The Beefheart debut, originally released in 1967, was the catchiest and poppiest album in his catalog. Nevertheless, "Safe As Milk" is powerful and clearly inspired by the blues, but already shows some little things that would later become the typical Captain Beefheart sound. One neat fact is that a mere 20-year-old Ry Cooder plays bass and guitar on "Abba Zaba" and "Grown So Ugly"; he arranged "Grown So Ugly" as well as "Sure 'Nuff' N Yes I Do." Also, during the recording process, it was Cooder's job to translate Captain Beefheart's wilder visions for the rest of the band and act as musical director. With Co or as supervisor, the sessions went reasonably smoothly, with "Safe As Milk" being recorded within a month.