Safe As Milk

Magic. So original.

This is a gem! Everything about it is awesome and it makes for a solid debut so I'm surprised it didn't hit the mainstream. It made me look into Captain Beefheart and one of his other albums which I'm planning on listening to later. Overall, I'm happy I found this album. It's exactly my taste 💕

Hoy toca en este reto el debut de Captain Beefheart, artista que ubico de nombre y por algún que otro trabajo con Frank Zappa, además de que sus músicas tienen un cierto parecido. Sesentoso a morir, me recuerda a bandas como Jefferson Airplane o Cream, pero con otras búsquedas, otras experimentaciones. Hay toques sutiles a lo circense entremezclados con psicodelia y el country, además de otros géneros. Tremendísimo debut, de un tipo de artista o banda que no sé si actualmente existe. Quizás sólo es cuestión de bucear más. Hasta mañana.

Love their swampy psychedelic bluesy sound

A classic, and a personal favourite - but on reevaluation I did find it more pleasant to listen to a mono version, oddly. The vocals especially have a weird channel distribution at times that I wasn't really digging

a little weird but a lot of fun. i went in knowing very little about captain beefheart but it was really enjoyable. it’s my understanding his other album on the list is a lot weirder and not as fun, im looking forward to it

What a wild album

I don't consider myself an *out and out* Beefhead but I think his more accessible albums - particularly this one and Clear Spot -are genius slices of avant-garde Delta blues psychedelia. Abba Zaba is one of the songs of the 60s for me and as a whole album I don't think this is far behind.

Electricity is the only song from this album I really knew properly though I think I have listened to Safe as Milk before. It's a great blues rock sound and a much better entry point to the strange world of Beefheart than Trout Mask Replica.

I LOVED seeing so many five star reviews for this album. About thirty in a row. Beautiful. I gave this a lot of listens a few years ago as part of a campaign to appreciate Beefheart, and quickly became obsessed with it (also TMR, LMDOB). A terrific album.

This was great. Loved that final freak out.

wow this is amazing... was expecting "Frownland" but this is much more pleasant but still experimenetal. All the songs are great, even the extra disc of instrumentals at the end.

This guys music is out there. I love it.

I discovered Captain Beefheart 2 summers ago. I read some of the reviews about Trout Mask Replica. I listened to some of Trout Mask Replica. I understood the reviews. Then I got this album with songs I recognized and a few new ones. Thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. *zig zag*

Sounding like the bastard offspring of delta blues, this beautifully strange album combines RnB, doo-wop, country and psychedelic rock to mesmerising effect. What sticks out is how tight and disciplined the band play and how little improvisation there is. Basically it's quite a radio friendly record (the songs mostly just over 2 minutes) although I doubt Don Van Vliet's gruff voice had too many DJs spinning these tracks on AM radio back in 1967. The Captain's voice is, of course, terrific. The mood is generally playful and there's plenty of highlights. My personal faves are 'Abba Zabba', 'Yellow Brick Road', 'Zig Zag Wanderer' and 'Autumn's Child's. But there's no duff tracks and for my money, this is one of the best, most consistent records of the decade.

It's Capt Beefy - has to be 5 stars.

Nasteeee as shit! But on a good way and I loved it!

1967. Blues. Folk Rock. Acid Rock. 9/10 Sure 'Nuff 'n Yes I Do/Zig Zag Wanderer/ Call On Me/. Dropout Boogie/I'm Glad/Electricity/Yellow Brick Road/Abba Zaba/Plastic Factory/Where There's Woman/Grown So Ugly/Autumn's Child

Wow it's so cool to listen to bands who have influenced your favorite bands I can definitely hear how early Grateful Dead was influenced by Caption Beefheart & His Magic Band. What a joy listening to Chicago blues and psychedelic rock fusion.

goofy. dinky. fun music. thank you beefheart

Incredibly fun to listen to. It’s like a virtuoso Gremlin got really into delta blues and psychedelic rock and threw an album together.

Epic

Discazo. Nunca lo había escuchado, ni sabía de su existencia, y me pareció una barbaridad. No me imagino lo que fue esto en los sesenta.

A masterpiece. Just such a fun and unique album.

I kind of loved this one. The name of Beefheart was familiar through collaborations with Frank Zappa, but I had never heard his music before. It's sort of a wild mix based on blues rock but also with touches of what would later be known as sludge, southern americana, grunge even. At times, this albums also sounds something of a predecessor to the kind of southern-influenced-mash-up indie rock that is still popular today (think Counting Crows and Black Keys). In any case, this was vastly ahead of it's time, and fantastic throughout in terms of musicianship.

A dirty, fun blues/psych rock record from the 60's. I like that this has the personality of the band and captain beefheart with none of the artsy, avant garde stuff from trout mask replica. While that album may be more unique and technically impressive, it's good to know they still have the capability to write instant catchy songs as well and makes me appreciate them more.

i love this album. Captain Beef is severely underrated in my opinion.

Till now, the only Beefheart album I'd ever listened to was "Trout Mask Replica", and like most, I always found it intriguing but inaccessible and impenetrable, no matter how many times I subjected myself to it. This album, though, is solid. Actual tunes, great bluesy vocals with a hefty dose of soul, and some excellent guitar riffs. I'll becoming back to this one.

Always wanted to listen to Captain Beefheart so this is a fantastic opportunity! This is wonderful blues rock with an artsy bend to it that clearly influenced a lot of following acts, including his contemporary Frank Zappa. Long live Beefheart!

this is built for more than background music and I might have to come back to it. but even tired, this is interesting and fun to listen to :)

Blues rocks master work, one of the best

Catchy, anarchic blues.

Trip friendly. 70s before 70s. Very weird panning but very cool and great all around.

Might revisit

For a second was scared it was Trout Mask Replica - then realised this is the record I like - it’s stellar start to finish. Love this album.

Having heard Trout Mask Replica before this album, this one seems almost genteel with something resembling conventional form for a lot of the album. You can see the demon horns of experimentation start to peek its way in right from the beginning, but hasn't gone off the deep end until Frank Zappa's guidance with Trout Mask Replica. Heavily blues influenced, with some R&B variation thrown in. Some of it feels like it could be Psychedelic but it lacks the reverb-spacey sound for the guitar. Among my faves: I'm Glad sounds almost doo-wop/50's soul.... Yellow Brick Road sounds kind of like CCR... Autumn Child sounds the most like a psychedelic song... The 3 instrumentals: On Tomorrow, Big Black Baby Shoes, and Dirty Blue Gene, as well as Trust Us, all start showing that going off the deep end that was greatly explored in the next album.

I was introduced to Capt Beefheart in college through Trout Mask Replica, which I anticipate seeing in this list. Weird, challenging album. Entirely unique and honestly haven't heard it in ages. I was introduced to Safe as Milk about a year afterwards (2005 or so). I was shell shocked by how much more accessible the album was and truthfully genius. You can clearly here where the band is going and where their influences came from. A wonderful blues album that gets slightly more acid laced psychedelic as it goes on. The CD reissue tracks are clearly unfinished but if you wrap the album up after the Autumns Child you have a wonderful and cohesive 12 song run. The Grown So Ugly cover also inspired me to listen to the Black Keys, which is definitely a positive for the early Black Keys work. Top Tracks, Zig Zag Wanderer, Where there's woman, Grown so ugly

What. A. Ride. Did not expect what came through my headphones when I put this on. I’m a sucker for a steel slide guitar and a gravelly blues voice. Loved how the songs seemed to grow organically, like they all sat down and someone came up with a riff or had a little fragment they were fiddling with and suddenly there’s a full blown jam session. 5/5 magic beefhearts

What a blast this album is. Putting this on high rotation for sure. Fave track is easily Electricity. Zig Zag Wanderer, and Abba Zaba are highlights too. I can see why people seem to be into I'm Glad and I'm sure it'll grow on me.

Oh man, I really tarred this with the "Trout Mask Replica" brush and have barely listened to it, on the assumption it's avant-garde AF. It's actually really accessible and I'm digging it a lot! Will definitely be revisiting. Fave tracks - "Sure 'Nuff 'n Yes I Do" and "Zig Zag Wanderer" are great openers. "Electricity" and "Abba Zabba" are the true highlights though.

This is one of my favourites, I had already heard this plenty of times, but it's so delightfully off-kilter, him being best mates with Frank Zappa means Beefheart is more than a bit out there in his musical approach. This is classic 60s avant-garde rock, but don't take that to mean it's hard to enjoy, the music is fantastic all the way through.

Amazing album I never knew existed. Reminds me of Ty Segall or KGLW

On the surface, it can seem like this album is solid blues inspired rock. A closer listen will reveal experimental rhythms, chromaticism, and avant garde lyrics. This album feels like a joyous fever dream and is very much a product of its time. Having said that, I think this album is brilliant. Its grooves pull you in and its, melodies and rhythms keep you there. I'm not sure what to make out of much of the lyrics, but I suppose that's the fun of avant garde music.

This is the only Captain Beefheart album I thoroughly enjoy. Stuff like Trout Mask Replica is too experimental for me. I like him more when his weirdness is tethered to traditional form. Here he’s still strange and unique and unpredictable, but he’s matched with songs that are catchy and flat out rock. This is one of my favorites of the Nuggets psychedelic garage rock era.

Beatles-lite. Great jams.

"Zig Zag Wanderer" - a bop, "I'm Glad" - a sad banger. Cpt. Beefheart & His (indeed) Magic Band had absolute range with this album. Loved loved it!

Its a great album, altough it can be a little hard to listen if the person are not used to prog/jazz/experimental. But for me its amazing.

I only knew "so glad" which is a song I really liked, but the rest of the album was great too! Seems like quite a progressive sound for 1967, I can see how it has gone on to be very influential.

A very pleasant mix of the Doors, Animals, and Ben E. King. Got completed for playing it and will definitely listen again. 4.75

A great Blues Rock record. I like the energetic first half of the record more but the rest is still fantastic!

Didn't expect it to like it this much. Sounded raw and heavy and at other times like soul. Good stuff.

Spot on

Great

Safe as Milk.

Safe As Milk is probably the most accessible Captain Beefheart I’ve listened to but that doesn’t mean it lacks weird. I’ve always enjoyed this album, bluesy, Jammy, quirky. Beefheart even slows it down and gets romantic on I’m so Glad. This is a 5 star

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.

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!

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

COOLIO DADDY

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

Didn’t know what to expect, loved this.

excellent!

captain beefheart lowkey the best worst band ever. they so obnoxious and awful that they circle around to being brilliant. idk why i like this, i think im just pretentious and contrarian, this this leagues above most rock from this era. far more interesting to listen to imo

This is what happens when Captain Beefheart uses his powers for good and not evil. 8/10

Probably will take a couple listens to really digest this one, but what's immediately obvious is just how ridiculously innovative and ahead of its time it is. So freaking intelligent and experimental for '67. For a first run through, it's tough for me to remember many of the tunes and the instrumental stuff in the back half definitely loses me. But my gut tells me this is special. So 4 stars it gets.

A fun album with some great tunes! I can tell that Captain B and Frank Zappa were mates, in fact since childhood and collaborated on Trout Mask Replica.

Tom Waits and Nick Cave owe their careers to Beefheart. 60s riffs, blues influences and a push towards avant garde make this a really interesting album. Surprisingly it’s very accessible with killer hooks.

bonus points for that theremin

This was surprisingly accessibly compared to other Beefheart that I’ve listened to. It still has that weird vibe running through it but not so off the wall that it sacrifices its musicality. It’s obviously rooted in blues but I can hear other musical genres coming through at times, from Americana (‘electricity’), classic rock (‘zig zag wanderer’), R&B/soul (I’m glad’) and even hints at krautrock (‘on tomorrow’) all whilst sounding a little like it is just about to fall apart and just about holding it together. Quite enjoyed it though.

A friend of mine who is on this journey with me recently observed to me that "weird" is an essential element of his musical taste. No surprise, this is the same guy that turned me on to They Might Be Giants when we were kids. They remain one of my favorite bands, but it's hard to imagine trying to get anyone to like them if they haven't had years to marinate in the weirdness. I get the same feeling with Captain Beefheart, except in a psychedelic classic rock palette rather than TMBG's art rock/New Wave sound. Anyway, I recognize the weirdness and enjoy it, but also wonder if this is something you need to listen to many times to get it -- see also fellow travelers Frank Zappa and Tom Waits. I'm into it, but also curious to see if I'll return or not.

++: Sure 'Nuff 'n Yes I Do, Zig Zag Wanderer, I'm Glad, Electricity, Yellow Brick Road, Plastic Factory, Where There's Woman, Grown So Ugly +: Call on Me, Dropout Boogie, Abba Zaba, Autumn's Child 8,5/10

Blues for weirdos ja

Never would have chosen this. But it caught me in the right mood. Where it’s good, it’s very very good. But one star knocked off for the 4 or 5 tracks that are just a bit too weird and kept it all going about 20 mins too long.

Weird album but a good listen. Went through every musical style and I felt like I was speed running the 1960's.

I used to own this album awhile ago, I liked it but it was never quite as good I wanted it to be. I still feel the same, it's delightfully quirky but maybe not as unhinged as I want it to be. Actually the more I listen to this album the more I enjoy it. It strikes me as Zappa-lite meets Quicksilver Messenger Service. He does have a really interesting voice which adds quite a bit of texture.

Not as weird as I was expecting!

Safe as Milk by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band was a fantastic discovery for me. It’s a great listen from start to finish, packed with energy, personality and a brilliant blend of blues and R&B. This album is exactly why I’ve enjoyed doing this challenge. It’s the kind of record I would probably never have listened to otherwise, yet it’s one that I can already tell I’ll be coming back to again and again. Finding albums like this makes the whole journey worthwhile. The musicianship is excellent throughout and the songs are full of character. The lyrics work really well and, surprisingly, much of the album still sounds fresh and modern despite being released in the late 1960s. There’s a raw creativity to it that feels timeless. It’s quirky, inventive and great fun without ever losing sight of the songs themselves. I’m definitely looking forward to exploring more from this band. Favourite tracks: “Sure 'Nuff 'n Yes I Do”, “Electricity”, “Yellow Brick Road”, “Abba Zaba” and “Plastic Factory” Least favourite tracks: Everything here is worth a listen Album artwork: Cool album cover

Strong 8 to a light 9. Very experimental for 1967 standards and I quite enjoyed it.

Gets a bit too noodley for me at times

Just the right amount of freakiness in the blues.

Really enjoyed the psych rock summer vibe - could really hear the influence it's given more current music 😅

Don trying to pretend that this is just a blues or early or r&b crooner album but you can’t lock this man up in some pithy genres! No! The weirdness always prevails and it’s absolutely delightful.

If Mick Jaggar sang some of these songs you would have been fooled into thinking it was a Stones album. It also sounds like a mixture of Dr.Hook. This is a good formula. That’s how good some of it is. This isn’t my first dance with these guys but it has me wondering why it’s not a repeat one. They are still weird which holds me back a bit. Choice cut: the first song. I’m not typing it out though I’ve now typed longer than looking back at the title would take.

Milk's shelf live has nothing this album from Mr. Beefheart.

So it turns out my copy of this is a reissue that inexplicably had two tracks removed. Annoying. As Beefheart's debut, this is no where near as weird as he would get later. I like it a lot, but I am one of those people who think Trout Mask Replica is genius. It's ok not to like it. It's weird and hard. This is much easier. Safe As Milk would serve as a pretty good, accessible introduction to the Captain. If you don't like this you are certainly not going to like his later efforts. Very confused to read people complaining about it being too long. It's twelve tracks clocking in at just under 34 minutes. If you choose to listen to all the bonus tracks that were tacked on to the cd reissue, that's on you.

Such a fun, eclectic album. His voice just makes this album.

Great debut from the maestro Don Vliet

Ok. Yeah. This was fun. I'd like to think that, were old enough for this to be in my zeitgeist, I'd have fallen in love with this album early on. It's sound is definitely a precursor to all the "weird" bands that came out throughout the decades later; Residents, Primus, Ween, etc. It's definitely dated and certainly doesn't have that same punch it has when it came out, but I dug it. Looking forward to putting this one on again.

I've been meaning to revisit Captain Beefheart's work lately and Safe as Milk seems like a good entry point (well no shit, Jim, it's the debut album!). It's still accessible, especially compared to some of his later work, but it's got that streak of weird, avant garde eccentrism that kinda defines Beefheart. The music itself is pretty down to earth; some of those blues licks are sick as hell (that's a 20 y/o Ry Cooder you're hearing) but some of the lyrics and vocal phrasings are out of this world. John Lennon was said to be a pretty big fan of the album and I can see it. I guess I am, too

Weird lil

The parts of this that work for me work really well and the parts that don't are easy enough to ignore. I'd probably rate this lower on a different day but after a few listens it really grew on me.

Y'know when you kind of recognize an album, but not really? This is one of those. Anyway, holy shit how strong it starts! With the boogieing and the musicality and the experimentation in the first two thirds of the album I thought I was listening to an easy 5/5 if it could be kept up. That being said, it devolves into a bit fine but generic blues by the end. Still, I imagine will definitely be replaying the first seven or eight tracks from the album.

this was FUNN abba zabba has to be my favourite, i believe. Its so ominous and silly at the same time

Love Captain Beefheart

this album was super good!!

I think I probably had the same experience as a lot of people - told that Trout Mask Replica will change your life, you listen, nothing has changed apart from never revisiting the album and live your life safe in the knowledge that Captain Beefheart made art you just didn't enjoy. Well, I enjoyed this one. It made *sense*. I got it. It clicked. There's some songs on here which are undoubtedly brilliant. A lot of them are interesting at best, but now I'm safe knowing I CAN explore if I wanted to. Thanks Captain.

I don’t know how to describe it but I liked it!

I…. Like this a lot. Somewhat familiar with a few tunes before. More penetrable than Trout Mask and I still think I’ll learn more as I listen more. 4 stars now and maybe a 4 1/2 with a little more time.

I gotta admit, normal Beefheart goes harder than I expected. this is a real interesting album with some slappers. Thoroughly enjoyed.

I mean I don’t know if this is good music or not but it sounds cool as hell even if it also sounds abrasive and terrible. Not as epic or insane as trout mask replica but an awesome debut.

I liked This album a lot! The only other thing I had heard by Captain Beefheart was Trout mask replica, which I think is ass. This album was really good though! It kinda reminded me of The Stones in some areas, way more experimental though.

Never heard him before! I'm sort of familiar with Frank Zappa so I've heard Beefheart's name but never listened to this, quite unique! Some of the later tracks dragged on a bit but overall a pretty good and weird 60s rock, I'm going with 4 stars

This took a few listens to get into. Honestly, if it wasn't for Captain Beefheart being such a critics' darling then I probably wouldn't have bothered. The more I listened however, the more it started to click. Perhaps it's a sign that to do this properly, you need to do an album every few days rather than daily. I can't imagine that Limp Bizkit improves with each listen though!

And there was me thinking I didn’t much care for Beefheart. Haven’t listened in years and suspect I was thinking of Trout Mask (albeit I know I’ve listened to this). Anyway’s this is great, the Magic Band on top form with totally the type of psyched up blues that’s up my street. The Cap’n can be a bit hit or miss, but it’s more hit on this one. Some absolutely banging tunes in the middle section. Electricity to Plastic Factory, are the dogs. Babette Baboon indeed.

This was a truly wild experience, and I honestly wasn't prepared for how delightfully weird it turned out to be. I'd heard all the stories about Captain Beefheart's weird stuff later on, but Safe As Milk is actually pretty easy to get into, even though it's super off the wall. It's a wild, crazy ride that's like a fever dream, a mix of a nightmare and a playground, but it never goes totally crazy. It's got that gritty blues and soulful R&B at its core, but then it gets all warped with psychedelic stuff and Ry Cooder's amazing guitar playing. The best parts are the songs that shouldn't go together but somehow work, like the smooth "I'm Glad" next to the creepy "Electricity". Beefheart's voice is insane, this intense, rumbling thing, like a stoned Wolfman Jack leading a band that's super tight despite all the weird time signatures. It's this unique blend of blues that feels like the link between old roots music and when punk started. Whether it's the catchy "Abba Zaba" or the rocking "Dropout Boogie", this album is a masterpiece of experimental 60s rock that left me totally confused and hooked.

8/10… proto punk / blues rock / *1967 👂

I was kinda wary of this one since I heard such bad things about Trout Mask Replica, but this kinda blew me away with how good it was! It’s funky, it’s blusey, the guitars go hard, and his voice was a bit gravelly but good for the style of music. It’s surprisingly approachable, with enough experimental stuff sprinkled in to satisfy the snobs. It’s not perfect, but it’s a fun, quick (31 mins) listen that I really enjoyed. Really solid 4/5

I knew who Ry Cooder was but never put it together that he was in this band! Love the late 60’s vibe they put out!

Reminds me of some Fripp league of gentlemen guitar stuff from the 80s. Interesting. Oddly spiritual. When you walk while listening to it around the city you notice things you may not have before.

expected this to be older, but this is their debut. never assume anything when it comes to CB&HMB is the lesson here I guess.

Interesting album. Odd sound, but very enjoyable. One of the reasons I joined this group to find new music. This album is as old as I am, and it’s new … to me. Lots of great tracks led by Yellow Brick Road. 4/5

I like the raspy voice and old timey instrumentals start of album is incredible

milk isnt safe for lactose-intolerant people but im not one of them so i like this album!

Just the right amount of weird. A truly fascinating record.

Love me a little Beefheart. It's hard to express how out there this album was when it was recorded in 1967. Brilliant debut.

Brilliant

Different

Delta Blues reinterpreted as part of the late 60s California psychedelic scene. There's a healthy amount of Dadaist absurdity and the excellent guitar playing of a young Ry Cooder. If that doesn't excite you, there are a good number of earworm hits mixed in. "Yellow Brick Road", "Abba Zaba", and "Electricity" are all standout tracks. If you continue on with the bonus tracks, the title track is also excellent but it does get a bit cluttered and unfocused by the end. All in all, a fantastic debut that was ahead of its time.

ok i was kind of vibing

Lite långt men många härligt bråkiga detaljer. En svag fyra kan det nog nå upp till.

Faller mig helt i smak! Är ju en sucker för sent 60tal, förvånas över att jag inte lyssnat mer på detta. Tycker det är bra variation stämningsmässigt men de experimentella låtarna är liiite för goofy. Svag 4a

More straightforward than I was expecting, athough still experimental. Must have been a crazy listen in 1966!

None of the albums on the list so far made me go "I must listen to that again" but this one did. Picking up the 50th anniversary release on my way home from work for the third listen.

Fun listen! The songs and the vocals are stylistically varied and often kind of weird, so you don't know what's coming next. The lead guitar work is great throughout, and I enjoyed focusing on that.

I appreciate this crooked blues.

This is a fairly normal album by Beefheart standards. And a good way into his / their sound. I miss the weirdness at times, especially with tracks such as I'm Glad, but it's a solid, coherent album without any jump scares, so good for working to.

Really enjoyed it. Great energy, great musicianship, and I kinda dig his vocals.

Çoğu şarkılarını sevdim ya aslında diğerlerine benziyor gibi ama bir şey farklı??

Pretty good, fairly quirky. I think this is before he got really out there. Interesting bio.

This is at its core a really solid R&B/garage rock album, albeit with some pretty wacky lyrics and avant-garde influences, most notably on ‘Electricity’ and ‘Autumn’s Child’. However, most of its twelve songs are short, punchy, high-energy and riff-driven (and catchy!), especially the opening three tracks, ‘Yellow Brick Road’, and ‘Plastic Factory’. The notable exception, ‘I’m Glad’, is a genuinely beautiful, soulful ballad, and probably my pick of the bunch. Captain Beefheart’s voice was remarkable, and his gritty, bluesy vocals sound great throughout. I like this more with each listen. FYI, go for the mono mix over stereo.

Beefy

Cooler und fetziger Sound :) Hat mir gefallen

Didn’t know what to expect - eclectic mix.

The accessible face of Beefheart. Not going to lie - I struggle with so much else - but here I can get on board.

Rockin'

I liked this. Not nearly as insane as Trout Mask. This was just cool, heavier, fringe kind of rock.

Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background My only previous exposure to Captain Beefheart was the infamous Trout Mask Replica....so I wasn't expecting to enjoy this....but I did! A twisted take on the blues that drags in some spots (I did not enjoy some of the slower numbers) but was otherwise a delight.

What is this

Delightfully weird. 3.5/5

Surprisingly enjoyable

I like it!! Solid 3.5/5 !

pior que achei bacana d+

blues r&b mei experimental né. achei o trout mask replica bem mais legal e interessante, mas esse aqui não eh ruim não. i'm glad e electricity são BEM boas hein

Overall: 8/10 I had a friend in high school who was obsessed with any music that came out in the 60s, and I specifically remember him being fond of Captain Beefheart. I heard all the horror stories from him about how insane this band was, and he made me never want to listen to them at all. I've since heard even more horror stories about how crazy Trout Mask Replica is, and seeing that it was in this list scared me a bit. This album, however, is nothing to be scared of. This is just folk rock, but a little bit silly. If anything, I could easily see this as a precursor to bands like Ween and Butthole Surfers. There's nothing especially strange on this album that would be enough to turn anybody off from it. In fact, if you can enjoy Beefheart's vocals then you're likely gonna have a great time, just as I did. His band truly sounds magical at times. His vocals actually remind me of Tom Waits at times. I'm still a little worried about Trout Mask Replica, but at least I got to hear what they sounded like before that monster was released. Fav Song: Plastic Factory

Solid blues rock that retains the weird Beefheart edge. Proves he could make listenable music when he wanted to.

I enjoyed this record. Much more approachable thank some of their other work.

A classic, much better than Trout Mask Replica

Another triple blind! I honestly liked this album more than I expected. Its influences on bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones felt palpable. Songs were also fairly fun. Great inclusion

This was real good, and I was surprised to hear a lot of what sounded like Primus in both zany composition but also in guitar and bass tone and playing style. 4/5

Beefy

A wonderfully weird take on delta blues, plus some other stuff intermixed because, why not? The transition between “Dropout Boogie” and “I’m Glad” caused me to check to see if Tidal had glitched (again) and sent me to another record. The instrumentation is fantastic throughout the record. Beefheart (Vliet) was high school friends with Zappa and you can certainly hear some similarities on tracks. Hare to tell who was influencing whom, probably reciprocal. Not nearly as far out as later releases, the album is an easier listen, yet you can still see the early gestation of the notoriously experimental releases that will follow. I had a great time with this one. Note to others: The mono version is 33 minutes long because it does not include the bonus tracks. I suggest sticking to that one, at least for the first couple of listens.

An absurd and intriguing album. For the time period, it’s certainly better than a lot of the psychedelic stuff that’s so boring it puts you to sleep. I think my biggest gripe is that the album is just a bit too long overall. It’s fun for a while to have songs of varying styles and intensities, but eventual it wore thin for me and I was ready for it to be over. Still, it was nice to hear something different and experience something new.

A good album, I liked Dropout Boogie and Abba Zabba the most.

I know this album pretty well and I’ve played it plenty of times over the years. I got into the album after reading that PJ Harvey (who I love) is a massive fan of Captain Beefheart and of this album in particular. I really like it. It’s such an eclectic mix of styles but particularly based on Delta blues which I always enjoy. The rhythms and percussion is really mixed though and bits far from being ’just’ a blues album. The lyrics are very “other” and often amusing in a weird way. Beefheart’s voice is expressive and sometimes comical. It’s very much a product (and a contributor to the feel) of the mid to late 1960s but it was surely an oddity even for its time. Listening now, it’s clear how the album (Beefheart’s debut) influenced concurrent and later musicians, and in my mind the album and the band form part of an eccentric grouping including the likes of Dr John, Frank Zappa, the Velvet Underground, the Modern Lovers and a good chunk of what later became punk rock. The best tracks for me are the more blues-oriented ones, particularly Korn Ring Finger.

Very unique but has some great highlights 3.5*

Liked this one more than I expected to. Only knew the opening track from its multiple covers on the Lawless soundtrack (thanks Nick Cave). Solid album all the way through.

It’s fun and grimy and bluesy, and sounds precisely like the kind of music someone named Captain Beefheart would write. I’m not sure what it is that I love about this, but I do love it. It was an era where people were writing goofy shit, and it was cool. It’s far from a perfect album, but it far exceeded my expectations.

Great album. There’s a real mix of mid to late 60’s sounds here. Sometimes it’s straight blues in the vein of The Rolling Stones or the Animals, there’s a Motown song on here, there psychedelic rock, there’s some country rock too. The album has a frenetic energy - the playing is loose, on the verge of out of control. It reminds me of the Stooges in that way. I enjoyed basically every song.

First album I ever got of Beefheart was Trout Mask Replica. Which was fucking awful. The second album I got was this one, which was great. Going to ding it a point for I'm Glad though.

The original psychedelic blues band, with great originality, vocally unique, and a surprising amount of propulsion in its rhythm section. The extended jams are noisy and somewhat enervating, but undeniably innovative for their time

EE-LEEEEEC-TRIII-CIII-TYYYYYYYYY!!

I’m coming back for more

Aldrig hørt den her før, forventede noget a la Trout Mask Replica men den er godt nok noget mere easy listening! Lyder som Tom Waits før Tom Waits. Virkelig fed faktisk.

Really nice! First half was much easier to listen to and second half got experimental, without ever being Trout Mask Replica.

Fun album!!

"Safe as Milk" is the debut studio album by American music group Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. Blues rock, garage rock, rhythm & blues, acid rock and folk rock are the Wiki-listed genres. The band had released singles on the A&M label and proposed their debut to A&M who thought it was too unconventional and dropped the band. The band turned to Bob Krasnow who signed them to Kama Sutra Records' subsidiary label Buddah. Band leader Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet-lead vocals, harmonica, marimba) had reformed the band for the album which included Alex St. Clair Snouffer (guitar, vocals, bass), a 20-year old Ry Cooder (guitar, slide guitar, bass, percussion), Jerry Handley (bass, vocals) and John French (drums, percussion, vocals). The album did not chart but later had an impact in the UK due its radio play by John Peel. Retrospective reviews cite this album as an avant-garde pop masterpiece. The album opens with "Sure 'Nuff 'n Yes I Do." A bluesy slide guitar. Van Vliet with howling, grunting and yelping vocals as he channels the delta blues. The band fully comes in and adds the funk. They band takes sort of a let turn on the next song "Zig Zag Wanderer" and goes more 60's garage rock. Van Vliet with muddled vocals as he references Zig Zag rolling papers. Echoing backing vocals. The first side closes with the psychedelic "Electricity." There's a lot going on here: garage, psychedelic and slide guitars, a thumping bass, evil lead vocals, various vocal noises and, of course, a distorted theremin. The weirdness continues and crests at "Abba Zaba," a song named after a candy bar and about two proto-humans creating the human race...Yep! Chanting, marimbas, heavy percussion and a psychedelic guitar. Oh, and a bass jam. The album closes with "Autumn's Child." A psychedelic guitar in the forefront. A start-stop beat and pace. Most of the group is singing with Van Vliet emotionally yelling as he uses autumnal imagery to compare to a lost love. And they bring back the theremin! Yes! This album takes you on a musical ride: delta blues, garage rock, psychedelic, Byrds-esque, Zappa-esque, country and even doo-wop. Van Vliet vocals can be rough, deep, gruff, yelping and even very normal and good in one song. The lyrics are all the over place too being personal, non-sensical, observation and even philosophical. The band can play and the added vibraphone, horns and theremin are creatively placed. There's a whimsical wackiness that I quite like in this album. Van Vliet would take that weirdness to another level a few years later in "Trout Mask Replica." But on this album, I found the different styles and quality of songs very listenable and recommend this for any 60's music fan.

the Captain hasn't quite found his groove yet, which means this is almost inarguably more listenable than Trout Mask Replica. it's still abrasive and strange but it's not really complex or esoteric enough to be an object of fascination or as rewarding on repeat listens as TMR (to me, at least). it's definitely catchier and more, um, traditionally musical, but it's stuck in a weird middle ground where it's too off putting to be in constant rotation but not out there enough to merit me sitting down and focusing my attention on it

At points this feels like 60s Top 40 radio on acid, at others it feels like appropriation, but it was at a time where the intent of the appropriation was clearly from a place of respect. A lot of contemporary artists make more sense when listening to this record. Not if my generation, but I get it; maybe not all the way, but I can appreciate this record’s cultural significance. Boomer dad’s fave basement jams.

Interesting. I had heard of Captain Beefheart before but never stopped to listen. It does make for something of a challenge to listen to. The mashup of different influences seem to demand more from a listener than just passive experience, to be properly appreciated. That said, I came away with a general sense of satisfaction and curiosity; I'll have to listen again more attentively the next time.

First five tracks or so are more accessible and conventional than expected (my main point of reference being Trout Mask Replica). Does get more freaky on side two, albeit still with crisp and precise musicianship. Just a solid, enjoyable record.

Kinda weird, mostly fun

The second Beefheart album I have ever listened to and it’s a whole lot more fun than Trout Mask. Whacky but not as…

This is not as weird as his other album on the list. More in line with psychedelic garage rock of the time. I like his weird side better, but this is alright. Point deduction for the crap production. They could have at least tuned the guitars. Favorite song: electricity

autumn’s child🎃🎃🎃

Better than Coldplay

This album!! So many layers! Lyrics, quirky tones, raw vocals things flying at the ear out of nowhere ~ Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band made me sit up and listen as well as laugh. Not for everyday use..

A really great, inventive snd creative debut album by Captain Beefheart. It's bluesy with hints of psychedelia and experimentalism, and weird and fun at the same time. It made a big impact on the UK rock scene while San Francisco albums were barely accessible there (legendary DJ John Peel played the album on his pirate radio station). Captain Beefheart is one of the most brilliant musicians the US have ever seen. It's not as groundbreaking as Trout Mask Replica is, but nonetheless a great album. 4.5 stars.

I really wish I had generated this before Trout Mask Replica, but there we go. I hated Trout Mask Replica, really hated it. I get the trope that you have to listen to it x number of times before you get it, but I didn’t see the point of inflicting pain on myself and so left it at one listen, and that’s plenty thank you. This one, though - wow, night and day. Really enjoyed this, really good bluesy rock, and accessible, too. It’s not quite 5, but it’s a really strong 4, and I’m toying with the idea of revisiting Trout Mask Replica to see if I can get a handle on it. I may need to register to this a few times first, but that’s something I’m happy to do.

I'm not the biggest fan of the band but this album is quite fun in it's quirky, weird way. Old school blues rock vibes meet playful, funny, unique vocal deliveries. Mostly solid throughout but Zig Zag Wanderer and Abba Zaba were the standouts for me

Dark, growling, wild swampy blues. This has a lot of appeal, and successfully dances on the razor edge of experimental and accessible. I didn’t dislike TMR, the only other Captain Beefheart album I’ve heard, but this was definitely (and unexpectedly) easier to digest. Electricity, Trust Us (Take 9), Korn Ring Finger

Absurd and awesome. Can’t believe I’ve never heard of Captain Beefheart before. I’ve been listening to Getting Killed by Geese recently and you can really hear the similarities between the two. Getting Killed might be the best album of 2025.

I liked this more than expected. When it started I rolled my eyes and was expecting to turn it off within 3-4 songs but I’m glad I stuck it out. It sounded really good. Bluesy and dirty, it was a fun time!

I found this to be a very fun album. A mix of blues and rock influences. And just a little bit different

Weird, but much more enjoyable than Trout Mask Replica. I would actually listen to some of this again. Had a strong blues influence to me which is probably why I enjoyed it so much more.

This is in a lot of ways the proto-cool-rock-kid record, so I don't know why I was expecting rapping over 60s synthpop or something along those lines instead of very well executed and very loud blue-eyed soul & blues that if you squint hard enough leads to punk music a decade later. But at least Mr. Beefheart had an ear for making sure it never sounded that corny.

I'm shocked how much I enjoyed this, it's blues heavy and just a really enjoyable listen

Surprisingly tame and enjoyable. Probably going to return to this one later

Abba Zaba is one of the greatest things ever committed to wax, the rest is pretty good too.

Mostly really dug this! "Sure 'Nuff'n'Yes, I Do" "Zig Zag Wanderer" "Call On Me" "I'm Glad" "Electricity" and "Plastic Factory" were all great!

Really cool. Loved it.

3.6 It's arguably actually a very good album. The lo-fi'ness of it doesn't assist it, but fair given the age and stature of the band. Much less out there than TMR but therefore a lot more accessible - much easier to hear the talent. An experimental, psychadelic twist on some good blues rock, that has a couple of highlights, none moreso than the albums closer (I'm ignoring the bonus tracks which add an unnecessary 30 minutes on)

Decent blues album with some elements of Bluegrass (IMO). Good sound, good vocals. For a 60s album, I'm shocked. Deserves at least a 4 for being a good album in the 60s.

Mega perkusja. Dużo zabawy i muzykowania. Nawet instrumentale mnie nie przymulają, a trwają po 7 minut

Pretty awesome. Diverse track listing, fun instrumentals, great vocals and basslines. I'm Glad and Grown So Ugly are my two faves.

Deep rooted in the blues, at times his vocals give of Howlin' Wolf vibes, but mixed with 60s jangly guitar tones. Really fun and accessible listen with a hint of weirdness.

Very good

Grown so ugly….

This rocks! Heavy garage rock energy with better production. Great listen.

Great album. I hadn’t listened to this for a while and it is stacked full of bangers. Beefheart gets an unfair rap due to people not understanding Trout Mask, but at the core of everything is his voice. Fantastic, powerful and versatile, nobody brings it like Beefheart and it’s on show in a different glory on SAM. Musically it’s awesome too. The songs on here could have and should have been bigger. Safe As Milk isn’t my favourite Beefheart album but it’s definitely worthy of being on this list.

Bardzo fajne. 4/5. Jedno z pozytywnie zaskakujących odkryć tego projektu. Część blusowa, ale dużo bardzo eklektycznych piosenek.

Always though the captain was weird and steered clear. On this offering if weird is wandering off the conventional path with neat and clever fillers, then count me in. There is so much in these songs and the flow works really well.

Accessible blues rock with some surprising depth.

Country-bluesy cuts work well and there's much of interest here, as well as considerable grooviness, as in the chugging opener. Instrumentals work well. One likes Beefheart the more one listens, generally, but maybe this record would have been better if a tad shorter. "I'm Glad" shows what an R&B fan he was.

Love the raw energy here and the bluesy rock mixed with more experimental and psych elements and Beefhearts voice really fits with the music here. 8/10 Favourite: I'm Glad Least Favourite: Grown So Ugly

Clearly less fucked in the head than Trout Mask Replica, undoubtedly a pushing of the pop/rock/blues envelope nonetheless. But not just for the sake of gaudy weirdness, there are some awesome songs here as well as some ripping, coal-dusted lead vocals from the Captain himself. 8.5/10

Really enjoyed this. Great production, love the vocals, decent variety between songs. Some were a little on the boring side but it's an interesting album overall that explored several genres while maintaining a psych blues rock feel. The middle of the album was the highlight with I'm Glad (a motown style song with the most generic motown lyrics you'll ever here, which I think was done on purpose; Electricity, and Yellow Brick Road

Its like the Beach Boys dropped acid.

I'd only heard *Trout Mask Replica* and I have to say, I wasn't a fan, so I was a little apprehensive going into this listen. I needn't have worried. THIS was great. I thought it was a fun slab of blues rock with just enough weirdness to make it stick. I might have to get this album myself.

Surprised. Good hippy blues vibes. They def tried to show some range with a couple tracks. Solid 3 bumping to 4.

When you think of the hippy sunshine music infecting the 60's, its hard to believe such a bizarre album was right there with them. This was artsy and out there in a all the right ways. Wild lyrics, great musicianship mixed with sloppy chord bends and notes. Fucking Beef.

I was not expecting there to be more than one Captain Beefheart record on this list, so this is a pleasant surprise. Certainly more accessible than Trout Mask Replica, and certainly a lot more straightforward. Not necessarily a bad thing, as even though this is pretty blues based, it has those signs of the more interesting avant-rock that he'd move in to rather quickly. Very much enjoyed re-visiting this.

While not a huge fan, this was a ground breaking album and you can hear the influences it had.

Cool blues album! Heerlijke stem ook! Ik ga zeker nog wat andere albums van hun beluisteren! 3.8

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 71 The magic crew indeed play it safe before really take a left turn into the strange and bizarro…. Safe as Milk is a wild, bluesy weird, and wonderful debut that announced Captain Beefheart (aka Don Van Vliet) as one of the most original voices in 1960s rock. While later albums (like the legendary Trout Mask Replica) would push far further into avant-garde chaos, Safe as Milk strikes a remarkable balance between gritty Delta blues, psychedelic garage rock, and outlandish surrealism. It’s strange, but not impenetrable — earthy enough to grab you, strange enough to stick with you. This is where blues, R&B, and rock collide with something off-kilter and otherworldly. The guitars (especially 20-year-old Ry Cooder on slide) snarl and wail, while Beefheart’s voice — a booming, howling force of nature — moves between Howlin’ Wolf grit and free-jazz madness. It’s tightly played but sounds on the verge of falling apart — like a drunk carnival band possessed by delta spirits. 🎧 Classic Track: Zig Zag Wanderer 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Electricity 🎧 Personal Favorite: Call On Me 🎧 Memorable Standout: Autumn’s Child Though it wasn’t a commercial success at the time, Safe as Milk is now recognized as a foundational document of experimental rock. It’s more accessible than later Beefheart albums, and many fans consider it a perfect gateway into his world. It’s no wonder artists such as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey and The White Stripes have cited its influence. 🖼️ Album Artwork: A peek inside 👀 Beefhearts lyrics can come across as nonsense at first, however there’s internal logic. He’s obsessed with Animals and nature, Madness and surrealism, Sex and emotional power struggles and Individualism vs conformity. His use of language is free-associative, abstract, and deeply visual — more like painting than storytelling. Safe as Milk is a startling, brilliant debut — rooted in the blues but warped by a truly unique mind. It’s the sound of a band channeling ancient forms through a modern, broken mirror. Not yet as abrasive as what was to come, it’s an essential album for anyone interested in the outer limits of rock and the early DNA of experimental music.

Captain Beefheart's first LP finds him and His Magic Band channeling rhythm & blues, psych rock, and folk, as Beefheart rasps surreal poetry over all of it. I typically don't enjoy these musical styles, but the good Captain and Co. bring their eclectic energy and weirdo edge to each and every track. Highlights: "I'm Glad", "Electricity", "Abba Zabba"

Enjoyed it. Some a bit "out there" but liked it. Great voice.

Countryrock med soul.

Just a fun blues rock album to listen to, one I am sure I will return to.

This was a strange and interesting experience. It was surprisingly enjoyable and a good listen.

Slaps hard. very fun.

Worth being on a 1001 albums to hear before I die list, more accessible than Trout Mask Replica and has some songs that can work their way into normal rotation, there's only a few on here I would skip on a normal day.

Solid album, full of different sounds while all feeling fairly connected to each other. It had the weirdness that I appreciate, but I didn't love it as much as some others I have heard. A fun 60s trippy sound to remember though

I'm ready for some magic - I know a few Beefheart songs, but never sat down with a whole album and so the debut should be a perfect starting point. ----- Weird and heartfelt. Fuzzy and clever. Shambling and grooving all over the place. Favourite tracks: Dropout Boogie, I'm Glad, Electricity, Autumn's Child

I actually had a great time listening to this one

Great 60s music.

Lo escuchare mas veces

Way more blues based than I thought and had no idea Ry Cooder was part of this band. This is why we listen (3.5/5)

This was weird as hell and I'm glad that it was on the list. 3.8.

Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Strange but super interesting to listen to, after hearing about this band and a certain album that was made I thought all of it would be unlistenable, however this was actually quite fun

A ton of fun, been meaning to listen to Beefheart for a while. It was much less weird than I was expecting but this was the debut. Very excited to go through the rest of their stuff. Rating: 4.4

This was fun. I liked the experimentation and mix of genres. The sound is a bit dated but in a good way.

Very good

I was expecting a more cliché brand of psychedelic rock, so was pleasantly surprised by the blend of styles. Because of that element of surprise, rounding up from a 3.5.

This is the best of psychedelic rock without the need of Zappa. And actually psychedelic rock. Think about it. I think they could've trimmed some songs a bit with some ending after two minutes only to repeat themselves. Feels sometimes dragged out unnecessarily.

Never heard of any of these people. Enjoyed the album. The bluesier parts felt more timeless than the of-its-time psychedelic stuff. If I had a gripe, it was a little too long.

Pretty sweet record. Super catchy! Reminds me of a rawer Brothers. 7/10

Усім любителям психоделічної музики минулого та сьогодення імʼя Капітана Біфгарта давно знайоме. Але для тих хто тільки відкриває для себе цей «досі невідомий світ» - цей дебютний альбом стане унікальний містком між доступною мелодійністю та сміливими експериментами, які згодом стануть візитівкою гурту. На відміну від радикального хаосу їхнього культового Trout Mask Replica (1969), цей альбом зберігає відносну стриманість, балансуючи на межі між традиційною структурою та психоделічними пошуками. Саме в цій напрузі між контролем і свободою криється його магія. Фундамент Safe As Milk - це блюз та R&B, щедро приправлені психоделією та фолковими мотивами, а хрипкий вокал Капітана Біфгарта що коливається між блюзовою глибиною та «сюрреалістичною дивакуватістю» надає пісням особливого шарму, коли не до кінця розумієш «якого біса тут взагалі відбувається». Значну роль в цьому поєднанні відіграє й слайд-гітара, що створює міцний зв’язок з блюзовим корінням, але водночас натякає на щось нове й незвичайне. Загалом альбом є дуже різноманітним : від дитячої простоти Yellow Brick Road до саркастичного Dropout Boogie, від соулової ніжності I’m Glad до психоделічної симфонії Autumn’s Child. Особливо виділяється Electricity- трек, з химерними ритмами, що вже говорить нам чого варто очікувати від майбутньої творчості гурту. Safe As Milk звучить сиро, але водночас продумано. Це альбом, який намагається бути частиною музичної сцени 60-х, але вже несе в собі зерна «бунтарства», які проростуть у наступних роботах Біфгарта. Як я вже казав, він доступний, але при цьому не поступається унікальністю, пропонуючи слухачеві зануритися в світ, де блюз та сюрреалізм зливаються в єдине ціле.

Really good blues rock. The album starts off stronger than it ends. Far more accessible than other Captain Beefheart projects. 7/10

Starts strong, goes even stronger, but then fizzles slightly near the end of side 2. I actually preferred some of the demo tracks to the last few tracks of the album. An extremely strong four stars.

Wow! What a great album. I really should have listened to more of Captain Beefheart when I was younger. It's certainly more accessible than TMR, but still off enough to make it stand out from most 1960's artists. This will certainly be getting a few more listens in future.

This album is FAR better than Trout Mask Replica. I understand this was his first album and he hadn’t “found his sound” yet. If critics want to lie to themselves and dress up the turd that is Trout Mask, go for it I guess. There are actual songs throughout this album…many of them are good. Is it perfect? No, but at least I can enjoy it. This record reminds me Gris-Gris by Dr. John…another cool discovery on this project. They both have a swampy New Orleans psychedelic vibe that I’m finding I truly love.

Safe As Milk is a strange beast. It’s not an album that gets under your skin right away, but it has a glint in its eye and a crooked kind of energy that keeps pulling you back. Not because everything works – but because something feels different. It’s blues, it’s psychedelic rock, and it’s pure nonsense. But somehow it all holds together. My favorite tracks are “Zig Zag Wanderer,” “Dropout Boogie,” “Yellow Brick Road,” and the bizarre “Abba Zaba” – songs that balance the catchy with the completely chaotic in a wonderfully reckless way. Captain Beefheart’s voice is an experience in itself – rough, theatrical, and never boring. When he steps back, as in the more instrumental sections, the album loses some of its soul and starts to feel a bit monotonous. But that just makes the vocal-driven songs come alive even more. This isn’t a top 100 album for me, but it’s one I’m genuinely glad to know. It stands out – bold enough to be silly and artistic at the same time. Not everything hits the mark, but when it does, it’s like getting a crooked smile from a man with a guitar and a wild idea. 4/5

Truly safer than Beefheart's 1969 masterpiece, Safe as Milk is still unlike anything you've heard before: 'High voltage man kisses night to bring the light to those who need to hide their shadow deed'; 'Song before song before song blues / Babbette baboon abba zaba zoom.' Weirdness ever rules the day here, but listenability is hardly an obstacle you'll need to overcome. The same can't be said about Trout Mask Replica. My favorite tracks, the R&B-inspired 'I'm Glad' and the somehow catchy 'Electricity,' are permanent achievements. Finally, however, the debut is a mere tuneup for his far more virtuosic, erudite, and satisfying masterwork. A first step in the evolution of our foremost musicologist. 'Harvest moon be nimble.'

Day509 - i wasn’t expecting straight up blues then r&b from the captain. all in all i really enjoyed it

One of my biggest fears came true… I enjoyed a Captain Beefheart album.

I will not include the CD bonus tracks in this review. Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band are a group that I started listening to within the past year. In fact, I already heard two tracks from their debut right here, "Zig Zag Wanderer" and "Electricity". Don Van Vilet, the man who would assume the on-stage persona of Captain Beefheart, started as a young sculpting apprentice. However, his parents never financially supported his pursuit of such a career due to pre-conceived notions of artists as being "queer". Don would become so bitter that he abandoned art until he turned 23. He and his family moved during his teenage years to the Mojave Desert area, where he developed his taste in music from the blues and jazz musicians who were popular around this time. Don made friends with the members of local bands, one of whom was Frank Zappa. Through frequent collaborations with Zappa, Don started getting comfortable performing at small clubs and venues. He was invited to front the first iteration of the Magic Band by guitarist Alex St. Clair and assumed the role of Captain Beefheart. After a few other lineup changes and going through a few labels with their demos, the band was able to record and release their debut, Safe as Milk. Right from the get-go, the Magic Band wore their influences on their sleeve with this record, particularly the Delta blues that Don and the rest grew into, while taking the style into a more garage rock direction. It does get abrasive and esoteric in places, with the grainy production quality, John French's well-accented percussion, the twin guitar complement of Alex and Ry Cooder, and the occasional use of theremin by Sam Hoffman on "Electricity" and "Autumn's Child". Of course, the standout player would be Don as Captain Beefheart, able to croon and howl like the big-name blues musicians while stretching his voice to higher registers that weren't thought of back in 1967. There were even moments where he sang gravelly on tracks like "Dropout Boogie" and "Electricity", which were probably alien for the time but pretty cool to find all these years later. If anything, the band played it "safe" on Safe as Milk and could've gone a little weirder. Yeah, this is the group's debut album, where they were getting their foot in the door by keeping themselves rooted in the Delta blues with little variations. There's potential for growth here in distinguishing themselves from their influences, which I'm sure has been explored in the rest of their catalog. All in all, this was a solid debut from Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band. I'd be interested to hear how they turned out a little later down the line.

Fun fun fun

Wow, what a fun ride this one was! I love how eccentric and whimsical the songs are without being too far-out. Electricity and Abba Zaba were especially surreal. I also really liked Zig Zag Wanderer and Autumn's Child.

3.5/5.0: Very Good

This is almost the ultimate border of creativity.

Honestly I love this. Beefheart had been challenging for me in the past but for whatever reason this hits the spot right now. Puts a lot of the Nuggets material to shame.

Very good album. I'm Glad and Where There's Women are standout tracks. Can hear the Ry Cooder influence on this one.

I /just/ listened to Trout Mask Replica, so the timing of this is excellent. I like this much more - this isn't a review of TMR, but this is unquestionably the better album if we were comparing. It's almost incomparable, and I only am as both are Beefheart albums, but where Trout... is lauded as maybe the better 'art' I think this is where the Captain's talents are maybe better placed. This is very accessible, varied and interesting - big fan!

Yeah I just listened to it twice in a row. While it’s not a perfect album, it probably my favourite one so far. The stand out track for me was “Zig Zag Wanderer.”

I never really had much interest in checking out Captain Beefheart, mostly because of the Zappa association, but I think maybe I shouldn’t have been so reticent. Make no mistake, this is still weirdo rock, but it’s for grimey weirdos, not uptight, self-important weirdos like Frank Zappa is.

listened to again the blues content is solid (the bonus tracks on the version i listened to were much more experimental and less enjoyable)

I never thought that Blues rock needed versions that included "avant-garde" or "experimental", but here we are. And I gotta say, it's not bad at all - from what I know, Captain Beefheart was a bit of a dick, but the music here is definitely worth a relisten. I don't know how this plays into the larger CBahMB oeuvre, but I'm interested in picking up some more of their stuff.

This is the most accessible Captain Beefheart album, with some quite remarkable moments. It dips a little here and there, especially with the maybe comical (?) “I’m Glad.” But the first two tracks should be enough to draw you in and keep you on the lookout for more weird greatness.

Listening to this album put me on edge. It is great music, but I almost am side-eyed the entire time. It's like someone told Captain Beefheart in advanced music composition class that he didn't understand Rock and Roll, and he made an album as a counter argument. While it isn't great rock and roll, it is a fabulous approximation by someone who clearly knows his craft well. Kind of like Mozart being asked to play something for the king, and Mozart playing down to him. It isn't arrogant or patronizing. Quite the opposite. It's like you're listening to a musical craftsman who you get the feeling could do so much more, if the occasion called for it. In so many ways it is refreshing and inspiring. Even if it feels a bit self aware, Captain delivers a tight, fun, provocative album of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Not mired in excess but with the discipline of someone very much in control and in touch with their craft!

I feel like this needs some time to process. I had no idea what to expect. I like all the different elements, they somehow work together to make a cohesive album. Interesting. I’ll be coming back to this one

The weirdness and experimentation which this album present makes this a very interesting experience. Loved how you can both enjoy the songs for both being rocks jams or beceause how weird they are. My main complain about this album would be the production. I'm aware that this album is from 1967, but sometimes it feels messy, to the point where makes things hard to understand.

My only experience of Captain Beefheart is from Trout Mask Replica which I gave a 1. So I wasn't thrilled to see yet another of their albums pop up I was so shocked though because I weirdly quite liked this one! Totally different sounds but still kinda odd. I liked it 4 ⭐️

Весело. Лучшая песня - Zig Zag Wanderer.

Zig zag wanderer is one of my new favorite songs

Always appreciate the weirdness of Captain Beefheart.

Had this on in the background while working and honestly enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. Its delightfully crusty and, in a sense, warm in tone. I could see the vocals being a bit polarizing, but I didn't mind them at all. They had a certain husk that matched the production. Not a lot in the way of standouts for me, but this was a greater than the sum of its parts sort of adventure for me. I'd say this falls high 3 low 4 for me. Giving the nudge because I dipped into the bonus material and still was enjoying myself. --- Bass tone on Zig Zag Wanderer reminds me a bit of Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man. Song itself is fine enough for what it is. Yellow Brick Road is a wild and wonderful one. Sort of like Americana meets acid with the shouting.

A voice made scaly, Bluesy bass, and good time riffs, Makes oddball classic

So weird it's good

Nice chunky blues-rock, the type I adore (way more than anything Eric Clapton put out around this time). Everything just sounds so full, from the drums to the bass, and to the vocals - no millimeter of the sonic space here is wasted. And while this wasn't as interesting as Captain Beefheart's 'Trout Mask Replica', it was certainly more digestible. Certain songs, like the proto Tom Waits 'Dropout Boogie' and 'Electricity', have hints of that experimental and downright intangible sound that'd get fully fleshed-out on the band's 1969 album. And I can't help but notice many similarities to PJ Harvey's 'To Bring You My Love', one of my favorite albums ever, from their sharing similar first lines on the album to that melody on 'Dropout Boogie'. The more straightforward moments here like 'I'm Glad' and 'Yellow Brick Road' come off almost as gags and very sarcastic in the mix here. With that said, they still act as these very nice breathers. I really enjoyed 'Zig Zag Wanderer' because it blends both this album's distinct sounds and it's also the chunkiest-sounding thing here. I also love Beefheart's vocals all across this album, they're eccentric but never get to be too much. They're more satisfying than anything - I really liked him on the playful 'Abba Zaba' and his more emotive side coming out on 'Autumn's Child' was a great way to send off the record. Super fun and an album that I'm sure will only continue to grow on me. There is just so much personality, heart, and innovation behind Beefheart's take on Garage and Blues Rock here that I couldn't help but smile when it all finished.

Not bad. I’ve only know Trout Mask Replica and honestly this hits better for me.

Gimme the BEEF

I've only listened to their (in)famous record, Trout Mask Replica. I found this way more digestible.

I don't know why it shows me the previous album's comments after I've saved comments for this album. So annoying.

This album is extraordinarily creative music, laid over a blues-rock chassis. I feel like every rock/modern pop song i’ve heard since this album is somehow contained in these songs. Not all the songs are easy to listen to, and Vleit’s voice is not super pleasant. But this is good — really good!

Blues music on acid

Who knew Blues Rock could be this catchy?

Can we call this psychedelic experimental blues? A completely outcast album, as the whole career of Captain Beefheart. Really in love with that one!

Liked it a lot more than I thought I would

Has this underlying feeling that it could go full Trout Mask at any moment where the songs threaten to fall apart, but they never do.

Only being familiar with trout mask replica this is not as zany as I expected but it’s still got plenty of beef in it’s heart

not bad for Capt Beefheart!

I'm genuinely surprised about how much I like this, one of the best blues rock albums I've heard. Nothing sums up this album more than the switch from the soulful and dreamy vocals of I'm Glad, to whatever the hell those vocals are on the verses of Electricity, and yet it still slaps. Very happy giving this a 4. Actually like the album cover as well.

I wasn’t expecting to like this album as much as I did. The weirdest songs were the ones I liked most (“Dropout Boogie”, “Electricity”, “Abba Zaba”) but the more normal tracks were still very solid blues rock songs. That genre isn’t really up my alley but ultimately as a fan of similarly weird bands such as Primus (who seem like they could have had a heavy Beefheart influence, judging by the similarities in sound I noticed) I think I’ll be checking out more from these guys.

Forgot to rate it yesterday. Anyway, yeah, it was more accessible than I thought it would be, considering who Beefheart is, but that wasn't a flaw of it, far from it!

This has a more roots oriented feel to it than I was expecting. Good stuff. Needs more listening.

It’s super dooper cool on a lot of counts, but kind of tedious and a little too self consciously cool at too many points for top marks though.

I've never been a fan of Beefheart, even though lots of friends are. Consequently I've never listened to this. While it's occasionally odd, it's mostly recognizably bluesy. I rather enjoyed it.

Solid bluesy garage rock from Mr. Beefheart. Not as iconoclastic or essential as Trout Mask Replica, but definitely in the same vein.

I really liked most of it! Ry Cooder can play guitar! Some of it was meh.

Listen to this as if it were a Bebop album from the early 50s and you'll get it. 4/5

A band ive always meant to listen to, very good not as bonkers as i was expecting.

So is milk safe or unsafe? Both, right? The best kind of experimental sounds, I could get lost in this sort of stuff

I really want to like Captain Beefheart, but it's such a challenging listen.

Rock n roll once again

I kinda put this one off, because I wasn’t getting a great vibe. But it’s groovy and bluesy. Consistently pretty solid. Feel like I recognize it as a record utilized in turntablism a fair bit

Not as weird as I was expecting, but I liked it.

Strange cosmic blues. This must've been before the LSD got out of control

Bluesy roots rock? Pretty fun, but did get rambly

Bluesy and fun as hell