Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica (revisited)

I reviewed this record nearly four years ago and had some difficulty with it, as I have since I first bought it, as much as I love the Captain generally. At the time I said "maybe I just need to listen to this with a different attitude and "different" ears". Well, listening to it this evening, at a respectable volume, after a challenging week, dealing with various levels of annoyances and actual evil in people, this is the medicine that I need. I now do not find it quite as extreme as I did in the past, or else I just now revel in that extremeness. While some of Beefheart's other records may be somewhat more song-oriented (in his own demented way), I can relate to this in my current state of mind.

Still, maybe not the best starting place for a Beefheart novice, but essential for a fan.