Tago Mago

The problem with experiments is sometimes they fail. I was vibing with this music, berating myself for judging another album by its genre, when all of a sudden I was assaulted with a 17 and half minute song that sounded like a monkey humping a didgeridoo, following by 11 and a half minutes of eastern strings accompanied by tiny men who crawl up your nose and dance upside down on the bottom of your brain. How many krautrock albums are on this stinking list? Best track: Halleluhwah

This fucks.

Tago Mago is a combination of rock, funk, psychedelic freak out, avant-garde jazz improv, elevator muzak, proto techno, stoned mantra, and trippy tape loop experimentation. It handles all these styles better, for longer and harder than any album that’s come before it or since, backed by a truly stellar rhythm section. If Tago Mago was a movie, it would simultaneously be The Empire Strikes Back and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Peak hoe-scaring music.

Did not know what to expect with this one. There's so much going on here and it gets better with every play through. Stand out tracks for me are Mushroom and the experimental, brooding crescendo of sounds in Aumgn which transported me somewhere else altogether. Perhaps the wailing soundscape of Peking O goes a little too far into the avant-garde, but overall this is a stunning album, I can't even imagine being hit with this in 1971. So good. Probably not one to play at a dinner party though, unless your friend Saffron is planning to lace the avocado salad with something.

German Pink Floyd. Pink Freud

I'm gonna do something I haven't done before and cast a spite vote. At the time of reviewing, this Krautrock gem is sitting at an average score of 2.86, below such piles of steaming crap as "Gentlemen" by the Afghan Whigs, Def Leppard's "Hysteria", that awful collab by Sinatra and Jobim, and sooo many others. 5 spiteful middle fingers to all you shitty music taste having plebs. 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕

I was ambivalent towards this until track 5, which is 17.5 minutes of clattering. It gave me a headache. Track 6 sounds like a 7 year old child randomly hitting a toy drum, bashing a piano and trying to explain the rules of Mallet's Mallet. For those reasons, I mostly hate this.

The Ile de Tagomago is an island snuggled into Ibiza’s east coast. The name Tagomago translates as “Mago’s rock”, possibly referring to Mago Barca, the brother of Hannibal. Mago Barca also was the ultimate source for "mayonnaise". Anyway, the Ile de Tagomago supposedly once served as a retreat for Aleister Crowley, the Great Beast of English occultism. Yet the figure most touched by magick associated with the island is Jaki Liebezeit, the funkiest German of all. In 1963, Jaki Liebezeit was depressed. Liebezeit had been an accomplished free jazz drummer, but gigging around Spain had caused him to conclude that, despite the nominer, free jazz was limited, a musical dead end. Also, he had been touring with an opiate-boggled Chet Baker, and Baker’s drug dependency blackened Liebezeit’s psyche further. Liebezeit rented a pad on the Ile de Tagomago, but found himself suicidal, every morn contemplating a dive onto the island’s rocks. Thankfully, he didn’t, and later at a gig he received the epiphany that shook his from his malaise. After he had finished playing, a random stranger, probably high, approached him through the crowd and bellowed, “You should play more monotonously!” The figure disappeared back into the ether, but lightning had struck Liebezeit. That revelation led Liebezeit to develop a new philosophy of drumming, one where he would not only repeat himself, but repeat himself so much that his drumming would become hypnotic and questing. Hooking up with two students of Stockhausen, Irwin Schmidt (keyboards, oscillators, sine-wave generators) and Holger Czukay (bass), and a protégé of Czukay’s, Michael Karoli (guitar), Jaki Liebezeit provided the engine of Can, the core drive to perhaps the greatest band to fuse the avant-garde with rock. Tago Mago is Can’s second studio album, a compilation of their soundtrack work appearing between their first album Monster Movie and Tago Mago. Tago Mago is also Can’s greatest album. Tago Mago is also one of the greatest albums ever made. I have used the word “greatest” thrice in the last few sentences. I make no apology for that, because each use is fully justified. I know that taste is subjective, and Tago Mago refuses to compromise for the more demure listener, but if I were to hide behind a statement like, “oh, I’m my opinion it’s great, but it’s not for everyone,” that would be evasive and cowardly. In the world as I see it, Tago Mago is easily one of the ten greatest albums of all. Wittgenstein once wrote that what the solipsist says is true, though such a truth cannot be stated, but rather makes itself manifest. Following that logic, and since I'm pretty sure I exist, if you don’t like Tago Mago, then that’s evidence on the transcendental plane that you don’t exist. I haven’t mentioned yet the fifth ingredient to Tago Mago, the Japanese freakout shaman Damo Suzuki, who by all accounts is genuinely a very nice person. In one interview he described himself as a “nomad in the 21st century, traveller, hippy but not really hippie, metaphysical transporter, human being.” Only the last entry in that list raises scepticism: if it turned out Damo Suzuki had flown down to Earth in a flying saucer with Santana and Bez, nobody would be that surprised. After Malcolm Mooney, the original vocalist to Can, returned to the USA due to mental health issues, Czukay and Liebezeit spotted Suzuki busking in the street with a performance art piece. The two wandered over and asked Suzuki if he would join their happening on stage that night. You may assume that such a deadline would have proven onerous to young Suzuki, but Can existed in a state of constant improvisation. They were notorious for jamming for up to 16 hours, finding the songs by Czukay’s extensive splicing of their recordings afterwards. This style fitted Suzuki like a spacesuit, since his vocalism was a highly improvised blend of Japanese, German, English and whatever noise he damn well wanted, with him pronouncing the resultant mixture as “the language of the Stone Age.” And who are we mere mortals to doubt him? For such a trippy record, and it is bloody trippy, the first disc of Tago Mago is rather accessible. The first three tracks, Paperhouse, Mushroom and Oh Yeah, are as groovy as Bootsy Collins’ corduroys. Paperhouse and Mushroom are very fine pieces of early 70s head music, but Oh Yeah is the full-on, full-blooded, full-throated, full-blast, full-frontal apex of the first side, variating from portentous and doom-laden to butterfly-light and back in 7 minutes. There’s only one way they could follow that: the 18-minute masterpiece Halleluhwah, where they find the Platonic groove, the groove ringing throughout Elysium, and thus the funkiest track of 1971 was made by four classically trained Germans and a Japanese busker. Even more wonderfully, on Halleluhwah Can preempt the laidback acid whiteboy funk of the Happy Mondays, one of the greatest, most undervalued groups in rock history (and would also record their own glorious Hallelujah). And then we get to the second disc, where it gets really trippy. Can had intended Tago Mago to be a single album, but their manager, Schmidt’s wife Hildegard, insisted that Can reveal all they could do. The side-length Aumgn takes its name from a Sanskrit mystical chant, and has Can flexing their avant-garde heft. I shan’t pretend that the casual listener may find themselves intimidated by Aumgn, and the following Peking O, but I implore you to try and connect with them, or at least be patient with them. They are not meant to be easy listening, but how are you going to expand your consciousness into the ninth dimension and realise the godhead within you if you shirk this in favour of Justin Timberlake? Finally, we have Bring Me Coffee or Tea, a much gentler but still slightly unsettling cooldown from all the intensity, and so the listener lies ravished, beaming, able only to keep tapping out the endless drums. Warm, challenging, funky, intelligent, funny, organic, brave, hairy, virtuosic, playful, apocalyptic and cool, Tago Mago is, as I said before, one of the greatest albums ever made. It is the sound of five men with astonishing heads and astonishing hands synchronising with each other to produce an avant-funk-rock monument to what music can achieve. And as much as I bow before Schmidt, Czukay, Karoli and Suzuki, the central figure to Tago Mago, the metronomic colossus, is Jaki Liebezeit. The beat simply don’t stop and that’s a fact, Jak. NoRadio, signing off.

To me Can is like a genre unto themselves in that they are utterly unique. They are comprised of such an interesting combination of individual backgrounds but yet they are all completely devoted to a group mentality so that it doesn't get pushed in any one individual direction more than another, and that, I think is the secret to their success. It sounds like they really listened to each other when they played and fed off of each other. I tend to gravitate towards music you can get lost in/hypnotized by and Can does that with some of the funkiest grooves ever put to record. Bewitching. The closest thing I can compare it to is Miles Davis' fusion era but Can is even more boundary-less in their search for a sound. The album covers such a rare emotional range that it is beyond words, as are most of Damo Suzuki's lyrics! Tago Mago is their sprawling masterpiece and where they really caught fire, and I do love it, but I actually prefer their next album Ege Bamyasi for it's tighter construction. Unfortunately that album is not part of this list (but I am glad to see that Future Days is). I think the first two sides (or four songs) of Tago Mago are nearly flawless, and that would have been a fantastic album in and of itself. When you get to sides 3 & 4 they are much more experimental, and while I do appreciate them conceptually, etc., having listened to this album many times, I'm not always in the right place to listen to Aumgn or Peking O. It's kind of like the White Album in that way. How many times do you really listen to Revolution #9 the whole way through without skipping? Still, this is 5 stars for me simply for their efforts in making the journey to find their own wholly original sound, which they would go on to perfect in subsequent albums IMHO. Listen to the 40th anniversary edition to hear on the bonus tracks how differently these songs could be performed live!

This album is proof enough not to judge an album off the reviews on this site because this album absolutely fucks

There was a point, while listening to this album, that I was prepared to give it a five-star rating. I thought to myself, "Dang! An experimental album that manages to blend genres effectively while never losing the plot or falling out of the pocket! These grooves are so great!" And then it all fell apart in dramatic fashion. Track five brought an eighteen-minute collection of disconnected noises punctuated by random moaning and lost the album a star. Track six continued the downward trend with eleven minutes of tangled strings and a violently bi-polar time signature. There goes another star. Track seven, the last track, managed to pull a grove out of its back pocket to save the album from truly failing marks. Overall, an interesting but extraordinarily frustrating album.

Really not sure about this. A bit too experimental for me I guess. Parts of it sounded like someone had put Mr blobby into a washing machine while it was spinning slower and slower, other parts sounded like they'd just got really high and started making noises into the recording equipment. A bit like kids messing about with the casio keyboards at other times, so not what you might call particularly easy listening.

amooooo halelluhwah

It’s very weird, and very good. I’m struggling on how to rank it because the last couple songs get, like, avant garde noise rock weird, which is annoying, but the rest of the album is very nice. In fact, there are a couple places where you could almost convince me that it’s an early Radiohead B side. I think the last two songs are too weird to give it 5 stars, but I think 4 is about right.

What in the actual fuck was this? There. Is. Never. Any. Need. For. A. 17. Minute. Song. EVER. That was horrific. This album very quickly became an annoyance.

When I was introduced to Can they kind of blew me away, it did not sound like the 70s rock I knew. Can is my favorite group in the classic Krautrock pantheon. They're funky as hell, sometimes accessible, while other times experimental and jammy. Damo Suzuki might be my favorite of their vocalists, although Malcolm Mooney has some great performances as well (not on the album). There are a bunch of interesting Krautrock documentaries and articles for digging deeper, highly recommended for music nerds. "Halleluhwah" goes by a lot faster than its 18:31 track time would suggest, it keeps it interesting and changing in subtle and dramatic shifts somewhat subtle ways that you can get lost in pretty easily; definitely my favorite track. Not sure if this or "Ege Bamyasi" is my favorite, but this is almost the perfect Can album. Going from "Aumgn" straight to "Peking O" is a bit much though, I think "Peking O" should be removed completely since it doesn't add anything "Aumgn" didn't already do and parts of it don't fit with the rest of the album to me. Looks like originally "Aumgn" was Side 3 and "Peking O" + "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" was Side 4, which is a bit more palatable I suppose. Favorite tracks: Paperhouse, Halleluhwah, Bring Me Coffee or Tea

The benefit of the double LP - which, historically, I am not a fan of - is that it allows the artist to segment their work. You can have one set of ideas on one LP and another set of ideas on the next. Some might even segment further, grouping different sets of ideas for each side of vinyl, so that you have 4 separate artistic ideas spread across your double LP. In the era of streaming, that segmentation is lost. You are given a list of songs, one after another, and that is your album. There’s no line of demarcation. Even if an album like Tago Mago can be taken as a whole, some might find the separation of LP’s to beneficial - you have the first LP (Paperhouse through Halleluwah), a (relatively) straightforward psychedelic rock LP and the second LP (Augmn through Bring Me Coffee or Tea), a wildly experimental and avant-garde slab of blistering psychedelia. You can break Tago Mago up and find situations where one half of the album might suit you better than the other. I don’t really know what my point is here….maybe that you can enjoy part of this record and then come back to the other part later, rather than taking it all in at once. Anyway…Can is awesome. They are one of the greatest bands of all time, maybe the greatest. Tago Mago is a masterpiece…you just need to let it unfold for you.

I saw that this 7 song album was 73 minutes long and groaned. But somehow, I vibe with most of it! This is going to be my strangest five star album, I can feel it. I’ve been wanting to try shrooms and this seems like a good soundtrack.

In my preferred multiverse, Can occupies the same space in the firmament that in ours universe was held by Yes. Can you imagine what a wonderful world that must be? I love this kind of shit. Freakout but with a beat. Yes, please!

Of course this was recorded in a rented castle near Cologne. Where else could you craft something so extraordinary. Whatever is going on here is truly remarkable - uncategorisable, ahead of its time. You can hear the influence on so many bands to follow. Is it jazz? Hard rock? Prog? Electronica? All these things and none. This project is so incredible - introducing you to bands you had never heard before and being blown away.

Krautrock is a pretty underrated genre in the grand scheme of music. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

“Tago Mago” crystallises everything that I have come to value in improvisation-derived music. It’s full of parts that I could joyfully vocalise, weird looks bedamned. It has a strong sense of a designing order: not just a piano shoved down the stairs, but a piano shoved down the stairs and painstakingly recorded, the tape cut up and reordered into ballet and maelstrom. There’s an order to the turmoil and an intelligence behind it; the wilder tracks follow a narrative, deranged though it may be. The end of “Peking O” means something, though I don’t need to know what that is. Surprise and drama dictate the structure rather than the procession of dutiful turns at the helm of trad jazz or jam bands Thematic consistency is maintained within each song - “Aumng” is not a pleasant listen, but it’s richly evocative, starting like a bad happening deep in one of Central Europe’s massive forests, processing through a gothic keep of mad scientists and the hum and beep of their machines, drum patterns like distant artillery, ending with the rhythm and squeal of a train going to Hell: this is their mythos of the Nazi era. I only learned that this was recorded in a medieval castle after writing that last paragraph. The schlocky horror accents are heavy on this record and it’s hard to avoid wondering if its coloured by the war - the seventies were a big decade for German kids freaking out their parents. I’m pleased the list has made me return to this, as this is a record I’ve owned and respected for a while, but never close-listened to until today, apart from to the enormous “Halleluhwah”.

"Tago Mago," the seminal album by German experimental rock band Can, is often hailed as a masterpiece in the world of krautrock and avant-garde music. Released in 1971, it is a double LP that showcases the band's innovative approach to music, blending rock, jazz, funk, and electronic influences into a unique soundscape. The album is notable for its experimental production techniques, complex rhythms, and the distinctive vocal style of Damo Suzuki, who joined the band shortly before recording. ### Lyrics The lyrics on "Tago Mago" are sparse, often abstract, and delivered in a variety of languages, including English and Japanese. Damo Suzuki’s vocal style is more about expression and atmosphere than conveying clear messages or narratives. This approach allows the lyrics to blend seamlessly with the music, becoming an integral part of the overall sound rather than standing out as separate elements. Songs like "Mushroom" and "Oh Yeah" feature repetitive and minimalistic lyrics that create a hypnotic effect, enhancing the album's otherworldly vibe. ### Music Musically, "Tago Mago" is a tour de force of innovation and eclecticism. The album opens with "Paperhouse," which starts with a mellow, almost pastoral introduction before launching into a driving rhythm that showcases the band's tight musicianship. The interplay between Jaki Liebezeit's intricate drumming, Holger Czukay's bass lines, and Michael Karoli's guitar work is particularly striking. "Tago Mago" is known for its long, sprawling tracks that often eschew traditional song structures. "Halleluhwah," for example, is an 18-minute opus that revolves around a relentless, funky groove, over which the band layers various improvisations and sound experiments. "Aumgn" and "Peking O" delve even deeper into avant-garde territory, featuring abstract sounds, tape loops, and eerie atmospheres that push the boundaries of rock music. ### Production The production on "Tago Mago" is groundbreaking for its time. Holger Czukay, who also served as the band's sound engineer, utilized innovative techniques such as tape editing and manipulation to create the album's distinctive soundscapes. The use of reverb, delay, and other effects adds a sense of space and depth to the recordings, making the album feel simultaneously expansive and intimate. The album was recorded at Schloss Nörvenich, a castle in Germany, which provided a unique acoustic environment that contributed to its distinctive sound. The raw and sometimes lo-fi production quality gives the album an organic feel, while the experimental techniques used in mixing and editing add a layer of complexity and sophistication. ### Themes "Tago Mago" is often described as a psychedelic journey, both musically and thematically. The album explores themes of consciousness, transformation, and otherworldliness. The title itself, "Tago Mago," is said to be inspired by a mythical island off the coast of Spain, which adds to the album's mystique and sense of adventure. The music's repetitive and trance-like qualities can be seen as a reflection of altered states of consciousness, while the abstract lyrics and vocalizations contribute to the feeling of being transported to a different realm. This theme of exploration and discovery is central to the album's identity and has resonated with listeners over the decades. ### Influence "Tago Mago" has had a profound influence on a wide range of musical genres and artists. Its innovative approach to rhythm, texture, and sound has inspired countless musicians in the fields of electronic music, post-punk, and alternative rock. Bands like Radiohead, Sonic Youth, and The Flaming Lips have cited Can as a major influence, and the album's experimental spirit can be heard in their work. The album's use of improvisation and non-linear song structures has also had a lasting impact on the way music is composed and performed. "Tago Mago" challenged conventional notions of what a rock album could be, paving the way for future generations of artists to push the boundaries of their own creativity. ### Pros 1. **Innovative Sound**: "Tago Mago" is a landmark in the world of experimental music, showcasing Can's ability to blend various genres and create something entirely new. 2. **Musicianship**: The band's tight, cohesive playing is a highlight, particularly Jaki Liebezeit's drumming and Holger Czukay's bass work. 3. **Production**: The album's production techniques were ahead of their time, utilizing tape manipulation and effects to create unique soundscapes. 4. **Atmosphere**: The album successfully creates a psychedelic and otherworldly atmosphere, making it a compelling listening experience from start to finish. 5. **Influence**: Its impact on subsequent generations of musicians is undeniable, making it a cornerstone of modern experimental music. ### Cons 1. **Accessibility**: The album's experimental nature and lengthy, abstract tracks can be challenging for some listeners, making it less accessible than more conventional rock albums. 2. **Consistency**: Some critics argue that the album's second half, particularly tracks like "Aumgn" and "Peking O," can feel disjointed and less cohesive compared to the more structured first half. 3. **Repetitiveness**: The repetitive nature of some tracks, while hypnotic, can also be seen as monotonous by some listeners. 4. **Lyrics**: The abstract and minimalistic lyrics may not appeal to those who prefer more traditional songwriting and clear lyrical themes. ### Conclusion "Tago Mago" by Can is a groundbreaking album that continues to be revered for its innovation, musicianship, and influence. Its fusion of different musical styles, experimental production techniques, and the band's fearless approach to composition make it a timeless classic in the realm of avant-garde music. While its experimental nature may not appeal to everyone, those who appreciate bold, boundary-pushing art will find much to admire and enjoy in this seminal work.

Tago Mago Ich Nichten Lichten - 73 minutes of German avant garde rock! The first half of it, from Paperhouse to Halleluhwah is just fantastic. Skittery, odd, creepy with great rhythms and little hooks and melodies. It’s recognisable, but also slightly opaque, there’s grooves and lyrics, but the overall effect is slightly other worldly. It feels like what jazz thinks it, but is actually what jazz wishes it could be. Paperhouse and Oh Yeah are great, but I love Mushroom and Halleluwah. Mushroom is possibly the most conventional song, even though it’s still a bit odd, but the 18 minutes of Halleluwah is just amazing, a little bit of funk, but spacey at the same time. You could dance to it, but you could also freak out to it. Just read that Primal Scream sampled the drums for Kowalski. Makes sense. The 2nd side is definitely a different listen, although and without wanting to appear obtuse, I do really like it - although obviously it’s not everyones cup of tea and it took me a long time to come round to it. I do like how Aumgn slowly coalesces from chaotic noise into chaotic rhythm by the end of its 17 minutes. Although on the one hand it’s kind of tuneless, there’s something about it I find quite addictive, I really don’t know what that is or why I like it so much. Peking O’s introduction feels like its leading towards something like the songs on the first side, before it turns into a soup of schizo percussion and shouting. I’m less keen on this than Aumgn, although I do still like it. Again I don’t know why. Bring me Coffee or Tea is a suitably subversive end, going back to the style of the first side. I do love this album, maybe Ege Bamyasi or Future Days are a better overall listen but I love how distinctive this is. I always get the feeling the avant garde stuff on side 2 comes from a genuine place of experimentation, rather than pretension or deliberate wackiness, while the stuff on side 1 is what happens when they try and write ‘normal’ songs, their innate slightly off balance and skewed sensibilities means it comes out slightly strangely, but in a brilliant way. The recording and composition of it is interesting, recorded on 2 track in a castle, made by cutting up their jams into ‘songs’. You can hear the joins in lots of places, but that only adds to the charm in my opinion. It’s not the greatest album ever, but the more I listen the more rewarding it is. I find myself enjoying it immensely each time I put it on, maybe because it's so off centre, and at turns creepy, slippery, funky, funny and weird. But I don’t actually know why it appeals to me so much. I love an effortless McCartney melody, or a extremely well recorded and structured Steely Dan song, or a skillfully written and arranged pop song as much as the next man, and this is not that, but I love that some weird Germans and a Japanese guy made this, and that it still endures 50 years later. 5 it is. 🥫🥫🥫🥫🥫 Playlist: Halleluhwah

Oversimplifying a lot, there's a couple categories of very indulgent art, the "look at me. look at me!" kind and the "hey check it out, what do you think?" kind. It's like how multimedia events - you know, you go somewhere to see music, and there's projectors on all the walls, or mannequins in the audience, etc. - are either awesome fun times or the most uncomfortable bullshit. Can is the good kind. Listening to Can makes me think of talking with somebody who just did something incredible, excited to share what they tried & see if you might want to do anything with it. I'm not going to intentionally put on the long experimental tracks in the middle again, but they weren't unpleasant and I think they did pull off the transition back to a jam & the most accessible song at the end. & when Can gets into a jam they grab on to something vital & shake the living daylights out of it. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

It's Tago Mago, get real. This is basically The Shining of music - I will not elaborate, it just makes sense. It's either "Halleluhwah" or King Crimson's "Starless" for the absolute, undoubted best song of all time. That shit doesn't even feel like it was made by humans. It's like it was extracted from an ancient ore on a Jovian moon. Holger Czukay, Damo Suzuki and the boys were on some extraterrestrial kush when they wrote that. And to address the elephAumgn in the room, those two songs are definitely not as good as the rest of the album, but I think disregarding them as filler and just "weird for the sake of being weird" isn't very fair. "Aumgn" is a creepy soundscape that sounds like an auditory bad trip. "Peking O"'s first half is really funny and the second one goes into an insane groove. The two together might be too much though, and I think just having Aumgn without Peking O would have sufficed. Although the moment it finally loops back into normal music in "Bring Me Coffee and Tea" after half an hour of fuckery is legendary. Five outta five.

I heard that this was an inspiration for Radiohead and I can definitely see it. Very experimental and influential album. It is crazy this came out in 1971. Aumgn reminds be of a mix between Swans and something off of Mr. Bungle's Disco Volante. I also really like this album cover, it has a nice use of color and texture. One of the most interesting and coolest albums I've discovered yet. I need to check out their other stuff. 4.5

Vitamin C has one of my favorite drum beats ever. So smooth and hypnotic. Perfect for Inherent Vice if you remember hearing it in that. Man, this band was like no other, honestly blew me away when I first listened to this. And Ege Bamyasi. And Future Days. And Monster Movie. I mean Velvet Underground, Can, Neu, and Faust inspired so much music it’s insane. I guess TVU is the oddball but I guess I just mentioned them because of listening to them recently for this site. The other three are basically the pillars of Krautrock. Personally I think Can is the best, but Faust is right up there. Ah, ze Germans. Ist wunderbar.

What a cool album. Admittedly the first four songs and the last song are the most accessible. Aumgn and Peking O are pure experimentation. Oh it was recorded at a medieval castle where the band was asked to stay rent free for a year because some guy wanted to turn it into an art center? Tagomago is an island where related to the Aleister Crowley lore and where the drummer Jaki Liebezeit was living depressed playing drums for Chet Baker wanting to learn to die and taking Palfium a drug three times stronger than morphine and wanting to jump off the rock into the sea. I listened to Aumgn while walking my dogs on a nice spring day. Don't make the same mistake. That is not dog walking music. Again, this is an amazing album with some standout tracks. The more experimental tracks are as experimental as experimental gets. They're cool to listen to once; maybe twice if you have a Halloween party. But the rest of the album is a smooth jazzy cool drum sounding pile of greatness, hence the high rating.

A classic. Gets more and more bizarre with every song. Aumgn and Peking O are wonderful.

Day after Holger Czukay solo album this treat: only knew Can by name, so often read interviews saying: this is what started the German music like Kraftwerk. But it is also like the Residents (e.g. their song Here I Come Constantinople) , a band I adore, Peking O really sounds like Residents. And other freaky albums I love, And that in 1971! Again, these guys are geniuses. Thank you 1001 records, made my day.

yassssss

I only knew Vitamin C from Can before, but always heard how influential they were. So I kind of expected this to be overrated. But it really isn't! I was blown away by how innovative and interesting this was, for the time. There wasn't much else this wildly experimental in 1971. I didn't find the longer songs to drag at all surprisingly, in fact the album didn't feel as long as it is. I listened to this on decent headphones (Cans, if you will), which really helped me appreciate the weird layering of effects and strange sound effects. I think a lot of the modern music I listen to today has strong roots in this album.

Incredible album, truly! We had another from Can as well, which was solid but didn't leave near the impression that this does. I was prepared to just make a joke that they shortened the band name so you'd have more time to listen to the songs, but the album turned out to be fantastic. Love these long, odyssey type tracks, and holy cow, "Aumgn" blew my mind. So dissonant, so disquieting. I was having a stressful day when I listened to this, and this album amplified the experience in the right way. Damn, we've had so many killer albums lately, I feel honored. I'm gonna give this one a five star bump because I'm feeling generous. Five of seven tracks are staying with me, which is really saying something. Less than a 4.5 would be criminal here, let's bump it. Favorite tracks: Aumgn, Halleluhwah, Peking O, Paperhouse, Oh Yeah. Album art: A drawing of a rotten, frazzled brain trying its damndest to spew rotten ideas, that's my takeaway here. It's bright and creative, I really dig it. What a delightful surprise this was. 5/5

This feels like avant guard done right. Everything comes together perfectly, even despite it's offset sounds. The use of sparse vocals works in perfectly. The timing on where they come in is perfect. The atmosphere the bands creates is palpable. It's both light and dark. It's bot cheerful and moody. I have no idea how a piece of music can hold both, but every song on this album seems to. I particularly liked "Bring Me Coffee Or Tea" and "Aumgn." I only wish I had better headphones to enhance the experience.

I played through the first 5 songs of tago mago on bass, just doing it by ear and jamming with the band, and wow. The subtleties of those bass lines are incredible, the interplay between the drummer and the bassist is some genius stuff. Especially on the song Helluhwah, the way the bassist will be playing the groove, subtly changing it over the course of a few measures and hiding behind the beat, then just dipping out in a way where you don't even notice he stopped playing and a synth/guitar break will come in and carry the song in a new direction

This band was so ahead of its time. Love to listen.

If I ever need drumrolls I know where to go. Halleuwah was nice upbeat fun track and the whole thing was a surprise. Feels more modern than 1971 and somehow not modern at all. If made a movie set in an unclear time frame I'd use this music. Glad to be exposed to Krautrock.

This was pretty wild and unexpected. The songs sounded like they were reversed giving this an other-worldly sound.

Never heard of this band before. I really like it so far. Just on the opening track. “Mushroom” has a great groove. I had no idea music like this existed this early. This is similar to the industrial music of the 90s. The groove on the end of “Peking o” is a great groove. This album does not even feel dated. Ok, some of the guitar sounds are dated. But it feels very relevant today.

Taco Mango is good for a few. The rest is noise. I’m just an old man tho.

Ladies and Gentleman, in this corner, we have an experimental 70s album. In the other corner, we have your ears. Who will win this battle royale?

Album 375 of 1001 Can - Tago Mago Rating : 3 / 5 My opinion on this one changed several times as I listened. Described by one reviewer as "a combination of rock, funk, psychedelic freak out, avant-garde jazz improv, elevator muzak, proto techno, stoned mantra, and trippy tape loop experimentation". If I had this on vinyl, the first side would be worn out and the 2nd would remain untouched, other than the initial play. Side 1 = B+ Side 2 = D+

Première partie: très cool, magnifique rock expérimental Deuxième partie: 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮😭😭🤢🤮🤮

Pretty tolerable up until that 17 minute noise track; that shit sucked. I was gonna give this a pretty high score before that, but it was pretty unlistenable afterwards. Peking O sounded like an auctioneer on coke who they pitched up a fuck ton in the studio, and while it did make for a pretty entertaining listening experience, wasn't a very good song. 3/10

Oh look, more Can. Oh listen, even fewer tunes than last time. Nope. I usually make it through even the worst selections on this list twice, but couldn't summon the effort here. Uninspiring

It can be hypnotic but always adds s little bit too much of experimental and „hard-to-listen“-bits

This started out cool enough but devolved into exactly what I expected partway through Halleluwah. The second half of it is almost unlistenable

started off good then descended into insanity

Some of the more traditional rock tracks were great, the experimental tracks were nearly unlistenable

Very experimental, but thoroughly engaging for the entire runtime

Such a blend of funky rhythm and experimental nonsense, in a way few other acts can match. Maybe no other acts. I have been wanting to listen to this album for years, and it absolutely didn't disappoint.

Well this is a roller-coaster of an album... Sides one and two are pretty straightforward (in a sense), and along those lines they succeed greatly. Paperhouse is a crusty and wonderfully sprawling jam and I love how it transitions straight into Mushroom. The production here is wonderful. Crusty with wonderful stereo mixing of the instruments and warm bass and guitar tones. Halleluhwah is fantastic drawn out funk-rock that gives in to jam-experimentation, but is easy enough to keep hooked into through its 18 minute playtime. However, sides three and four are pure, sprawling experimentation in the form of Aumgn and Peking O. These two tracks are pure anxiety inducing nightmare fuel that have next to no discernible form. Drawn out across >28 minutes these are explorations of reverberation, machine-gun aesthetic electro play, incoherent shouting, and occasionally regular rhythmic sections. Honestly, I don't outright _hate_ these songs, but I do question why they felt the need to record these and distribute them to the world. If their intent was to breed anxiety, mission accomplished! The album ends on a toned down and, honestly after that trip, relieving jazzy outro track that slowly devolves. Frankly I don't want any part of the drugs Can are taking, but I'm glad they are having fun. If music is purely for enjoyment, then this skews low due to the unsettling experimentation; however, I can't deny that I was immediately pulled back in for a second listen. I'm really conflicted here, but land somewhere around a low to mid 4. Challenging, but interesting and kept me guessing.

Hell yeah Can. We've had at least one solo album from Can and many inspired by them. Krautrock def isn't for everyone so interested to see how this is rated. I'm bouncing and loving tf out of this! Paperhouse and Mushroom fucking rule. Ok, Aumgn is a bad acid trip at a carnival. Interesting enough and very fucking weird. Feel like I'm about to blast off towards the end of it with these drums and crazy noise. Holy anxiety inducing shit. Not even sure I liked that but very happy I experienced it. The same can be said about Peking O. I prefer Ege Bamyasi and Future Days to this as their a little more accessible, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued and felt like I was on drugs for parts of it. Playing Aumgn at the next party I go to.

7/18/24. Very interesting listen, came in with no expectations and no idea on the band or genre (the best way IMO). Starts off with a psychedelic rock sound that I'm a big fan of, and the middle was too experimental for me with percussion elements and obscure vocals. However, this was a strong album from start to finish.

What a journey. It's no E.B., but it was a great soundtrack to my day of walking and cleaning and driving. I love u CAN even if your absurdity sometimes makes me laugh

Sure, they’re fucking around, but they’re not just fucking around. It’s like Ummagumma, but by post-mothers Zappa. This is good, and at the very least, good for you. If you feel that listening to this is eating your vegetables, then I’ll just have you know that while you’re living under my roof, you have to finish the album before you put down your headphones and go listen to Dookie, the doors, Taylor Swift, John fucking Williams, Vivaldi, or whatever it is that kids listen to nowdays.

Interesting

This is interresting, weird and annoying. Mostly all three at the same time. The longer tracks could have done with some editing. As it is more interresting than annoying 4 stars.

This is about the trippiest thing I ever heard on headphones. There’s parts of this I’d gladly kick back to. Not the screamy parts though.

Side 1: ho-wee, contains the energy of a psychedelic steam engine Side 2: (“Halleluwah”) notch down in energy, but as it’s a longer composition, Can’s gotta pace themselves. Love that sinister build of synths towards the end. Side 3: (“Aumgn”) a real fockin’ racket. up to this point the more avant-garde elements have been contained in smaller sections like the backmasking in “Oh Yeah”, whereas here it’s the whole 18 mins. Should have taken the end of “Halleluwah” as a warning Side 4: ok, it doesn’t fully return to the structure of the first half, but it’s not totally frightening like side 3 is Tago Mago… If it was just the first half it’d be much easier to rate it 5 stars, but the atonality of the second doesn’t sour the whole experience for me, either. My first impression was that the drop-off in quality from Side 2 to Side 3 was stark, but knowing that the two discs are apples and oranges helps me forgive Can for the confusion I had listening to “Augmn” the 1st time.

While CAN’s sophomore album is long, the instrumental and stylistic variation throughout the 7 song tracklist is awe-inspiring.

Gran banda alemana, que escuché bien el año pasado. Sólo la conocía de nombre, como un gran número de bandas de acá. Éste disco en particular tiene sonidos hipnóticos, principalmente por el baterista y por la voz de Suzuki, que recuerdan directamente a Radiohead y a Thom Yorke (increíble siempre cómo hay artistas que se adelantan años a su época). Trabajo experimental e interesante

Well ... THAT was different! And in a good way! It kinda reminded me of Pink Floyd's Ummagumma - kinda. Nice background music while working away on Photoshop. I'll be back for more of this!

Nice muziek, mis wat vocals. Toch geen 5'je

Wow! Where has this been all my life, amazing psychedelic madness like an acid trip. Love the drum patterns on some of the instrumentals. A couple tracks were a bit too spacey and ambient, kinda just filler for this huge double album.

Me ha parecido muy bueno, no lo conocía y me ha sorprendido, me lo he puesto mientras paseaba y se me ha hecho muy ameno, rock con toques de psicodelia, funk ey experimental que han sido muy dei agrado.

I only know one song (Vitamin C). Really surprised by how good this album is!

I've never really listened to JAM BAND music before. Don't even truly know what that means but when I listen to THIS album, this feels like a jam session. Some dudes hanging out and just jamming away with some melodies they really like. Each new rendition builds on the previous stretch and each rendition is different. I never started listening to this band until about 15 years ago and I've LOVED every single album I've heard. Krautrock is a natural extension of prog tock, in my opinion and I love any that I've heard. 4 stars!!

Ahead of its time by miles

Discovering "Tago Mago" by Can, through the lens of jazz gives me a new appreciation of this avant-garde masterpiece. While not a jazz album in the traditional sense, the insights gained from exploring jazz's history and theory have provided a unique perspective on Can's innovative work, elevating my listening experience to new heights. The rhythmic complexity and improvisational elements of "Tago Mago" are where the jazz influence shines through most prominently. Jazz, at its core, is about the balance between structure and spontaneity, a concept that Can embraces wholeheartedly throughout the album. The drumming of Jaki Liebezeit, with its intricate patterns and hypnotic grooves, echoes the pioneering work of jazz percussionists, offering a rhythmic foundation that's as exploratory as it is grounded. This has allowed me to appreciate the album's rhythmic innovations not as mere background beats but as a complex, engaging language of its own. Improvisation is another area where the jazz perspective enriches the "Tago Mago" experience. Jazz is renowned for its improvisational brilliance, with musicians weaving in and out of themes, exploring and expanding musical ideas in real-time. Can's approach to improvisation, particularly evident in tracks like "Halleluhwah," mirrors this philosophy. The band's ability to navigate extended jams with cohesion and purpose, all while maintaining an element of unpredictability, has revealed a new layer of artistry and intention behind their music. Moreover, the album's embrace of dissonance and atonality resonates with the adventurous spirit of free jazz. Pieces like "Aumgn" challenge conventional musical boundaries, employing noise and unconventional sounds in a way that recalls the bold experiments of avant-garde jazz musicians. This track, initially daunting, has become a fascinating exploration of texture and timbre, showcasing Can's willingness to push the envelope in pursuit of new sonic landscapes. Finally, the concept of collective improvisation, a hallmark of many jazz ensembles, is evident in Can's collaborative approach to music-making. The synergy between band members, where each contribution is both distinct and part of a greater whole, underscores the album's cohesive yet exploratory nature. This has deepened my appreciation for "Tago Mago" as a work of collective genius, where the sum is indeed greater than its parts. In conclusion, viewing "Tago Mago" through the prism of jazz has not only enhanced my understanding of its complexities but also my overall enjoyment of the album. The rhythmic innovation, improvisational prowess, and bold exploration of sound that define jazz have offered a fresh perspective on Can's work, revealing the depth and richness of their musical landscape. This album, while firmly rooted in the realms of krautrock and avant-garde, resonates with the spirit of jazz, making it a profoundly rewarding listen.

It's long, it's weird, it's atmospheric. This album is not so much "listening music" as it is "music that plays in the background while you listen to your thoughts." Favorite tracks: "Paperhouse" & "Oh Yeah"

Difficult to decipher, but I have rounded up some clues. I will need to listen several more times before even beginning to deduce who the killer is, but here's what I have so far: 1 - The term "Mushroom" has multiple meanings. Especially important to recognize that Damo Suzuki is a Japanese native person singing English words in front of a West German band. "When I saw a mushroom head I was born and I was dead" could refer to The Bomb OR a psychedelic experience. That the succeeding song pulls out of this one and literally explodes on the first note could also imply something more base level. Mushroomhead. hmm... 2 - Paperhouse lulls the listener into thinking this might be a rock album. It is not. That is a mental trick designed to pull you out of your usual reality in a nicer way than just dropping Aumgn on you. 3 - The rhythm section of Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebiz (later sampled by Q-Tip on ManWomanBoogie, I still can't get over that fact) both had parents who were essentially dispatched by the Nazis. This generation of German people is rarely talked about in these parts. Why do you think they're making so much noise? In some ways it appears this music might be a reflection of their inner lives, or at least in my imagining. Chaotic. Harsh. Frightening. UNRELENTING. WWII must have absolutely sucked. 4 - Unlike any other CAN, or any other Krautrock for that matter! 5 - WHY did they get a new singer? From wikipedia: "Mooney quit the band and returned to America soon after the recording of Monster Movie, having been told by a psychiatrist that getting away from the chaotic music of Can would be better for his mental health." IF THAT WERE TRUE, are we not encouraged to get away from the chaotic music of CAN? Why only Mooney? Just asking questions, not saying that CAN is an aborted CIA MKUltra spinoff project to weaponize rock music against the hippies. I am 100% NOT saying that. Do your own research. 6 - Damo Suzuki (friend of the great Mark E. Smith, RIP) did this month, just as my findings have come out and I now have no way to corroborate them. This is very suspicious. 7 - If you play "Aumgn" backwards, it says "Bring me a towel. I killed Luap" over and over. IN CONCLUSION: some say that this avant-garde masterpiece is not an experiment in merging rock aesthetics with musique concrete, or a stab at musical dadaism and surrealism, or spontaneous outbursts of sound simply for their own sake to further explore the ideologies of post-modernists like Stockhausen. No, they claim it is something more sinister, that perhaps CAN were mere puppets of the military-industrial establishment, bent on undermining the emerging free-thought and youth movements (among so many other postwar philosophies that were starting to dawn) by turning music against itself, in an effort to lead it towards it's own destruction. I don't say this, but some do.

This one is always going to alienate people. Slightly mad and one side that is just "sounds" I love the sometimes shambling nature of this band. Halleluwah is magnificent (especially the drumming) Strong

Somehow the algorithm gave me Holger Czukay yesterday followed immediately by Can today. I've never so much as heard of this genre before. I tend to love weird shit, but this even pushes my boundaries. I can hear the roots of so much music that I love here, and it's kind of like discovering that your parents had full and complex lives before you were ever born. I will say this album pairs poorly with a flourescently lit gym in 2024.

So I found myself really liking this album but about 2/3 of the way I was like "How long is this thing?" I'll come back to it for sure but will need to pull out the tracks I really like or enjoy in smaller doses. 3.5 which I'll round up to 4.

The first half was great, the second half I liked a bit less

lots of cool stuff on here - seems dying for a millionsamples

A forward-thinking sonic metaphor for the first few hours of a psychedelic experience. Lots of avant-garde sounds here. Meandering, but not boring. Kinda reminds me of Duster. Aumgn and Peking O are not especially pleasant to listen to but are a good characterization of the overwhelming parts of a trip.

wtf was this, don't know if i loved or hated it

Sometimes a good jam band like this feels right. Can has always been a favorite and they’re just a vibe. Sometimes it’s chill, sometimes a little incoherent, but it truly is a vibe Favorite Tracks: “Paperhouse,” “Halleluhwah”

Experimental, but as opposed to 10cc this is in that way that takes itself very seriously. I like Oh Yeah. I can't help nodding along to Halleluhwah. Aumgn sound like the score to an old horror movie and I love it... Peking is dog shit. Overall a little jammy. A little jazzy. A little schizophrenic. Not exactly my cup of tea but that's not a bad thing.

doido experimental

The first 4 songs are phenomenal, they really blew me away. The last 3 are a bit too experimental for my taste, but I appreciate what they did with them. An amazing album, very interesting. I'm happy I took the time to listen to it.

Started off strong but then fe off.

From excellent to bad noise!

This is groovy and a little cool. Never heard before.

Interesting, cinematic and atmospheric - maybe a couple of overlong tracks could’ve been done without but then again they might grow on one I guess. I know the cult like status Can have but I’m afraid I’m new to them on an album scale so cannot judge them on that level

Track 4 is 18 minutes and 31 seconds. That is more than 4 minutes LONGER than Rapper's Delight. But also, it is awesome. Because Track 4 exhausted the band, Track 5 is only 17 minutes and 31 seconds.

A polarizing double LP, and one suspects that is intentional. It is bookended by excellent funk tracks, but the entire center of the project is taken up by feverish and at times incoherent instrumentation. I would call it more prog rock than krautrock on this particular project. As another reviewer put it, the long tracks sound like the inner turmoil of a trip gone bad; perhaps the "Mushroom" Damo sings of is one that has twisted the psyche of the day tripper into something resembling a horror soundtrack. Food for thought.

Experimental

Not my fave Can album but great none the less. Has some more 'challenging' tracks but nothing beats that Can drum groove.

Dark and mysterious

What a huge, weird album! Enjoyed large parts of it, and then there were huge stretches where it felt a little off the rails. Overall I can see (hear?) why this record might have been so influential, Can covers every imaginable angle of rock on this thing. Feels like I've only just begun my Can era.

Paperhouse // Mushroom //

3/5

Psychedelic and out there. Will revisit.

Early jam psych

Pretty hard time sticking with it. Precursor to Doom Metal, which is a vibe but not active listening