Can

Can - Can - 1978 - Harvest, EMI Electrola GmbH

The final studio effort from the first decade run of Can signifies not only a changing of the guard for the progressive Krautrock icons, but a nod to the shifting tastes of the times. Losing the great bassist Holger Czukay as a bandmember who moved into the production/editing room had a telling effect, but his replacement Rosko Gee was more than adequate. Percussionist Rebop and Gee (both coming off stints with Traffic) buoyed the band and modified Can's sound as they collectively continued exploring amplified and processed experimentation. Electric guitarist Michael Karoli continued expanding his horizons and sound palate, Irmin Schmidt dug deeper into keyboard sounds running parallel to fellow countrymen from the bands Passport, Cluster and Kraftwerk, while Jaki Liebezeit, simply put, remained one of the more consistent and steady rock drummers of the era. But disco beats, on the way out in 1979, remained a part of Can's appeal, and a precursor for the acid-jazz dance music to come. At their best "All Gates Open" whips space blues harmonica, buried vocals, and Robert Fripp inspired guitar into a clean and simple jam. The exotic influence of African music infused into the instrumental "Sunday Jam" suggests strains of the famous jazz standard "Caravan." The purely electric "Sodom" resonates along the lines of Cluster welded to Jimi Hendrix style inferences while also plodding. A campy take of the can can "Ethnological Forger Series #99" parallels the Love Sculpture/Dave Edmunds adaptation of "Sabre Dance." Of the more dance oriented tracks, "A Spectacle" is relevant from a contemporary standpoint with Karoli's spiky, choppy wah wah sound, while "Safe" is completely spaced out. A scintillating attempt at R&B fusion, "Can Be" veers into epic big hair arena corpo-rock territory, held together by Karoli's excellent playing. While Can emerged in ensuing years with different lineups and further sub-developments, this last vestige of the initial band holds firm in resolve, and is at the least an intriguing aside to their more potent earlier albums. © Michael G. Nastos © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/can-r3226/review

An album of sheer creative brilliance from the legendary Can, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Even without bassist Holger Czukay and the incredible vocalist, Damo Suzuki, there is no mistaking Can's unique sound on this album. Three of Can's albums, "Monster Movie", "Tago Mago", and "Ege Bamyasi" are progressive rock classics. Give at least one a listen. You may become hooked on this amazing band's unique sound. It is also worth hearing Irmin Schmidt's "Masters of Confusion" album, Holger Czukay's "Rome Remains Rome" album, and the Damo Suzuki Band's V.E.R.N.I.S.S.A.G.E album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 All Gates Open - Karoli,Schmidt,Liebezeit,Gee,Reebop 8:16
A2 Safe - Karoli,Schmidt,Liebezeit,Gee,Reebop 8:36
A3 Sunday Jam - Karoli,Schmidt,Liebezeit,Gee 4:17

B1 Sodom - Karoli,Schmidt,Liebezeit 5:42
B2 A Spectacle - Karoli,Schmidt,Liebezeit,Gee,Czukay 5:48
B3 E.F.S. Nr. 99 ("Can Can") - Karoli,Schmidt,Liebezeit, J. Offenbach 3:16
B4 Ping Pong - Karoli,Schmidt 0:25 *
B5 Can Be - Karoli,Schmidt,Liebezeit 3:00

* On the original 1978 vinyl lp side 2 sticker, tracks B3 & B4 are reversed. On the album sleeve, the track sequence is listed as above
N.B: The original 1978 first vinyl pressing of this album was released as "Can". Later vinyl and CD reissues were entitled "Inner Space" after the name of the studio where the album was recorded

BAND

Guitar, Vocals, (Bass on "Can Be") - Michael Karoli
Bass - Rosko Gee
Keyboards, Synthesizer - Irmin Schmidt
Drums - Jaki Liebezeit
Percussion - Reebop Kwaku Baah

BIO

Always at least three steps ahead of contemporary popular music, Can were the leading avant-garde rock group of the '70s. From their very beginning, their music didn't conform to any commonly held notions about rock & roll -- not even those of the countercultures. Inspired more by 20th century classical music than Chuck Berry, their closest contemporaries were Frank Zappa or possibly the Velvet Underground. Yet their music was more serious and inaccessible than either of those artists. Instead of recording tight pop songs or satire, Can experimented with noise, synthesizers, nontraditional music, cut-and-paste techniques, and, most importantly, electronic music; each album marked a significant step forward from the previous album, investigating new territories that other rock bands weren't interested in exploring. Throughout their career, Can's lineup was fluid, featuring several different vocalists over the years; the core bandmembers remained keyboardist Irmin Schmidt, drummer Jaki Leibezeit, guitarist Michael Karoli, and bassist Holger Czukay. During the '70s, they were extremely prolific, recording as many as three albums a year at the height of their career. Apart from a surprise U.K. Top 30 hit in 1978 -- "I Want More" -- they were never much more than a cult band; even critics had a hard time appreciating their music. Can debuted in 1969 with the primitive, bracing Monster Movie, the only full-length effort to feature American-born vocalist Malcolm Mooney. 1970's Soundtracks, a collection of film music, introduced Japanese singer Kenji "Damo" Suzuki, and featured "Mother Sky," one of the group's best-known compositions. With 1971's two-record set Tago Mago, Can hit their visionary stride, shedding the constraints of pop forms and structures to explore long improvisations, angular rhythms, and experimental textures. 1972's Ege Bamayasi refined the approach, and incorporated an increasingly jazz-like sensibility into the mix; Future Days, recorded the following year as Suzuki's swan song, traveled even further afield into minimalist, almost ambient territory. With 1974's Soon Over Babaluma, Can returned to more complicated and abrasive ground, introducing dub rhythms as well as Karoli's shrieking violin. 1976's Unlimited Edition and 1977's Saw Delight proved equally restless, and drew on a wide range of ethnic musics. When the band split in 1978 following the success of the album Flow Motion and the hit "I Want More," they left behind a body of work that has proven surprisingly groundbreaking; echoes of Can's music can be heard in Public Image Limited, the Fall, and Einstürzende Neubauten, among others. As with much aggressive and challenging experimental music, Can's music can be difficult to appreciate, yet their albums offer some of the best experimental rock ever recorded. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/can-p3826/biography