Beefheart's first proper studio album is a much more accessible, pop-inflected brand of blues-rock than the efforts that followed in the late '60s -- which isn't to say that it's exactly normal and straightforward. Featuring Ry Cooder on guitar, this is blues-rock gone slightly askew, with jagged, fractured rhythms, soulful, twisting vocals from Van Vliet, and more doo wop, soul, straight blues, and folk-rock influences than he would employ on his more avant-garde outings. "Zig Zag Wanderer," "Call on Me," and "Yellow Brick Road" are some of his most enduring and riff-driven songs, although there's plenty of weirdness on tracks like "Electricity" and "Abba Zaba." [Buddha's 1999 reissue of Safe as Milk contained restored artwork and seven bonus tracks.] ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Taj Mahal (Percussion), Ry Cooder (Bass), Ry Cooder (Guitar), Ry Cooder (Arranger), Captain Beefheart (Guitar), Captain Beefheart (Harmonica), Captain Beefheart (Marimba), Captain Beefheart (Vocals), Captain Beefheart (Main Performer), Herb Betmen (?), Hank Cicalo (Engineer), Elliott Federman (Mastering), John French (Drums), Jerry Handley (Bass), Milt Holland (Percussion), Milt Holland (Log Drums), Bob Krasnow (Producer), Richard Perry (Producer), Antennae Jimmy Semens (Guitar), Alex St. Clair (Guitar), Russ Titelman (Guitar), Don Van Vliet (Arranger), Guy Webster (Photography), Gary Marker (Engineer), Samson Hoffman (Theremin), Don Paulsen (Archivist), Don Paulsen (Archival Materials), Joe Foster (Producer), Joe Foster (Recreation), Jeff Cotton (Guitar), Kris Needs (Liner Notes), Tom Wilkes (Graphic Design), Mike Ragogna (Reissue Producer), John Platt (Liner Notes), John Platt (Reissue Producer), John Platt (Annotation), Dana Renert (Project Coordinator), Bruce Pollock (Project Coordinator), David Richman (Redesign), Claudia Depkin (Archivist), Ed Osborne (Project Coordinator), Arlessa Barnes (Project Coordinator), Mandana Eidgah (Production Coordination), Jeremy Holiday (Project Coordinator), Tom Tierney (Archivist), Joanne Feltman (Archivist), Glenn Korman (Archivist), Lisa Butler (Project Coordinator), Glenn Delgado (Project Coordinator), Christina DeSimone (Project Coordinator), Felicia Gearhart (Project Coordinator), Laura Gregory (Project Coordinator), Robin Manning (Project Coordinator), Larry Parra (Project Coordinator), Catherine Seligman (Project Coordinator), Steve Strauss (Project Coordinator), Robin Diamond (Project Coordinator), Andy Morten (Producer), Andy Morten (Artwork), Andy Morten (Design)
