Reviews (page 4 of 8)
What a surprise. Quirky and delightful, will be listening to this one for a while. Didn't realize he was a part of Can, so will need to revisit that record as well.
If The Muppets were German, this would be the album they made.
01) Cool in the Pool - 7,0 02) Oh Lord, Give Us More Money - 6,0 03) Persian Love - 7,5 04) Hollywood Symphony - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,50 (65/100) Current ranking: 499/711
Couldn’t listen to this album. Very repellent
Interesting. Nothing remarkable. 2 outta 5
not that good and not essential
Not good
Couldn’t get into it at all
It's cool in the pool
Just okay.
masterpiece
Perfectly fine background music … not sure I’d play it again
I enjoyed Art of Noise, Yello, etc. growing up and expected this to be similar. In some ways yes but less structured and not as engaging. I’m torn between 2 and 3 on this. Feeling kind today. 3/5
Surprising. Partly nice. Partly not so special.
I love Can, but I've never heard this album from Holger and I loved it. The opening track alone is worth the listen.
I thought I was gonna hate this but it was great craic. Bloody weird at times but good weird. Top Track - Persian Love
Weird. Cool weird? Maybe, but not for me at this moment in time
4/5
At its best, this list either asks us to listen to watermark albums or albums that reach out and pioneer new ideas in sound, genre, an skill. Holger Czukay is a musician's musician, the one who experiments with sound to challenge others (in the mainstream) to follow. The length of two of the songs on this forty-minute album show just how fearlessly he reached to experiment and explore. Clearly, this album influenced the much more widely known "My Life in The Bush of Ghosts" by Eno/Byrne. This album is quite accessible for people who can't warm up to Can. "Persian Love" is a song that appeared on some mix I had back in the day, and I never knew the artist, so it's a delight to have discovered it here.
3/5 a good amount of weird. Slight folks, slightly jazzy
That was a fucking rollercoaster. Some of it was really good. Some of it was batshit mental. I'm glad I listened to it, but I'll not be unhappy if I don't every hear it again.
Solid 2. This is not my thing at all and initially I was like WTF. Over the course of the first song I did start to see some value behind the wacky. Ultimately something I would pretty much never recommend to anyone (unless I was trying to seem super artistic and avant-garde), but I could understand if someone said they liked it.
Weird. Just very weird
what the fuck
Here’s one I’ve never heard of before. Mediocre music in my opinion.
This was a cool experimental experience in a genre I like quite a bit. It had some really nice instrumentals but it’s obviously harder to judge individual songs when there are only 4 that make up the album. The shorter ones (first and third) I really liked as they were essentially more focussed and condensed versions of the other 2. The longer ones were very chaotic for good and for bad, a lot of random sampling with movie clips (hence the title I guess) and electronic noises with some interesting vocals. I liked it but it was a bit too weird but I guess it’s to be expected from the CAN guy, I definitely appreciate his creativity though. Favourites: Cool in the pool and persian love. Overall, 6/10.
Knew this would be bad when I saw it was a 40 minute album made up of 4 tracks. Occasional moments of musical interest dispersed amongst a plethora of incoherent noise
Didn't have to listen to this before I die.
This guy walked so others could run. I liked the walking better myself.
Delightfully weird.
Holger Czukay's name didn't ring a bell. When I read that he was part of CAN, I was intrigued. The album may well be avant-garde. There were also some sequences that I really liked. Overall, I found the album too exhausting. I probably won't listen to it again. 3/5
There's some interesting and enjoyable elements to the album. But there's also a lot of experimental/grating/annoying sounds as well. Kind of reminds me of Frank Zappa at times. 4.75/10 (2.375/5)
Not for me - experimental, bit jazzy but not really. Ok as background listening but sometimes breaks the mood by being shrieky and discordant.
Crap garbo
Complicated but hits hard.
Terrible. It was only four songs, and it was too long.
Eclectic...something I had never heard of before. Purposefully weird and creative for the sake of being creative; I liked it more than I expected to for that creativity. That said, I wouldn't share it or listen to it for enjoyment. It feels like a running SNL gag making fun of this sort music, but it's actually better than that description. Go in expecting silliness.
Cool in the Pool 3.3 Oh Lord, Give Us More Money 3.4 Persian Love 3.2 Hollywood Symphony 3.5 Score: 3.35
3/5 it did catch my interest but def smth u need a hit or two before listening
Good discovery, solid 4 stars
Straightforward but then the pets join in and you remember this is the guy who found Damo Suzuki on the street and instantly asked him to sing for Can. Not weird then weird. Belongs on the list. Probably won't listen to it again though.
Great stuff. Really liked this one.
That was a waste of 10 minutes. Weird, silly. Like a curious cat stuck in a piano.
1.25
That was really weird. I made it through. And then I started listening to it again. And then I looked him up. And now I've downloaded a whole bunch of his other albums and works that he did with other people.
Wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I see "experimental rock" from the 70s and I assume it's just gonna be noise. But this was coherent. It was more jam bandy which isn't my thing, but wasn't terrible.
I was fully expecting to hate this, and didn’t. Not as totally zany and off the wall as it potentially could have been, for better or worse, but it ended up being a pretty interesting album that I was into.
I'm glad stuff like this exists, but ranking it on the same scale as some of these other albums? C'mon. A two is being generous.
Nope. I love Can, and you can hear how Czukay brought his influence to bear on Can, but without the others in the band, this is just some noodly shit. Persian Love, in particular, just suuuuuxxxxxx.
I liked more than I didn’t.
Scattered among the tuneless noodling, this had a few minutes of grooves I enjoyed, but not enough to raise it to a 2.
4/5 - I needed to hear this because it was delightfully weird, and I never would come across it otherwise. Each track here is pretty different from the others, but they all hit in their own way. I loved the early electronic sampling sounds. I'd definitely check out more by Czukay.
Short, wierd, funky, but fun
This is one of those albums that I liked but I assume the global reviews will be low, or at least be polarizing. Weird and quirky but funky and catchy. I also like Can (but don't know their later albums), and there are some similarities, but this feels like an extension of them into a new era of music. I like the sampling, and some of the guitar fills are actually sublime. It's bursting with creative ideas, but it is a bit uneven to listen to all the way through. Overall I need to hear this a few more times to adapt to it, but it will probably rise in rating over time.
Never heard of this artist before. Album was a pleasant surprise, spacey funk jazz. The organ was a bit cartoonish to me in parts but overall really enjoyed this one.
cool in the pool- Whys he sound like kif from Futurama. 5 lord give us more money- 4 Persia love- 4 or 5 Hollywood symphony- 4
Never really got in to can or krautrock it’s a bit goofy
Freaky but Funky
Somewhat delighted and a little confused, I give this album a four-star credit because I think its sweet weirdness will grow on me over time even though it hasn’t clicked yet
Didn't really like what I listened too much
not quite as shit as I thought it was going to be, still pretty bad
Is this a parody of Shaft? A very campy parody? 'cause that's what it sounds like. If it's serious, it's seriously bad. Some parts are completely out of sync. The funny accent is only funny if it's intended to be funny.
ugh
To say i wasn't convinced on my first listen to this album would be an understatement. But then I hit a round two and I started locking in here and there. I started hearing some really interesting passages, some quirky, funky bass lines. Some euphoric moments. I didn't find myself fully convinced by all of the tracks, and i still think Cool in the Pool is ludicrous and not in a particularly good way, but in the end i think i could say i did enjoy this album. Particularly Persian Love and Hollywood Symphony. 7/10
I'll just copy the review I wrote for Future Days by Can: It's ok. Experimental, ambiental, not unpleasant to the ear. That's all I can say, nothing negative, but not much positive. 3/5
Overall: 6/10 I find this more interesting than enjoyable. There's a lot going on at all times and it begs for your full attention. I really love that it's trying to do something different and weird while still being something that people can latch on to. It doesn't always work for me but I'm glad I had the chance to experience it. Fav Song: Hollywood Symphony
Tried and did not like
Cool pool
So very unique
It's a bit mad I like it, can definitely see it's inspiration on Brian Eno later on
First song really took you off in a completely different direction than the rest of the album. While quite quirky and corny, 'Cool In The Pool' was quite unique and had something going for it. Sadly, the rest of the album was a progressive rock slog, with 8 minute long instrumentals. This was not at all as interesting as the first song. I'm genuinely sad that it didn't continue along the tracks of the first song, and was disappointed with the rest. Weak 3.
Quirky but not all that fun to listen to. After the first track I at least thought I was in for an odd listen but then it just started to drag with really long instrumental sections that I often found annoying. Strong 2/weak 3.
I don't know what I was expecting this to be, but definitely not whatever Cool in the Pool is - it actually made me laugh when it started. However, after a long run of albums by artists I already knew, it was fun to get something so completely new (to me) and off kilter.
This was pretty cool. Krautrock is definitely interesting music, and I enjoy it from time to time.
I was ready for the experimentalism and found sounds. I was not ready for the groove. Way more groove than I expected. It’s still probably not something I’ll revisit simply because I prefer shorter songs with more vocals, but it’s good!
Funky. Weird. Cool in ze pool.
Fun album but nothing outstanding
While I enjoy the presence of a Can member on this list, I really don't get how it got here.
That's not something I would keep listening to all of my life, but the mood was overall enjoyable! Nice one, Holger!
Interesting
I love weird shit but not when it’s obviously weird for the sake of being weird and too many songs on this album felt that way even though I really liked a lot of the other ones.
I hated this at first, but am glad I didn’t bail on it because he turned it around quickly and this rules! It’s things like this that I came for.
I don’t know if this album is experimental or influential because I’m kind of tired of all the influential albums out there. This particular experimental album is just really bad. I don’t know what the Hollywood Symphony is supposed to be and Persian love is an endless parade of bubbly notes. Essentially the album is boring, trite, and unlistenable.
POV: you believe that Tylenol causes autism and decide to take LSD for your fever instead
Interesting in that sounded quite different at times. Wasn't that fun though
Glad it's on the list for variety but not for me
the most contrarian guy in your friend group probably loves this album. Its loud and offputting, feels very experimental. There are some interesting bits here and there but not worth digging deeper for. Mercifully short.
A noble effort but not very good ultimately. I can appreciate ambient or world music for the most part but this just seemed poorly made. Not a fan!
funky
I was excited that there are only four songs in the whole album, but the second and fourth were around 30 minutes total, which was 3/4 of the whole length of the album. Overall, not too bad of an album, as my expectations were quite low. The album is called "Movies", so that probably explains why all of the songs had this "movie background" vibe where they would be great as soundtracks while something extreme is happening in a movie.
2.5
All this reminded me of is movie music for the kind of films that would go DTV. I did not hate it, but held no interest in it at all. 5.33 ★★½
Experimental and cheesy at the same time. 2 stars
I thought this was alright. I thought the first track was the best -- it kind of reminded me of the art disco of Of Montreal. Beyone that, "Persian Love" was kind of cool. I wasn't crazy about the other two songs. 3 stars.
3.5
This album ain't really Movies as such... more like a taped episode of Eurotrash if the TV reception was really bad. Opener Cool In The Pool has extremely cheesy, dated, weird, kinky energy and is the seeming soundtrack to a teutonic nude pool party where everyone was fat, gross and in their 50s. The two extended pieces are scrappy sound collages that are limp for the most part but actually quite punishing whenever Holger dude wants to sing. Some of the guitar work isn't too bad, like a Lidl brand Mike Oldfield. Persian Love is pretty nice and lilting and the one main uninterrupted stretch of non-badness here.
It's experimental, alright.
My guess as to what this would sound like based on the artist name and title was pretty spot-on, thank you very much.
What a stange experience
The most notable thing about that album was that it was featured in this book.
Its cool, fun, groovy, experimental. I hear some progressive rock and jazz influence, some Zappa too. World influence. Engaging rock parts, operatic at times but all in all its okay. Not something I would use to point someone in the way of progressive or experimental music. It manages to do enough to be tolerable but not enough to be memorable. So thats that.
4/5. And this is how you do experimental music. Just a solid collection of sampled sounds and instrumentation into ideas and songs. They feel incomplete yet fully realized at the same time. It's not a perfect album but it does go pretty hard most of the time. A solid listen and definitely one I am going to revisit. Best Song: Cool In The Pool, Oh Lord Give Us More Money, Hollywood Symphony
I have to listen to this again, its so strange and has allot going on. Who the hell is this guy?
like i've seen a few other people say - i do like experimental music but i didn't really click with this. i struggled to keep up with the amount of 'noise' i was hearing. it was a great album to bop my head to while scrolling through vinted but i can't see myself ever returning to it. i did like the weirdness of it just wasn't enough to make me want to keep listening.
1.5 Sigh…no
For a minute, I thought this might be okay. Got me!
2.5 stars. Early foray into sampling. Tries to bridge avante garde to pop, does an OK job but still a bit too experimental for me.
Interesting. Completely outside of my knowledge and base. I generally detest kraut rock. But thus was a nice background unobtrusive hum. I won’t listen to it again but it was a nice visit.
Just didn’t do much for me, a bit too much and just didn’t really sound all too good, felt like nothing fit together coherently if that makes sense. Honestly 1 star
Best prima, maar af en toe ook wel erg raar.
Good vibes. Persian love and Hollywood especially good
I don't feel weird enough to enjoy this basically
Nice, good background
Would not be a first choice to listen to, but was completely different. Will listen to more of his stuff just out of curiosity.
This was odd, and at first, kind of annoying; to its credit, though, can’t really say it’s generic or entirely boring. It didn’t appeal to me much, but it’s hard to decide on a rating - I think an experimental sound typically warrants a little boost. Persian Love 2.5?
Fun to listen to. Pallete cleansing. Loaded with surprises and overflowing with ideas but in a digestible way.
I wasn't totally sold on Cool In The Pool, where I found the vocals a little too comedic, but the other tracks made up for it for me. Generally good stuff, although I prefer the straight up krautrock of Can. A solid four.
This album is weird and I love it. The songs are all so great and the sampling is extremely creative. All four songs on the record are very unique pieces of music. 4/5
I’m not sure why this was on this list and I’m not sure how to describe it, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. It feels experimental in a fun/silly way instead of trying to be something, so stays surprising and playful and fun
Ass
Cool in the pool algjör banger en hitt fannst mér mjög leiðinlegt
Byrjaði mjög vel. Ætlaði að gefa plötunni fimm stjörnur. Svo varð þetta aðeins of flókið fyrir mig.
I’m sure this was very influential, but the Venn diagram of avant-garde and too clever by half is nearly a circle, and this album is in there somewhere. Some of it isn’t that bad and some of it is just random seeming combinations of sounds, but overall inoffensive.
Listen, I'm sure he's revolutionary in the 'sampling' world, but there is definitely a standing-on-the-shoulders-of-giants situation going on here. Hearing the newer, and in my opinion, better, 'electronic rock' with sampling kind of spoils Czukay's efforts.
I'm realizing the German experimental music of this era seems to have a lot of stuff that's on my wavelength. Get over the weirdness of the sometimes off-the-wall samples and I genuinely think this is a great listening experience. Happy to have been pointed in the direction of something I might never have found otherwise. Also - pretty good album cover. The cold blue of the TV contrasted with his warm-colored face. The smoke plume on the television screen capturing his reflection.
I really appreciated how weird and experimental this one was but I have to admit there is a lot better music in this vein. I know this was in 79 and this is a Can dude so that definitely helps with my opinion but I don't think I'd ever come back to this record. Particularly because if I'm in the mood for something like this, I'd go to a more polished krautrock/psych record. I really appreciate that this was made though because I want artists to feel like they can be experimental like this. I'm sure this influenced a lot of the music I listen to today as well. I'm stoked this got chosen for the list.
Wow. What a rad record. I think often with Kraut Rock, I get kind of in a meditative rhythm that soon becomes annoying. But not this.. this is all over the place. Its so wonderfully weird in all of the best ways. Incredible keys, synths and organs. Really bumpin bass lines and groovy drums. Wild horns throughout. I love that the vocal tracks are in the back, like they're not front and center. Its just using the vocals as an element of the song, but its not the point of the song. This was a really fun listen.
This is quirky, and weird, and kind of delightful in places, but it's not something I would come back to and actively listen to. It's musically interesting, and obviously quite experimental, but there's a lightness of touch and it's kind of fun with it.
Was wondering what the hell this was and then saw he was in the band Can and then it made sense.
I’m sure I had something pithy to say on Friday when I listened. But now it’s Monday and I don’t recall a thing about it so… shows how exciting that was.
I really tried to get into this, give it my all and everything. I like the funky grooves of the first track, but halfway into the rest of the tracks, I was waiting for it to be over.
This is ok. Did not wow me but I liked it
The opening track is TERRIBLE but thankfully the rest of the album is better. Still not one of my faves. 2.5 stars
Sounds like someone had 10 beers and said "guys I've got his idea for this song" and then hired 12 monkeys to play the instruments and tried to make the lyrics sound interesting and mysterious. I do like the breath-y timbre of the vocals. The grooves are quite nice as well. "Persian Love" does go off.
Didn't love this one, I couldn't really get with it. Holger Czukay's Wikipedia however, is one hell of a read.
Carinha doidinho
Interesting. The producers had fun pressing buttons
Scho sehr experimentell und es isch viiiiel los. Het aber au sehr geili element.
Based on the Wikipedia, this was not at all what I expected. I've recently gotten really into Can (mostly due to this project!), and this really hit the spot. From the opening sounds on "Cool in the Pool", I was locked in. I expect to revisit this one many times.
Assez mitigée… Certaines chansons m’ont beaucoup plu, mais je suis restée hermétique à la plupart d’entre elles.
I should start reading the album summaries or the Wikipedia articles, as I didn't know this man was part of the band 'Can', which makes a little more sense to add him to the list. Without the context, it would feel very random to add him. It stills feels that it comes from nowhere, but not as much. Now into the album: This record is so weird. In the Wikipedia it is described as Art Rock and 'an early experimenation in sampling', and I do agree. It is undeniable that a lot of creativity was put into these four songs, and it makes them as very interesting listening, sounding like anything I've heard before. Did I like it? Well, yes! But not that much... Apart from its creative and interesting aspects, one of my favourites traits of the project is how clear it sounds. It was produced wonderfully. In addition, I did also appreciate its groovyness, specially in the last track with its weird rythms. However, I do believe the songs don't really reach any high or emotion worth coming back. In summary, an interesting experience, but I don't see myself returning to it.
Fun and oddball gem
Interesting a little bizzare to listen to, lot of nice samples
Honestly I couldn't listen to it, I just hated it. I spent about 5 minutes listening and skipping ahead and I hated it the whole time.
Not a fan. Too experimental but still better than jazz.
That's a no from me, dawg.
Probably wouldn’t listen to again but it was pretty cool actually
Super fun.
too weird
## Holger Czukay's *Movies*: The Birth of Sampling and Sonic Anarchy - An In-Depth Review Released in 1979 after his departure from Can, Holger Czukay's *Movies* (also reissued as *Movie!*) is a foundational yet underappreciated landmark in experimental music. Combining tape manipulation, global radio sampling, and irreverent genre-blending, the album redefined studio-as-instrument creativity. Here’s a focused analysis: --- ### **Lyrics and Vocals: Whispers, Fragments, and Satire** Czukay treats vocals as textural elements rather than narrative tools: - **Minimalist Delivery**: Tracks like "Cool in the Pool" feature Czukay’s deadpan, heavily accented invitations ("Let’s get coooool in the poooool") as a satirical nod to disco excess, undercut by absurd operatic snippets and cartoon sounds . - **Sampled Voices as "Found Poetry"**: "Persian Love" layers Farsi singers captured via shortwave radio, while "Hollywood Symphony" collages film dialogue and radio static. These voices act as cultural artifacts, divorcing language from meaning to create dreamlike juxtapositions . - **Thematic Whimsy**: Lyrics critique consumerism ("Oh Lord, Give Us More Money") and media saturation, using humor to mask subversion. Czukay’s whispered delivery feels like a conspiratorial aside . --- ### **Music: Krautrock Meets Disco, World Music, and Cartoons** *Movies* defies genre, oscillating between hypnotic jams and chaotic collages: - **Rhythmic Mastery**: Drummer Jaki Liebezeit (Can) provides trademark motorik precision on "Oh Lord..." and Afrobeat-inspired polyrhythms on "Persian Love," anchoring Czukay’s chaos . - **Genre Fluidity**: | **Track** | **Style Fusion** | **Key Elements** | |--------------------|------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | "Cool in the Pool" | Satirical disco + musique concrète | Slap bass, opera samples, helium voices | | "Persian Love" | Iranian folk + ambient dub | Shortwave vocals, sparkling guitars, "world music" before the term existed | | "Hollywood Symphony" | Cinematic ambient + prog | Movie dialogue, synth squiggles, Liebezeit’s shuffling drums | - **Cartoonish Sound Design**: Slide whistles, explosions, and scampering feet ("Oh Lord...") inject Dadaist humor, refracting Can’s intensity through a funhouse mirror . --- ### **Production: The "Mad Scientist" and His Tape Splicer** Czukay pioneered sampling years before digital tools: - **"Radio Painting"**: Months of scanning shortwave radio yielded raw materials—Iranian singers, sports commentators, orchestral fragments—edited into the mix via blade-cut tape splices. *Movies* reportedly required **10,000+ edits** . - **Studio as Instrument**: Tracks were mixed 20+ times, then re-sampled and layered. This "artificial" method created surreal soundscapes where Korean orchestras clashed with mariachi horns . - **Textural Depth**: Despite lo-fi sources, the album feels immersive. "Persian Love"’s ethereal beauty contrasts with "Hollywood Symphony"’s controlled chaos, showcasing dynamic range . --- ### **Themes: Media, Globalization, and Anti-Art** - **Media Critique**: The album’s title and cover (Czukay reflected in a TV screen) symbolize media’s distorting lens. Sampled news clips and film dialogue question authenticity in a mediated world . - **Global Connectivity**: By blending Vietnamese chants, African rhythms, and Farsi vocals, Czukay imagined a borderless sonic universe—a radical vision in pre-internet 1979 . - **Anti-Elitism**: Tape hiss, rough cuts, and absurdity reject "high art" pretension. As Czukay stated: *"You don’t paint a full picture—just some lines. Listeners make the rest"* . --- ### **Influence: The Uncredited Blueprint** *Movies* prefigured entire movements: - **Direct Impact**: Brian Eno and David Byrne’s *My Life in the Bush of Ghosts* (1981) borrowed its ethnic sampling and tape-collage approach, later acknowledged by the duo . - **Sampling Culture**: Beck (*Mellow Gold*), Moby (*Play*), and hip-hop producers cite Czukay’s "acoustic-electric landscape painting" as foundational . - **Bedroom Pop & Lo-Fi**: Ariel Pink and R. Stevie Moore inherited its DIY ethos and chintzy charm . --- ### **Pros vs. Cons: A Balanced Verdict** | **Pros** | **Cons** | |-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | **✅ Sampling Innovation**: First rock album built on "found sound" as composition | **❌ Accessibility**: Absurdity and fragmented structure alienate mainstream listeners | | **✅ Rhythmic Genius**: Liebezeit’s drums + Kwaku Baah’s percussion create hypnotic grooves | **❌ Dated Elements**: Cartoon effects risk novelty gimmickry | | **✅ Genre Synthesis**: Prefigures world music, ambient, and plunderphonics | **❌ Vocal Quirks**: Czukay’s deadpan vocals polarize (e.g., "Cool in the Pool") | | **✅ Humor as Subversion**: Challenges Krautrock’s seriousness | **❌ Uneven Flow**: 13–15-minute tracks meander | --- ### **Legacy: The "Weirdo Granddaddy" of Modern Music** *Movies* remains a cult masterpiece—a "1000-edits" collage that bridges Stockhausen’s avant-garde, Lee "Scratch" Perry’s dub, and pop’s future. While its eccentricities limit mass appeal, its DNA pulses through electronic, hip-hop, and global fusion. As one reviewer notes: *"Without Czukay, punky noise, trance, ambient, and hip-hop would not exist as we know them"* . **Essential for adventurers; bewildering for traditionalists**. > 💽 **Key Track**: "Persian Love" – where radio static becomes sacred chant.
Respectfully - what the fuck?
Innovative and ahead of its time with the sampling. Borders on nonsense at times, but there's moments of brilliance in there for sure. I'm a fan of Can, so I'm glad to have heard this one, but I don't see myself coming back to it ever
What a Can co-founder sounds like with a synth, a stack of VHS tapes, and no curfew! Holger Czukay — bassist, sonic tinkerer, and founding member of Can — spent months channel-surfing and taping whatever caught his ear. The result is Movies: a collage of layered synths, rubbery basslines, African drums, and media snippets woven into something equal parts funky, surreal, and strangely cinematic. It’s more “art installation” than “needle-drop party starter” — I’m not sure how often I’d spin it if I owned it on vinyl, but as a first listen it’s fascinating. You can hear the restless curiosity, the playfulness, the thrill of finding unexpected beauty in the static between stations. Verdict: Excellent (as an experience) For fans of: Can, Brian Eno, Talking Heads, crate-digging for TV soundbites you don’t yet understand.
lots of funky and mind bending sounds and grooves, and the early use of sampling is both very cool and very modern sounding, regrettably Czukay took a look at stereotypical prog-rock vocals and said "these aren't annoying enough"
really interesting experience. some songs dragged on for far too long but overall i really enjoyed it! 3.5/5
This is clearly ahead of its time. It's experimental, unpredictable, and has a lot of strange charm. It’s an interesting listen overall, with moments that feel surprisingly modern given its release date. At times, though, Czukay leans a little too heavily on the synthesizers, and the horn on the first track, my lord, it can be a bit much. Still, there’s something fascinating about how he pieces it all together, even if it doesn’t always land.
What they soundtracked German skin flicks to in the 70s.
What was up with German music in the 1970s?
Some of the melodies were quite good but overall, very weird. Not for me
Well, that was an experience. Wasn't sure what I was listening to until I checked the Wiki on this. It's cool that Holger was one of the first people to mess around with sampling, but the album doesn't do a lot for me. Coolest track was probably Persian Love, as the use of the sampled singing was enjoyable, and the soundscapes built around it were interesting.
более себя веселящее и карусельное чем я ожидала, в целом норм
Nicht mein Geschmack
Udda men välkommen ny bekantskap
Weird. Good, but *weird*
Interesting, liked it more than I expected to.
poco memorable pero interesante
Interesting. Madlad german/polish? experimental shit. Respeck more than enjoy. But some of it grooves.
Very interesting album. Elements of Arabic music. Many cool bits of found sound. Long drawn out groovy tracks but always several other things going on within the song. Chill but keeps you on your toes.
I found this kind of funny. I can't believe someone made an album like this. I am giving 2 stars because I could deal with this album better than some of the other ones that I have listened to on here, and it made me chuckle.
I have no idea what I listened to.
I did not need to hear this before I died. This whole album was unintentionally hilarious. This is if Austin Power's Goldmember made an album. This is your best work, Poland????
Didn't get through it - too weird
Dårlig pling plong
I didn't have patience to listen to it all. It was interesting at times, but it was mostly pretty weird. And there is nothing wrong with weird, but this was too much.
I’ve reviewed both Can albums on this list, but that’s the only reason I’ve heard of Holger Czukay. I want to be on record in acknowledging that Holger is an excellent name. My high school German textbook, Komm mit, featured German teenagers as part of the lessons, and if my memory serves me correctly, one of them in the very first section was named Holger. Fun times, high school German class, and I mean that sincerely. Anyway, I enjoyed both Can albums, as I’ve enjoyed most of the Krautrock that I’ve been exposed to on this list. I’m curious to see what Holger has in store on this solo effort! I didn’t enjoy Movies as much as I enjoyed Can’s Future Days, and it’s probably more in line with Can’s Tago Mago for me. Movies was quite the strange journey, especially on the first side of the album, and I found myself enjoying the second side more. Movies is really interesting as a whole, because I found all the songs to be very different from one another, and the only thread that was holding them together was the strange and experimental sound. I appreciate the experimentation from Holger, but parts of this were just too weird and jarring for my tastes. My initial reaction to “Cool in the Pool” was an audible ‘whoa.’ I found the vocals and lyrics incredibly weird, and the blend of musical elements and samples felt like hodgepodge of sounds with the only thread holding them together being a slightly funky sound. I enjoyed that funkiness, but I just couldn’t get past the vocals and lyrics of this song. I loved the way that “Oh Lord, Give Us More Money” started off, with its keyboards and synths, and I found the sample usage pretty interesting too. The guitar that was utilized towards the end sounded great, especially in combination with the synthesizers. All the musical elements of this song sounded good individually, but when they were combined, it was a little too busy and disjointed for me. If there was a main melody tying this song together, my ears couldn’t find it, and it really took me out of this song. Shoutout to the bass groove towards the end though. I really loved the guitar on “Persian Love. Its sound was otherworldly, but it sounded incredible. The trilling sounds of the keyboard worked really well for me too. This song definitely lived up to the Persian part of its name, and it was really enjoyable to listen to. I was really hooked in by the opening of “Hollywood Symphony”. The darker sound created at atmosphere that I really loved, and that feeling was missing from the other songs on this album. I loved the synthesized string arrangements, especially towards the end of the song. The vocal samples weren’t my favorite, but they weren’t odd enough to lessen my enjoyment of this song. Overall, Movies is a fine album, although a very strange one. It was certainly a unique experience, but it’s not the sort of thing that I would be itching to listen to again.
This is one of those great albums this list throws up, I would never have listened to this if not. It's so absurd and quirky but actually pretty catchy. I enjoyed it but not really sure why! I want to be Cool in the Pool
ass
Genio o cagata? Boh
This is weird and I've never seen or heard of it before. It's done by someone from Can, though, which is Stephen Malkmus' favorite band! So this should be cool! I'm reading this wiki page and it seems to be sort of niche and avant garde. We'll see. Cool in the Pool: Quite a lot groovier than I thought it would be, since it was described as "avant garde". This is a lot of fun, sort of trippy... but it's especially fun because he's got such a remarkable German accent. I don't usually think of Germans as the type to make goofy songs like this. The sort of chaos at the end, with the sampling(?) and high voices and whatnot is also a lot of fun. I actually like it a lot. Oh Lord, Give Us More Money: Lovely and sort of romantic beginning, like what I'd expect to hear if I were in some hot, humid, Middle Eastern suite. Definitely a bit of a step up from the simple groove of Cool in the Pool. I feel that I sort of hear Stephen Malkmus a bit here, especially his solo work (Face the Truth could definitely have borrowed a bit from here, and I LOVE that album). It becomes less rhythmic and more spontaneous and sorta unpredictable over time. It's still interesting, though. I like it when it picks up and becomes a little quicker near the end. The vocals were cool. Sort of ambient music to do work to, not so much for intense listening. Persian Love: Doesn't sound like English to me, but maybe a sample of some South Asian or Middle Eastern clip? Maybe farsi since it's called Persian love. Sort of nice music to listen to if I were on an island or basking in the sun. Hard to believe this is the same album as the first song. Hollywood Symphony: This is more what I'd expected from the album. A little freaky. QUITE freaky. I I I I I I feel so beautiful now! I kinda like it though. All in all, a pretty cool album. I'll give it a good 4.3. Love Stephen Malkmus and see the influence.
Crap
Cool in the Pool // 2.5/5
Not for me
Not sure honestly
Thanks! Never heard it before! Perfect album! Music is very attractive. Guitar riffs in Persian Love are very nice. Movies without pictures, just music! It is very imaginary. Vocals with German accent are very attractive.
I'm not an avant garde person.
This is the exact type of album why I joined the One Album A Day site. A weird-sounding but still fascinating funky and experimental record. I would have never listened to this record without this site.
very Krauty
From what I’ve read he bridged a gap between pop and avant-garde. The songs are the weirdest shit I have heard so far! Love that. The first one was so hot - temperature speaking - it felt like the hottest summer day. The second one - about 13 minutes long - has almost no lyrics and reminded my of a crowded place, with all people thinking, saying or screaming something. It was loud and quiet at the same time. I’m not going to write about next two, but I’m sure it’ll be a great experience to listen to them. I just have to go start getting ready for my first ever run (willing) in my life!!!! But it is definitely a four just because of how unique it is!!!
weird but interesting. Enjoyed listening to it Standout song: Oh Lord, give us more money
Weird and fun but too weird and not enough fun.
Solid three. I kinda got into it.
Interesting, abstract, probably needs a few listens to appreciate. Mid 2s.
Garbage.
Wow, this is a really cool one, just found out how important Czukay was for crafting can's iconic sound, i used to remember damo as the face of can, but this man really had some special gifts when it came to melody and rythm, that he just stole that spot for me. There might be a couple of odd moments in these large compositions that throw me off a little, but im nothing short of amazed by this, i should re-listen to it soon, because it fucking rocks.
Interesting sound, but nothing worth saving
Very ethereal and strange, but in a good way.
Not really a fan of the 15 minute mega-songs. Feels like it pigeonholes the tunes into “background music”. That being said, it was an enjoyable listen otherwise. I like this guy’s mustache.
Definitely Krautrock as it reminds me of what my brother listens to.
Trippy, but can feel pretty directionless. First track is a lot of fun though
very weird/unique
It's ok that I never heard about this guy. It seems to be something like 'The Emporer's New Clothings'. Clearly not necessary to hear before I die.
I like the experimental sound, but I am not sure I would listen to it again by choice
oh now this, is weird. in a good way. this album feels like sitting in the sun, sipping on a cocktail that consists of some weird ingredient concoction but surprisingly works well together. def will have this album play in the background this summer
Interesting but didn’t totally love it.
Very good album in the year context. Probably ground braking sampling at the time but songs are eternal I feel it was just one huge song that the lable cut into pieces for commercial purposes. Probably influenced a few of the post punk, pop, indie rock bands in the early 80s Very unique and progressive. My only real critique is the length of the songs which I dont have the time frame to listen to them as a whole in one sitting
This album crawled so Khraungbin could run many, many years later.
4.6/such a hidden gem, i love it
I don’t really know what this is trying to be. There’s some cool ambience, but it’s just kind of random noises all over the place and doesn’t really develop. The irony of calling the album “Movies” and then NOT contouring the songs or the album itself in the fashion of a movie plot is not lost on me, and in fact I rank this album even lower as a result. What a disjointed turd.
Properly unusual album which was a nice surprise! Would listen to “Cool in the Pool” again but the 12 minute songs were less repeat-listenable.
A fine experimental record with plenty more upside than down, but the concept is sometimes poorly realised
It was…interesting
This was perfect. Right on the line of insane and danceable.
ALtså det var meget sjovt at lytte til. Han har åbenbart været med i et legendarisk Krautrockband Can som jeg glæder mig til at lytte til. Der spillede han vidst bas og lavede noget med båndoptager. Selveste albummet var sjovt at lytte til, men historien bag at han nærmest var en af de første som lavede "samples" med bånd osv er rimelig sejt. Ydermere at han også var en af de første som eksperimenterede med lyde verden over (worldbeat/worldmusic) er rimelig vildt at tænke på. Han blandede super mange genre både Jazz, Krautrock, dub, ambient, worldbeat, funk og spoken word. Jeg synes sgu det var meget sjovt at lytte til, men ved ikke om det er noget jeg ville sætte på for andre uden at komme med baggrundshistorien.
Interesting listen. Has its moments. Weird.
When they said “random albums” I didn’t expect the music to also be random.
Liberated from Can on account of his inability to keep up technically as a live player, Czukay takes the opportunity to leave live performance behind completely, playing instead with his new studio toys to build a realm of pure fantasy and play (in the childlike sense). And his imaginary world contains multitudes, from mislabeled origins (the guitar figures on "Persian Love" are clearly Spanish, then Caribbean) to cinematic touches (what's the Teutonic equivalent of a spaghetti western, I wonder). He thinks in phrases, not riffs; the whole thing, especially on the standout "Oh Lord, Give Us More Money," has the constantly shifting and moving feel of a living organism. And the synth tone palette is instantly evocative and futuristic - one imagines this album being played on repeat at the Capcom offices in the NES era. By the time he starts taking the piss out of Pink Floyd on the closer "Hollywood Symphony" it's clear he's onto something grand.
A weird listen and a fun one for sure. I really like it when there's albums on here that don't sound like anything else on the list. The 4 songs on here were all different from one another. That said, the songs themselves are fun but not very memorable. There's something nice and delightfully weird about the album but I don't think it'll ever be a mainstay in my listening habits.
Fascinating. No, too far. Mildly interesting. Perhaps some of the experimental work on here inspired some cool stuff, but as it is on this album, didn’t terribly enjoy it.
Pretty fresh, different. Not bad....
Finally
i thought that this was one of if not the first album that deserved to be on this list for both its quality and what it accomplished in music.
holger czukay? i hardly know her czukay Fav song: Persian Love
While I'm relatively well-versed in the Can catalogue, I'm too young to have experienced any of it firsthand. So, I can't say how Czukay's musical appropriation and World Tourism -slash— Borderline Orientalism was received at the time. But for me, "Persian Love" and "Cool in the Pool" are the songs where that dynamic is most apparent. And they also happen to be the weakest ones. These two song-collage-compositions seem intent on engaging with kitsch but time has collapsed whatever critical ironic distance might have been intended into something that now just feels corny. They are not abject failures — in fact, their streaming numbers are in the millions. Two stars! And here's where the schism starts. It's a four-song album. I'm a perfect 50/50 split. I find the humor and playfulness of both "Oh Lord, Give Us More Money" and "Hollywood Symphony" to still have some critical bite while also being vastly superior compositions. They have more movement to them. And not for nothing, they are more Canny to my ear. Both are significantly longer. But of course, these tracks appear to be significantly less played (like 70-80k plays each). Five stars! In the end, I can only assume the popular ones have to be featured on Spotify somewhere, or there's just a massive Kitsch-Industrial-Complex at work. Either way, it's a bit ironic to feel this cut-up and out of sync on a record exploring early sampling by splices and the collage form in music. Three stars, I guess.
I was introduced to Can within the last couple of years and loved their music. This is more great stuff!
Ambient noises and samples. Not compelling.
Woof.
Weird, but kind of cool. Fun background music. I'd say solid 3/5 - and I think I will listen again.
Out there, man
Not too bad
What a bizarre combo of interesting music with some really cool stuff overlaid with garbage!
krautrock divertido
Pretty nice funky sounding stuff, goes on a bit long though.
Nothing there for me but at least it was weird
Drôle d'album, ça sonne comme du Zappa sur un bad trip de détergeant à lessive
I see Czukay did what Fatboy Slim would do 20 years later. An album made with numerous samples was unheard of at the time. "Movies" is a slightly intriguing LP to listen to. The best song from that album is "Persian Lovers". If only the others had the same charm as that one. 2 stars for "Movies".
Was this production self-funded? I like experimental and weird but some of these tracks should have been left on the cutting room floor.
interesting, but to instant on itself to be very entertaining
Feels modern for its time. Holger Czukay really made it work, it’s a cohesive album it’s not just random noises I like how they sound together.
Interesting. Sometimes jazzy, sometimes like a film score. I enjoyed it, change of pace and tone from what I usually choose to listen to
Frank Zappa did it better
What did I just listen to?
Too weird
Still not completely sure how I feel on this one, I may never be sure. Some very interesting stuff and some interesting mix I can get lost in, and then some oddball stuff that just takes me out of it.
Interesting, not quite as coherent as some its krautrock contemporaries.
new to me and I like it!
On Movies, Holger krafts a cinematic mood short of a cinematic event. In the end, that's a good thing, since high concept would turn this record, a treasure of funk/jazz/rock, into ersatz unbelievability. Boasting four tracks, Movies is aptly plural. It's a remarkably eclectic amalgam of sounds and ideas: the very German 'Cool in the Pool,' the John McLaughlin meets Pink Floyd 'Oh Lord, Give Us More Money,' the pukka 'Persian Love,' the synth-energized 'Hollywood Symphony.' It's a soundtrack, but to nothing whole. Its sampling of movie snippets foreshadows hip-hop production à la MF Doom, and tho it's a bit slow at times, and a bit cool in a nonessential way, I not only commend Holger's creativity, I think it's a damn good album.
If nothing else, it's something different than almost anything you'll hear in your life. I just wish it didn't drag on so long. There are only four tracks, and each one is bloated. Favorite Track: "Hollywood Symphony".
Incredibly un-listenable. How did this become a recommendation?
I’ve already sat through more Krautrock on this list than any human should reasonably have to, but Movies somehow managed to be the worst of the bunch. That’s saying something, because at least the other albums in the genre were tolerable. This one felt like a test of patience — repetitive, meandering, and completely lacking any payoff. It’s like someone threw a bunch of synths and half-baked ideas into a blender and hit “loop.” If this is considered a standout in Krautrock, I want off this ride immediately.
It has layers, dude. LAYERS.
If Gene Belcher was a real person, he would be Holger Czukay
1.5/5
So there are synths and samples, which generally I like, but the compositions were a meandering mess. I would not choose to listen to this again.
Brilliantly bonkers! This is certainly a very influential album.
Very interesting. Glad I listened to it, but it is not my jams.
Not very enjoyable to me.
Though this was great, maybe not as good as Tago Mago, but I appreciate the experimentation! I thought that Brian Eno and David Byrne were the first to do this sort of thing, interesting to see how this would have influenced them.
I love the Damo Suzuki Can albums, but I've struggled to get into other Can albums than those and Monster Movie/Soon Over Babluma. I feel like the stars all aligned for them to make incredible, kosmische music for a few years. I wasn't aware of this album, and although I enjoyed it well enough, I don't think I'll be returning to it.
Yeah pretty good. More accessible than Can
Ich war auf Schlimmstes gefasst. Und ich fand das Album witzig, cool, manchmal experimentell, schräg, abwechslungsreich - aber auf jeden Fall originell. Wieder eines der Alben, die mich überraschen und zum "Durchhalten" dieser Liste veranlassen. Sehr schön.
Didn't recognise the name so went in totally uninformed. It was great. Weird in quite a unique and fun way, and unexpectedly comic at the beginning. Look up the artist and realise it's the guy from Can - no wonder I liked it!
Terrible style but great satisfaction. CAN’s opposite?
Filmmuziek. Ik vind het wel iets hebben, maar bij sommige scenes heb ik geen idee wat ik me moet voorstellen. Raar.
Weird. Dissonant jazz. 1/5
WTF did I just listen to? It was… different. Sort of sounded like a child exploring the full creative potential of a soundboard with no adult supervision.
I lay awake in bed, a pool of sweat surrounds me as I toss and turn, unable to get the images out of my mind. The voices out of my mind. The same dream for months. I fall asleep. I hear a man humming. I hear a man walking. He's coming towards me. I'm sweating. I hear a strange riff, but there is no band around. The man is in front of me now. I'm sweating again. It's so hot. He speaks up, "Let's get hot", his voice is abnormal. "On the dancing spot" he continues. I respond, "Hot-" "Oh, is it hot?", he interrupts, sarcastically, "Wow, man." What's his problem? Suddenly, a pool appears, the man sings "Then let's get cool in the pool! Oh, let's get cooool!" I hear the laughs from below. I hear the sounds of evil. I wake up. Was that a nightmare? Who was that man? Was he from another world? Was he a vision? A by-product of schizophrenia? No, that was Holger Czukay.
I really don't know how to feel about this album. It's one of those where you either love it or cannot stand it, and I hate to say it but I am not the biggest fan of it. This album just really isn't for me with it being a bit too experiemental and just straight up weird to the point where I don't really understand the point of the music. There isn't a lot to tie the albums together in terms of both style and theme, which does make it quite boring to listen to. It's not an interesting weird album and I just found it boring at times. That being said, it wasn't fully unlistenable, but it was a hard listen for me. Although I would not consider it to be a good album, I do appreciate what he was trying to do with it. It's a very ambient album, however there is so much going on all the time and it is so distracting. I will never be able to appreciate chaotic ambient music no matter how hard I try, just because I feel like it defeats the entire purpose of exploring that style of music. It for sure does an amazing job at creating a kinda fun atmosphere, but it's an atmosphere that I do not wish to be in. I can sit here and talk about how much I dislike this album all day, but we need some justice for those basslines. I never ever notice their presence in music (and I swear I'm trying to be more aware of its presence in music) but they stood out so much here and I loved it so much. Especially in Hollywood Symphony aka the best track on here, where they were so prominent and even though it was distracting for me, at least it distracted me from all the not so great stuff going on in the background. However, I have seen a lot of people suggest that it is an album that grows on you, but as of right now I am not a fan of this one and most likely will not look at it again in the future (but who knows, I most likely will look at it again)
a lot of sounds
Okay.
As a fan of Can I looked forward to hearing this. Unfortunately I was disappointed. I found it uninspiring and somewhat dull.
The thing about these German Electronica bands is that I dig how they’re into making soundscapes as opposed to incessantly throbbing bullshit. This is a fun weird experience.
you know what, sure
2.22 star. It was okay but I didn't process most of it
I really don't know what to think of this so I'm just going to give it a 3.
There were ok moments, but felt a bit too proggy a lot of the time.
This doesn't sound like anything I've heard before. The songs are pretty long but it doesn't feel that way. There is something weird that happens every few bars or so. Shimmery guitars, synths and strange samples. Even the vocals are good. It's all pretty wild. I'm glad to have been exposed to this.
Very interesting, not sure I’d come back to it, but it was pretty engaging.
Not my thing. But it was short so…
i love can and this has it’s moments but it’s just a bit too weird to get into on the first listen
Seriously WTF
It was kinda interesting actually
Not a bad electronic sound, but not outstanding. It’s alright.
this was super weird but in a great way!! just really all over the place. kinda zappa-y at times, not musically but stylistically. with the spoken word and the long songs with many different sections. definitely worth checking out
Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it, not exactly memorable; but I’m not over motivated to remind myself, or listen again
This is not ambient enough to play in the background, but not interesting enough to listen intensely to. It's a bit experimental, but again, not enough. This is between everything, so it accomplishes nothing, at least for me.
When I read about this album and other reviews, I was worried about this being an experimental type album. I actually found it interesting and not too bad. I don’t think it’s worth anything above a 3 out of 5, but it was cool to check out at least once.
I like his band. The album is very fun and something new. Very interesting to listen to!
Funky
Weird. Not in a good way.
Singular, so far. Only got through about a song and some change, but I wanna keep working through these, so I’m marking this a 3 as a placeholder for now to move onto the next.
This was cool, would like to delve into krautrock a bit more cos im a big prog fan by and large
This was so weird and cool. Really enjoyed it.
Super fun first track
I think it's fair to say that I was more interested by this album when reading its Wikipedia entry than I was enthused. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It's all approachable and, actually quite enjoyable.
Audio trifle.
those who CAN --
En minä osaa tällaisesta sanoa. Taitavaa, mutta muovimaista, mainosmaista, musiikin ideaa. En saa otetta, luiskahtaa ulottumattomiini. Ei epämiellyttävän kuuloista.
Valjastaa soittotaidon lisäksi myös huumorin voiman pimeälle puolelle.
A wild dream: full of free associations, digressions and changes of direction. Incredible drumming anchors montaged flights of fancy, playful synth parts, audio samples and crystal clear guitar leads. It has a prog feel to it, but more patient and willing to settle in a groove and let the drums work their trance magic, opening your mind to the collage piled on top. Extremely cool by the pool.
Experimentell, elektronisch