# How much of "Trout Mask Replica" was Frank Zappa? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-trout-mask-replica-was-frank-zappa/89631 "2001-10-25T20:11:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-trout-mask-replica-was-frank-zappa/89631/1 "2001-10-25T20:11:17Z")
_Trout Mask Replica_, the album that many consider **Captain Beefheart’s** magnum opus was produced by Frank Zappa. It has been suspected by some that although it is credited to Beefheart, most of the music was Zappa’s. You can hear a real difference in styles if you compare this album to the one that directly came after, _Lick My Decals Off, Baby_, which was produced by Beefheart himself. This was brought to mind today while listening to the Zappa album which came out at about the same time, _Weasels Ripped my Flesh._ On the CD, there is an extended version of the song _Didja Get Any Onya?_ (longer than what was on the original album) which contains a sequence of the main riff from the Beefheart track _The Blimp_. Since Beefheart is not credited, I’m assuming Zappa wrote it, but it brings up the title question, how much more of _Trout Mask Replica_ was actually created by Frank Zappa? Any knowledgable insight would be welcome. [Edited by Eutychus55 on 10-25-2001 at 03:14 PM] ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-trout-mask-replica-was-frank-zappa/89631/2 "2001-10-25T21:26:27Z")
Here’s an article that may help clear up the Beefheart/Zappa question. [http://beefheart.com/datharp/int.htm](http://beefheart.com/datharp/int.htm) Without lessening the genius of Zappa, I would have to say the Captain was mostly responsible for the music. I believe Beefheart was a rather uncompromising individual when it came to his music. There is a lot of Zappa in the production, but there is a lot of Beefheart in Zappa. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-trout-mask-replica-was-frank-zappa/89631/3 "2001-10-25T21:29:40Z")
If I recall correctly, Captain Beefheart expressed his musical concepts verbally and more abstractly than Zappa did. I think Zappa may have had a hand in the music in that he would take Captain Beefheart’s concepts and turn them into something more concrete and playable. It could have been more of a designer/engineer relationship. Beefheart would say “this is what I want to happen” and Zappa would say “OK band, this is how you make it happen” - that sort of thing. Naturally these ideas would carry over into Zappa’s music, and Zappa’s ideas would carry over into Beefheart’s music. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-trout-mask-replica-was-frank-zappa/89631/4 "2001-10-26T02:38:23Z")
Zappa wrote the music to the song _The Blimp_. He released officially as an insturmental called _Charles Ives_ on the cd, \*_You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5_. ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-trout-mask-replica-was-frank-zappa/89631/5 "2001-10-26T13:25:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mudshark \* > \*\*Zappa wrote the music to the song _The Blimp_. He released officially as an insturmental called _Charles Ives_ on the cd, \*_You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5_. \*\* Not to diminish Zappa’s genius, but one knock I’ve heard from ex-Mothers of Invention is that when he had those that could read and write music score it for copyright and music publishing purposes, he invariably put his name on it. It was a bit of a sore spot, scoring your own improvisational solo, then having Zappa’s name put on it, and all the credits and royalities going to him.