties and Duchampian celebrations for eons to come. If that’s not enough, Third Man has commissioned an impressive, striking fabric patch that reproduces the Trout Mask cover art, an insignia that will signify any wearer as a follower in the Captain’s army.

And if that’s not enough, the revered illustrator Jess Rotter of Rotter and Friends has run the Trout Mask cover through her inimitable style and cooked up an inspired line-drawing rendering that beautifully graces a sturdy, durable tote bag to hold all these wonderful sundries in.

Finally, as a testament to the inspiring life of Don Van Vliet, Third Man has lovingly printed Jack White’s epitaph for the man in glorious, psychedelic silkscreen broadside wonderment. Fitting in the LP jacket and fitting as a tribute, this evocative poem was originally published in March 2011 issue of MOJO Magazine.

While Trout Mask Replica kicks off the partnership with a bang, do be on the lookout for even more avant-garde and mind-bending works in the future coming from the Bizarre/Third Man unification. Minds will continue to be blown, barriers will be destroyed, verbiage will be significantly hype-worthy."

 

In full partnership with the Zappa Family Trust?
Yeah, right. Looks cool though.

 

It seems too detailed to be an April Fools, but who knows. It's definitely available to purchase, unless they pull a bait & switch and claim lol jks, no Beefheart, but here's your triple LP of outtakes from Dan Sartain, Insane Clown Posse and Mildred & The Mice.

If they start doing more Bizarre or Straight stuff, that would be a boon for TMR.

 

The Zappa Records CD release was mastered by Bob Ludwig. In the booklet for the CD it is mentioned that the "safeties" that FZ had Dick Kunc make were incomplete, but sounding better than the master tapes. On that CD Frownland and Hair Pie: Bake 2 are from the original damaged master tapes, returned to the ZFT from W.B sometime during 2012.

 

It would be unusual to do an April Fool with someone else's work, but then why release info on a Sunday (that happens to be April First)

 

According to FZ and Gail, Frank had the band over to listen to the finished album on Easter Sunday, 1969.

This re-issue is also showing on the main page at zappa dot com today.

 

A bit OTT? I'd be quite happy with a simple re-release of the remastered CD.

 

Vault announcements are supposed to be on the first day of the quarter. This is the first time for quite a while that they've actually managed it on schedule though - maybe it's a double bluff?

 

Very cool. I have a great vinyl copy of this already but still somehow tempted.

 

Something tells me that's not gonna be cheap!

 

$60 to join vault and get the package

 

As much as I hope this is real and will likely end up buying it, I honestly can’t believe they chose to use the Third Man labels on the vinyl, it doesn’t fit at all in my opinion. Also the vinyl color is hideous

 

I'm sure the Zappa Family Trust signed off on every detail, so they must be happy with it.

 

I’m sure, I just personally don’t like when viny reissues that could use the original label (which I assume they could since it’s on the bizarre label) use something different, especially something as loud and obnoxious and the Third Man Records label.

 

Straight, not Bizarre.
Bizarre was for Mothers albums, Straight was for the other artists Zappa and Herb Cohen signed.

 

Maybe there is an issue with Herb Cohen or his estate about the Bizarre/Straight labels.

 

good call, you’re right I got them mixed up

 

From the announcement: "In full partnership with the Zappa Family Trust and to celebrate the relaunch of the seminal Bizarre label imprint"

 

From the Zappa website:

Trout Mask Replica: coming soon via Third Man Records

 

Trout Mask and Decals were both originally issued on the Straight label, but both have also been issued on Bizarre. A member here today posted a pic of his TMR on a blue Bizarre label in the current TRM Poll thread.

Here's a pic of Decals on Bizarre...

 

TMR = Trout Mask Replica
TMR = Third Man Records

spooky!

 

Does Bernie Grundman Mastering do AAA vinyl? I’m hoping the pressing is good, I’ve heard bad things about the new TMR pressing plant

 

Is rhat true? I was definitely broke when the kickstarter rhing happened now I am kickstartering myself that I wasnt able to get in on the schwag.

 

This has to be a first, two Trout Mask Replica threads at the top of the page