From: MCINTYRE@MSUPA.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Subject: Can
Date: 6 Nov 92 19:16:00 GMT
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Original_To:  BITNET%"allmusic@auvm"

>From:         Ilia <CC29@IONA.BITNET>

>   1. Since I joined the list, nobody ever mentioned CAN (well, I think,
>Carol included one song by them in her compilation tape - this reassures
>me that the band actually exists). So, if you, people, know anything
>about their fate that you care to share with your russian buddy - go
>ahead. I am also interested in your opinions about their various albums.
>+ I would especially appreciate if somebody sends me a list of songs on
>_Landed_.

Song list for _Landed_:
Full Moon On The Highway
Half Past One
Hunters and Collectors
Vernal Equinox
Red Hot Indians
Unfinished

The band at this point (1975) is the basic foursome: Michael Karoli on
guitar, violin, vocals; Irmin Schmidt on keyboards and vocals; Jaki
Liebezeit on percussion and wind instruments; and Holger Czukay on bass
and vocals.  Olaf Kuebler from the Amon Duul/Utopia camp plays tenor
sax on "Red Hot Indians".

I'm a bit fanatical on Can (I even have a cassette of their first jam
session), so please make allowances.  My favorite album is their first
_Monster Movie_ with the crazed American Malcolm Mooney (I think that
is the proper spelling) on vocals.  The songs are long on repetition,
but that's always been a hallmark of Can.  And they do a marvelous
version of "Mary, Mary".  [Yep, the nursery rhyme.  With extremely
fuzzed out guitar.  And over the top vocals. 8-)]  _Monster Movie_
was recorded in concert, and other songs from that concert appeared
many years later as _1968 Delayed_.  They did pick the better stuff
for _Monster Movie_.

Mooney left, and they replaced the crazed American with a crazed
Japanese that they found wandering through the Paris Metro screaming
his head off because he liked the echoes off the tile walls.  (Or so
the story goes.)  This version of the band recorded several albums,
including the wonderful double album _Tago Mago_ (my second favorite
Can album) and _Ege Bamyasei_ (which I know I have mispelled) which
has my favorite Can song "Vitamin C".  There was also an album of
pieces they had done for various films, entitled _Soundtracks_, and
an album of outtakes called _Limited Edition_, which later was
re-released with another album of outtakes as _Unlimited Edition_,
which is the version currently available.

After the Japanese guy left, the core foursome put out three very
good albums: _Future Days_, _Landed_, and _Soon Over Babaluma_.

Unfortunately, after that Holger Czukay started to get bored with
the way things were going.  The rest of the band was wanting to get
a bit more structured while Holger was more interested in dialing in
shortwave signals than he was in playing his bass.  Plus, he was
handling the engineering duties in the studio, which kept him busy
enough without trying to play as well.  So Holger moved into the
control booth and Can picked up the bass player and percussionist
from Traffic's _Welcome To The Canteen_.  This is the period of
the band I am not so fond of; the albums are _Flow Motion_,
_Saw Delight_, and one that came out on two different labels under
two different names, _Open_ and just plain _Can_.  These lack the
intensity of the earlier albums and sound more like imitation Can
than the real thing.

Surprise, surprise, a few years ago Can reformed - the core four
plus Malcolm Mooney.  The reunion album is called _Rite Time_, but
for me it just doesn't have the old spark.  They do contribute a
song to the new Wim Wenders film.

There have been several compilations released under such titles as
_Can Opener_ and _Cannabalism_, but I passed on those since I had
the original albums.  They may very well be the best introductory
purchase, but I cannot comment on them.  Supposedly all of their
albums are still available on American CD, but I cannot verify that
based on the stores around here.

There is a very informative book entitled _The Can Book_ that I would
recommend if you can find it.  It went through at least two editions
so there may be copies floating around.

All of the four core members have numerous solo releases, but only
Holger Czukay seems to have gotten American release.  I've been able
to find two Irmin Schmidt albums as imports and would love to get his
_Film Musick_ on CD.  I have never seen an album or CD by Michael
Karoli or Jaki Liebezeit.  Liebezeit drums on a lot of Michael Rother
albums, but I have never seen those in CD form.  Even stores that
had Rother listed in their catalogs have been unable to order them
for me.

Summary judgement (for those who made it this far):
_Monster Movie_ is their best, although that might be biased because it
was my first Can purchase.  I remember the salesman trying to talk me
into _Landed_ or _Soon Over Babaluma_ as being "more accessible", but
the cover and the title had me hooked.  It's still my favorite.

_Tago Mago_ is a strong second.

_Ege Bam*&^%$+_ gets bonus points for having "Vitamin C", but some of
the other pieces get *real* random, so it probably would not be the
best entry level purchase.

So let's put _Landed_, _Future Days_, and _Soon Over Babaluma_ in a
tie for third suggested entry level purchase - excepting, of course,
the compilations that I cannot comment on.

John McIntyre
Physics - Astronomy Dept
Michigan State University
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU