My 1001 Albums Journey

Krautrock is an explicit influence on many of my favorite artists, and I can clearly hear that some of that influence comes from Tago Mago. The sonic collage Can weave in each song draws you in and keeps you engaged. The groove of Oh Yeah is clearly an inspiration for KGATLW while the synth/rock interplay and vocals tells me Thom Yorke was a devotee as well. At the same time, the influences on Can are apparent. None more so than the blues guitar playing of someone like B. B. King. The extended groove in Halleluhwah was a delicious start to a bonkers song. And that bass line: tasty. Aumgn sounds like the score to an Italian art house horror film, in the best way. O Peking was a strange, off-putting song with some great moments. Bring Me Coffee or Tea is an excellent parting song, displaying much of the freewheeling sensibilities of the band but hewing more to traditional bluesy rock. I am left satisfied but wanting to return to the weirdness in the meat of the record.

RIP to the Prince of Darkness. Paranoid has some of the most iconic Sabbath songs. Tony Iommi’s exceptional riffs, Geezer’s great bass playing, and Ward’s driving drums have come together a bit from the debut. The vocal delivery from Ozzy is the biggest improvement from their self-titled.

Cube has a very aggressive flow and lyricism, which is in-line with the gangster style at the time. It Was A Good Day is one of the best songs ever recorded. Love the instrumentals on Dirty Mack.

Schools Out is a classic. Gutter Cats vs the Jets has some very surprising synth, and the frantic bass of Street Fight is great leading into the very jazzy Blue Turk.

Small Talk has the most mid-80’s sound I think I’ve ever heard. The synths and the vocals work really well together and evoke MJ. Overall a decently fun, 80’s romp without too much to really move the needle.