Safe As Milk

View Author

Tue Oct 11 2022

5

Ok, this is pretty damn brilliant and wild fun. Absurd, but rooted in the familiarity of blues and r&b, so much of the sound is a real romp. I’ll need to give it another listen or two in order to process more of the lyrics. After a second listen, I’m really blown away. Favorite tracks are Sure ‘Nuff Yes I Do, Electricity, Yellow Brick Road, Abba Zaba, and Plastic Factory. Beefheart has an intense, rumbling voice with great charisma. The music is played brilliantly, whether it is a rootsy blues, or a lurching and leaping number with changes in time, tempo, and attitude. Gonna need to spend more time with this band.

👍

View Author

Tue Aug 30 2022

4

Delightfully weird.

👍

View Author

Mon Sep 05 2022

4

The only Beefheart album I knew before this was Trout Mask Replica, so I wasn't expecting something so... accessible? But still, some pretty experimentally fun stuff here!

👍

View Author

Tue Aug 23 2022

3

good album, I can understand its importance

👍

View Author

Mon Jan 16 2023

1

I hate Captain Beefheart.

👍

View Author

Tue Sep 27 2022

5

excellent!

👍

View Author

Wed Oct 05 2022

5

Didn’t know what to expect, loved this.

👍

View Author

Wed Oct 05 2022

5

First album of Captain Beefheart might be his best. Combination of blues and psychedelic rock: very accessible but still far from being straightforward. Favourite track: Electricity.

👍

View Author

Fri Oct 07 2022

5

So eclectic, at some points made me feel like I was in one of those dreams where you can't tell if it's a nightmare or not. Like any minute something will go wrong but it never quite does.

👍

View Author

Mon Oct 24 2022

5

Absolutely fantastic album. Five stars. Gets a pretty regular rotation from me.

👍

View Author

Mon Dec 05 2022

5

Quite the introduction to Captain Beefheart. Definitely need to hear more of him. This shit is cool.

👍

View Author

Fri Dec 30 2022

5

Oh Captain my Captain! The thing that really annoys me about Trout Mask is that is completely overshadows the rest of his his exceptional output. Lennon loved this record and for two good reasons: great song writing and a great performance by the band. He sets the template for so much pop music to come, he's got a fine ear for melody does Don, but he also know how to create the right feel through the performance. We often think about the context in which these 60's records appear, and this must have sounded amazing to 1967 ears. So much of what he's doing with each and every genre on this record has now become part of the modern soundscape, but back then, oy vey! Ry Cooder is Al Kooper's music doppelganger, whenever he pops up, he does to great effect. I don't think he's ever been on a bad record, what a player. And who has been listening to this record in their sheds eh? I'd count young Tommy Waits and those two kids from Akron Ohio known as the Black Keys as dedicated fans of this album amongst many others. And I wonder if Georgie Harrison started thinking about doing his thing on the slide after listening to this (might be why he asked Delaney to show him how to do it). Each song is splendid, a truly great record.

👍

View Author

Thu Jan 19 2023

5

About as good as it gets. First track 'Sure 'Nuff 'n Yes I Do' has one of the greatest opening lines in rock music. The run of 'Electricity', 'Yellow Brick Road', Abba Zabba' and 'Plastic Factory' is remarkable, packing in more than many bands do in their careers. 'Abba Zabba' is one of my favourite songs of all time - there's one point where Ry Cooder's guitar simply glides. Beefheart sounds utterly demented, utterly in control. There was no need for any blues rock after 'Plastic Factory', it's all there, right there.

👍

View Author

Mon Feb 06 2023

5

I bought this album a few weeks ago. It's funny because for years, I avoided Captain Beefheart like the plague, just because of the hoax/scam/swindle that Trout Mask Replica is (at least to my ears). I think I'm an open-minded person, but there's a limit to the sort of musical nonsense one should be exposed to. And affecting some sort of conceptual pretension to justify the barrage of sheer crap that this other record is is NOT an acceptable solution for me. I'd rather plug my ears with toilet paper, thank you. In other words, Thelonious Monk, my ass (to refer to a stupid comparison I've often read to describe Beefheart's hoax here). Trout Mask Replica is just an interesting footnote in the pages of music history, not an essential album you must absolutely listen to. I'll fight tooth and nail anyone who says the contrary. Even a genius like David Lynch (who once said he loves this record). The thing is, it was a stupid mistake on my part to start my exploration of Beefheart's repertoire with this particular album. As it turns out, I really like what Beefheart and his "magic band" did before TMR (*Safe As Milk*) and after it (*The Spotlight Kid*). The grassroots yet twisted tunes of *Safe As Milk*, especially, have something quite addictive to them. Beefheart's growl on this collection of blues songs serves them right--as in opener "Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do"--just as said growl nicely contrasts with the stellar musicianship of the band (including a young Ry Cooder, or so I hear). I also enjoy the stylistic asides this record go through, especially the more psychedelic cuts or that mock doo wop soul ballad that "I'm Glad" is. And my oh my! "Electricity". What an incredible track! Here is the sort of experimentation that can be both haunting and mesmerizing. I know David Lynch has been listening to this song as well (there's a literal quote of Von Vliet's delivery of the song's chorus in the Twin Peaks movie, for instance). And here I certainly won't contend with man's genius. This song and its incredible instrumentation is the cherry on the cake here. And its inclusion in *Safe As Milk* finally reconciled me with anything Beefheart. Except Trout Mask Replica, of course. Maybe with more *real* groove and a theremin, as in "Electricity", I would have liked that other album. Too bad Von Vliet never thought of that. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: less than 700, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens:  approximately a half so far (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter

👍

View Author

Thu Feb 16 2023

5

COOLIO DADDY

👍

View Author

Mon Mar 20 2023

5

amazing and inventive

👍

View Author

Thu Apr 13 2023

5

This album stands the test of time! Straight ahead blues rock Crank it up and ENJOY the Captain!!!

👍

View Author

Sun May 14 2023

5

I debated whether to listen to the stereo or mono releases of this album and then decided to try both. I was surprised at the difference - the stereo presentation opens up the songs and I the difference was a lot more than I expected. This is one of those bands I kept hearing of over the years but I didn’t have any sense of what their music was like. The blues are strong here and I liked that part, but the more rock guitars and other interesting bits (like a theremin!) really hooked me. I didn’t think this was my style of music but Captain Beefheart may have made that thought obsolete. I guess I like my blues with a hit of acid. I listened to this four times in a row and each time liked this more and more. Fantastic!

👍

View Author

Sun May 14 2023

5

I've heard of Captain Beefheart a lot but had not ever listened and expected something much weirder. This is a charming, fairly unweird, blues-rock album and I liked it very much.

👍

View Author

Fri Sep 02 2022

4

A "comfortable listening" example of it's genre

👍

View Author

Fri Sep 02 2022

4

Good album, good tracks that keep the interest. I feel is loses it's way a little near the end but the first half is solid R&B

👍

View Author

Mon Sep 05 2022

4

I think that this is the truest acid music. The fact that he and Zappa would compete shows through already in this album. Good stuff, maybe a hair too disjointed for a 5.

👍

View Author

Fri Sep 09 2022

4

Good album - mix of traditional and innovative.

👍

View Author

Fri Sep 16 2022

4

A perfectly okay blues rock album. Not particularly crazy. "Electricity" stood out for whatever reason. Riding very close to the line between 3 and 4

👍

View Author

Wed Sep 21 2022

4

This was nothing like their other album on this list, and that's a great thing. Best track: Safe As Milk - Take 5

👍

View Author

Thu Sep 22 2022

4

If John Lennon thinks your milk is safe enough to be placed on his fridge doors, then it's good enough for the rest of us. Safe as Milk provides a plentiful introduction into the madness that occupied the brain of one Don Van Vliet; a madness that would coagulate into creating one of the most infamous albums ever recorded. But that had yet to be seen as this album fits into neat pockets of R&B musings and fledgling psychedelic rock, showcasing that the Magic Band can remain in the game while being simultaneously out of it. This milk is safe enough for me. Favorites: Sure 'Nuff 'n' Yes, I Do, Zig Zag Wanderer, Call on Me, I'm Glad, Abba Zaba, Where There's Woman, Grown So Ugly, Autumn Child, Safe as Milk - Take 5, On Tomorrow, Trust Us - Take 9.

👍

View Author

Thu Sep 22 2022

4

4.25

👍

View Author

Fri Sep 23 2022

4

I realize it’s not ground breaking now. But imagine being on a ton of acid at some club and this band comes on and just blows your top off. That’s be fun…..

👍

View Author

Fri Sep 23 2022

4

This was dope! Solid bluesy classic rock with some wacky elements and a wicked howl on vox. Other beefheart stuff is a lil too chaotic jazz rock for me to have enjoyed it. Side bar, there was a bit on the Mark Maron show (I think that was a thing?) where he was like I needed a project so thought I'd try to get into Captain Beefheart, but I was so nervous buying it at the record store cuz I'm not cool enough and everyones laughing at me. But he buys this album (I'd guess it was this one, don't remember) and then hes at a taqueria afterwards and the cashier is like "Oh I love Captain Beefheart, Safe As Milk is a great starter album". Haha kind of how I feel.

👍

View Author

Wed Sep 28 2022

4

4.5/5. I love this album. It comes from my favorite era of music, and is in my favorite style. While it is kind of out there, I still find it great.

👍

View Author

Wed Sep 28 2022

4

Some very cool stuff in here. Not something I would listen to regularly, but some very important ideas.

👍

View Author

Mon Oct 03 2022

4

A lot less weird than Trout Mask Replica which I still kind of struggle with, but still an absolute freakshow of a record. Delightful stuff

👍

View Author

Wed Oct 05 2022

4

Great album. Not one I play often, but always enjoy it when I do.

👍

View Author

Wed Oct 12 2022

4

i liked this a lot! have been recced beefheart before, i’m gonna listen to more now

👍

View Author

Wed Oct 12 2022

4

Really solid album. Not the kind of album I seek out for a relisten but glad I heard it. A fun blend of blues jazz and that 60s instrumental avant garde

👍

View Author

Wed Oct 12 2022

4

I like the rhythm tracks to every song, especially the bluesy guitar - I thought maybe I would have enjoyed it more if the Captain's vocal delivery was dialed back a bit, but without that weirdness it would have been just another 60s psychedelic blues album. As it is, It's a brave and eclectic for 1967.

👍

View Author

Sun Nov 06 2022

4

nooniin vihdoinkin 60 luvun albumia joka nappaa... vähän originaalimpaa soittamista kun viimeset viisi vittu 60 luvun amerikka liibalaaba max 2min biisit hey everybody beatles kopio paskaa. vaihtelee laatu kyllä tässäkin aika paljon albumin pyöriessä konsanaan mutta paskimmatkin on parempia kun nEV ITU alkaa vituttaa.... maito se turvaa on on on.. juokaa että luut kasvaa hoh hoh hoh.... parap biisi autumn's child

👍

View Author

Fri Nov 25 2022

4

"This is the first album of Captain Beefheart, one he did before getting signed on Bizzare records of Zappa and being given complete creative control." Mislim da je sve rečeno s tim. Ovaj bend da ne pišem cijeli naziv je jako poznat po "Trout Mask Replica", pogotovo u glazbenoj grupi u kojoj sam, već sigurno 5-6 godina se zna spominjati taj album, ma i više, u posljednje vrijeme ne, ajde. Ali odatle znam za njih. Ovaj album sam ove godine dao poslušati, i svidio mi se. Normalniji je album, to je sigurno, blues je jako prisutan i taj stari, analogni zvuk, ne znam kako bi opisao - mi se jako sviđa. Abba Zaba mi je favoritna sa albuma, ima još ponekih, ali se uvijek ove sjetim pa ću ju napisati evo sada upravo. '67 godina is fucking stacked with classics!

👍

View Author

Wed Nov 30 2022

4

Really good rockabilly album Love the voice in certain song

👍

View Author

Fri Dec 02 2022

4

Only knew the weird, brilliant Trout Mask Replica of Beefheart, was surprised by this more traditional debut album. Was pleasant surprise. The last bonus track Korn Ring Finger is addictive, had to play it over and over

👍

View Author

Fri Dec 30 2022

4

A lot of the Captain’s work is difficult to deal with. However this, their debut album, is user-friendly. Musically, it takes no prisoners. Lyrically, it’s not always easy to decipher, but it’s far easier than what was to come on future lp’s. Ry Cooder has a lot to do with the quality of this recording. Both his playing & arranging. The album kicks arse from the opening tracks, Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes I Do & Zig Zag Wanderer, which is one of Beefheart’s most covered songs. It’s very blues-influenced but, like most Beefheart, manages to maintain it’s very own flavour.

👍

View Author

Mon Jan 09 2023

4

captain beefheart vs lieutenant lambchop and the battle for manx throne. this is the kind of beefheart that we can actually listen to and in fact enjoy.

👍

View Author

Mon Jan 09 2023

4

I really enjoyed this, until the instrumentals. Those really dragged on personally. Saved tracks: Zig Zag Wanderer, Abba Zaba, Autumn's Child

👍

View Author

Wed Jan 18 2023

4

Bra skiva! Svår att få lust att sätta på p.g.a. 70 min längd men så fort man börjar lyssna går tiden snabbt

👍

View Author

Wed Jan 18 2023

4

Love this album. Great bluesy, soulful and out-there songs that too often get overshadowed by their outrageously out-there subsequent works. I’d like to give this a 5, but I feel that as a whole it doesn’t quite reach that level. It is quite close, however

👍

View Author

Wed Jan 18 2023

4

Gold de baa gåå såå håårtt

👍

View Author

Wed Jan 25 2023

4

I'll be honest, I couldn't always tell what they were signing, but somehow liked it anyway.

👍

View Author

Fri Jan 27 2023

4

This is with a caveat. I assume Trout Mask Replica will be on the list. I would only include one Captain Beefheart release and that would be it. Safe as Milk introduced the Captain's odd, avant guard version of blues-rock. This is more "commercial" than the releases that would follow. It is very strange and explosive at times but is still mainstream. I don't play Captain Beefheart often, but this is compelling, challenging rock.

👍

View Author

Fri Jan 27 2023

4

Pretty good, but I sure they'll never make a dime. 4 stars.

👍

View Author

Wed Feb 01 2023

4

I'm familiar with trout mask replica, so I feared the worse, but this wasn't half bad, I quite enjoyed it. Definitely worth a second listen.

👍

View Author

Sun Feb 12 2023

4

ok

👍

View Author

Mon Feb 13 2023

4

Momento maravilhoso de sonoridade poderosa com guitarras se destacando no blues se tornando rock clássico. Ainda provocou a audição do disco de trilha sonora Lawless com a versão do Mark Lanegan para Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do.

👍

View Author

Wed Feb 22 2023

4

Froggy Blues, good stuff.

👍

View Author

Sun Feb 26 2023

4

This guy must've been on so many drugs that it's near unimaginable, that's the only way I could understand coming up with an album like this. It's almost like nothing I've heard before and yet, there's something about it that keeps me listening.

👍

View Author

Fri Mar 03 2023

4

Ik kende alleen Trout Mask Replica van Captain beefheart dus ik deed al m’n riemen vast toen ik deze op zette. Verrassend genoeg een zeer toegankelijk blues album met genoeg hoogtepunten. De weirdness van Trout Mask Replica is een stuk minder op dit album te luisteren, ondanks nog wat absurde teksten na.

👍

View Author

Wed Mar 08 2023

4

psychodelic rorrrr

👍

View Author

Thu Mar 09 2023

4

Oh they are a Doors cover band In the end a lot of fun, but not what I expected from their name.

👍

View Author

Fri Mar 10 2023

4

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: I’m glad, Yellow brick road

👍

View Author

Thu Mar 23 2023

4

Definitely not for everyone. If you're a Beefheart fan (and I am) this is a great album. He eventually quit making music and changed to being a visual artist because (supposedly) he could never get the musicians to play the music the way he heard it in his head.

👍

View Author

Sun Apr 09 2023

4

Ok I will bite on this one and go never listened, did listen, very listenable. All over in barely 30 mins and some actual tunes and great guitar (courtesy Ry Cooder) to go with DGV's ultra raspy vocals. Hard to believe it would two albums to go from this to Trout Mask Replica.

👍

View Author

Mon Apr 24 2023

4

Great album, way ahead of its time. 4.5/5

👍

View Author

Wed Apr 26 2023

4

Interesting, innovative album that still holds true to it's R&B roots

👍

View Author

Fri Apr 28 2023

4

It's no Trout Mask Replica, but it'll do. "Safe As Milk" is funny as titles go. Wikipedia says that there was a ton of controversy with this album, and it eventually led to the band getting dropped by A&M. Without listening to the lyrics, this is a "safe" album. Musically it fits with its era. Safe. The lyrics are humorous. There's a lot of personality in this collection of songs. I love its sense of whimsy.

👍

View Author

Sat Apr 29 2023

4

Fine blues

👍

View Author

Mon Apr 24 2023

4

Electricity was a stinky full diaper but I liked every thing else. Where There’s Woman is my favorite.

👍

View Author

Sun Apr 30 2023

4

Blues-inspired whimsey. Good.

👍

View Author

Mon May 01 2023

4

Not quite as gonzo as Trout Mask Replica, which makes it more listenable. I will probably come back to this one more than I will TMR.

👍

View Author

Thu May 04 2023

4

Ik dacht dat dit te raar zou zijn voor me, maar dit album is nog heel prima te pruimen. Met regelmatige vlagen wat aparte vocals, begeleid door heerlijke blues-achtige oude rock. Dan is het vooral de vraag of de zang teveel gaat irriteren en dat deed het gelukkig niet. Dat de individuele nummers en het album zelf ook niet te lang zijn helpt wel mee. "Dropout Boogie" en "Plastic Factory" zelfs in een playlistje geplempt.

👍

View Author

Sun May 14 2023

4

I enjoyed the somewhat weird blues here.

👍

View Author

Mon Aug 29 2022

3

Kicked off with some really filthy delta blues. I was thinking this was a sure 4, maybe 5. But for all the songs that totally killed it there were others that just devolved into BS late 60s psychedelia and more avant garde stuff. Not that there isn't a place for that. But it make me love the album as much as I thought I would.

👍

View Author

Tue Aug 30 2022

3

Well . . . I'm glad that's over. I'm gonna wash out my ears with some Howlin' Wolf. There were some moments of pure brilliance though. The horns on I'm Glad were fantastic.

👍

View Author

Tue Aug 30 2022

3

In it's core the album is a (country) blues rock album with somethimes some songs with soul influences. But what's up with the troatsinging!? Some song are pretty... experimental to say the least. It has some ups and downs in de amount of experimental sound. Also worth noting that the album has some nice instrumental songs at the end of the album. Overall opinion: It's a decent album, nice to have listened a few times but I won't look it up again any time soon.

👍

View Author

Wed Aug 31 2022

3

I was expecting some noisy, annoying shit from Captain Beefheart. My college roommate was into him and I hated that shit. Fortunately, CBH hadn’t yet hit his disdainful stride for this debut album and it’s very listenable. I actually like it and I would gladly listen to this album again. CBH shows his eccentricities in his varied song styles: delta blues, soul, and psychedelic rock. The weirdness is there just not fully formed yet…thankfully.

👍

View Author

Wed Aug 31 2022

3

I got to learn where the Black Keys heard some of their initial cover songs from. The music was interesting with lots of range and good to have in the background.

👍

View Author

Fri Sep 02 2022

3

It is a decent album with some interesting aspects to it and good bass. But overall I don't think it is all too special. "I'm Glad" is probably the track that I like the most, but the one that feels like it belongs on the album the least.

👍

View Author

Sun Sep 04 2022

3

More accessible than I thought it was gonna be, especially in terms of the instrumentals (which I really enjoyed!), but gets a little weird around half way through. Some of the vocals became a bit grating after a while.

👍

View Author

Wed Sep 07 2022

3

Echt te oude poprock. Klinkt als beatles/kinks maar dan wat minder poppy en bij vlagen beetje raar/experimenteel. 3*

👍

View Author

Thu Sep 08 2022

3

Eclectic, inventive and quite interesting

👍

View Author

Wed Sep 14 2022

3

3.5/5

👍

View Author

Sun Sep 18 2022

3

6/2 be fart

👍

View Author

Fri Sep 23 2022

3

Liked it more than I thought I would. Some pretty interesting stuff in this album

👍

View Author

Fri Sep 23 2022

3

This was good... just show me the next band though.

👍

View Author

Sun Sep 25 2022

3

After trout mask replica this one had me scared, but it was surprisingly good!

👍

View Author

Mon Sep 26 2022

3

Normally I like late 60's experimental/psychedelic/garage music, but this didn't do much for me. It was probably pretty cool when it first came out but it hasn't aged well. Didn't hate it, but didn't enjoy it much either. 3 stars.

👍

View Author

Thu Sep 29 2022

3

It's fine. Vanilla Zappa, but it's a relatively decent listen.

👍

View Author

Mon Oct 03 2022

3

Weird but accessible? I liked it I think?

👍

View Author

Mon Oct 10 2022

3

Not my favorite

👍

View Author

Wed Oct 12 2022

3

Great debut record. Mixes genres (psychedelic rock, garage rock, doo-wop, r&b, etc.). Pretty accessible for a Captain Beefheart record, but is just enough “out there” to keep you on the edge of your seat.

👍

View Author

Mon Oct 17 2022

3

This was interesting, kind of a bluesey experimental album. I'm guessing that Captain Beefheart enjoyed his share of drugs during the making of this. The (7!) bonus tracks made the album way too long.

👍

View Author

Mon Oct 17 2022

3

art-blues? zappa like sounds on some songs but very bluesy

👍

View Author

Tue Oct 18 2022

3

Quel retour fracassant de Victor MacBernik. Après des années de disette, la faute à l'arrêt du programme "La Famille Pirate", Victor s'est vu redonner une chance de démontrer l'étendu de son talent. Le moins que l'on puisse dire, c'est qu'il a su saisir l'opportunité qui s'offrait à lui. Sur le titre Electricity, il viendra absolument tout donner, nous offrant un "EEEEEEEEEEEElectriciTYYYYYYYY" des plus merveilleux, qui ne manquera pas d'être repris par petits et grands. Je n'ai qu'un mot: bravo.

👍

View Author

Sun Oct 30 2022

3

I'm Glad, Zig Zag Wanderer and Sure 'Nuff 'n' Yes, I do are standouts on this album

👍

View Author

Thu Nov 10 2022

3

Good

👍

View Author

Thu Nov 10 2022

3

Not into this

👍

View Author

Thu Nov 24 2022

3

This album was pretty decent. Had a bunch of different styles played throughout. Overall I felt it to have strong blues vibes while still having a classic prick sound. Overall not really any song in particular stood out but for this album coming out in the 60s it felt ahead of its time. 6.3/10

👍

View Author

Wed Nov 30 2022

3

Delightfully weird. I love the blues but its probably not this i would be putting on if i want to listen to blues, still good tho

👍

View Author

Thu Dec 01 2022

3

Call on Me is a fun time. So is Yellow Brick Road - very much enjoying the rhyming in that one. Whatever they're doing to their guitars in Dirty Blue Gene is pretty funky and fairly interesting. Love the band name.

👍

View Author

Mon Dec 12 2022

3

Its pretty experimental, though not too wild - I guess thats his charm. However, some misses on here too.

👍

View Author

Sun Dec 18 2022

3

Weird, bluesy and a bit psychedelic. Nice one

👍

View Author

Wed Dec 21 2022

3

Buen album

👍