A Musical Map of Trout Mask Replica

Copyright © 2017 Colton Basinger

Below marks the start and end of each "movement" of Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica. Each spell of bluesy "funk-punk" is approximated by my own listening, determined by the individual patterns I've found in the instrumentation. 
Movements progress as casually as that of the normal pop-rock structure of verses, refrains, and a bridge. Beefheart's vocals occasionally overpower the volume of the instruments, which shows off his voice's strength, but can be annoying for those who wish the singer was in-sync with the rhythms that each groove sets. (That's why newcomers should probably focus on instrumental versions first.)
Links to other versions of the songs will be supplied for listeners who may want to refresh their ears with a different rendition of the songs than the studio versions. (Note that these performances do not follow the exact times I've marked for the studio version, which a YouTube playlist provides here.)
  1. Frownland - [instrumental]
    • 0:01-0:13
    • 0:13-0:25
    • 0:26-0:49
    • 0:50-1:02
    • 1:03-1:09
    • 1:10-1:24
    • 1:25-end
  2. The Dust Blows Forward 'n The Dust Blows Back - [live]
    • this song is mostly consistent on a single melody sung acappella by Beefheart
  3. Dachau Blues - [instrumental]
    • 0:01-0:22
    • 0:23-0:38
    • 0:39-0:59
    • 1:00-1:21
    • 1:22-1:53
    • 1:54-end - recording of a conversation about catching rats
  4. Ella Guru - [instrumental]
    • 0:01-0:18
    • 0:19-0:34
    • 0:35-0:52
    • 0:53-1:11 - refrain
    • 1:12-1:18
    • 1:19-1:23
    • 1:24-1:32
    • 1:33-1:36
    • 1:37-1:45
    • 1:46-1:53 - "Fast 'n Bulbous!"
    • 1:54-2:03
    • 2:04-end - refrain
  5. Hair Pie: Bake 1 - [see Bake 2]
    • 0:01-1:25 - solo of Beefheart on clarinet, with ambient noise of the band preparing to play
    • 1:26-1:37 - the band comes in, muffled
    • 1:38-1:47 - same groove with a new riff
    • 1:48-2:06 - band sounding clearer and louder
    • 2:07-2:16
    • 2:17-2:20
    • 2:21-2:43
    • 2:44-2:54
    • 2:55-3:03
    • 3:04-3:12 - same groove with a new riff
    • 3:13-3:23
    • 3:24-3:37
    • 3:38-3:54
    • 3:55-end - conversation with a teen girl about the album; we hear the titles of two songs "Hair Pie" and "Neon Meate Dream Of A Octofish"
  6. Moonlight On Vermont - [live]
    • 0:01-0:02 - drum "riff"
    • 0:03-0:30 - lead guitar riff
    • 0:31-0:35
    • 0:36-0:46
    • 0:47-0:51 - lead guitar riff
    • 0:52-1:03
    • 1:04-1:07 - lead guitar riff
    • 1:08-2:16 - variations on a single groove
    • 2:17-2:21 - drum "riff"
    • 2:22-end - return to previous groove and variations
  7. Pachuco Cadaver - [instrumental]
    • 0:00-0:05 - "Fast n Bulbous!"
    • 0:06-0:20
    • 0:21-0:49 - same groove with a new riff
    • 0:50-1:59 - variations on a single groove
    • 2:00-2:12
    • 2:13-2:47 - from here the song is more consistent
    • 2:48-3:06 - same groove, transposed
    • 3:07-3:14
    • 3:15-end
  8. Bills Corpse
    • 0:01-0:14
    • 0:15-0:22
    • 0:23-0:29
    • 0:30-0:38
    • 0:39-0:45
    • 0:46-0:48 - faux ending
    • 0:49-1:02
    • 1:03-1:13
    • 1:14-1:23
    • 1:24-1:38 - real ending
    • 1:39-end - Beefheart finishes poem
  9. Sweet Sweet Bulbs - [instrumental]
    • 0:01-0:13 - main riff
    • 0:14-0:26
    • 0:27-0:40
    • 0:41-0:59 - riff variations
    • 1:00-1:12
    • 1:13-1:28
    • 1:29-1:43
    • 1:44-end - riff and variations
  10. Neon Meate Dream Of A Octafish
    • 0:01-0:15
    • 0:16-0:29
    • 0:30-0:45
    • 0:46-0:51
    • 0:52-1:01 - same groove, different guitar
    • 1:02-1:42 - consistent groove, guitar variations
    • 1:43-2:01
    • 2:02-end - no drums
  11. China Pig - [live]
    • this song is an imitation of classic acoustic blues, complete with the tinny sound-quality
  12. My Human Gets Me Blues - [transcription, instrumental]
    • 0:01-0:03 - hissing drums
    • 0:04-0:22
    • 0:23-0:42
    • 0:43-0:51
    • 0:52-0:55
    • 0:56-1:05
    • 1:06-1:22
    • 1:23-2:00
    • 2:01-2:19 - return of hissing drums
    • 2:20-end
  13. Dali's Car - [transcription]
    • 0:01-0:16
    • 0:17-0:25
    • 0:26-0:29
    • 0:30-0:39
    • 0:40-0:47
    • 0:48-0:57
    • 0:58-1:14
    • 1:15-end
  14. Hair Pie: Bake 2 - [live with one guitar replaced with marimba]
    • 0:01-0:09
    • 0:10-0:18 - same groove with a new riff
    • 0:19-0:36
    • 0:37-0:45
    • 0:46-0:51
    • 0:52-1:13
    • 1:14-1:23
    • 1:24-1:31
    • 1:32-1:39
    • 1:40-1:49
    • 1:50-2:01
    • 2:02-2:19
    • 2:20-end - coolest sound on the album
  15. Pena
    • 0:01- 0:37 - "Fast 'n Bulbous!"
    • 0:38-2:06 - loosely consistent groove with variations
    • 2:07-2:13
    • 2:14-end
  16. Well - [live]
    • this song is mostly consistent on a single melody sung acappella by Beefheart
  17. When Big Joan Sets Up - [live video]
    • two aggressive jazz-rock grooves with flailed-out sudden pauses
  18. Fallin' Ditch - [spoken word]
    • 0:01-0:28 - "Rockette Morton"
    • 0:29-0:38
    • 0:39-1:00
    • 1:01-1:12
    • 1:13-1:38
    • 1:39-1:52
    • 1:53-end
  19. Sugar 'n Spikes - [instrumental]
    • 0:01-0:24
    • 0:25-0:42
    • 0:43-0:51
    • 0:52-1:00
    • 1:01-1:19
    • 1:20-1:53
    • 1:54-2:09
    • 2:10-end - same riff with a new groove
  20. Ant Man Bee
    • 0:01-0:05
    • 0:06-0:10
    • 0:11-0:21
    • 0:22-0:38
    • 0:39-1:17
    • 1:18-end - repeats earlier grooves
  21. Orange Claw Hammer - [version with Zappa on guitar]
    • this song is mostly consistent on a single melody sung acappella by Beefheart
  22. Wild Life
    • 0:01-0:16
    • 0:17-0:33
    • 0:34-0:45
    • 0:46-0:59
    • 1:00-1:26
    • 1:27-1:44
    • 1:45-2:00
    • 2:01-2:12
    • 2:13-2:27
    • 2:28-2:37
    • 2:38-2:49
    • 2:50-end
  23. She's Too Much For My Mirror - [instrumental]
    • 0:01-0:09 - "Note the clever slate"
    • 0:10-0:25
    • 0:26-0:33
    • 0:34-0:37
    • 0:38-0:44
    • 0:45-0:59
    • 1:00-end - riff variations
  24. Hobo Chang Ba - [instrumental]
    • 0:01-0:18
    • 0:19-0:34
    • 0:35-0:38 - build-up
    • 0:39-0:56
    • 0:57-1:18
    • 1:19-1:28
    • 1:29-1:36
    • 1:37-end - song switches between the last two grooves until the end
  25. The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica) - [live]
    • 0:01-1:44 - music is Frank Zappa's Charles Ives performed over telephone
    • 1:45-end - "It's beautiful"
  26. Steal Softly Thru Snow - [instrumental]
    • 0:01-0:07
    • 0:08-0:11
    • 0:12-0:32
    • 0:33-0:42
    • 0:43-0:53
    • 0:54-1:03
    • 1:04-1:12
    • 1:13-1:20
    • 1:21-1:30 - my favorite groove of the album
    • 1:31-1:41
    • 1:42-1:51
    • 1:52-2:01
    • 2:02-end
  27. Old Fart At Play - [instrumental, live]
    • 0:01-0:15
    • 0:16-0:33
    • 0:34-0:37 - build-up
    • 0:38-1:12 - repeat of first groove
    • 1:13-1:21
    • 1:22-1:35 - "...a very intricate rainbow trout replica..."
    • 1:36-end - different spoken-word session; "Oh man, that's so heavy..."
  28. Veteran's Day Poppy - [live with one guitar replaced with a horn and bass replaced with a synthesizer, plus clarinet]
    • 0:01-0:17
    • 0:18-1:04
    • 1:05-1:51
    • 1:52-end