Can - Tago Mago

[Steve Reynolds]

1971 - 5 guys - rock band? I suppose - this isn't anyone's standard rock record - better on this page than any other, I suppose

1971?


you made a believer out of me

I was singin' to Malcolm Mooney the other day - couldn't wait to dive Damo Suzuki for the first time in what today seems like forever

and a few years later, something happened somewhere to these guys that turned into something even more – and if one isn’t believing, then one, I think is not into the real deal

and halleluwah is it – been a few years since I heard what must be the single second side of a rock LP – really there isn’t anything in the world like this – this was 1971, right?

liners have some references to Miles – Bitches Brew era – but those liners are not from that time – does anyone know why this music sounds like it from another world and another time – the earlier Monster Movie is from that time – great, great record – but definitely 1969 – this one – escaped me until long after I thought I had heard all the rock music from the past that I ever needed to hear – never heard them, only had a vague notion that they existed – but I knew of Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk and other bands of that supposed idiom – liked some of it, today I doubt that much would interest – maybe a couple of the earlier Kraftwerk records might be nice (Trans Europa Express and Autobahn were two favorites)

but throughout my main listening time to much rock music (the late 70’s and 80’s) – I never heard the band named Can.

even when I finally listened to them in the early/mid 90’s, I liked it, but I was more consumed with my new found passion for the music we call jazz – and somehow I left it behind – as there was a period of time for maybe 7 or 8 years that I pretty much listened to jazz only – I felt I had to catch up with this newfound music that had somehow escaped me until I was over 30 years of age.


and now I have just a little bit of money – and as I havn’t bought any new music in almost 2 years – I am wading in buying new, old etc – very slowly – so I stopped off at a local Tower and I picked up a few discs

although I had the previous issue of Tago Mago, I don’t have it any longer – and hearing from many how good the sound is on the new remasters, I put down the cash to hear something I had already heard – actually passing over Trovesi’s Fugace – something I have wanted to hear since I heard it existed.

now all of it is pretty damn incredible – I even get something out of the two more abstract things that would have made up most of the original second record from the original 2 LP set – mostly amazed that a “rock” band that might have been thought to be interested in what the other rock bands of the era had to some or to a great extent (money, sales, worldwide fame – and today, iconic status – deserved or undeserved). As we know today, there is really no era in rock music like the decade between 1965 and 1975 – where music that is best gathered under a heading of classic rock today. Even bands like Traffic – which were unheard when I was growing up – save for Glad as background music on NFL highlights – were huge compared to Can – unless one was obsessed with finding new and different, they didn’t exist fro a 15 kid growing up in surburbia - and today – think of what it means to the general public – the perception from the masses is that this is when the great rock music was made – and in some cases they are right – but it all wasn’t Who’s Next…


but….Mushroom, Oh Yeah and the aforementioned side two epic – this is beyond all of my fucking recall - people who might be watching this boy screaming to the most sensational thing I have heard in some time - seems like the first time I heard something so great - but I've heard it before - time forgets - I was gone, hallewuwah for real - means more today than almost any day - 13 months, 15 days - amazing fucking thing, a fucking miracle - today I think of the Tooth and the Wonder Bread man - long way to go - what a journey- my life back - to hear this - to hear that thing called Cloud - perfect music 34 years apart - connected in some way - maybe - in that it hits nme deep within, lets me feel and experience life- art and feel my roots - and feel something good from the past - almost like I never heard it before


This is it, this is simply the greatest music of it’s kind, has no kind, is of it’s own – from another place – Damo Suzuki turns in the most original and captivating vocalizing ever – peiod, ever – and the drummer – my gawd – I;m screaming during theat thing – and when it kicks, it kicks harder – could go even longer – and Suzuki – where did this shit come from – used to be in “Hair”?



lordy lordy




Oh Yeah, baby

[Jon Abbey]

yep, this gets my vote for best "rock" record of all time (well, this or Fun House, apples and oranges), and Halleluwah gets my vote for best "rock" song ever. I think I'll play this now, in honor of my friend Steve's long road back to the rest of us.

[Steve Reynolds]

well - Fun House is on my short list for a re-buy - as it is near the top of my all-time rock records as well


jon - did you see my comments re: Cloud?

more later today as I gave the seond disc a couple more spins.....

thanks for the well wishes - it's been an amazing and incredible journey - back to life, indeed - like nothing in this world - who would have known?

not me, that's for sure

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

jon - did you see my comments re: Cloud?

more later today as I gave the seond disc a couple more spins.....

I did, interesting to read your thoughts as always, but it made me think you need to get reaccustomed to listening to this stuff. FYI, that recurring motif near the start of disc 2 is Oren on a pretty recognizable guitar, not keyboards.

any chance you're going to come see Otomo at the Stone next week?

[Steve Reynolds]

I agree - but it has been a blast having *not* heard much of it - and nothing really different - in quite a while.

maybe one night for Otomo - not sure yet, Jon

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

yep, this gets my vote for best "rock" record of all time (well....

[Salvador Dali Lama]

shoot, this post has me all fired up to listen to tago mago now. definately one of my favorites of all time. has any body gotten the box set yet?

[Vince Kargatis]

(shrug) I own this album. I enjoy it. But I just don't think that highly of it. I readily admit perhaps I'm missing its historical import, but as an album I listen to in this age, I don't hear the impact or brilliance so commonly attributed to it. I've heard a number of Can albums and never even approached being a Can fan.

[Jon Abbey]

one thing that sets Can apart is their roots in a wide range of traditions...

Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt formed the band in 1968, they were both students with Stockhausen in the mid-sixties, Schmidt also studied with Cage in NY before forming the band.

drummer Jaki Liebezeit had a free jazz background, he worked with Manfred Schoof and he's on the first Globe Unity Orchestra release from 1966. according to this (unomas.com/features/can.html), he played with Chet Baker at one point.

so, those three were the core, then they added guitar virtuoso Michael Karoli. from the above piece, "Karoli was a student of Czukay's at the St. Gallen school in Switzerland, where he helped increase his teacher's appreciation of great rock music. Later, Karoli attempted to study law, but just couldn't shake his real love -- music! Early on he developed a keen interest in various musical styles, including, folk, jazz, dixieland, blues, classical and rock and roll. The diversity of his musical taste was matched by the variety of instruments he could play, including flute, piano, violin, banjo and of course guitar. Karoli's guitar style avoided the riff-laden approach common to the rock guitarists of the time, in favor of an understated sound more concerned with overall performance. Often his guitar was on a low sizzle, an engaging tone of mild feedback. At his most aggressive, he would let loose with great insight and skill, calling upon various approaches; from free-form jamming to a repetitive, quasi-flamenco technique."

as for Damo Suzuki, the genius vocalist on Tago Mago, also from the above piece, "According to various reports Czukay first saw him on the street praying to the sun and/or busking wildly. Before even talking to him, Czukay commented that the busker would be their next vocalist."

obviously none of that matters if it doesn't add up to anything for you, and what's interesting is that none of the bootleg concert recordings of the band I've heard have been anywhere near the level of their released work. what I take from this is that they were also pretty much geniuses in the studio (Czukay being the main one, I believe), at editing jams down to the perfect material and length (I believe I've read that the 20 minute Yoo Doo Right was edited down from a 2 or 3 hour jam?)

on a separate but related note, people coming from an improv and/or classical background who aren't totally sold on Can should check out Canaxis, a Czukay project from 1968:

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/968

this would have changed the life of a young Brian Olewnick if he'd heard it at the time, tape loops containing field recordings of a couple of Vietnamese singers. this is what Czukay did between studying with Stockhausen and cofounding Can, highly recommended.

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

this would have changed the life of a young Brian Olewnick if he'd heard it at the time, tape loops containing field recordings of a couple of Vietnamese singers. this is what Czukay did between studying with Stockhausen and cofounding Can, highly recommended.

Maybe so. As is, I'm kinda in Vince's camp. To be sure, I only heard "Tago Mago" (or Can, as far as I know, though I imagine I must have heard snatches at one time or another previously) for the first time a few years ago when I picked it up after one of Jon's raves. It's ok, but doesn't knock me out by any means. I chalk it up to a "when you first heard it" phenomenon, something that underlies many (most?) taste decisions one makes, I get the feeling.

Hmm...gotta go get the plates for the new (used) car now. Car has disc system (a first for the Olewnick household)...plan on bringing along "Les Stances a Sophie" and was considering another. Maybe....Jon, if you hear Tago blaring from outside your window in a couple of hours, you'll know....

[Jon Abbey]

yeah, yeah, we all know you're d-void-o-funk. the real question is have you heard Canaxis?

[Steve Reynolds]

Olewnick was once seen grooving to Hamid when he was laying down a deep funk infested monster groove behind the Brotz tentet


so he has it in him - I saw him out of the corner of my eye, it *can* happen......

he might deny it, I wish I had it on tape

[rosebud]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

yeah, yeah, we all know you're d-void-o-funk. the real question is have you heard Canaxis?

I have it & I love it. A real classic. so beautifull....
Tago Mago might be Can's masterpiece but Ege Bamyashi, Future Days, Soon over Babulama and the unlimited edition (this one is for can-adepts, not suitable for a can-introduction) are very good too.

cheers,
S.

[Sergio Zamora]

Fixed

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

I hate water!!!

[Brian Olewnick]

So, I listened to what I guess was the first of 2 LPs (through 'Halleluwah' on the disc). Still roughly the same opinion. I enjoyed 'Halleluwah' the most (easily) and can definitely see the comparisons to 'Bitches Brew' though the latter, to me (funkmeister that I surely am) is way, way funkier and deeper.

But man, for funk, "Theme de Yoyo" is about 3,482,030 times funkier than Tago Mago.

[Jon Abbey]

as I said above, there are quite a few components jostling around and combining to form Can, so it's probably not your faulty funk-o-meter that's the problem here, much more likely your lack of love for most things rock.
for instance, I'd say that the first Funkadelic disc is decidedly funkier than Theme de Yoyo, but the rock component throws you off.

anyway, no one said you should relisten to Tago Mago, but I am saying you should check out Canaxis if you haven't before.

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

much more likely your lack of love for most things rock.

That and my hydrophobia

[Jon Abbey]

you never could swim.

[Noj]

I thought it was rabies.

[walto]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

yep, this gets my vote for best "rock" record of all time (well, this or Fun House, apples and oranges), and Halleluwah gets my vote for best "rock" song ever. I think I'll play this now, in honor of my friend Steve's long road back to the rest of us.

Better than this?!

[Captain Hate]

So who am I to believe here; Ollie & Vince or everybody else? 'Cause I feel like a total mutt for not knowing about this.

[stonemonkts]

This is an astonishing recording, especially for 1971. The only thing I've ever heard this far ahead of its time in 'pop' music would be Brian Eno's early works.

I hear touches of Eno in this record, in fact.

[Jon Abbey]

I don't count Fela under the "rock" umbrella, and I personally don't think early Eno holds up as well as the best Can material. if you want to count it, the first Funkadelic record should probably be a candidate also.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

steve - since reading this post yesterday i've been having a massive can-a-thon. thanks for reminding me that this is my favorite band. like, ever. !!

[Steve Reynolds]

and I bought two more little Christmas presents for myself yesterday

Ege Bamyashi & Future Days


have only heard a couple of tracks from either a few years ago

maybe I play one a day early.....

[Dennis Gonzalez]

I just got myself a Christmas present of a book called Hippie. It explores rather positively (I'm glad because there are so many people who loved those days who are now claiming it was a wasted time) the phenomenon I "sorta" lived through, including the music of the time...which Can is a great part of.

Aaron had found some Can CD's a few years ago and went on to become a Can Master...knows more about 'em than I ever knew.

I was listening to Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O.'s CD Troubadours from Another Heavenly World while talking to my boys about ayuahuasca...what a trip!

Originally Posted by Captain Hate

So who am I to believe here; Ollie & Vince or everybody else? 'Cause I feel like a total mutt for not knowing about this.

Ollie & Vince.

There's no way anyone can get the effect of hearing it at the time of its release. You either heard it then, or you didn't (maybe like me, too young). Someone later told you it was groundbreaking and fresh (or you read it), but later, after so much happened in rock/pop, its like having to tell yourself, yes, this is fresh. To me, it's very interesting in its retrospective light, and less interesting, but nonetheless enjoyable now as avant rock music.

The Beatles did a heck of a lot more interesting and innovative things than Can, but saying so is not really that cool.

[Jon Abbey]

I, of course, don't agree with that at all. I didn't hear Can when they came out (I don't think too many people did actually, especially outside of Germany), although I did hear them when I was just out of college.

and I don't diss the Beatles, I'm happy to give them their due. but I knew all those songs by heart 20 years ago, tough to get too excited about them now (for me).

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

I, of course, don't agree with that at all. I didn't hear Can when they came out (I don't think too many people did actually, especially outside of Germany), although I did hear them when I was just out of college.

So what struck you about the record? You heard it about 15 years or more after its release, yes?

and I don't diss the Beatles, I'm happy to give them their due. but I knew all those songs by heart 20 years ago, tough to get too excited about them now (for me).

I don't listen to them much myself, but when I do (usually when someone else has put them on), I'm still amazed at how much they did in their short time together. Genius, really, especially in that they tried so many different things, experimented with so much in the rock/pop song form, and still made wonderful, utterly accessible music.

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by achilles

So what struck you about the record? You heard it about 15 years or more after its release, yes?

probably closer to 20. what struck me about it? it's just exceptional music, inspired in a way that hasn't been matched since by any of the bands that have tried. very influential on me personally, the combination of musicians coming from different backgrounds is a bit like what I try to do with Erst.