Safe as Milk

This was far too safe - when I hear Beefheart I think of experimentation. This was just fine 60s rock to rake leaves to. 3/5

Were they trying to be weird or were they aiming for the mainstream and it just came out a bit off-kilter? Either way, this was an intriguing listen.

I gotta tell you - I thought this was going to be dog shit, and it really wasn't. Their OTHER album? Dogshit. This one was actually listenable.

Not nearly the most infamous Captain Beefheart, but Captain Beefheart nonetheless. Honestly, when he has relatively accessible albums like this, I don't think Trout Mask Replica tells the full story (although he was definitely still a dangerous lunatic, at least at times). Anyways, Safe As Milk sits in a funny place where it's much weirder than most of what was coming out at the time, but not *nearly* as weird as most everything that would soon follow for The Captain. But the core of Safe As Milk is really the songs, so it manages to be extremely enjoyable regardless (probably much more *enjoyable* than most of his other albums for the average person). But the lo-fi elements, arrangement quirks, and relatively unhinged vocals make it unmistakable: this *is* a Captain Beefheart album. It's kind of like Trout Mask, but it's like you can tangibly see that the throttles aren't jammed nearly as far as they are on that album, in most every way. There are honestly some really conventionally pretty songs here, and some really groovin' blues riffs. Even if it kind of feels like a stepping stone, Safe As Milk may be a masterpiece in it's own right, of it's own sort. If you like this, but don't like Trout Mask, I also recommend you check out Shiny Beast [Bat Chain Puller]. It's a little more off the wall than this, but not nearly as challenging as Trout Mask, and I think it should be discussed more. Anyways, for the meantime, Safe As Milk is a delight of it's own sort.

weird! very into it

I adore this record. Like most Beefheart fans, I started with some of his most radical records and branched out from there. And don't get me wrong -- I love Trout Mask and Lick My Decals. But Safe As Milk might be my favorite of his. It's still extremely weird, but it choogles in a way his other records never really do (other than, maybe, the records that emerged from the Brown Paper sessions). I live for the blues and sometimes "blues rock" can be quite repellent, but Beefheart does it better than pretty much anyone.

Dziwna płyta. Bardzo dużo się tu dzieje i długo się dzieje. Nie wiem jak ocenić, trochę tu rocka, trochę bluesa, nie wiem.

Un poco sin más. Interesante a ratos.

A bit weird, but okay kind of weird

I liked this a lot even though it was quite different to what I expected from captain beefheart.

I’d only listened to Trout Mask Replica and mistakenly thought Captain Beefheart was all like getting poked in the eye.

Maybe I’ve been missing out because this was pretty cool.

Mostly blues-rock, with a little bit of 69’s psychedelia thrown in. 3.5 stars. Cool but not outstanding.

Starts bluesy then gets gloriously wacky.
So much better than Trout Mask Replica.
You can see the direction they're headed though.

You can tell there’s some decent songs on this album, but it’s difficult because the recording sounds like absolute dogshit. The production choices, especially on the first half, are baffling. It’s the tinniest album I’ve ever heard, it hurts the ears to listen to. The second half’s production is a bit better for some reason, it’s more balanced, but it still doesn’t sound great.

The kind of blues music that you might hear coming from a strange little shack when you've ventured just a little too far into the swamp. I had forgotten that Ry Cooder was on this record! He was only 20 years old. Summary: a fantastic album.

I have had this record on both vinyl and CD. The CD is nice because it’s got a bunch of delightful added instrumental weirdness at the end. I generally think that "extended versions" are a waste of time, what with all the remixes and demos and whatnot. But I feel like in this case those were a solid addition, and that's the version I listened to today.

Weird, but just the right amount of weird to make it interesting. I was familiar with 'Sure 'Nuff 'n' Yes, I Do' from the excellent cover by Aussie band, The Cruel Sea, but the rest is definitely worth a listen, too.

3.75 A lot more accessible than his notorious other album.

I could be swayed to bump this up, but it's like a "3+" on first listen. Not at all what I expected when I hit play, and it was a pretty wild adventure that made housework more bearable. Will have to circle back at some point.

3.08

Always intimidated by beefy boy's back catalogue. This seems fairly accessible though. Nice variety and some fun tunes. Put off by the voice though. Don't think I'll explore further.