Can- Tago Mago

Can is possibly the most acclaimed of the Krautrock groups, and Tago Mago their Magnum Opus. The ambitious group of Holger Czukay (Bass) Irmin Schmidt (Keyboards), Michael Karoli (guitar) and Jaki Liebezit (drums) formed in Cologne, and started out with African American vocalist Malcolm Mooney. After their debut album Monster Movie in '69, however, mental health issues prompted Mooney's return to the states. His replacement, Damo Sazuki, was a Japanesse man who screeched and yelled as much as he sang, giving lots of shock value to the group. After a 1970 release of soundtrack work, the band recorded Tago Mago, an epic double album, sent to stores in 1971.

The record begins with "Paperhouse", which is a nice mix of both the heavy and mellow schools of Krautrock. Suzuki's vocal rolls out very easily, and the guitar riff carries the song forward though open air. As the song goes on, it starts to get faster and more frenzied, and then slows down. This leads into the jarring transition into "Mushroom", where Sazuki goes ape with unintelligible screaming, but then the music gets quiet and filled with guitar drone. A very weird song that grows on you with repeated listens. Next up is "Oh Yeah", which is just an absolute masterpiece of the genre. Its 7 minutes of repeated guitar riffs, backmasked vocals, steady 4/4 beat, and wind sound effects are sublime and enchanting. After those 3 songs, it's time for the side long "Halleluwah". Compared to the A side songs, this one relies much more heavily on the rhythm section. It's got a central grove that the vocals and guitar overlay on top of for minutes and minutes on end with only brief breaks, and strange sounds go overhead continually. It's not quite "Revolution 9" weird, but it's not the kind of stuff you want to introduce people to Krautorck with. However, for the fans, it's an absolutely essential piece of minimalism.

Sides C and D, however, do take the weird up to level eleven, to the point where they've left Krautrock entirely and become straight avant-garde. Another side long track, "Aumgn", is a sound collage of guitar & bass feedback, ambient strings (including violin scratching), sitar, pure electronic sounds, and what sounds like heavily distorted animal noises that take the listener for an 17 minute trip into some of the most far out music I've ever heard. I like this, although though this piece divides fans of Progressive Rock heavily. "Peking O." on the D side adds 11 and 1/2 further minutes to the trip, and it's even more intense with Sazuki's screams, and some broken pseudo melodies. The record finishes up with "Bring Me Coffee or Tea", a nice, quiet song that parallels "Paperhouse" to give the album a cycle. After the last two tracks, it's a welcome cool-down.

The only thing that everyone can agree on about this record is that it is strange. Some people will think this is a pile of crap, and others will think it's pure genius. I, for one, fall in the latter. During the height of "Aumgn", the rhythm takes me to places where not even Pink Floyd or Neu! dare tread. It's truly one of a kind, as even Can never released another album like Tago Mago (their next release, Ege Bamyasi, plays like a watered down version.)

While Tago Mago is not for the faint of heart or the fans of classical structure, it stands up with the very best of Progressive Rock albums. Grade: A