Aquarium Drunkard

Captain Beefheart’s 1967 debut, Safe as Milk, has had a firm hold on my ears the past couple of weeks — namely because I just recently replaced my old copy with the remastered version (complete with added bonus tracks). While Trout Mask is it’s own fantastic, bizarro ride (note: possible future post) Safe As Milk remains my favorite complete Beefheart work from start to finish. It was also my introduction to the band. 

Re-listening to the album in 2007 is an interesting experience in and of itself based solely on the amount of recent indie bands who have clearly co-opted much of the Beefheart sound, style, and aural aesthetic. Granted, I tend to love many of these bands for that very reason.

Beefheart’s unrelenting mix of raw garage rock distilled through their rendering of the delta blues sounds like midnight under a full moon in the bayou. This cleaned up version of the album only further punctuates this. Foe those interested, the bonus tracks are outtakes from Mirror Man Sessions.

Video: Watch the band’s “Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes I Do” rave up. Damn.

DOWNLOAD:
MP3: Captain Beefheart :: Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes I Do
MP3: Captain Beefheart :: Safe as Milk take 5 (bonus track)
———-
Amazon: Captain Beefheart - Safe as Milk
www.beefheart.com