SPOON

"Spoon/"Shikaku Maru Ten" is a single release by German experimental/psychadelic rock act Can. It was released through United Artists Records in December 1971. The single proved a tremendous commercial success for the band as it sold over 300.000 copies and made it unto the Top 20 in the German chart and provided the financial foundation for the band to gain access to better studio and rehearsal fascilities. Much of the singles popularity came from the fact that it was the theme song for a popular contemporary German TV Thriller series titled "Das Messer".

The "Spoon" track, while not originally intended to be featured on Can´s next album, ended up on "Ege Bamyasi (1972)" anyway because the band had a shortage of material for the album. The B-side track titled "Shikaku Maru Ten" is exclusive to this single release.

"Spoon" is to my ears an unlikely candidate for a hit single and I´m sure the band were as surprised by it´s success as I am. While featuring a more catchy and accessible melody than most other tracks in the early part of the band´s discography, "Spoon" still features the trademark repetitive rhythms and experimental approach that sounds so unmistakably like Can, and which aren´t exactly what you´d expect to hear on the radio. "Shikaku Maru Ten" is a bit more "out there" and psychadelic, but still featuring those repetitive grooves.

Overall the "Spoon/"Shikaku Maru Ten" single is a decent quality release, but as a consequence of the title track being included on "Ege Bamyasi (1972)", which is a more readily available release today, the single is a hardcore fan item more than anything ("Shikaku Maru Ten" isn´t exactly a track to die for, although it´s pretty good). Therefore a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.