TAGO MAGO

The Sgt pepper of Krautrock! And yust like Captain Beefhearts Trout mask replica it devides opininos like no other album some hate it and dont understand whats the fuzz is all about and some like me love it, but no one can denia its importance. After orginal vocalist Malcolm Mooney departed shortly after the release of Can's debute album Monster Movie in 1969, bassist Holger Czukay and drumer Jaki Leibezeit chanced upon Japanese street musician Damo Suzuki preforming in Munich and invited him to perfrom with the band that evening. Suzuki's flexible vocals-ranging from calm whisper to wild shrieking-caused the 1,500-strong audience to flee the venue. Tago Mago opens with the gentle eastern melodies of "Paperhouse," the almost alien-sounding "Mushroom," and explosiv, mysterious backward vocals of "Oh Yeah." After this remarkable beginning, the relentless rhythmic gargantula groove of "Halleluwah" (sampled by Primal Scream on 1997's "Kowalski") features guitarist Micheal Katoli's Teutonic funk licks Cazukay's tape loops alongside blues piano, tortured violins, and industrial noise before blistering into a huge psychedelic climax. The Aleister Crowley-inspired "Aumgn" takes the experimentation furher; a vocal mentra delivered by keyboardist Irmin Schmidt is shrouded with sinister ambience. "Peking O" have Suzuki sounding like hes geting biten by a bug, and screaming and sounding likes hes going insane toghter with fast and hectic playing from the band making the song feel yust like your in Peking in the rush hour with people and cars everywhere. The closing "Bring me coffe or tea" is no small comfort after these musical endurance tests. Alongside groups such as Kraftwerk and Faust, Can's fusion of Stockhausen's early electronic experiments and The Velvet Underground's art rock, proved German rock bands were starting to find their own identity without resorting to pastiche of American or British acts. Even after 30 years Tago Mago sounds refreshingly contemprary and gloriously extreme. A essential Prog album everyone must hear atleast once in thiere life, and my personal favorite krautrock album toghter with Amon Duul II's "Yeti". 5 stars.