Tago Mago

Nothing to listen hear,,, move on 986

Just some of the most wild jams ever put to tape. Every song feels like it's one right note from flying completely off the rails, like a band of instrumentally proficient drunkards trying their best to hold onto a groove after hours of playing in a hot room. I really do think the first disc of this record is some of the absolute greatest when it comes to jam-based rock music - massive, groovy, funky tracks with basslines, syncopated drum rhythms, and psychadelic solos for days, especially on this album's magnum opus 'Halleluhwah', whose main bass motif is like crack to me. I mean, aside from Damo Suzuki's (R.I.P.) very off-kilter delivery, there isn't much here that's too challenging. Sure, the mixes are a bit muddy, but that's par for the course, and it adds to the charm. This disc (and, honestly, the second one in many ways) is one to get lost in. It's really the second disc that gives this album the reputation of being this inextricable monster. The record plunges headfirst into a dystopian, industrial, krautrock beast with the massive 'Aumgn', which sounds like being paralyzed at the bottom of some massive chasm, surrounded by strange cult-like beings that you can barely make out through the corner of your eye. This track is just so insane, and you can really piece together your own story based on the sound snippets, pacing, and ever-evolving atmosphere alone. It also clearly sets the foundation for many dark ambient acts to follow, maybe the most influential piece from this album. And afterwards, it's like this album tries to find its footing again, but nothing's quite the same. The middle of 'Peking O' would lead the listener to believe that we might be on the right track, but out of nowhere Damo starts jabbering nonsense over this angular piano and stuttering drum machine. It's one of the most striking moments I've heard in any record ever, and I'll never forget when I first heard that specific part of 'Peking O'; my emotions were a mixture of amusement, horror, and bewilderment. Is it stupid? Yes, without a doubt, but I love it so much. 'Bring Me Coffee Or Tea' is such a hazy closer, leaving so many of the album's mysteries unresolved, with a distinctly eastern feel to it. Such a fever-dream of a track, but a completely worthy closer, as it really leaves so much unanswered when it comes to this wildly abstract disc. No record quite like this one. Again, the second disc is maybe the most difficult part of this, especially when a cut like 'Aumgn' lasts for 17 minutes, but if you can make it through that and look at the album as a whole, I think you'd come to realize just how important a statement CAN was making here. Great shit.

Las primeras tres canciones sí me gustaron y bastante, pero a partir de Aumgn, que parecía música para un ritual satánico, el álbum fue cayendo y esa segunda mitad ya no me gustó tanto.

After reading the Wikipedia blurb, I actually got a little excited for this. The experimental krautrock that I've run into on this list has generally been pretty good, and I don't think this is an exception to that. I think it's also important to note, though, that I really don't mind long songs. These songs are *long*, and if you're not a fan of that, you'll hate this. But I think the development within the songs is really good; there's enough repetition to make it seem very familiar, but then they do something a little different or add in a new instrument or the singer will come back in. Speaking of, I'm not a fan of the singer. It's fine for the style, but I don't think it's good or enjoyable to listen to. That combined with how the album gets overly psychedelic in the back-half, it hurts how I end up feeling about the album overall. The last song did well enough to redeem the back-half of the album, but honestly, it feels a bit like Dark Side of the Moon, but by a German band (maybe this album inspired it? idk). In total, I liked the album, but there was a stretch that was tough to listen to. Which stinks because I actually really enjoyed the first half. Favorite Song(s): Paperhouse, Oh Yeah, Halleluhwah

Seems like the surest way to get Dimery's attention is to release a double album. First note: the vocals are so low in the mix that I can hardly distinguish them. It's possible that the niceties of mixing and mastering hadn't made it to West Germany in 1971 (that's not sarcasm -- a lot of new techniques around multi-track recording were developed in the 60's). 'Paperhouse' features a very meandering opening that coalesces into a pretty intense drum groove, adds a guitar solo and then is still only at five of seven and-a-half minutes. The vocals add some emotional content but nothing much by way of melody or harmony in the first five. It's basically what people who don't know the Grateful Dead seem to describe when they try to describe why they don't like the Dead. It's sort of interesting but also meanders forever and it's missing the beautiful harmonies of the Dead. I was really into jam bands in my early 20's (don't start) and this reminds me of a late-night jam set that I would have enjoyed immensely and then forgotten forever. Is this better than the Burt Nielson band? It's certainly older. As you tread deeper into the second disc, this gets really weird. 'Aumgn' is a lot of... moaning? 'Peking O' is varied, but contains some very challenging... modal work? On a keyboard. Its vocals are screaming and babbling. I suspect someone might suggest that this challenges what the limits of "music" are -- you may not be down for that. To some extent, it defies criticism: it seems deeply intentional, just very strange. Seemingly never both amelodic and arhythmic at the same time -- but often one or the other. This album is probably a big deal for someone else you respect. Frank Zappa or Les Claypool probably found/find this challenging and interesting. 'Augmn' really reminds me of some of the creepy interlude tracks from a Tool album (especially on Aenima and Lateralus). Must you listen to this? I guess, as a part of this project. If we're going to listen to 1001 albums together (protip: as of writing, it's actually closer to 1100, compiling all versions), it may as well be included. It's certainly the outer edge of music. It's basically impossible to review and rate. It's provocative and, at times, even evocative. It's music because the medium that presents it to us is of music. Do you want to think about that? If not, this isn't for you. If that's interesting to you, you may love the experience of Tago Mago. 3/5 -- this is just a placeholder; this art is orthogonal to ratings of music Fun sidenote: this is my second encounter with the work of Holger Czukay (bass guitar on this album) and I'll readily grant that he must have been a supremely creative fellow.

The first half of this is great, but I had to press "skip" halfway through Aumgn and the album never really recovered after that. Just a little too "out there" for these ears

The defining achievement of krautrock, ranging from ‘shorter’, catchier tracks to extended, multi - sectional pieces, ambient tracks and sound collage. It remains unmatched in the genre despite being released in 1971.

I had never heard of this band before I never wanted to turn it off, but I wasn’t ever grabbed by it either.

paperhouse not bad

Acid trip set to music

Listened before? No Familiar with the artist? No Thoughts: - I don't think this kind of experimental rock will ever be for me, unfortunately. - I like the backwards part of "Oh Yeah" - There were parts of "Halleluhwah" that I really liked, but there were also 5 minute stretches that I completely zoned out through... - Aumgn could work as pretty cool ambient noise for a haunted house, but I can't really see it as music 😅 Favorite track(s): "Mushroom" feels the most like an actual song.

Super trippy and experimental … honestly loved it for the most part aside from a song or two (that were super long). Happy to have listened through 4

4/10 No gusto, muy largo, casi sin voces. Sonidos que servirían para ambientar una peli, pero no para escuchar cono album

interesting but still a great rock album. I personally prefer Future Days but this is still great. decent 9/10. first listen tracklist ranking: 1. Halleluhwah 2. Oh Yeah 3. Paperhouse 4. Bring Me Coffee or Tea 5. Mushroom 6. Peking O 7. Aumgn

love ideas here but sometimes get tediously trippy

spannende melodien, vocals und production eher schwierig

Loved the first half, hated the second half. This isn't an exaggeration, it really was that polarising for me. The first few tracks are just fantastic, right up my street. The track Aumgn then acts as a bridge between this and a couple of really strange tracks that I could only describe as "noise". So overall it probably is a 3, but the greatness of the first half will swing it to a 4. Favourites: Paper house Oh Yeah Halleluhwah

Maluco

This gets one star for being recorded in a castle, and gets deducted the rest of the stars for the length and the literal moaning and droning. Playlist add: “Halleluhwah”

Halleluhwah is appropriately titled because I saw God and then saw him again during Aumgn I am a Can convert though I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise considering a lot of my favorite bands are also big fans

weird but more interesting than most of what i’ve gotten so far, 3.5 stars

A groundbreaking record from Can. The Damo years are my favourite Can albums, Halleluhwah and Aumgn are captivating long-form pieces, but the whole album is a classic, hugely influential on alternative music that would follow a few years later.

Kokeellista jumitusta ja hämyilyä. Lähdin kuuntelemaan Tago Magoa avoimin mielin, mutta viimeistään loppupuolen sekoilubiisien aikana kaikki mielenkiinto lopahti.

Aumgn is legit the best thing I have heard. 4/5

Not bad—it has its moments. ★★★

What an interesting album. Seriously. One of the most interesting listens I've ever had. I'm not sure I really enjoyed it a lot. It goes on and on and there's a lot of sections of seemingly nothing. But I do enjoy this kind of music. It's very experimental and instrumental which is definitely not a bad thing. I absolutely respect the art behind this. I also assume this was a really fun album to record, I would definitely like to play this music more than listen to it because when you're playing something like this it's like everything is pouring out of you and you can really feel the music. Apparently some of the tracks are just recordings of jams that they had, which I absolutely believe lol. All that said, I could feel that at times but not throughout the whole thing. I'd give it a high 3/5.

Loved some parts some a little out there and repetitive

I was a little nervous about a krautrock album but I really enjoyed this. I found Aumgn especially interesting and lovely. The beginning of the album was good, but I found the second, more experimental half even better.

the first half is incredible, and whilst i wasn't in the mood for the second half at the time, it was still good fun

This album was pretty mid and pretty weird and I don’t think I’ll be listening to this again 2/5 Favorite: paperhouse

It's fine. I eventually realized that despite the decent instrumentation and overall songs, I was just not really connecting with it at all.

this was fun, then was a bit crazy, then was cool...

I'm glad I've listened to that. I don't think I would again by choice but its influence is so audible in later bands and so it's certainly deserving of being on this list.

4/10

I didn’t know this, but I sure like it. Quirky, funky, fun.

I saw an article today called something like “50 albums You Must Listen To (according to Audiophiles)”. Firstly, only 50? Lightweights! Secondly, the article was profoundly depressing with the reviewer talking about bit rates and compression ratios, and not a jot about the music. Well, this album today was recorded on two dodgy twin track tape machines in an echoey German castle in the middle of winter, with audio levels balanced by moving band members to the right distance from the microphones with strict instructions not to move around too much. The music is classic Krautrock, with metronomic Motorik drumming, blistering guitars, reversed tape loops, sci-fi electronic effects made by fiddling with oscillators and bonkers screaming vocals from new addition to the band Damo Suzuki. You know that you’re in for a treat when there are just seven tracks on a full double album and they range from the hypnotic to a genuinely creepy take on an Aleister Crowley satanic ceremony that would make a good soundtrack for a Call of Cthulhu game. Yes, it’s experimental. Yes, it’s mental. Yes, you should absolutely listen to this and freakout! Kraut-tastik!

Well, some of it was really good. Halleluhwah was a good jam. But then some of it is just weird, like German weird. Aumgn is an example. At one point it just has a dog barking over a drum solo. Sort of reminds a bit of Pink Floyd's Ummagumma. Not nearly as good, but that sort of indulgence.

I enjoyed the first part quite a bit. But then it turned into a bad trip in the dessert.

This song was gonna be 4 stars until it got a bit too experimental. The experimental stuff wasn't terrible, but honestly they could left that out.

Ever wanna take a trip to outer space but outer space happens to be your own brain and also the rhythm section is funky as shit? Good news, Tago Mago can do all of that for you. This is an adventure of a record, which is to be expected from Can, a band that takes laying down a groove to the farthest reaches of the universe. Undeniably the funkiest dudes in Germany, if a bit all over the place.

It really doesn't bode well when I have to take breaks during the listening session. I understand that this is an artistically important album and to be fair, Aumgn had some fascinating sound design reminiscent of film music of some artworks I love. And considering that many respectable artists cite this album as a source of inspiration, I will be the first to admit that I just don't get it the way others do. Maybe I lack the ear for music, maybe I am too narrow-minded or maybe I should haven taken recreational medication before turning it on. But this is my own rating and I am not attempting to make any general statements. I am rating this based on my own listening experience. With that out of the way: They all overstay their welcome. 18 minutes is about triple the length of a song I might enjoy and I had reached my limit about halfway through. If there is method to the madness here, I fail to see it. The pieces devolve into mindless noise after a few minutes, leaving me baffled as to how people can listen to this more than once. I you love this, good for you, I mean that. But it is simply not for me. 2/10, please, no more.

I liked this a lot. It’s my cup of tea but also I happened to be in the right mood for it. I kind of want to give it a 5 but I’ll be cautious and give it a 4.5. Must listen to Can more.

Fantastic.

There are two Can albums in this book and this is the first one that I have heard. Tago Mago is a difficult album to classify, as it is sort of prog-rock and also a bit of avant-garde. The band is from Germany, so of course it is classified as "Krautrock," a genre that is well represented in this book. It seems Tago Mago was a very influential album, which is good for them, a bit bewildering to me. Aumgn sounds like someone straining to take a shit at parts and so maybe that's influential? Peking O was just irritating to listen to (at least in my opinion). This didn't really hit for me. I think if we are talking about Krautrock then I prefer other artists. It is interesting the bassist for Can also has a solo album in this book, as I notice a trend where if a band has an album or two in the book, then one of the members of the band gets a solo album thrown in as well. In the case of Stephen Stills, literally every band he has ever been in gets represented. I preferred the shorter songs on here. It's not that I do not enjoy prog-rock, it's that I found the longer songs on here (mostly the second half) to be a bit of a drag to listen to. I am hoping I enjoy Future Days more than Tago Mago. My favorite songs: Paperhouse Halleluhwah

I went back and forth on how to rate this one. The second half was definitely challenging. I will admit to skipping Peking O almost entirely. Not something I'll sit and listen to again but genuinely some of this would be amazing ambient music for the horror game I'm running soon. Elements of the first half were interesting and exciting. I look forward to hearing Future Days at some point.

Amazing drums. The stranger sections are quite a lot but the grooves are really good.

BRUH the last three songs were almost 20 minutes each?!??!?! anyway It was okay

Aumgn might be one of the scariest songs i’ve ever heard. The timestamps for most of these tracks are DAUNTING. Somehow though i thought the whole experience was worthwhile and crazy ahead of its time, like something from another world (Germany). Peking O, man. Genuinely impressive how absolutely bonkity bonk batshit it is. Again, worthwhile for the experimentation alone (like i very much doubt there’s anything else QUITE like this on this list but who knows) but the ding here is pretty strictly for the fact that i don’t think i’ll come back to this much if at all.

This was interesting but also felt a bit aimless. Dial it in boys…

This was fun, especially “Halleluwah” until things kind of fell apart into too much avant garde by the end.

If this album ended after Halleluwah it might be a five star. Super groovy and influential to start. The last three songs are a real slog though.

Not really digging this

Ç'a ni queue ni tête. J'aime ben ça. J'comprends ceux qui décrochent à la 5e toune mais un moment, comme qu'on dit, tu peux pas toute avoir. 3.49 étoiles.

Weird noisy Krautrock is my JAM, friends!

They should have stuck with being weirder like on Peking O.

1971 Krautrock, cool cover, jam sessions Mushroom Oh yeah

First half is interesting and then it flies off the rails quick.

Anfang: Oh cool Mitte: Eh? Ende: Dafuq?

60% very interesting experimental rock sounds, 40% why did they let their little brother steal the mic and run away.

So weird. There were a few vibes tracks that were somewhat interesting. But mostly not my thing.

The last few songs were a little out of place

This is the psychadelic rock final boss for me. Repetitive, weird noises and distortion, stream-of-consciousness lyricism. Its truly grating on my senses.

Too long, too psychedelic. Could not get into this one at all

This is less of an album as it is an experience. I’ve heard it before, and on this listen I grooved to the early songs and endured the later, longer ones. The impact and influence of this band and album deserves respect. Many of my favorite artists and genres trace their origins from listening to music like this. Post rock seems to be greatly indebted to this. It’s an amazing album, one that despite having known for years, I rarely listen to again. But I’ve listened to a lot of other Can songs and albums. It’s a big ask to digest this in a 24-hour period, so 4 stars I guess.

Enjoyment: 3/10 Replayability: 1/10 Cohesion: 3/10 Flow/Pacing: 1/10 Artistic Merit: 2/10 Weighted Average: 2.15/10 Review: The cool space rock vibes established in Paperhouse slowly dwindle into white noise as this album continues. They're slightly reintroduced in Halleluwah before any goodwill that could've possibly been built was immediately and irrevocably lost by Augmn. I don't care how experimental, psychedelic, or avant-garde this album may be, I don't want to hear some dude cumming to a synthesizer... but the guest appearance by Courage the Cowardly Dog in Peking O was a pleasant surprise. Liked Song(s): Paperhouse, Halleluwah Disliked Song(s): Aumgn, Peking O Recommend? No Heard Before? No

I was familiar with the band, but I didn't really follow their music. Today was the first time I listened to this album. It sounds extremely experimental—at times psychedelic and raw. Most of the tracks are very long and dominated by rock improvisations. You can't just listen to this album casually; it’s too complex for that. It requires time and quiet to fully immerse yourself in its musical soundscape. You have to commit to it, or it just won't work. I got a sense of this during my first listen this morning; you practically dive into a sonic cosmos. The record sounds like a Pink Floyd album, but with the courage to break away from the mainstream. The music takes you on a journey into the subconscious. I imagine—though I wouldn't know from personal experience—that with a few drugs, you’d simply float away. To me, so much music from that era feels like drifting off into another reality. I can't relate to the experience firsthand, as I never took drugs, but I can certainly picture it. One thing is certain: the German band Can are pioneers in more ways than one. Holger Czukay’s tape-loop and sampling techniques influenced generations of later musicians across all genres. Countless artists cite the innovative sonic landscapes of early Can music as a major influence.

This slaps. I'm about 230 albums into the list and this is the first time I went and purchased the Vinyl LP about 1/2 through side one. Plus whoever wrote the long backstory, thanks for that. Great stuff.

Na živo to mohlo byť fajn, ale na bežné počúvanie, prípadne aj na občasné, pri tomto množstve hudby, ktorá je už alebo len bude vytvorená, je to slabé.

Groovy, but some songs are better than others (Hallelhuwah>Peking O)

Jam band sounds.

Groovin!

Piss off.

So good … and then the ending goes into some surreal territory

The only German music I'm interested in is Kraftwerk, Falco, and Hasselhoff. Everything else is just noise. This wasn't great.

Krautastic!

This was a hard listen... way too long.

its good to start but then just becomes convoluted drivel like wtf is aumgn even supposed to be? sounds like horror movie hippie yoga. 2.5/5

3/5

Top tunes from the german pop band.

Starts out good, but takes a turn for the weird fairly quickly

Early psych rock/jam band stuff, some fun stuff on here but not really my style.

Bit disappointed after enjoying one of their later offerings. This was a bit too meandering for me.

Landmark recording with more hits than misses - Augmn and Peking O aren't so bad, but they are so experimental I'd hate for them to ever shuffle on.

Well, that was terrible.

Very interesting, as I'm used to Can sounding like they're from the future, but this just seems like forward sounding 60's psychedelic rock.

I do like this. I must admit not all the songs are worth the revisit. Overall, the really awesome experiment.

Very interesting, but you really have to be in the right mood to listen to the album.

Not what I expected; disappointing

This was a bit mad and threatened to go off the rails a couple of times, especially in the secondhalf... mayne at some points it did but it still managed to find its way back on again. All said, I really vibed with this, it faired much better than _Future Days), the previous album of there's I heard in this challenge.

Loved some of the songs, others not so much. If you mixed an acid trip with a Hitchcock movie Aumgn sounds like the theme song.

Sublime, and beyond critical appraisal.

Bullshit!

yaaaaaaay

Good stuff. You can hear the genesis of the noise rock that I love so much. The first four tracks (which were on the first LP in the original release) are the more conventional stuff, and I don't think the album really gets going until the third track, "Oh Yeah" and then really kicks into gear on the 18-minute "Halleluwah." Normally, I'm not one for long tracks, but Halleluwah has an addictive groove and keeps things going with various interesting musical excursions. The latter three songs are all very experimental, and I confess I wasn't really keeping track of when one song ended and the next started, but it's all cool sonic explorations that are especially fun to listen to when the drums really kick in. Very much enjoyed this.

Cannot.

I'm falling asleep and dying, Scoob. Aumg was interesting until it triggered my tinnitus.

Min mest overraskende 5’er siden Billy Bragg

Imo sandracarmen's hidtil mest overraskende 5er. Vildt fede grooves, vil hellere høre Ege Bamyasi fordi den er lidt mindre jammy

Kraut!

Layman's review: Cinematic, experimental, not easy to ingest, not for me.