#81. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | Safe as Milk (1967)

Before recording this album, Captain Beefheart had previously released a couple of singles through A&M Records, and it was to this record label that they first proposed this, their debut album in 1966. After hearing heavily R&B-influenced demos, A&M decided that the tracks were too unconventional and dropped the band. They then turned to new indie record label Buddha.

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to know who Captain Beefheart is, or was, but before this, I had never heard of them. I was actually pleasantly surprised by this album. I was expecting it to be a chore to get through, but it was a very interesting listen. Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, sounds like a howling wolf on most of the songs here, but it was the bluesy guitar riffs by a 20-year-old Ry Cooder that caught my ears.

The record never achieved popular success in the United States or the UK. Actually, none of Captain Beefheart's albums would ever enter the Top 100 charts in the US. They would enjoy moderate success with later releases in Europe (and, yes, I'll be listening to another Beefheart album soon).

Track Listing:
01. Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do
02. Zig Zag Wanderer
03. Call On Me
04. Dropout Boogie
05. I'm Glad
06. Electricity
07. Yellow Brick Road
08. Abba Zaba
09. Plastic Factory
10. Where There's Woman
11. Grown So Ugly
12. Autumn's Child