CAPTAIN BEEFHEART - Trout Mask Replica

Item Description

2 x Vinyl, , Pitman Press, Gatefold, Auto-Coupled
LP Album Stereo

[l447694] pressing variant denoted by a "P" stamp in runouts.
1st press USA issue, with auto-coupled discs,
'Straight' labels with a '2' prefix to STS 1053 cat# & the 'Straight'/'Bizarre' address on label radius text.
Vinyl in black 'Straight' liners with 'Bizarre' address.
6-page, 2-fold white paper insert printed single-color black (folds to 12"x12"), lyrics within. Front has half-tone photo of school-age Don Vliet inside a panel, with legend; "Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart". Back & inner spread has line illustrations by "The Mascara Snake" [Vliet's cousin]. Inside facing-page has handwritten 'Manta Ray' poem which is under-signed 'Don Van Vliet'.

Works all contained in unlaminated gatefold sleeve.
(Pasted, no internal glue-tabs)

Errata on labels vs sleeve:
"Moonlight On Vermont" is printed wrongly as "Moonlight In Vermont" on label.
"The Blimp" is printed "The Blimb" (wrongly) & has "(Mousetrapreplica)" suffix on label.
[The intro voice is that of Zappa, recorded via a telephone link to Zappa's studio - with Antennae Jimmy Semens narrating from Vliet's script over the 'phone from the 'Magic Band house'. A field-to-studio recording, on which was resident on a tape channel the members of The Mothers performing the drum-passage to "Charles Ives" aka "Didja Get Any Onya?"]

Track A4: "Flesh Horn" is a Vliet affectation for the 'cupped hand'-to-the-mouth (hence flesh), used to create a 'vocalized horn' effect.
Tracks A6 & D8 recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders
Remaining tracks later recorded at Whitney Recording Studios (and within 'The Magic Band House')

Drummer, John 'Drumbo' French, was not credited on this album. (It is now accepted that his transcription of Beefheart's concepts/score for other band members was fundamental in its production. See notes in 'Grow Fins' box set).

One known official single was released from this album in France: [r2653807]