Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band - Safe as Milk
On this episode we tackle the LP that introduced the world to Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: 1967's Safe as Milk.
Captain Beefheart, né Don Van Vliet, is best known for having recorded one of the most heralded rock albums of all time -Trout Mask Replica. But for many, that double album is a confounding listen with it's atonal song structures, disconcerting time signatures, and bizarre vocals. However, before that was Safe As Milk. Thanks to the presence of 20-year-old Ry Cooder, some of Beefhearts's more eccentric instincts were reigned in. As a result, Safe as Milk is an intriguing listen. It can be challenging in places, as it does have elements of what the future holds for Captain Beefheart and His magic Band. But it also has moments of whimsy and some good old 1967 rock n' roll (albeit through a Beefheart lens). And then there's Beefheart's chameleon-like vocals which are often strange, sometimes brilliant, and always compelling.
No Recommendation this episode.
Here’s an early promotional shot of CAptain Beefheart and his Magic Band.
A young Captain Beefheart (né Don Van Vliet) looking the part of rebel.
Knowing where Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band were headed sound-wise, these two videos are a bit surreal.
The first clip shows the band appearing on Dick Clark’s Where The Action Is in May of 1966 miming “Who Do You Think You're Foolin’” and “Diddy Wah Diddy” in front of a bunch of California teens frolicking on the beach.
In the second clip, Captain Beefheart calls into American Bandstand hotline in June 1966. He answers some questions from one of the shows dancers and then the rest of the dancers get to dance to “Diddy Wah Diddy.”
Filmed for the French TV show Bouton Rouge in January 1968, Captain Beefheart and The Magic band performed “Electricity” on the beach at Cannes, France, in front of the Martinez Hotel.
Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart were high school friends. Zappa would hang out at Beefhearts’ home and listen to old blues and doo wap records.
