Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Love CAN, not my favorite though
Album #159 Can: Tago Mago Growing up, I was always a fan of classic rock, and as I started aging, I found myself seeking out more mature music; being a kid who only listened to classic rock, nothing seemed more mature and intellectual than prog rock. After going down the rabbit hole and listening to all of the great English prog rock bands, one name kept appearing amongst the discourse, which was Can. I hadn’t listened to much music outside of the U.K or North America, so I didn’t know what to expect. I decided to listen to their album with the can of vegetables as the cover since it caught my eye. I think I lasted about five minutes. I just wasn’t ready for experimental music at that point. However, since I am now much more versed in many different styles of music, and I have continued to hear the praises of Can sung, it was only around a month ago that I decided to give the band another chance. I opted to listen to Future Days, and I was very pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed the album; it was a sound which I didn’t think existed in the early 70s, and a sound which I did not expect to hear from Can, who I had perceived as being harshly experimental. So that brings me to today, when I received Tago Mago, I was feeling a lot more optimistic than I would have been had I not heard Future Days, and the first half of the album served well to enable my optimism. The first four tracks are nothing short of brilliant, and it is no surprise to me that they decided to expand further on that more psychedelic and chill sound in the future. However, the Can that I feared decided to rear its ugly head in the second half of the album. I am certainly willing to accept that I’m just a simpleton who doesn’t understand the brilliance of Aumgn and Peking O, but that doesn’t change the fact that I just found them to be plainly annoying to listen to. With experimental music, I feel like most of the time I can appreciate what they are going for, even if it isn’t traditionally enjoyable. But here, my best guess is that they thought the first half was too beautiful, so they wanted to juxtapose it with something ugly. The last track is a return to form, but ultimately, if I’m going to rate the album as a whole, I need to dock points for half an hour of nonsense, even though there are still 45 minutes of greatness. I expected more from you, Mark E. Smith. Best Songs: Paperhouse, Halleluwah, Mushroom Worst Song: Peking O Score out of 10: 7
*1971. German krautrock. *Experimental and avant garde, but also pretty 70s jam band and/or mainstream at times... *3 songs over 10 mins on a studio rock album is wild. *Someone in the Reviews said this is German Pink Floyd, and that seems accurate. *I didn't necessarily dislike it, but I tried listening to this several times and just kept finding myself turning it down or just tuning out. I guess that means I didn't like it, but I kept trying, so there's that. RATING - 6.5/10
early tracks are great. then drifts into what almost sounds like pre industrial noise.
Fun classic rock jams, plus 30 minutes of whatever the heck "Aumgn" and "Peking O" are.
I really enjoy Can but this is not my favorite album by them.
I'm not on the wavelength with this one, maybe its age makes it obsolete easier than other rock experiments and krautrock albums around its time, it feels like eccentric rhythmic background music, still cool but I wish for something more
I liked it in the first half but the back half got a little avant garde for me
Makeeta, onko Japania vai mitä. Kokeellista rokkia ja tällaista menevää meininkiä.
602/1001 2026.04.28
Honestly starts extremely promising with some very nice instrumental passages, but as it starts getting more experimental and weird it starts losing me
I have never heard this band before. They have some great beats. Good stuff.
This was fun, but let's not meet.
First half: oh nice, some funk and jazz and rock going on, cool experimental beats Second half: where am I. what's happening. the Void has taken me
I enjoyed this better than I thought I would. Pretty groovy at times and completely atonal at others. I'm going with a 3 for now but I could see this one growing on me with repeated listens.
I liked this but not sure I'd listen again.
Not my favorite but cool experimental
I initially thought I was gonna give this a 5 the way it kicked off but it tapered into too much chaos. Still worthwhile
The first 4 songs were nice, kind of lush in a weird way, yet great background music 4 stars! I was thinking I don't know why my friend said I would hate this album. Then you have the last 3 songs or 2nd part of the album and it is like all those nice qualities were abandoned to be "innovative" or "out of the norm". I am a purist who will listen to albums fully through (the level of listening varies to be real), but I will never listen to the last 36 minutes of this album again. They should have just made the one album and included those other songs as bonus tracks. 3/5
groovy
I'm probably never going to listen to this again, and I'm as annoyed as everyone else at how it falls apart in the middle, but the good parts of this album are good enough to warrant a decent overall score.
this album tricked me with the three opening tracks before becoming another "well at least they're having fun playing their instruments, I'm happy for them, but I'm not sure why I need to be here for it" kind of album that said something about this works for me in a way a lot of the other albums we've had like it so far. like I don't love it but it's not just people making noise someone else's problem
Well, it was interesting
Solid rock music, not a lot of vocals. Good background rock.
Enjoyed all of this except Aumgn and Peking O (too many mad sounds and utterances). Can see they were pretty influential. Paper house and Bring me Coffee or Tea were good. Hadn’t realised the JAMC version of Mushroom was a cover. Oh Yeah a bit Radioheady. And Halleluhwah a bit Sean Ryder/ Happy Mondayish. Would be 4 if it wasn’t for the 2 weirder ones.
I was quite enjoying this until the last couple of tracks. Up to then it was experimentally good.
I like the openers of paper house, mushroom and oh yeah. Halleluwah is my all-time favourite 18 min song and offers up an eclectic mix of grooves Then, unfortunately, one has to sit through the barely listenable Aumgn and Peking O, which if I wasn’t committed to this task, I absolutely wouldn’t have done. This makes the final track when it arrives somewhat of a release, despite it being merely quite good. Better than a 2 given its high points, never a 4 with its experimental misses. I therefore have to land somewhere in the middle.
Well, that was quite something. Feels like good music to work to or get high to. Don't know if I would be putting it on for a roadtrip. The description claims no wasted notes. Hmmmm. Can appreciate, but in a certain place.
M'eh
Hmmmmmmmmmm
First half is vibrant and deserve a solid 4, while the second half can hardly be qualified as music as it sounds like random noise and screams. It feels like they've recorded that for a movie ! On average it gets a 3
That was something. Tanged from pretty cool to WTF is this?
If casual listening is a thing then this is what competitive listeners listen to.
The jams are very interesting. I was expecting a lot less after the first song but I was taken on a journey through the middle of this album and very much enjoyed the weirdness
A band that I have never heard of, I can’t say that I would ever choose to listen to this album but it wasn’t bad
I can… not believe the age of this album.
Very experimental and dense album that was an interesting listen. Their two longer songs were kind of difficult to listen to but I still appreciate the overall concept of the songs and the album. 6.5/10, Favorite Song: Bring Me Coffee or Tea
This sounds very ahead of its time for 1971. I was also listening closely to the drumming and it is very clean, automatic at times, I can hear how it will develop into the machine-like precision of Vitamin C. I really like the strange sounds at the beginning of Aumgn, and although I like them less, "strange sounds" is very mcuh the motif of the rest of the record. This is another of those albums which, honestly, in isolation or listening to them off my own back, I probably wouldn't care that much. However, as compared to the usual level of pap and tedium which forms the background noise of most albums on this list, this album is arrestingly interesting, in that I actually paid attention to it most of the time. Bravo!
I tend to think of myself as being a fairly adventurous music listener, but without fail, my spirit always breaks somewhere in the middle of the combined 50 minutes of the Halleluhwah/Aumgn/Peking O. trio, and I realize that maybe real experimentation just isn't for me. Now, as it has always been, the closest I can come to truly appreciating Tago Mago is in my love for its more straightforward predecessor, Monster Movie (love Malcolm Mooney!). There are people who can tell you all about the great things going on here, and I believe them, but personally I'm gonna stick to more conventionally structured (though noisy) rock songs.
очень микс психодела и тувинского пения. в принципе для медитаций и фона норм) хотя иногда прислушиваешься и очень удивляешься
살짝 난해한데 괜찮은데 아 잠만 후반 가니까 갑자기 또 난해해짐 모기소리 뭔데3
First half is a 4, second half is a 2. Not my favorite Can record tbh.
3 because it had a strong start…but this is literally MK Ultra Core.
Novel and interesting first half, but lost interest by the second half
5/10
Radiohead before radiohead. The end os rough though
It was nice, but as it got to the second LP I lost interest. Maybe will be better with more listens.
early pink floyd vibes, some interesting stuff but a lot of goofy non-music that brings it down for me.
From my experience with other Can albums, its probably going to take time and repetition to get under the skins of this collection. Right off the bat, the last four tracks are never going to make the grade - way to experimental and unstructured sonic experiments that at time come over as toddlers let loose the play in the music room. But the first three tracks have some really interesting elements that need further exploration - Paperhouse is destined to be a new favorite!
I enjoyed the moments where they dipped into a more conventional music style, for example in Halleluwah and certain parts of Oh Yeah. Otherwise I can admit that experimental and avant-garde music is just not for me. 2.5 rounded up.
Had me in the first half and then crashed out hard
I've only heard a little bit of CAN and definitely not this album. Quick assessment: this shit is really dope. Most of these songs are long and a bit monotonous, but still entertaining nonetheless. This was a really interesting pick.
Second Can album. I really enjoy their sound when they are (surprise!) less experimental and their sounds tend to be warm and groove. Then there was a run of a couple of long songs of screeches and disembodied shrieks that I couldn’t bear, esp as I am just on a mental health leave from an overwhelming job and am trying to rebuild my nervous system. Can is not quite the Rx for that. I have to go high 3 in my current state, tho I do respect them.
Weird but it works at times. the first Krautrock group I've heard that actually has some soul in their sound.
It's hypnotic and I was down for the ride but it becomes intolerable by the second LP. Aumgn can just go straight to hell. Peking O, too. Bring Me Coffee or Tea sounds like a masterpiece compared to those two, even though I don't really care for it. I'm still giving it a 3 on the strength of the first few songs.
*listened before the project* I don’t quite like it.
Very interesting sounds but not my taste, some made me feel unnerved
Second album du groupe proposé par le générateur. J'avais plutôt apprécié le précédent ('Future Days' - noté 3/5). Première moitié intéressante, avec des plages instrumentales réussies. Seconde moitié 'expérimentale' qui m'a plutôt barbé. Résultat mitigé donc, qui ne rejoindra pas ma collection, mais avec une partie que j'écouterais probablement de nouveau. =>3/5
I guess this was novel for the time. The critical reception and reviews just seemed a tad overblown to me. Maybe I heard something different. I will admit that some of it was interesting, but it lost me in the later half.
Several great tracks, several that are too avant garde for my tastes
Jäi jumittamaan samaa pojentoa
Loooong but groovy
I always enjoy Can when I listen to them, but I never really listen to them. I know there are albums I like better, though.
Interesting and can't decide if I like it or not.
Tago Mago is a mind bending journey that feels like two completely different albums stitched together, and honestly, I’m kinda here for the ride. The first half is pure rhythmic bliss, tracks like "Paperhouse" and the legendary 18 minute "Halleluhwah" lock into these hypnotic, funky grooves that feel incredibly modern for 1971. Jaki Liebezeit’s drumming is the heartbeat of the whole thing, creating a cool Krautrock foundation that makes the psychedelic jamming feel tight and purposeful. It’s the kind of music I can get lost in, grooves that are "ahead of their time" doesn't even begin to cover it. And as a sort of strange foreshadowing to David Bowie's Berlin era where half the album was great and the other half went deep on Brian Eno's ambient sensibilities, once you hit the second half with "Aumgn" and "Peking O", this album descends into absolute avant-garde chaos. It shifts from a funky jam session into a terrifying, experimental soundscape of screams, tape loops, and dissonant noise that sounds like a bad trip in a haunted castle or the weird interrogation scene from Logan's Run.
Music happened. I listened
I get what it's trying for, but I just find myself thinking about meaning or the qualify of the music to much rather than enjoying it.
Interesting but a little too experimental and scream-y to enjoy too much.
Can albums 2 days in a row, wtf generator? Sooo, I was vibing hard with album one, and then album 2 came on. Yikes. It should have been kept as 2 separate albums. And why are so many musicians obsessed with that charlatan Aleister Crowley? 4 for part 1, 1 for part 2
Definitely different, Can is not for everyone but everyone should listen at least once if for no other treason than the influence they had over so many punk/post-punk/avant-funk music that came later.
Tago Mago is 2 weird but excellent albums in one. The first half is like Syd-era Pink Floyd if he were into funk and African rhythms. The second half is compelling noise rock that Lou Reed wished he had made.
Awesome, if overly repetitive, percussion. If Santana were a German group they would be Can. I can also see a lot of this reflected in RadioHead. I think I would be tied into it more if I understood any of the lyrics. The second side seems to be more avant-garde than rhythm focused, and Zappa came to mind multiple times during the overlong performance. I finally did understand a few phrases in the final number, it did not make me feel closer to the performance.
Great album, super experimental. For me it's a 3,8.
Fucking hell, but this is a dramatically uneven album. It’s long, really long, but the first half is a really groovy psychedelic rock record. Then you get an 18 minute experimental track which, whilst a major gear change, is still pretty sound. And then it all just goes to shit a bit. It’s not dreadful, it’s not, overall, bad - but the last part of the album isn’t good and really drags down the first half which IS good. It’s got to be bang in the middle, but towards the upper end of that 3.
Great start. Wondered why they weren't more popular then I heard Aumgn
Its pretty weird to hear a 1971 album that sounds like Jamiroqui. Not that it's good necessarily but it's weird.
I fell asleep in the first listen and woke up during Aumgn. I almost felt like I was dying. So I had to start all over again to really listen to this. I can't say I fully understand this album, but part of the reason I went into this journey is to be more open minded, including for experimental music. I do like prog-rock, so it's not like an album like this was painful to listen or even that strange. The first half is more conventional and accessible. I like the jamming, especially the more guitar-driven parts in Halleluwah, which is arguably the best track. I didn't realize until later that it was 18 minutes long, as it felt much shorter. Then comes the second half (second LP), starting with Aumgn, which still makes me feel like I'm dying. Maybe the psychedelics are necessary for the listener too to get this. Very weird, but if it's said that this was a very influential album, then I believe that. Bring Me Coffee Or Tee is more in line with what we heard in the first half, so it was refreshing after listening to Peking O. All in all, I think it's more necessary to give an attentive listen to this album compared to others on the list to really appreciate it. The second half won't sound like anything more than background noise otherwise. This time I'm more or less sitting on the fence by rating a three. I didn't actively dislike it (except maybe Mushroom), but I didn't understand or enjoy it enough to rate it any higher.
Helt klart flere høydepunkter, men de fleste sangene blir noe langtekkelig og vanskelig å høre på. TERNINGKAST 4, 3/5 stjerner
Hørt på buss 29. og 30.des. Dritfet, helt til dem miste det fullstendig halvveis. «Aumgn» e faktisk utilgivelig.
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Love the beats. Solid 4 for the first 4 tracks. Starts to lag for me after that so giving a 3 overall. This is one I do want to re-visit later.
This was wild and controlled at the same time. Funky grooves, alt rock, 18 minute tracks, clearly skilled musicians. I appreciate this album but don’t need to listen again.
An odd one to rate, but I enjoyed the listen. There was a warmth and depth to the recording despite the cacophony at times.
More enjoyable than the other entry by Can that I’ve come across. Some of it’s quite good but there’s some mediocrity to balance that out.
While listening to this album, I suddenly heard Japanese and realized for the first time that Can’s vocalist was Japanese. The music isn’t really my taste, but I deeply respect how he continued creating outside his country of birth and left a lasting mark on music history.
First Part Solid Rock, then crazy experiments
The initial tracks are quite good and then becomes a little dull after that... I don't think I will listen to this album again...
It was ...okay
I can't imagine hating this as long as you are doing something else during it lol. The drums on Halleluhwah are very pretty cool, and I generally found myself nodding my head to the beat for the first half of the album. I'm not sure the screaming on Peking O has the same incredible effect as Kanye screaming on I Am A God. Can't say I really enjoyed Peking O - there was a long stretch in the middle where a high pitched tone was held for a minute, and it sounded just like when I would hold down a specific key on my grandma's electric organ and my grandpa would come and yell at me. Guess these poor chaps didn't have a grandpa, so i'll round up to 3.
The first half of this album fucks. The second half of this album sucks...
Started off alright. Lost interest pretty quickly. Not horrible though.
Друга половина дуже псує загальне враження від цього альбому. На першій - фірмовий краут
Doesn't hold my attention very well.
Kinda scary in the middle there, I think my speakers are haunted.
Had an interesting lo-fi college band vibe. Kind of noisy background and not really catchy. Not understanding any lyrics may be a reason, or maybe its the 18, 17 and 11 minutes jams.
I’m on the road at the moment so probably not ideal conditions for listening to this type of album. I think it would be great as a focus soundtrack during work or study, and probably also as a backdrop to a Sunday session knocking back cold ones watching the waves roll in. I could see it growing on me in a Pink Floyd DSOTM or WYWH type of way after a few listens. Sure there are a few freaky parts I could do without but in general I thought it was OK. 3.5 rounded down.
Never heard of the band. Started out as very good late 60s/early 70s psychedelic music, but at some point it became just strange sounds. Too bad because I was enjoying a lot until then. Probably dropped from a 3 to a 2, but I'll round up since I liked the first part.
Mid
I love some experimental Krautrock and this one is great as well especially with the deep bass. But the last tracks are experimental in a very annoying way and didn't need to be on the album. I think there are better Can albums out there.
I can appreciate the creativity and musical innovation that is here; but this just really didn’t do much for me.
I knew a little bit about Can from an experimental rock class that I took in college. Yeah, experimental is about the best way to describe this. The first 4-5 songs are actually very enjoyable, a little out there, but definitely enjoyable. Then you get to 'Aumgn' and 'Peking O'. Uhhhhh not really sure how to describe them. You're gonna have to listen for yourself. Overall, I'm going with a 3/5.
Interesting and experimental, I can see why this is cited as an influence by lots of bands. I quite liked most of the first half but the 5th and 6th tracks are just too avant garde for me and quite hard to listen to. Maybe let's say 4/5 for the first half and 2/5 for the second half, 3/5 average seems alright
One shit song, the rest I liked Such a bad band name though, I forgot I've listened to them before and it was just a month ago
Weird as hell. Don’t really know how to feel. Can see the influence on experimental and post rock later on. One listen is bizarre, but I think if I listened more I’d start to see what there going for more
Started out hating it, then came around. Will give it another listen, some really good sounds in there
What a nutty record. There's some amazing highs and then some terrible lows. I really like Can and experimental music generally but some of the stuff in the latter half of this record just does not work. But the good is great.
An album that sounds like throwing yourself into the abyss. By the time the music is drowned out by the noise, you are too far in to care and comprehend. Fitting cover image as well. 3.5/5
Lock a gang of krauts in a castle with a set of instruments, a sound mixer, and a pile of hallucinogenic drugs for a month and you get a wild album. Can is for sure out there with where they go on this record. By "Peking O" they have completely lost their minds and then reign it in with some coffee and tea to nurse the hangover. Sometimes the weird goes on too long but this was much more listenable and interesting than the other genre bending noise albums on the list like Kollaps, Psychocandy, and In It for the Money. I do agree they have influenced future acts like for sure Radiohead and I thank them for that. Taking in the whole album I overall liked it. Pretty cool album for the early 70s...2.8 stars.
Experimental rock music 60-70s Dizzy Dizzy
This lost a star due to Peking O.
Interesting, terrible, wonderful.
Starts off with a pretty cool psychedelic rock track. The second track, "Mushroom," sounds a little more punkish in vibe, something like a subdued Iggy Pop. Once we get into the 18 minute tracks, the album is in peak acid trip mode. More trippy soundscapes than songs in the normal sense. It's not unappealing, but not sure how much I'd actually listen to this album. Seems to me more like put the first three songs on a playlist and wait till the right moment to listen to the album as a whole. And now that I'm older, those "right moments" don't come as often. Peking O is just annoying rather than pleasantly trippy. I wouldn't want to listen to that on a trip. These guys' main issue is they seem a few years late for the main wave of psychedelic rock. While that may have mattered in 1971, it doesn't really matter now in retrospect, as this fits right into the era. Anyway, rates as a low 3 for me. Starts off well then kind of deteriorates in the long tracks.
Experimental, groovy, very interesting.
Halleluhwah is a great song. First few songs are good too, but the last few on this album are not for me 3/5
I first knew about Can from their delightfully weird track "Aumgn" It's perfect for reading horror stories. The other five tracks on "Tago Mago" aren't as strange or magnificent. They're still worth listening to, especially the longer tracks. Let's hope I get a fantastic album next time. 3 stars for "Tago Mago".
A journey. I heard so many echoes of elements from bands I love, like Wilco, LCD Soundsystem, and many others. The back half of the album would’ve lost me (and still almost did) had I not been listening while on a bike ride. The groove put me in a great state for just turning my brain off and giving in to the moment.
3.0 Long double album 7 songs 73:27. "Krautrock" a term I've never heard. It was good to hear this was done in the early 70's. Reminds me of Wilco. A lot of it was the sound track to a horror house, pulsating, building dread. Not terrible.
2.8/the beginning was enjoyable but you lost me on aumgn, what the hell is this. peking O is just insanely bad Would I listen again? No Deserves to be on this list? NO
I don't think i've ever said this for any album: This all sounds a bit too much for me. And it's not the music, because it's good. It's the godforsaken length of it. Paperhouse is an amazing psychy tune, and the transition and switch to a more krautrock, and even industrial oriented, Mushroom always makes me stand and think: "Not bad." Halleluwah is a behemothic, funky motor carriage of a song, and Oh Yeah is what every krautrock song should strive to be. And then we get to side C and D, two sides I can go without. Aumgn and Peking O. are some dissonant long tracks with heaps of experimentation across all boards, with most missing the mark, sadly. Bring Me Coffee or Tea is alright. Overall thoughts are this: listen to the first four tracks, the rest is meh.
I liked the first half of this album a good amount, then it lost me in the back half. "Oh Yeah" was my favorite on here
i don’t know how to feel. i’m unsettled and confused. probably gonna go three
Very cool and experimental… I prefer other Can albums personally so I can’t give a huge rating
Pretty good, experimental vibes. Not something I'll go back for.
I really we we could do half points as my true score would be 2.5. A straight two would not be fair as I found the album to be just okay.
Started off alright then got weird at the end 6/10
Not for me.
Le début est excellent mais les deux tounes de la fin sont wack
L'album a rapidement go downhill, mais c'était très bien parti.
Solid album from Can’s best period.
Was great apart from Aumgn
Well that was interesting. It was pretty good at times, and at other times I wouldn't play it at Halloween for fear of scaring trick-or-treaters at the door.
3.75
2.5 stars. Feels like two different albums. First half is pretty cool German psychedelic rock that is just enough avant garde. But then the second half is real weird/experimental noise rock starting with "Aumgn". Probably groundbreaking in it's time (1971) but the second half is too out there for me to enjoy.
I was getting into it and then Aumgn came on. 17 min of a Halloween atmospheric track. Peking O was only a little better. I could get into everything else but those two songs pissed me right off.
This was very strange but not unpleasant. At first I could’ve been listening to the White stripes or The Stone Roses but 20 years too early. In fact, I think The Stone Roses might have stolen a riff then it went into really long experimental, crazy, genre-defying tracks that actually got better on a second lesson. This was surprising but in a positive way. I’ve never heard of this lot before, but I’m glad to have had the experience.
Listened to this in fits and bits and it was alright. Never elevated me to anywhere special, but there were interesting things going on. Not a big fan of this Kraut-experminetal production aesthetic, so that didn't help any.
Half of this album was really interesting, I'd probably need to listen to it multiple times. The second half was noise. 3.5
Groovy and oddly interesting
I almost liked it.
Absolutely worth listening to but the 5th and 6th songs on this album are just 29 minutes of absolute nonsense.
I feel like as strange as this album is at times there are times/moments when it's brilliant. Experimental Krautrock is certainly not commercial but there's something enjoyable and trippy about this record. Having said that I won't be in a hurry to come back to it.
3.5
Gut 10/10
Pretty fun but quite unmemorable
Part of this I really liked. The early tracks are what I look for in experimental music. But by the end, it got annoying. So, 4 and 2.
This is so close to a 4, but the penultimate track seemed to annoy me so much ill probably have to take it down to a 3. I like a lot about it. Its interesting, experimental, I like a lot of the effects and soundscapes. Good
Certainly not boring. I only knew Vitamin C before playing, and this was chirpier and more melodic, but with some songs stretched out to infinity. It didn't full grab my attention, but I always appreciate a failed attempt at something different than more of the same. A 3, but enough for me to look out for more Can in future.
I liked the sound a lot, first half was cool, Oh Yeah is a standout. Aumgn was scary and I kinda liked that.
Weird
True freakzone wigout shiz. High marks for artistic endeavour, less so for accessibility, at least towards the end 😅
I've tried multiple times to get into Can and I just haven't been able to do it. I'm a huge fan of classic 70s prog, so they should be right up my alley. This album is probably the closest I've come to enjoying them, but the singer ruins it for me. He sounds to me like a low-energy Mick Jagger and Mick Jagger's energy is probably the one thing that doesn't bother me about his vocals. Outside of the vocals, there's some really interesting stuff going on. More psychedelic than the bigger names in prog of the day, some seriously great rock grooves and the more avant garde soundscapes are quite interesting as well. 4 stars, knocked down 1 star because of the singer, so 3 stars overall.
It took me many listens but I eventually really got into this album. Could I take another 18 minutes of Halleluwah? Absolutely! It reminded me of a video art piece at the National Gallery that was one of the bright points of my pandemic experience. That said, much of this album is too experimental and improvisational for my tastes.
progressive bad aged, imho
Drug music. If I was high while listening it’d get a 5.
I was really into the first half but the second disc went wildly off the rails. Since that’s intended to be the weird experimental half I guess I can accept it and split the difference. Best song: Halleluhwah
He intentado escuchar Can varias veces y siempre ha salido mal. Hoy no fue la excepción. Las dos canciones más largas de este disco Halleluhwah y Aumgn le restan bastante, al menos para mi gusto. En cambio, algunas de las canciones cortas sí me han gustado bastante. No me parece la obra maestra de la que habla mucha gente. 3/5
Liked the last one better. 3
Can is basically the only prog I don't mind, but it's still not really something I ever seek out. It's mostly nice to have on in the background. Would rate 3.5.
Not nearly as bad as I expected. For some reason, the longer tracks didn't bother me. And a few of the more-or-less normal-length tracks were pretty good.
Very experimental given the technology available at the time. Not really my genre nor my style but interesting in its composition. Very reminiscent of some of the must of the times, eg. Pink Floyd.
The record starts off as psychedelic rock then morphs into experimental rock while keeping some psychedelic elements. I prefer the first half over the second.
Music for getting high to. Aumgn is great, Peking O is unlistenable.
Get's a little too out there drone-y for far too long to be a 4 banger
Cannot
Tago Mago is definitely one interesting album. I heard that it is a krautrock album so it definitely has the quirks of an album like that or at least the ones i know of from listening to Faust IV but i do like this one more because this one still was quirky like that one but still managed to hold itself back when it came to the quirkiness. Well, except for tracks 5 and 6. Those two tracks just felt like Can was throwing everything they had at a wall and was seeing what stuck but not a whole lot of it did. Track 5 was worse in that regard but both of them still could be pretty annoying. But regardless, if i were to recommend one krautrock album of the two i listened to, it would be this one. Best Song: Oh Yeah Worst Song: Aumgn
Superlative Krautrock. Strange but instantly recognisible vocals by Damo Suzuki, weird rhythm changes, elongated jams and occasional melodies. I can understand why people don't like this album, especially tracks 5 & 6, but again, I dig it and also it *is* important. Post Rock wouldn't exist without this band. Best Tracks: Paperhouse; Oh Yeah; Halleluhwah
Did some of those songs really need to be over 15 minutes? 2.5 stars.
pitää kuunnella uudestaan
Ok but nothing special
It's fun.
I can see music now. It's weirdly fringed and chevroned with visible reverb.
What a very strange album. When I saw 1971 and that Apple Music just categorizes it as "rock" from a band I've never heard of, my hopes for anything enjoyable had fallen quite low. I was pretty surprised to find myself vibing with the first track. Kinda funky, kinda experimental, a little jazzy at times, very interesting in a way that doesn't compromise listenability. I was happy to find this continues through the first three songs. And then we get to "Halleluhwah" and "Aumgn", two tracks almost 20 minutes each that just go totally off the deep end. And I get that that's the point, but they're just... so long. There are enjoyable parts of each, and there are not so enjoyable parts, which is fine, but just... so long... ;_; it's so much to endure. It almost feels like a physical or spiritual feat of strength and endurance. You may come out changed for making it through the ~36 minute middle section of this album. Maybe that's the point. And then there's two closing tracks that are more in line with the opening three, but not quite as enjoyable. You've come down from your mushroom trip and things are back to normal. I'm not entirely sure how to rate this album. Roughly half of it is the two very long middle tracks, which I didn't necessarily... enjoy... but I do feel strangely richer, or a little more fluent in popular music history, for having listened to. The rest of it I liked, but didn't love. It was a wild ride, like a very weird dream. ???/10
Beats good, songs meh.
if T.S Eliot made music
I think quality wise this was as good as Ege Bamyasi, which it had a quite similar vibe to. But the length of it meant the impact was lessened - an edit would've made this a 5 for me. Not bad though, and I enjoyed it stretching into some slightly weirder territory. Aumgn is bizarre but I quite enjoyed it. Edit - I wrote this midway through Aumgn and the bizarreness continues… maybe too much.
The first half smacks. Not a real huge fan of the ambient noise second half.
Was introduced to Can just a few months ago in a squat in Berlin. They've been on my list to check out again since so I was happy to see this album here, and at first I thought it was really worth the wait. Very strong start, thought it would be a 4 or even 5 star album. Cool tunes and vocals, and great guitar parts that clearly had a big influence over a lot if indie players since. Became very unfocused in the middle though, some interesting stuff but nothing cohesive. Okay again and the end, quite Dada-ist, but I felt some relief when it was all over.
Interesting. Weird. Cool. Worth another listen.
I'm not really sure what "Krautrock" is, nor whether Can or this album is really Krautrock or not, but I *can* say that this album is quite a sonic experience. I'm not sure I can say that I entirely enjoyed the full experience, but I definitely appreciate the chance to listen to something I doubt I would have ever picked up otherwise. It's probably a bit pointless to identify favorite tracks, mainly because of how long they all are and how meandering they are, but I generally preferred the songs on the first and last sides (1 and 4) to the meanderings of "Halleluhwah" and "Aumgn", although there's something to be said for a jam lasting an entire side of a vinyl disc, and "Halleluhwah" sustains itself remarkably well for a surprising amount of its length. Of the shorter songs, "Mushroom" and "Oh yeah" were the most accessible of the lot, and each has some catchy sections too. Given the remarkably simple (almost austere) recording conditions of having two two-track recorders and three microphones and the entry hall to an old castle, I'm really impressed with how good the recording is. And I am in awe that they had 16-hour sessions for days on end doing this, all without being able to move around while recording for fear of messing up the mix/balance. I also love it that The Flaming Lips' "Take meta Mars" is supposed to be a cover of "Mushroom", but only based on hearing the Can song once and long ago; pretty fun to find out too that The Fall's "I Am Damo Suzuki" is based on this album's "Oh yeah", and Primal Scream's "Kowalski" sampled from "Halleluhwah" (both of which I've listened to not all that long ago from this collection).
Anyone else hear the Doors' LA Woman in "Halleluwah"? I enjoyed listening to this but am not as impressed as I think I'm supposed to be. Perhaps I should have worn headphones. Perhaps I should have taken the acid.
Loved Halleluwah and some others. Some was just weird experimental shit.
Had me in the first half, lost me in the second.
An interesting album and nice to listen to something different.
really like the first 4 songs. And they're pretty long, so I can give it a 3. Augmn and Peking O are hard to listen to.
Aika mielenkiintoista psykedeelistä ja kokeellista rokkia. Pitää hyvää tunnelmaa kokoajan päällä. Tätä pitää varsinkin arvioida kokonaisuutena eikä yksittäisinä kappaleina. Okei, loppulevy meni vähän liikaa siihen kokeellisuuteen xd. Noh, ihan hauska levy kummiskin. Parhaat: Halleluhwah, Paperhouse, Bring Me Coffee or Tea
Not sure what the fuck disc 2 was, but I did sort of get into some of it. Reminded me a lot of early Animal Collective. Disc 1 is a hell of a lot stronger, though.
Has moments that are really great but Aumgn and Peking O bring it down.
I do try hard to listen to this genre, I know I should like it, but it’s too challenging. I’ve heard worse so I went with a 3.
reminded me of animal collective, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a bad way
Boy lots of highs and lows on this one. I guess it rounds out to a 3 at the end of the day. Some specific songs might be a 5 and some might be a 1. Or even sections of songs.
The second half of this album is a slog, but the first half has some solid material.
Whoa the first few on here sound modern for some reason
Ok, but odd. 3/5
Ebbs and flows from great to wtf
Interesting. Aumgn felt very "Cthulhu'esque" to me.
I can’t decide!
Experimental and quite psychedelic. Kinda obsessed with how the creepy vocals in “Aumgn” do literally sound like the title of the song.
Trying to be weird a bit too hard.
I appreciated the experimental nature of these tunes but the music itself didn't speak to me so much.
6/10 I was really enjoying the first half of this album - it's buoyant and rhythmic (though all the tracks are a tad too long). But I hate Peking O and Aumgyn so much, I had turn it off.
Some of the droning on got a little excessive but there was a lot there I really enjoyed. Some of the best rock instrumental bits I’ve heard in a minute were there but they lost me on the vocals (too quiet, mumbling) and like the droning on.
I was into the first half of this album and even the 17-minute song Halleluwah kept me hooked. Then it gets weirddddd starting with Amugn. Listening to it plus Peking O feels like you're on a bad acid trip or something. I think this is firmly a 3 for me.
This seemed like a pretty standard (yet very good) psychadelic album. But then 17 minutes of Aumgn made me question my entire life. Had to take off my head phones and walk my dog after that then continue the rest of the album. After I resumed listening, Peking O then made me question all of reality as we know it. This was truly one of the strangest albums I have ever listened to. The beginning 4 songs were flirting with 4 territory, but the last 3 were just really quite awful. Not sure at all what to give this, so 3 it is
Some songs cam be a tad too long, enjoyable tho
I want to mark this positive but god damn does it need trimming down.
I enjoyed this. It's in no way spectactular, but it's plenty listenable.
Sorry to say the krautrock is not my cup of tea. Odd because i do enjoy prog and psych, and some electronic drone stuff, but this recipe has just never been for me. However, Shout out to my favorive song of all time now being on this record. Side C Halleluwah or whatever its called is tremendous
Interesting enough
A struggling 3. Lots of rhythm, lots of noise, lots of space. Feels alive, like it’s just happening in real time. The drums hold it all together, but everything else feels totally free. Sometimes it’s cool, sometimes it’s too much.
Great drums, but the rest feels like a jam session that forgot the snacks!
Always been a fan of Can's track, Vitamin C. However, this is the first time listening to a full length album of theirs. Infectious grooves sprinkled with some avant-garde. My social media addled brain had trouble at times keeping up with the 18 minute/17 minute tracks, so definitely need to re-visit in the future.
Love can. Really enjoyed 1/2 of this album. But like most can albums, there was a couple songs that I could barely get through. Usually I can look past this, but 30 minutes of haunted house sounds is capping this one at a 3 for me.
Starts off pretty normal and enjoyable, then takes a very sharp turn for the weird. Still really enjoyed the experimental bits even if they were not at all what I was expecting. Peking O is the type of song that might make sense had you ingested some mind altering substances. My favorite of the experimentals is the last track - Bring Me Coffee Or Tea.
I was vibing with it for a while, then it got really weird. Very psychedelic. Another one of those where if I were in a certain mind set I'm sure I'd love it.
I was quite enjoying this until the 18 minute long Aumng, which I have to admit, lost me a little.
My friend, John, drummed in a scratch band that backed Damo Suzuki once. I wasn't there, unfortunately, but what an incredible experience it must have been making that music or even to be there as it came into being from nothingness. I can never fully get into a Can record, precisely because of the distance from that spontaniety. The record is the lingering light of a star, long dead. But even a dead star gives off radio waves, a pulsar or pulse - a groove? - we can tune into and tune out of. Every moment of Halleluhwah I tune into, I love. Every moment of Aumgn I tune into, I don't love. I am never tuned into the whole thing, however, and I have no more sense of what Aumgn is than Halleluhwah. If I'd just been in the room, though, not even in the band, I would have known everything there is to know - not just of Tago Mago, but of all cosmic shit and stuff. What a groovy experience this album faintly documents. 3 I came to this album today under difficult circumstances. Yesterday the list gave me Norah Jones’ debut album and I scorned it, rightly I think, and yet while I was listening to Tago Mago today I couldn’t help but feel the weight of its proximity as an almost moral burden. There I’d be trying to enjoy listening to some member of Can fellate a microphone (‘blubelubbelubelblubelblub’) and I’d sense Norah’s album at my back saying ‘I get two stars and a pissy review for trying to make nice recordings of carefully rehearsed songs and what’s this nonsense going to get? You’re going to give it 4 or something aren’t you, you prick?’ Well, Norah’s album has a point of sorts but I can only hope that my preference for Can’s album is more than my own superficial sense that while ‘Come Away With Me’ sounds not only like music that my squarest Aunt would buy but also music that she might make if she had any skill, ‘Tago Mago’ sounds not even like music made by a cool Uncle - it sounds like music made by someone who is not a member of my extended family at all. Some of Tago Mago sounds really good - but it’s not as good as it sounds. Drums are a difficult instrument to make sound so distinctive and they are continually fascinating here. There are a lot of interesting choices made in the mix - particularly with the vocals. There is a great sense of colour in this record (which almost by itself counterweighs the beigeness of Norah Jones’ accusing ghost). After my first listen I made the mistake (I think) of reading a bit about Tago Mago and the weight of critical praise for it really is astonishing for its plain injudiciousness. The oddest critical motif seemed to be the insistence on the indispensability of every moment on Tago Mago - the concision of it. Yer hole. It’s all well and good to change the face of popular music but must you take 73 minutes to do it? It’s a bloated, indulgent album by the standard of any genre. I read one account that insisted the first side of the double album was ‘in Sonata-Allegro form’ (bollocks) and the album was actually a symphony. Well 73 minutes is long for a symphony. You had best be Beethoven 9 or Mahler 5 and Tago Mago ain’t by a long shot. In conclusion, Mushroom is brilliant, the drums sound awesome, the guitar solos are lame - especially by the standards of 1971. 3/5
Interesting album. A lot of instrumentals with some cacophonous parts. I couldn't get through "Peking O". The "singing" was just too much.
Very odd yet somehow kind of thrilling
Liked the first half, the second not so much
I enjoy a lot of this album, but at the same time, I don’t like Aumgn, and Peking O is worse. Both are still more interesting than a lot of other stuff on this list though.
So close to being utterly brilliant but it does fall down with tracks 4 and 5 which are just too abrasive and experimental to be enjoyable. Everything else is a fantastic melding of so many genres that it's pointless to list them all. Definitely a band I could see myself loving especially having enjoyed Holger Czukay's solo appearance on this list. It should be a 4, maybe even a 5, but nearly a quarter of the album is unlistenable.RIP. 07/01/24
The beginning of the album was quite good, the experimental waffling starting with the 18 min track then kind of lost me for the rest. But overall it was fine.
Tago Mago Wango
interesting but not for me
Surprisingly liked this
Tago Mago is definitely an interesting Krautrock album — experimental, unpredictable, and at times completely out there. It’s the kind of record that keeps you on your toes, even if it doesn’t always land. “Halleluhwah” is easily the highlight. That groove is hypnotic and somehow manages to stay engaging through its long runtime. It’s weird, but in a fun, head-nodding kind of way. On the other hand, “Aumgn” was a tough listen. It leans a little too far into abstract noise territory and kind of lost me along the way. Overall, I respect the creativity and the influence this album clearly had, but it’s a mixed bag for me.
Some nice melodies, cool
Interesting. 1971. Musically seems later
I have no problem with some experimental sonic wankery, but Aumgn and Peking O are a bit indulgent by any standard. Overall, an enjoyable enough A-side of this album saves me from being more critical of its somewhat... challenging B-side. 3/5 Highlights: Paperhouse
3.7, bit weird
Frustrating listen as it starts super strong with great grooves and seemed like something I'd really like. Next thing you know, you got several 17 minute songs of literal noises and gibberish.
WHY DOES IT KEEP DELETING MY COMMENTS gonna make this short: Kinda 2 albums, one first few songs and last one, second second last and third last. first is quite good but last is terrible overall around 5/10
very odd, very german, very long (but not really), very interesting musically
Not knowing what to expect, I found a smile developing on my face after the first track, and immediately dug deep to learn more about them. And then I heard Mushroom, which I know from The Jesus and Mary Chain. Interest definitely piqued now! Halleluhwah and Aumgn were too long. The album kind of lost appeal. Started as a 4 and ended up a 3
Estoy entre 3 y 4. Este álbum me hizo descubrir la banda (muy buena canción "Vitamin C"). Me voy a inclinar por 3 porque el album es bastante raro, en el sentido que me gusta por lo experimental pero es también un poco difícil de seguir y de realmente disfrutar las canciones. Ojalá salga algún otro álbum de esta banda.
New to me. Interesting.
With many psychedelic records, you wonder if it would be better experienced under the influence of something hard-hitting. As for Tago Mago, that sounds like the worst experience possible - especially 'Peking O' is already hellish enough as is. Influential as it might be, I only really enjoy 'Mushroom' and the sublime 'Halleluhwah', and although a combined runtime of 20+ minutes is usually enough to warrant a higher score, that's not the case when the album is 73 minutes long.
favourite song - peking o. favourite lyric - did anybody see the snowman standing on winter road / with broken guitar in his hand, are you feeling sleepy yet? / it's my recording station, man but I record in his head / knowing that to big mouth, oh, ice can flow away, one knows. simply because wtf does that mean cover - 4/10 album overall - 3/5 nothing special
I think the first half of this album is some very interesting psychedelic jams with great performances all around. The trip goes bad in the second half though.
Haven’t heard of these guys before. Supposedly this is krautrock, kind of psychedelic avant- garde, some interesting bits but there’s a couple of 17 minute + pieces that noisily drone on in the middle of the record, that’s where they lost me
Early Animal esq
What Thomas Pynchon had to be listening to when he wrote "Inherent Vice."
Sometimes trying too hard
Great first 4 tracks, then tails off into madness
Cool
The first half is more than acceptable but with Aumgn and Peking O I'm losing it.
Tago Mago is an absolute wild album, there is a lot going on. It’s 2 albums in 1. Side A is clangy, raw psychedelic jam rock and Side B is the atmospheric music that influenced Radiohead. It’s too long, but need to listen to it more 6.8/10
I was enjoying it but it really lost its way by the end
Not sure how to rate this. When they could find the groove, this was a great record. When they couldn't, it was a rough listen.
Trippy psychedelic album, but sometimes I think the songs drag for too long.
Different and interesting
A weird album with some cool vibe to it at times. The first 4 tracks are like a mix of classic/experimental rock and a Jam band. I really liked the different layered rhythms and unique sounds. Then you get to the really experimental stuff which loses me. 4 for first half, 1 for second half.
Very experimental with the middle 3 tracks being over 10 minutes long. Not for me but I can see how this band is influential to so many artists
Either very strange or a bit interesting in equal parts
This is a jam album. So much so that I feel like I’ve been listening to the same song for 3 songs now. This as well, has a place. If I may be picky, the vocals are a bit flat and drowned out. There could also but a deeper sounding bass added to take away the high frequency sound. The drums are solid though. As I said, it’s jammy. If you like that, enjoy! Choice cut: Halleluhwah
Nothing completely wrong with this album. An experimental and avant adventure into early 70's psychadelia. Very good, engaging, and melodic dispite the large selection of uncommon instruments. Percussive elements shine on tracks like Mushroom and Peking O.
Never thought I would enjoy Can or their albums but I really enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to more Can on the list I hope. Mushroom & Halleluhwah were particular highlights.
I'd listen to it again minus the two noise tracks.
Expected to dislike this, but didn’t. Some awful tracks (next to last) and some quite nice (final track. Enjoyed both of the 20 minute tracks as well. A Prog rock group I’ve always been aware of but had never listened to.
I listened enough to be intrigued and I liked it. I think I still need to give it a deeper listen. Maybe the 2-hour anniversary edition. For now, a 3
3.5? Kind of different which is fun, but nothing spectaular
One of the most interesting albums of all time, but also, I think that it didn’t need to have a 18 minute long song that is practically just a compilation of horror movie sounds and the occasional tribal drum.
Quite like the start of this, then it descended into (enjoyable???) chaos. Peking 0 is hilarious, must've been a hoot to record such nonsense. Kinda jealous
interesting, funky
Very trippy. I like it in certain states of mind
Didnt eally like it, too loud, but can imagine under the right circumstances it could be ok
Was a bit trepidatious about this one. But yeah, it's OK. A bit simplistic for me but not bad. If any of these tracks came on when I've got it set to random in the car I wouldn't skip it, but it's not 100% my sort of thing. Has to be a bit more there to keep me interested. Worth a strong 3.
This is so demented. Normally would be a bit frustrated/annoyed with the prolonged noise parts, but I found myself a bit drawn in. Listened to it all, came out the other side like “Well that was an album I never would have listened to but am glad I did.” That’s somethin!
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, so another win for the album generator :) Groovy - some very cool guitar - a trippy, funky vibe. Oh Yeah and Halleluhwah stood out for me. Aumgn made me feel lost in space on an abandoned spaceship - like I had woken up after a long journey across many galaxies and found myself in some futuristic spacecraft, full of long, echoing corridors. Alone. Or was I?...👽
Experimental and influential but are they any good? I tried half listening during the day and it was awful. Gave it another go late evening through headphones and it was better. I like Paperhouse and Oh Yeah. Unusual rhythms and interesting guitars. Halleluhwar has a groove but 17 minutes, really? The next two tracks are equally long but more experimental, more sounds and effects than music. Something stronger than my glass of stout is required to get into this!! Some tunes tomorrow please :)
Way better than I would’ve thought
What the hell was going on here. Didn’t hate it.
I love CAN. But with this I realised that I don't always listen to all of their albums all of the way through. I know it's - ahem - Sacrilege to say this, but not everything they do is amazing. The second side of this is a bit self-indulgent and I drifted off. Parts of it were very Sun Ra, which surprised me. But the first side of this rocks. CAN on their day can be the funkiest rock and roll band around, but I did find the end of this a bit hard going. Interesting, maybe, but definitely hard going.
Man, I was ready to go with four stars for the first 38 minutes. Then "Augmn" happened. Can I have those twenty minutes back?
There are parts of this album that are amazing. Unfortunately, most of the album sounds like a sound check or that they kept recording between song takes. 3/5 Probably won’t listen again
Jag gillar faktiskt det här. De första fyra låtarna. Det svänger på ett tilltalande sätt. Sen blir det inte bra och långa låtar blir inte bättre av att de är långa. Ger en trea.
I can see how CAN influenced some of my favs like Mogwai and LCD Soundsystem. I willing to take a dive into the other two of trilogy but its half good half off the rails.
Doesn’t stand up well
Ahead of their time with eclectic sounds and experimental methods!
Fine for half an hour then immediately excruciating despite no demonstrable change in texture. You can absolutely have enough of this, the reward is not worth the labour.
The bluesy psychedelic jams on this album are amazing, as are the experiments at the end of the record. The problem is that I don't want to listen to the experiments more than once, and they take up a huge portion of the runtime. Three stars.
While I didn't thoroughly enjoy every track here, it was a fascinating listen when you read this came out in 1971. For the time period, this felt very cutting-edge because you feel the beginnings of what could be some Grunge and even experimental alt-rock ideas way early on.
Not the worst experimental album I've heard. 2.9.
3.5 the longer songs were surprisingly more enjoyable to listen to then the shorter ones
Fyrri hlutinn mjög sterkur. Sá síðari síðri. Fær aðra yfirferð
Had high expectations for this. Can often get cited as huge influence from James Murphy / LCD soundsystem, so I was looking forward to this. I was expecting sort of proto electro/kraut, and it was sort of that in places. Definitely got that whole pysch thing going on. There’s a lot of fluff though, the bits I liked where great, but there was definitely a bit of filler. I preferred the Can songs that came on after from other records, so I’ll definitely be back to Can and probably back to this record, but Im not sure when
I'm glad the first track picked up because I was starting to zone out a few minutes in and getting a little bored. Cool second half / ending of the song though. Very cool transition from track 1 to 2. There's some interesting stuff going on here. I can tell this is an influential band to some more modern bands- like Spoon (I'm learning they named themselves after one of Can's songs of the same title), Radiohead, and some others that are hard for me to think of in the moment. It's an enjoyable record that I was hesitant about at first. Only took a minute or two for me to get it though and change my tune. 3/5!
Weird
This sounds like what would have happened if the Doors spent too much time with Yoko Ono. There were moments that were enjoyable to listen to, but not really a fan of the rest.
I like a the first few songs and I don't mind longer eperimental songs in general, but a lot of this album devolves to just noise. Not something I really care to listen to.
“I was there. At the first CAN show, in Cologne.” 3 stars. Maybe 2 if it wasn’t due to LCD Soundsystem
Fun album. I always like Can, but the high pitched guitar can get annoying.
This was a rough ride - as if they had turned going to the dentist into musical form. Some parts of it though were great. They have thrown a whole lot of paint on this canvas, some looks great and some is painfully bad. Kudos for the innovation, but I'm not playing this at my next dinner party.
First half (tracks 1-4) is good experimental rock jamming in line with the late 60s and early 70s era - noteworthy are Oh Yeah and Halleluwah; then It's all poor unfocused prog psychedelic noodling. Very much a double album where the second disk can be left untouched in it's sleeve. Only redeeming thing I can add is that I heard Matt Johnson’s the The “Giant” drums in the last three minutes of “Aumgn”. Happy Mondays were clearly influenced by Halleluwah!
Levels were weird. Couldn’t hear the singer?
Damn this is one of the hardest ones to rate so far. I'm into progressive, cosmic and ambient styles - so Can are pioneers of lots of stuff I enjoy. I've listened to this record a number of times over the years. It goes through the looking glass of rock music, and the other side is freaky. The best moments are mind-bending and funky. But I've never enjoyed to jibbering vocals. The whole b-side of the album gets into stretched-out soundscapes. Are they visionary blueprints for ambient, drone and industrial music to come? Yes... but they are also unlistenable garbage in parts. Overall, this is an album I largely respect, but with large chunks I don't enjoy. 3*
First half was good secind half is goofy af
Upon starting Tago Mago my first thought was that this sounds like it could veer into some musical territory that is dangerously close to Pink Floyd. Thankfully it never does. My second thought was that this record isn’t especially interesting in a world with bands like Tame Impala, Kraftwerk, Deerhoof, Aphex Twin and Public Image Ltd. Obviously those bands would not sound like they do if Can hadn’t made this record so for that I give them credit.
I don’t have much to say except that yes, this is an album you should listen to and experience.
High
I will accept that this album would have been influential. For example, I can see how a song like Aumgn would have influenced songs like The waiting Room from the Lamb and On the Run from DSOTM. While I really like those two albums, those two songs are not the reasons I like them.