Safe As Milk – CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND****

Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes I Do/Zig Zag Wanderer/Call On Me/Dropout Wanderer/I’m Glad/Electricity/Yellow Brick Road/ Abba Zaba/Plastic Factory/Where There’s Woman/Grown So Ugly/Autumn’s Child

Captain Beefheart's first outing Safe As Milk is far more accessible than some of his later offerings, being firmly based in the blues, spiced with more than a dash of the Captain's idiosyncratic musical outlook.

"Safe As Milk is basically a psychedelic blues album with some soul, surf music, doo wop and world music thrown in. However, the schizophrenic Howlin' Wolf vocals, the tightness and aggressiveness of the band's playing, and the songwriting itself are what make it really special. The range in quality may differ a little, but there isn't a weak song on the album. Electricity is definitely the best cut here."

"Safe As Milk is not the kind of bold, introductory record you would expect from someone as imaginative and free spirited as the Captain, but it is a stellar record filled with wonderfully light hearted blues, pop and psychedelia. As always, the Captain manages to find a way to turn what should be a straightforward pop song into a much more creative spin, without sacrificing any warmth or enjoyability."

"An undisputed classic of early Beefheart that will appeal to those who are interested in his music but aren't able to stomach Trout Mask Replica. It's a lean album, but all for the better, since there's not a weak track in the whole set. Beefheart's voice is not yet in full force, but you know when you hear a song like Electricity that he'll be moving towards that wildman persona pretty soon. Enjoy Beefheart's twisted take on Delta Blues, infused with just enough weird to keep the fans of his avant-garde stuff satisfied, but always listenable to ears unaccustomed to his idiosyncratic sound."

"At his best, Beefheart's nonsense lyrics, his almost childlike wonder at the world and everything in it can evoke a joyousness beyond words. Safe As Milk captures this spirit and melds it to some of the most committed music he ever recorded."

"The Captain mixes the blues with rock, pop, and his own avant-garde weirdness. And Ry Cooder's slide guitar playing on this is just phenomenal. Without a doubt the Captain's most commercial and publicly attainable album. This makes it the perfect place to start or to back off to when you need a break from avant-garde."