CAN

I was very excited to watch this dvd for the first time. I had bought the first five records of the band in a time span of two weeks and I was totally hypnotized by their amazing music. Can is one of the main early seventies Krautrock bands. The band its sound can be described as cultish krautrock with a lot of psycho-beat (repetitive catchy rhythms) with a lot of psychedelic and space influences and a very experimental mind-set. Can had it's own studio in which most of the recording and song-writing took place.

The dvd shows both material from the 'classic era' (1969-1974) and footage of the members in their currents musical projects. The dvd's main feature, Can-Free-Concert 1972, is a very very trippy experience. This one hour movie shows a lot of different settings, with as a main setting the concert footage of the Cologne Sporthalle. There's also a scene with the band playing with a little boy on drums (experimental..?) and some other studio- moments. The recording of the concert is mediocre, but it does give a good impression about what a freak-show this must have been. A very psychotic playing band, a juggler and some gymnastics all in one show.

Can doesn't play recognizable material, but improvises improvises the whole show. Some moments are very good, other are a bit boring. The overall experience is however quite bizarre, the mind-set of the band is very special and it gives me a certain 'no problem'- mood. Very interesting film, but not a great concert registration. I would only recommend this to fans of the band and the genre.

The documentaries on the dvd are often to boring to watch for me. The members in their modern projects of the 21th century are interviewed in uninteresting settings and there are no good questions from the interviewers. Sometimes it looks like a home-video affair. The music of 21th century Can isn't at all like the seventies psycho-beat era and it's quality is debatable. It's surely something I can live without and the cd included in this package isn't very essential either.

Conclusion. This is a dvd for real Can-fans and Krautrock listeners. It shows some nice freak-show material of the bands classic period and it surely helps to understand the music of Can presented on their lp's. I don't think this dvd is very essential and I would love to have seen more professional interviews about more interesting topics. I know the classic period of the band is long gone, but I don't think their current projects are that interesting. Three stars, but still a recommendation for the fans. If your new to the band I would recommend to listen to some of their records first.

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