Captain Beefheart - Safe as Milk

"I may be hungry, but I sure ain't weird," Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart, famously intones on this bright-sounding remastered version of the 1967 debut by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. Safe as Milk is a bold, tough-ass distillation of Delta blues stomp and '60s garage-punk swagger, fused with a radically polyrhythmic and tempo-shifting style that one might term "art rock." Listening to the delightfully playful, absurdist "Abba Zabba," it's easy to see why Lester Bangs called Beefheart "the only true dadaist in rock"; the song is a good indication of the intricate, rule-breaking music the Magic Band would continue to hone. But there are also formidable ballads (the psychedelic "Autumn's Child," the lachrymose "I'm Glad"), midtempo pop-soul tunes (the Otis Redding-ish "Call on Me"), and straight-ahead blues-rock workouts ("Plastic Factory"), all of which showcase the fretwork of a young Ry Cooder. Much has been made of Beefheart's multiple-octave vocal range; he sings menacingly on "Dropout Boogie" and allegedly broke a very expensive microphone on the eerie "Electricity." The last seven tracks on this reissue (for the most part fascinating, unfinished instrumentals) were recorded with a different lineup; they are outtakes from Mirror Man Sessions. --Mike McGonigal Amazon.com essential recording

Great way to get to know the Captain

Okay, my first introduction to Captain Beefheart was Frownland off of Trout Mask Replica. I hated it the first time I heard it. It made my wife angry. Now, I have since grown to appreciate it, but I probably would have done so faster if I'd heard Safe as Milk first. This album is far more accessible and gives you a real appreciation for the musicianship. It's actually a fantastic album from start to finish. I'm now a Beefheart fan. You will be too if you give this a listen. September 25, 2008

Just buy it!!!!

Beefheart once described himself as the most exciting singer alive. He was right. He sounds like a werewolf being prodded with a stick. This is one of the essential Beefheart CDs. Actually, they're all essential. It might be a prototype, but it rocks. Along with Lick My Decals, The Spotlight Kid/Clear Spot and Doc At The Radar Station, this one hits the spot. And Strictly Personal, too, psychodelia and all. Along with the Allman Brothers Live At Fillmore (and Mountain Jam) these are my desert island discs. If you only hear these, you will know what true passion and creativity are. These people are ARTISTS! Nobody else gets close. September 8, 2008

pushing the blues

Really revolutionary considering it was released in 1967, not as experimental and chaotic as later work but might be a good intro for Beefheart novices. July 28, 2008

A Captain Beefheart must have

This CD is worth the price - for the photos alone - of a time long gone. As everyone says, this is a must -have CB album. April 24, 2008

The Stooges Are Watching

These guys really hit the right notes with me. This album is so folk oriented, yet so blues-rockful at the same time, it's perfect. I'm a huge fan of the unconventional blues (i.e. Black Sabbath and The Stooges). It was actually their song, 'Yellow Brick Road,' which I heard on a 60's net radio station that attracted me to them in the first place. Captian Beefheart speaks about the nitty-gritty* of love with compassion, in his *gritty-throat voice. The musicians in this band are so under-rated, and yet so talented... why hasn't anyone ever told us about these guys before? Overall, yes, I agree with the reviews, this should be one of the best rock albums ever, especially for being a blues/folk album coming out of the psychedelic ear. Admist many of the bands of the late 60s and early 70s experimenting with similar sounds, Captian Beefheart and his Magical Band craftily make 'Blues' and 'Rock' completely an American thing. December 5, 2007

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