I really WANT to like Trout Mask Replica...

or "stiff," rather

In fact, I'm not sure when he does sound stiff. Maybe when he was yelling. Then, his body got rigid? Or that staccato singing on "When Big Joan Sets Up" ("Uh turquoise scarf 'n uh sleeve Rolled up over uh Merc Montclair") - that's kind of herky jerky.

There was certainly a sort of rigidity of purpose about the way Don drilled the TMR band, although he never seems to have applied that level of discipline to himself (and it's certainly not evident in his painting!). To me one of the most extraordinary things about the music is the way it still manages to swing despite the extreme precision involved in the structure - and a great deal of the credit for that must go to Drumbo. Compare Drumbo's style with later Magic Band drummer Robert Williams, who's a great drummer but plays like a robot compared with Drumbo.