FUTURE DAYS

FUTURE DAYS, from German avant-prog pioneers Can, is a very good album, but it's also very different. This music is not at all like that of Genesis, Yes, or ELP and their ilk. There are no pompous, loud or grandiose moments; instead it's rather percussive and dreamy, with breathy, indistinct vocals that act much like another instrument. This strange and wonderful stuff is a classic example of what my friends and I used to call "head" music: meditative, hypnotic and other-worldly.

I can remember lying on my bed in the dark, listening to this album on headphones. By the end of the opening nine-plus minutes title piece, I felt as if I had already been on a very unusual, long and wondrous "trip." I had never heard anything even remotely like it before, and the mind-blowing music prompted some very rich "visions" in my teenaged brain. With three more tracks yet to come, I knew I was in for a rich and fulfilling listening experience.

Next up, "Spray" was almost as good as the opener, and "Moonshake" was three minutes of more "poppy" (a very relative concept, in this context!) fun. Still, the best was yet to come. The full side, twenty minute "Bel Air" was a real odyssey in "inner space" (that's the aptly-named studio where the band recorded the album) exploration, and by itself worth the price of passage to this "alien" brave new world!

Listening to this ground-breaking disc will take you to another place -- a unique, exotic and magical place! As Jim Stafford might say: "Take a trip and never leave the farm" (or your bedroom, for that matter)!

There is no other album like Future Days. This is how I define subtle, atmospheric music that still retains true musical energy. Bel Air is simply one of the best clumps of sound to ever find its way onto record: at turns both soothing and menacing, it captures musical "electricity" like nothing else I have ever heard. Jaki Liebezeit, to me, is more a force of nature than a mere drummer -- his relentless pounding and crashing speaks to my ears like some sort of mystical morse code. The rest of the band, meanwhile, forms a kind of shimmering fog that ebbs and flows around his rhythms. Guitars, keyboards, bass... these distinctions don't really apply in the usual sense here, because all elements have telepathically coalesced into a single organism that can speak freely. Whereas the English bands give us structure and solos, CAN gives us organic musical energy flowing freely from the source.

While still a great classic album , I find this one slightly less accomplished as theit previous two. I find that Bel Air looses its goal and might have been shortened to 15 min by cutting some lenghts. The fact is that this album is sensibly "just business as usual " and seeing their string of classic albums for the early 70's , this one is slightly sub-par IMO

Final album with Damo Suzuki. Just by listening to this album, you can sense that this will be their final album with him. He tends to be a lot more low key than on previous albums. He then got married and became a Jehovah's Witness. This time, the band becomes more mellow, many times called "ambient". Regardless, this is by far the most pleasant music CAN has ever done, esepcially on the title track and the second half of "Spray". "Moonshake" harkens back to "Tago Mago" (specifically "Halleluwah", except much shorter), and of course the most accessible piece on the whole album. "Bel Air" is the side length cut that starts and ends side two.

This really divided the group. Holger Czukay liked it for the symphonic qualities, while Jaki Liebezeit hated it for those same reasons. A few CAN fans thought it sounded too much like prog rock for their liking, but since I'm a big prog rock fan, it doesn't bother me any. In fact, a lot of it reminds me a lot of that fusion-influenced prog that existed at that time. And while some might complain of it being "too prog", the band still played as an ensemble, so you don't get solos, as the band always avoided them. This song seems to have that feel of being in the meadow, no doubt helped by the sound of chirping birds heard on a small section of the piece. "Spray" starts off as an experiment of percussion, but the second half demonstrates the more mellow nature of the album, with Irmin Schmidt's organ and Damo Suzuki's often unitelligible singing (he sounds like he's singing "It's downtown when it rains" over and over, but he could be singing something else). This certainly sounds very little like anything they've done before (aside from "Moonshake"), and just when you thought you know the band, they gave us "Future Days". A great album, and a definate favorite of mine.

Can Could, but didn't really... more like Passe...

Delightful atmospherics and hypnotic rhythms with subtle inflections mashed up with dreamy half-muted vocals makes for a perfect chill-out album with an improvised, almost organic feel.

Nevertheless, the title track is only partially engaging, hanging, as it does, around a single tone base, and only deigning to change around 6:00 or so, when it loses some of the ambience and becomes slightly chaotic before going back to what seems to be a safety rail. It then dissolves into an excercise in improvised textures before a slightly unfulfilling fade- out.

"Spray" is much more like the Can I know, with layered percussion and electronic textures blending oddly with the guitars. Fortunately the focus is on the former, and this hypnotic bag of goodies takes the listener on a spacey journey akin to "Saucerful of Secrets", but several light years further. Unfortunately Karoli is no Gilmour, and the guitar pickings and noodlings slightly detract from Schmidt's incredible keyboard layers in places. Leibezi's drums are downright inspirational though, and hang the whole tapestry together superbly.

"Moonshake" goes off at a heavier tangent, deeply funky and entertainingly engaging. It's not really prog rock though, as it's just an experiment with layers over a very steady rhythm and repeated bass and guitar riffs.

"Bel Air" comprises the whole of side 2 on the vinyl LP that I am reviewing, and immediately takes us on a voyage to an island in space, replete with rolling waves. Most of the comments I made about "Spray" apply here - although this is not a simple recapitulation; this track is one of the best that Can have to offer, and almost defines a genre of "organic, ambient, funk prog".

You can feel the energy buiding up despite Karoli's insensitive noodling right up until the point that it finally breaks, around 4:30, into a fine, hypnotic groove that the ensemble manage to bring in unpredictably and stylishly. Imagine Gong set to breakbeats and you come close to what is happening here. Despite being no Hillage, Karoli manages to hang back with the guitar licks from this point, and manages to contribute to the textural goodness.

Around 9:00, there is a total dissolution into quiet ambience, with a wierd looping in the samples of birdsong, giving it the aura of "Several Small Species..." from "Ummagumma". When the music starts to make a reappearance, it is magically laid back and deeply engaging. Sadly, Karoli feels the urge to noodle around 13:30, scriblling around a bit and spoiling the texture briefly - but we can let this minute or so pass for the darker mood that is to follow.

Czukay "does a Lemmy", and assists in driving the music to foreign shores with a "Space Ritual" Hawkwind twist, with wonderful keyboard washes. The changeover at 18:30 just has to be heard to be believed - an utterly inspired dreamy drift back into a brief recapitulation of music from earlier proving that at least some thought went into structuring this piece.

Overall, a little too repetitive and not "rocky" enough to be considered prog rock - there are no symphonic structures, no epic lyrical themes, no mind-blowing time changes, and no epilogues into different musical styles - hence my decision not to mark it as an Excellent addition to any prog music collection, despite the fact that in many ways, it is!

I think 3.5 stars is more accurate than 3, as this album is Excellent, if flawed - mainly by Karoli's somewhat insensitive guitar playing - and a Good addition to any prog music collection, especially for anyone that likes ambient music - but Ege Bamyasi or Tago Mago are probably better additions and better examples of Can's great talents.

This is my first outing with Can. And although it doesn't have the "oomph" to rate an "excellent," I nevertheless really liked it. I have little to add to the review of my colleague, Peter Rideout, who summed it up pretty well, including his comment that the vocals are used as much as another "instrument" as for the purpose of relating lyrics (which are both "back" in the mix and breathily spoken, so they are (deliberately?) difficult to make out). / I would describe this music as a mixture of beat-oriented soundscapes, space jamming, and moody, sometimes ethereal, texturing. "Future Days" opens the album with a solid beat-oriented soundscape. "Spray" reminded me alot of the type of space jamming usually associated with The Grateful Dead. "Moonshake" has an infectious quasi-latin rhythm. (N.B. I'd bet dollars to donuts that David Byrne was listening to Can: the rhythm on "Moonshake" is without question the progenitor of many of the rhythms for which Talking Heads became known.) "Bel Air" is a somewhat rambling composition (it sounds almost haphazardly pieced together...), with a particularly eerie Crimzoid-type jam toward the end. / The musicianship is clearly high throughout, and the overall effect is wonderful. I look forward to hearing more of Can's music in the future.

Some of the craziness has def. been toned down after Tago Mago. But the cd still has that hypnotic feel to it. Don't listen to it at work if you are at all sleeply as it may lull you to sleep, especially the last track, Bel air. Its a very easy going cd in my opioion and one that is still, largely experimental. Can are the masters of innovation and there is no better album to start on your journey through krautrock than this one!

"Summer afternoon." wrote Henry James, "to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." That's a debatable point (personally, my money's on "play ball", which says pretty much the same thing), but for the purposes of this forum the two most beautiful words might arguably be "Future Days", the title of the fourth studio album (not including their 1970 "Soundtracks" compilation) by the Krautrock gods of CAN.

Next to the epic "Tago Mago" this is maybe their most complete and organic work: a model of musical grace, subtlety, and near-telepathic rapport. It's certainly the easiest on the ears of all their early, more challenging efforts, but like any true Krautrock classic the album was always worlds away from anything resembling prototypical Prog Rock.

While elsewhere the Emersons and Wakemans of the Prog world were updating Mussorgsky or Brahms, the members of CAN were truly progressing, taking their cues from forward-thinking 20th Century composers like Berio, Ligeti, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Bassist Holger Czukay (who claims, by the way, to be a "true nephew" of William Tell) was actually a student of Stockhausen's in the early 1960s, at the same time his future CAN bandmate Irmin Schmidt was helping introduce the music of John Cage to German audiences.

The CAN philosophy may have followed Bertholt Brecht's famous dictum "art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to smash it". But on "Future Days" the same well-worn hammer was clothed in the plushest velvet. The title track opening the album is a perfect case in point, immersing the listener in 9+ minutes of dreamy rhythms, tentative melodies, and Damo Suzuki's embryonic whispers, less a song than it is a memory of a song, half-heard between sleep and waking.

Up next is "Spray", the warmest and most relaxed of CAN's "instant compositions" (their name for the band's improvisations), although here it reverses the usual formula by gradually coalescing into a legitimate tune, of sorts. Jaki Liebezeit's nervous, skittish rhythms give the track an air of controlled chaos, in the same way that his rock-steady 4/4 drumming acts as an anchor on "Moonshake", to my ears the most ideal pop song ever recorded.

And why is that? Three reasons: 1) it has an AM radio-friendly brevity, clocking in at a mere three minutes. 2) it couldn't be more simple, and yet is almost alarmingly creative, especially during the wacky (but typically understated) percussion mid-section, with everyone taking turns on whistles, rattles, and whatnots, over another patented one- finger bass throb by Czukay. And 3) you can't help tapping your toes to it.

The 20-minute "Bel Air" (one entire side of the original vinyl) does tend to wander a bit, which may explain the band's later dismissal of the entire album as "too symphonic". That's not entirely fair, but the length and tenor of the track certainly point to a more optimistic side of the otherwise subversive Krautrock experience. The title itself, with its echoes of sea breezes, sunny skies, and sailboats dotting the horizon, should clue you in to its sound, while the gradual development and almost offhand resolution make it one of the quietest side-long epics in the greater Prog discography.

Musical beauty is, of course, in the ear of the beholder. But it would be easy to imagine Henry James himself enjoying "Future Days". I can see him now, headphones on, bare feet propped up on his writing table, basking in the lambent heat of an August afternoon and smiling while he tries to decipher what the heck Damo Suzuki is mumbling about.

The final CAN album featuring Damo Suzuki as vocalist is probably the most accomplished one. It is very different from their earlier works and it introduces the band offering highly atmospheric, almost ambient music. There are no ups and downs; listening adventure is mostly linear but that doesn't mean it is monotonous. On the contrary - it is a wonderful music of atmosphere. Production is superb for the time being and most of the engineering and editing credits go to Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt who successfully experiment with various keyboards, synths, sound effects and "soundscapes", sometimes reminiscent of Brian Eno's later works. Jaki Liebezeit's drumming is amazing as always, with few more percussions added. Karoli's guitar is moved backwards a bit, and he is more engaged in making sound textures rather than usual solos and chords. The 20 minutes "Bel Air" approaches the GONG territory and is a fine example of "space-rock". Suzuki's voice is less present than ever before, albeit those rare moments are effectively performed in an unintelligable whispering manner that fits nicely in the overall sound picture. For those average prog listeners who are not in love with highly experimental Kraut-rock, "Future Days" might be the best place to start exploring this amazing band. But for me, this is a masterpiece of music art.

This album was one of my first entries into the world of what is called Krautrock. As it usually happens in life... good luck follows those who have no reason to benefit from it. I threw the proverbial dart at the dart board and it landed on Future Days. What I scored... a masterpiece of musical 'land'scapes and minimalist musical-art. Looking for fiery ultra complex music... I'd look elsewhere. Looking for a album that will take you away and lose you in the music, this is an album to try. This album is about atmosphere.. and more atmosphere. The vocalist Damo Susuki sounds as if he has a bad case of the mumbles throughout the album.. but it works so well in the context of this album. This album appears to be nautically themed with the ocean blue cover, the trident, and of course the music which wastes no time on the opening title track creating an ocean soundscape of crashing waves and rolling tides. The thing that I adore so much about minimalist music is the slightest musical statements.. which might be lost in the thunder of drums, keyboards, and bass run amuck carry such weight like the guitar which heralds the end of the extended intro into the main part of the title track. This is music to lose yourself in... this is an album that I love putting in the mp3 player and heading into the yard, stretching out in the grass and watching the clouds race by overhead through a beautiful carolina blue sky. The second track Spray.. has a bit of 'bubbly' vibe courtesy of the the keyboards at the beginning and some really interesting drumming by Liebezeit. Once again Karoli's guitar heralds the end at the extended atmospheric intro and brings us to more mumbling by Suzuki. What he is singing I really don't know.. but at this point into the album.. if you reallycared.. you would have turned it off by now hahaha the atmosphere is what is moving you.. not the meer words of a vocalist. Moonshake, the shortest track on the album has.. coincidence I'm sure.. the most intelligible singing by Suzuki on the album. A nice beat to the song that has lost the aquatic theme that has so far dominated.. and will continue to do so on this album. The song I tend to skip through most often. Last up is the crown jewel of this album. The side long Bel Air. Stirring intro with the crashing waves, sweet guitar and bass. Does it meander at times.. it may... does it say anything in 20 minutes... no.. not to me at least. Take it it for what it was.. a musical seascape painting and enjoy the scenery.

I really love this album but something keeps me from calling it a masterpiece and awarding it 5 stars. It wasn't Can's most progressive or experimental work and though the atmosphere is brilliantly execuated... it's lack of variety makes this album a love it or hate it album. Personally it' s a 5 star album... forum at large.. 4 stars and would be an excellent addition to anyone's prog collection.

This was my first kick at the CAN (sorry). I would describe this album as very laid back, with pulsating rythyms and a vocalist who just tries to blend in with the sound, singing quietly almost.This is a record that seems to be universally praised but I still don't understand why. I'm a huge CAN fan and have just about everything they've put out, but this album lacks the experimentations and dynamics that CAN is known and loved for. In the liner notes the music is described as being very direct and very obscure at the same time. It's also described as having a vaporous intensity. Well I can relate to the obscure and vaporous descritions.

The self titled track opens with lots of samples until we get a beat that slowly gets louder and louder. Distant sounding vocals joins in around 4 minutes. "Spray" features a mezmerizing beat consisting of cymbals and bongos, with outbursts here and there of various sounds.The tempo picks up and then it settles with sparse sounds. There is a cool guitar melody after six minutes when the vocals come into the song.

"Moonshake" is only 3 minutes long but it's alive and energetic. Great beat with vocals. "Bel Air" is almost 20 minutes in length, it consists of three sections that were recorded on seperate occasions.The band apparently debated over whether this was too symphonic. They detested (what they felt was) the pretensious classical-rock bands of their day, and didn't want to sound anything like them.

I've tried to unlock what is so special here but have not had any success.

A can of worms

I have never been keen on the music of Can, ever since I was lured into buying their "Limited edition" album by the lowly price tag it bore on its release in 1974. It was therefore with some trepidation that I acquired from a good friend several more of their albums.

Right from the atmospheric opening sweeps of the title track, it is clear that this is not a traditional prog album (if there is such a thing) but a collection of repetitive, ambient sounds. Were it not for the incessant back beat this could be an album by TANGERINE DREAM or even an obscure trance outfit. The vocals are muddled and distorted, while the instrumentation focuses on simply repeating the basic sounds, BUT NOT themes.

Any semblance of structure in the opening track are quickly dispelled by the second track "Spray" where the percussion comes to the fore in a jumble of directionless improvisation. To me, this is not music, it is indulgent noodling. That said, I can understand that some people may enjoy the overall sound, in the way some people find the tone of a vacuum cleaner relaxing. The brief (and only short track on the album) "Moonshake" which closes side one has a slightly more commercial feel, the singing being slightly more to the fore and dare I say almost melodic.

The second side of the album consists entirely of the 20 minute "Bel air". So improvisational is this monolith, that it can seem like there has been no pre-planning or composition for the track at all. Irmin Schmidt's floating keyboard sounds do at least add a pleasant wash to the initial section, but the dominant percussion is intrusive and unnecessary.

It must be recognised that Can have built up a small but faithful fan base, so they clearly do offer something which appeals to a certain audience. What the unsuspecting passer by needs to be aware of though is that they should not come to "Future days" or other similar albums seeking music as such. This is very much an acquired taste, for those who like there music to take other forms, or who feel that as long as the sound is pleasing, how it is structured is of little significance. Not my cup of tea though.

Future Days is an album filled with pleasant, moody jams that bring to mind images of water, the beach and driving along a southern California road on a Sunday afternoon. In fact, it has a somewhat similar vibe to Kraftwerk's Autobahn, only less German. The tracks float around, fading up and down and into one another in a lazy, relaxed way, largely without calling attention to themselves.

Moonshake appears to be Can's attempt to produce a radio friendly single. It sort of works, being more melodic and shorter than most of their work, but I still can't really imagine it on the radio. Apart from that, there's not much to say about the music, as it is all fairly similar and feels like one extended suite more than individual songs. It is great music for relaxing or driving, but its interest is limited beyond those applications, as thre is anot a lot going on beneath the surface. Good for atmosphere, but by no means revolutionary. 3 stars.

Groovy...

First off, I have to send a big thanks to Sinkadotentree who suggested I give this band a spin. Unlike many of my reviews where I try (try being the key word here) to be slightly objective this time around, since I'm highly unfamiliar in the grounds of Krautrock I'm going to do this one purely from the perspective of me and those who know nothing about the vast German soundscape. There may not be that many people around who haven't taken the plunge into the genre yet (it's been around for a very long time), but I'm sure there are some who are still hesitant to test the waters.

Now first off, forget everything you know about... everything that has to do with music. While someone who is normally into the heavier side of things and the more metal side of things I found this album to be incredibly refreshing. It's also a fact that I tend not to like the post-rock side of things, and I've been told that Krautrock and Post-rock may very well be cousins because of how close they can sound at times. Not being well schooled in either I'm not sure I can validate that statement myself, but from what I've heard it sounds like that's true. Now I've also been told that every Krautrock album and band is incredibly different from one another, but really, this album is great place to start.

''So talk about the music already!''

Fine, I will. Employed on the album is a variety of things. First off, while the album is not devoid of melody you can certainly throw your typical song structure out the window. The music really does as it pleases as it winds around and while this is something that I find Post-Rock often does (and loses my attention while doing) this is an album who knows where to take the audience to keep them satisfied. The opening song and title track, Future Days is an excellent example of this as the drums beat and the ambient... something or other in the background whizzes away while other instruments make minimal but very important contributions. Then we get to the vocal sections.

Now, one thing that frustrated me about this album to start with was the vocals. If you're anything like me and used to over the top vocals coming from prog metal bands or even someone like Greg Lake then be prepared for something very different. The vocals are always half muted during the songs and their lyrics very hard to make out. This was something that infuriated me on the first listen, but it was on the second listen that something clicked as the cogs turned slowly in my head... that is very intentional and very well done. The vocals really just act as another instrument and should really be treated as such for maximum enjoyment of the music.

If there's one thing I've always hated about a purely ambient album is that the music is not normally engaging to someone like myself who is used to something heavy. No, this doesn't mean that it doesn't have to be heavy to be good, it just means that some people (such as myself) like to get into the music instead of letting the music get into them (if that makes any sense). This album captures the best of both worlds. It is ambient and lets you zone out and become completely introspective while, somehow, it keeps you listening, engaged and interested throughout the entire album. Perhaps it's the crazy beat of the drums or the heavy panning from one speaker to the other. Perhaps it's the fast pace or the ocean of sound (without becoming a wall) that keeps me listening, but whatever it is - it works.

As evident by the second song Spray this is a very groovy album. It's not the kind you can dance to (easily, anyways) but it really is the kind that you can get moving to. The album demands headbobbing and all the rest of the motions that you can involuntarily do while music takes you over (kind of anti-dancing). As far as strength of individual tracks go I would have to pick Moonshake (the shortest track) as one of the best, not because it's short, but because it manages to captivate and pull through it's limited amount of time as though it had all the time in the world to unfold. Bel Air also needs a highly deserved mention - this side long composition is easily the best on the album. It takes everything you've already heard from the band and makes it into an even more spacey journey that forces you to only be able to say, ''Wow...'' by the time it's over.

This is an incredibly good album that would make an excellent addition to anyone's prog collection. If you're not sure about Krautrock this would definitely be a good place to start with Can, although I can't speak for other Krautrock bands in general. Very worth getting and I'd recommend it to absolutely everyone! 4 Moons shook out of 5!

CAN is one of my favorite bands and 'Future Days' is the album on which their experimental (krautrock) music is perhaps most accessible for the wider progressive public. On their earliest CAN would mix psychedelic/acid rock with psycho-beat, space rock, ethnical music and the avant-garde. Here the band would add an airy symphonic layer, yet without using much synths or keyboards. The band is drenched in a nice reverb or roomy sound that adds a spacey layer to this psycho-beat drenched album. The album's rhythms are highly hypnotic and the build-up of the compositions is very natural, yet hard to explain. By improvising and recording lots of music the band found new forms, combinations of sounds and transitions that make the music so original. Damo Suzuki's drugged out vocals fit perfectly on this record and his place in the mix is that of a fellow instrumentalist, there's no frontman here. Of all progressive rock masterpieces this one strikes particularly as a group effort of a band that could only have produced such an album by playing endlessly together. The timeless and hip song 'Moonshake' serves as a nice interlude between the spacey long pieces. If you'd buy only one krautrock album, I'd advise you to buy this one.

A musical definition of the word "calm".

Can's last album with Damo Suzuki, Future Days, is incredibly different than its predecessors Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi. Where Tago Mago was intense, Future Days is relaxed. Where Tago Mago was crazy, Future days is calm. This album is one of the best relaxing efforts I own.

The album starts off with the title track, with ambient noise bringing us in. Before two minutes, we're given some rhythm to hold onto, but nothing intense or jarring here, just a nice calm beat. There are sounds of water and crashing waves in the background. Quiet vocals join in near three minutes, and some other instruments join in for a short time before we get to the main calm of the song. Damo comes back in around four minutes to sing bits, and we're given some guitar noodling to listen to. Holgar and Jaki, as always, keep up a stellar rhythmic pattern, always fitting to the piece of music. Near six minutes, there's some sound which I'm guessing is keyboards, phasing in and out. The song stays calm for the rest of its running time, with some quicker drums near the end. This is a good song to play if you want to relax, and the rest of the album mostly keeps up the same mood. 10/10

"Spray" is the most groove-filled, moving song on the album. It's more lively than the previous song, with a guitar sound that reminds me of the tone used in a lot of surf music. The percussion is fun in this song, with shakers and some pitched drums going on. Damo doesn't show up much until later on in the track, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. There's a sound which could have come straight from a PacMan game near three and a half minutes. Things calm down for a bit going into the five minute mark, with quietly throbbing bass and nearly hypnotic percussion for a while. After six minutes Damo comes in with his particular blend of singing and mumbling which, along with the good bass and drums, was one of the things which drew me into listening to Can's work. The piece continues on in its calmer way to the end. 9/10

"Moonshake" is another track with hypnotic drums and bass acting as the foundation. The shortest track on the album (by far), Damo sings throughout, with his mostly unintelligible lyrics which fit the band so well. After a minute, the band members experiment with random percussive sounds during a short interlude, which is fairly zany. After that, Damo joins in and the band finishes off the song much in the same way in which it began. 8/10, only because I wish it was longer.

Last, but certainly not least, is the "epic" of the album, "Bel Air". If you're looking for epics in the style of say, ELP or Yes, you may want to stop here. If you're looking for something softer, more calming, and infinitely relaxing, this is the place to be. The song starts off quietly and ambient, with the vocals being semi-muted as usual. This piece is, overall, very laid back and relaxed. It's easy for me to lose myself and simply zone out while listening to it, as the percussion is so hypnotic and constant. The keys in the background add a sort of symphonic texture to the piece, and the guitar occasionally soars over the proceedings like a bird over the ocean. At four and a half minutes in, the song changes up its rhythm and there are some vocals, both word-filled and wordless. Nine minutes in, birds sing, an occasional insect can be heard, and you can hear a quietly moving body of water. Things calm back down here after the quicker bit which preceded it, going back to the feel of the beginning of the tune. The song carries on, keeping up the hypnotic, nearly meditative feel of the track, and the song goes out about as quietly as the album began. 10/10

This album is exactly what I'd imagine the soundtrack for a relaxing day on a calm beach would be. The title track covers the morning, "Spray" and "Moonshake" would be the afternoon, with more activity going on, and "Bel Air" is the evening and beyond. If you're looking to relax to some good music, this is what you need to listen to. Along with Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi, this is one of Can's masterpieces, showing the calm which is absent on those two. Highly recommended, Future Days is a good introduction to the more ambient, quiet side of Krautrock and is a highly recommended addition to any collection.

"Future Days" is the 5th (if you count the compiled album "Soundtracks (1970)" as a full-length studio album) full-length studio album by German Krautrock/experimental rock act Can. The album was released through United Artists in August 1973. This would be the last Can album to feature Japanese vocalist Damo Suzuki as he would leave the band soon after the release of "Future Days" to marry his German girlfriend and become a Jehovah's Witness.

The music on "Future Days" is in the trademark repetitive psychadelic, jamming yet organized Can style. Strong driving rhythms, lots of experimental/psychadelic guitar and keyboard motifs and Damo Suzuki´s stoned vocal delivery on top. The music is mostly instrumental though and Damo Suzuki only pops in from time to time to deliver some melody to the proceedings or add some chants. Just listen to "Spray" where he only pops in after 6 full minutes of instrumental jamming. That´s really not that surprising as that´s how it´s more or less been since day one but "Future Days" is slightly different from it´s direct predecessors as it features a more dominant use of ambience.

The 41:04 minutes long album features 4 tracks. The two opening tracks "Future Days" and "Spray", which are both around 8 to 9 minutes long are really cool, laidback and repetitive krautrock tracks. Grat emphasis on tight rhythmic playing and experimental sounds. The former mentioned features a rather unique mood, which reeks of tropical holiday atmosphere. The third track on the album is the short and relatively mainstream oriented "Moonshake". It´s proof that Can can also produce that type of material with a successful end result. The album closes with the 20:00 minutes long jam packed "Bel Air". Another great track which fully showcase Can´s abbility to create organized and very long jams that don´t overstay their welcome.

"Future Days" is in many ways another high quality release by Can. Strong musicianship, a powerful and organic sound production, and an adventurous songwriting approach are all positives in my book. Compared to "Tago Mago (1971)" and "Ege Bamyasi (1972)" it´s just slightly less interesting, but a 4 star (80%) is still deserved.

'Future Days' is the 4th and last album featuring Damo Suzuki as vocalist and it is generally seen as the last album from their classic era. While I like much of what would Can would continue to produce, it is indeed their last album where they would re-invent their sound so drastically. 'Future Days' marks a drastic shift from their earlier raw and energetic past to a more relaxed atmospheric style with a fuller and more polished sound.

When I got to know this album I missed the energy and punk attitude from earlier Can works, but I gradually got into it. The opening track is examplary for the change. Suzuki delivers his trademark slightly 'off' vocal rants on a slightly subdued entrancing groove. It doesn't get off the ground as it used to but it has a new mesmerizing beauty that will probably appeal to many listeners that are generally not into the Can.

Spray is great. It's an enigmatic experimental track that borders on free-jazz. Is a bit mellow if you don't pay close attention to it but it works really well if you crank up the volume! Moonshake is another winner. A catchy tune that lightens up the tension a bit. With 19 minutes, Bel Air should have been the eye-catcher but I find it the weakest track, sounding rather like a few disjointed improvisations strung together. Some parts work better then others but as a whole it doesn't fully convice.

There are flashes of brilliance on this album but it might be a bit too subdued and moody to get into. A great work but not my favorite from this band.

My first Can album,I got it many years ago. The music is a bit unusual ( I can't say - strange). Very relaxed music, soft ambient sound with some almost jazzy drumming plus androidal voice of Damo Suzuki. This unusual mix ( even more unusual for 1973) sounds very interesting and isn't boring at all.

In fact ,that music is far from all other mainstream from that time, but sounds enough modern even now. In comparence with Eno ambient, there are melodies, rhythm,song structure.Differently from load and screaming space rock of that time, everything there is very gentle, all effect is not in bright colors,but in nuances.

I don't think that someone could hate it. You don't need to be a kraut maniac just to accept this album. For some it could sound a bit repetative,or even boring,but I think it isn't. It's just a rule of the formula, part of album's magic.

Not masterpiece for sure,but very competent album. I can recommend it to all progressive music fans, especialy as first steps into Krautrock.

When it is an album that came out, the color might be able to feel the listener strong as the overall impression of the album keyboard player's Irmin Schmidt and Bass player's two person Holger Czukay. However, their situations at that time will be able to be caught as a work that contains the produced very exact element in the result of the activity and the idea to the part of a natural flow and music in the process that the band reaches this album.

The idea concerning the music character of the member who tried to introduce a variety of music characters etc. might always have been done attended with an experimental element before this album. It is a part of the harmony of the music character by the above- mentioned member if it thinks as a result though the success to some degree in "Ege Bamyasi" received one the top by the content of this album. And, an experimental element and aggressiveness in the content that shifts from "Tago Mago" to "Ege Bamyasi". They might have had original flows of men who caught the tension from another angle and developed it.

Men who have them dare the tour for about 60 days in the spring of 1973 begin the production of this album. Damo Suzuki that takes charge of Vocal as a result secedes the recording of this album and the band has seceded at the end. Neither the entire reason nor the guess whispered with the listener and the fan are denied though various opinions exist in the reason for secession. As for the fact to which this album was acknowledged for the band as a very complete album, they might already have conceived the necessity that moved to the following directionality.

Aggressiveness that was able to be listened for the current work and an experimental part are almost excluded in this album. However, the music made through time when the band spent the tour and the vacation might have aroused the major break and the idea in the band as a result.

It might be not widespread in shape with too good recording technology and method in the early the 70's as the point that should make a special mention. The work recorded in the multiple might have been work difficult including a money part. Work and zeal to this album that they had constructed in the situation will have been the flows to face the attainment point exactly while following the methodology of the music character that they had already done. Anacatesthesia and order that rules the whole. Or, an electronic element and an unreal sound are constructed. Construction of music character that almost excludes part of extra and is done. If it borrowed the remark of Damo Suzuki, these flows might have been very completed too much. However, I will be able to feel a fatal part including the situation as for the flow that they reached this album. A new singer who took the place of Damo was not appointed since this album. And, the music character of the band is gradually revolutionized. When the album is a band, it is album as one of the masterpieces of a mid- term work that can be counted.

The sound of the float from the introduction of SE in an inorganic rhythm and the space repeatedly rules "Future Days". The member doesn't originate an extra sound. A transient song by Damo Suzuki twines at the same time as the sound of a good percussion instrument contributing to the tune. The order that they do will have originality. A repeated rhythm and an always steady guitar are constant. And, twining of the song that gives the sense in which it participates from another world might be splendid.

As for "Spray", I can feel one space that the band completely produced. Taste with good percussion instrument that is characterized this band and can listen at this time. And, the flow with a good performance of the band that unites order without order might be produced. Percussion instrument that flows in space. And, the sound of the decoration of the keyboard with the tension. The tension is always continued. The flow changes gradually and accompanies the song.

"Moonshake" is a tune from which ideas of men who were able to listen in the current album are followed well. The song twines round the line of a steady rhythm and Bass well. Progress of Chord by cutting of guitar. And, the sound of the decoration in close relation to the tune. The element that the composition of the album is tightened further by such a tune's being collected to this album might be given.

"Bel Air" might be one result of the attainment of the band. The guitar and the keyboard processed by the effect always advance attended with a constant anacatesthesia. The song and the tension that excludes aggressiveness might be consolidated in this tune as one shape of the band. A flow and a sound advanced attended with the tension might always give a good pain for the listener. The tune gradually increases the speed attended with the dash feeling. The performance to which each member is doing the band though it is integral might catch the tune from all directions and contribute. One creation that the band thinks about while showing various respects might be here.

The music character that Can multiplied from the first stage to middle term might be all important. Especially, their works at this time are always popular.

So?"Future Days" is the highest "Can" album rated on PA. Personally, I don't see any move (nor forwards nor backwards) to justify this.

As usual, there are a lot of good percussion work, vocals are quite insipid, and music rather repetitive, inexpressive and frankly dull for most of the time, like during the title track. Two minutes of this treat would have been OK instead of almost ten minutes of such "musical instants".

I am still deeply listening to "Spray" and I still don't like it. A perpetual wave of the same that is dying on the beach. The only great part is again the percussion and some sort of a melody during the last quarter of the track. Big deal!

Some diversion with the psyche rocking "Moonshake", which is one of the best you "can" grab out here. But it only lasts for three mlinutes?

To say that I am blown away with "Bel Air" might probably be exaggerated but it is still the highlight of this album. Some disjointed psychedelia like available on some early Floyd numbers (which were released some five years prior to this, like the great ASOS). The lamentations of the singer are still useless IMHHO.

This is an average album. Five out of ten is my rate. Since it is (and probably never will be) not possible to rate as such, I will upgrade it to three stars. But don't ask me why.

Nothing makes sense and nobody cared

The album cover says it all; bright blue background, gold ancient scroll border, non- plussed font and a candelabra or trident in the centre; screams we are Can and if you don't like us, Sod off. I first encountered Can on "Tago Mago", the hugely influential experimental double album, that sounds like the soundtrack to a lunatic asylum; an album that did not impress me apart from the fact that it was experimental and iconic, I did not enjoy anything on it except 'Hallewujah' and the odd moment. Yet this was supposed to be their magnum opus, their classic work that stamped an authority of Krautrock excellence. Not for me though. So I approached "Future Days" with a great deal of trepidation. My consternation was due to the high strangeness of the music, the way it disturbs and alienates, destroying any enjoyment factor. But I was pleasantly surprised at this album as it really drew me in to the music. I think it is more accessible than "Tago Mago", though by no means is this conventional, far from it.

'Future Days', the title track begins with static sonic noise that builds slowly, ominously, and threatening to break out. It slowly builds with a mod tempo, soft bass, and strange organ. Nothing happens as you might expect, it's all random and improvisational. As the sizzling continues, an estranged muffled voice talks away jibberish and the music sounds kind of Egyptian. An ambience is created as the next section begins with laid back vocals that are actually sung and have a melody, the time sig is odd, the guitar is sporadic but the irregular style of the song is quite enticing. The serrated edge droning is hypnotic and a real feature of the track. It gets louder and more intrusive as the song progresses. There is a space rock feel that ensues towards the end. 'Future Days' resonates with me in a strange way.

'Spray' is appropriate from a band named Can. It is highly experimental and freaky with a crackerlacking rhythm, that is off kilter and alienating. It sounds like The Residents meets Gong and that's a weird combination. The sound sizzles with lashings of disturbing manic drums and irregular organ washes, at times sounds like a washing machine or a car exhaust. It's unfathomable music that you have to experience for yourself to gain any appreciation of just how enigmatic this is. There are lead guitar blasts that echo, tom tom beats and burbling vocalisations. As experimental and improvisational as a band gets, breaking all boundaries dividing loyalties to prog, Can are unsurpassed. But to sit through this is somewhat of a challenge as it is painstakingly patient and the arrangement is monotonous.

'Moonshake' sits on one note with a few variations and a driving beat motorvates along, with very soft vocals and a type of melody, indeed a chorus is mixed in there somewhere. So there's more structure but not necessarily more entertainment. I prefer their more experimental approach as i can gain a much stronger reaction; love it or hate it. I am torn as to whether this is too monotonous and dragging or whether it is absolutely compelling and hypnotic. I still don't know really but it is rather short and easier to digest, ending just before it gets too boring.

'Bel Air' is the 20 minute epic to end the album, reminiscent of the mammoth free form epics on "Tago Mago". It is guaranteed to shock some and turn them away, sending them running and screaming for something with some kind of melody and structure. I can understand that. You have to be in the mood for music like this. It is downright depressing at times and unsettling. It is stupefying but not stupid, it is rather intelligently executed, a band with a purpose. But i had no time for this epic, there are far better epics out there.

Can are outside the box but they are a compelling band. Their music became spoiled with a more commercial album during the 80s but their first 6 albums are the best according to sources. This album and "Tago Mago" made it to the strange album guide "1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die" for good reason. I prefer "Future Days" over other Can material. Taste and see for yourself. 3 stars.

Future Days marked my first encounter with Can which initially resulted in a deep disappointment.

After being inspired by bands like Faust and Amon Düül II I didn't hesitate for a minute when picking up three albums (!) by Can without knowing much about them. Those were the good old days when I purchased first and asked questions later. After my utter disappointment with the first few early revisits of Future Days settled down I began exploring my other two Can-purchases (i.e. Monster Movie and Tago Mago). This was when a completely different band unfolded in front of my eyes (or ears). This new discovery put Future Days in a whole new light and I began seeing why it sounded the way it did. The lesson here is that one should not judge Can solely by listening to this album, no matter the high rating it has accumulated.

Ege Bamyasi gave us first signs of a band in transition and by the time this album was complete it marked the definite transition in sound from the early days raw experimental rock and protopunk to a more organic and smooth sound that is shown on Future Days. First apparent difference is the contribution of Damo Suzuki who has almost taken the back seat for this ride and only a few short instances bring out the raw power that we know is embedded in his personality. It is possible to assume that sound production had evolved a lot between 1971 and 1973 but if you ask me the organic sound incorporated on this release had more to do with the band's own choice of lowering the volume on the drum and guitar tracks. Simply put, Future Days sounds great for an early '70s release no matter the reason.

The album's first side begins with two almost monotonous sounding longer tracks titled Future Days and Spray. Keep at it and you will soon start to recognize patterns to these performances that make them distinguishable and unique in their own right. Still it's the second side that captivated me even more with the 20 minute long hypnotic jam simply titled Bel Air. This track is to me the pinnacle of Can's career and a closure to the band's classic era with many different layers of music incorporated on this masterful performance.

Even though I originally disliked this material it has grown on me after hearing the earlier Can albums and understanding how the band reached this level of craftsmanship on Future Days. Today it is easily my favorite Can release and I strongly recommend every fan of Krautrock and Psychedelic/Space Rock to add it to their music collections. As for everyone else, this is an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.

***** star songs: Bel Air (19:53)

**** star songs: Future Days (9:32) Spray (8:29)

*** star songs: Moonshake (3:04)

The first couple of times I listened to this, I thought that somebody must have given a triple hit of warm cream to the coffee of all the band members during the sessions. The rhythmic, hyper spazz tendencies that we've grown to know and love from the band are condensed into a single three-minute burst, called "Moonshake." Of course, it's really great, being catchy-as-a-cold and blessed with an instrumental break where Schmidt pulls out as many goofy noises as he can and what-not, but it really feels out of place. I'll tell you what, though, I'm not complaining about the presence of a track as great as this one, even if it might have been nicer if it had been on Ege Bamyasi ...

The rest of the album, though, is not quite like what we'd gotten from the band before. It's not dramatically different, of course; the main schtick of the band is still lengthy, very rhythmic instrumental jamming with Damo muttering goodness-knows-what on top from time to time. However, where Damo was critical to the sound before, here he almost sounds like an afterthought, albeit a very pleasant and nice afterthought. A similar reduction, though not as drastic, occurs in the role of Jaki; he's still the foundation of the sound, yes, but he never really stands out as the dominant feature like he often tended to in the past. That's not necessarily a terrible thing, though; "Pinch" was pretty close to a nine- minute Damo-Jaki duet, and I wasn't the biggest fan of that one, after all.

This reduction in Jaki's and Damo's roles doesn't really lead to a corresponding increase in the importance of any of the other band members individually, though (maybe Schmidt could be said to be boosted, though his presence is as much in atmosphere as in anything else). Heck, if you're looking for analogies, this could almost be considered the Murmur of the Krautrock world (yes, I know that Murmur came out a decade later), in that everybody is turned down in the mix enough for everybody to contribute to an ensemble sound that's that much stronger than the sum of its parts. This is hands down the prettiest album Can would ever make, and a wonderful tribute to the great power that can be achieved from well-placed restraint and subtlety.

It's so pretty, actually, that I can easily give it a high **** rating despite being slightly unsure of how to describe the other tracks themselves. I'll try regardless, though. The opening title track begins with all sorts of lovely (and occasionally somewhat disturbing) ambient noises, and then the drums rise up quietly and slowly, with a sort of "brushing" sound laid on top of them, and then the rest of the band slowly kicks in and Damo sings a playful melody repeatedly (after coming out of having his vocals completely encoded). There are some guitar and synth passages that sound like everything from later King Crimson to Radiohead, there are some passages where Damo sings loudly through some device that makes him sound uncannily like Mark E. Smith of The Fall would often sound later, and it just stays in an ultra-hypnotic groove that never lets up in all of its nine-and-a-half minutes.

"Spray" has the band going into a real "sci-fi" mode, with electronically-treated (I guess) "hollow" drums complementing all sorts of unnerving synth sounds and low-key guitar lines for about six minutes before something resembling a "song" pops up. The actual song part, fortunately, is nearly as good as the part leading up to it, if only because it provides a nice contrast to the relative "fury" of the first passage without entirely letting go of the tension of it. Karoli is the quiet star of this passage, but Damo gives a nice soft texture to it as well.

After the brief diversion of "Moonshake," we hit the main attraction, the twenty minute (almost on the dot) suite, "Bel Air." If you think that all Ambient music is a put-on made by uncreative lazy people (which definitely does not describe me, mind you), but are interested in at least seeing where it came from and if it ever had a resemblence to "good" music, this should definitely be one of your first stops. Suzuki puts on one of his best ever performances in terms of beauty, taking on quite a few vocal melodies, and the band complements him (well, I guess it's the other way around, whatever) with quite a few different grooves throughout. There are several stunning moments of beauty, many coming from assorted quiet Karoli lines, many from the sounds Schmidt puts out, and many just from the way it all comes together. It ... it all kinda works for me the same way "The Revealing Science of God" or "The Remembering" work for me on Yes' TFTO, but I can easily see somebody who dislikes those still enjoying these (and come to think of it, this album came out a few months before Tales, and there are a lot of synth sounds here that sound like Wakeman could have appropriated them ... hmm). One thing the piece doesn't have is any clear structure, but that works to its benefit in this case; it's set up in such a way that ever thinking "shouldn't this be ending at some point?" should not really cross one's mind, because the atmosphere it creates isn't really one that has anything to do with time or space as we know it.

Sheesh, I like this album. Were it not for the fact that this is probably best listened to as background music (some of the best background music ever written), I might give it an even higher grade.

By many accounts a seminal release from this highly influential band, "Future Days" purveys a style that relies on both player and listener being subject to non pharmaceuticals. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, people were actually productive while under the influence - drugs haven't gone away but these days people don't take them for creative inspiration it seems. In any case, without the enhancements, this comes off as tribal music made by and for computers. The beats are incessant, the vocals barely audible, the ambient themes barely discernible.

Only on the title cut do we get the sense of the group's ability to compose while still improvising. This is hypnotic in a good way, with its chanted vocals developing a surprisingly strong melody under the circumstances, without the slightest concession to the establishment. The rest of the album has a few good moments sprinkled about but not enough to warrant the status this work enjoys.

I haven't heard any other early Can but I wouldn't say this one is essential, even if it does contain one excellent piece. However, if my description intrigues, then by all means dive into Can's days long past.

The last album with Damo Suzuki, although compared to the previous three(including Soundtracks) you don't notice him as much here. The band, or at least Holger Czukay, doesn't think much of this album. Future Days fits in that category of great albums where their makers disown them(Atom Heart Mother, Lizard). But silly me thinks this is their best album. Can(supposedly pronounced 'khan') had a sound all their own. They may sound vaguely similar to some other Krautrock bands, but these guys were in a league of their own. This album in particular doesn't really sound like any of the other ones. For example, the 20-minute "Bel Air" is the closest Can ever came to sounding like Symphonic Prog. "Moonshake" almost sounds like a leftover from Ege Bamyasi. It's not bad but it sticks out like a sore thumb here and it is clearly the worst song. But even Can's worst songs from '71-'73 sound better than many bands best songs.

Up until Babaluma and before they signed to Virgin, Can recorded all their music on 2- track. Most recordings in the early 1970s were done on 16-track. The songs Elvis recorded in the 1950s for example were recorded on 2-track. Only Czukay could make 2-track recordings from the early '70s sound *less* dated than the majority of music of the time. The band would record hours of jamming and improvisations and Czukay would edit the living hell out of them into 2-20 minute songs. Usually he would overlap different recordings on top of each other to create a sound much fuller than you would expect from 2-track recordings. The band would then attempt to recreate those songs in concert. What you have here is some of the finest examples of Czukay's magic at work.

The title track is very minimalistic and very low key. A strange way to start one of their albums. In many ways this is a mellower album than what they had done previously. "Spray" has most of the energy on the album. This jazzy and spacey track is almost instrumental with Damo coming in at the end. "Bel Air" deserves 5 stars by itself. It's more melodic and atmospheric than almost anything else the band did. There is a part around 18:30 where the music seems to have faded out and then comes slowly back. This part is much more dramatic on the original CD version(and vinyl I'm assuming). The remastered version has this part a bit louder and it loses the effect. Overall this music is not easy to describe. Jazzy drumming mixed with simple basslines; busy but not really rocking guitars mixed with repetitive keyboard parts. Some strange effects coming mainly from the keyboards. The vocals of Suzuki are usually half spoken/half sung. Unlike the previous two albums, there is nothing here that is really avant/noisy/strange like "Augmn"(Tago Mago) or the last half of "Soup"(Bamyasi). A good place to start with these guys but the first song might throw you off. 4.5 but I'll round it down to 4 because everything here is not as good as "Bel Air".

I can say as a modest fan of CAN, this is a disappointment. CAN's previous two classic albums were very vital in the rock department but contained some rather ''take-it-or-leave-it'' experimental tracks. FUTURE DAYS sees CAN go more boldly in the experimental direction by crossing that part of their music over the threshold into their penchant for creating interesting beats. Two honourable things blended together doesn't always make a nice mix; this sounds like CAN trying to mix chocolate syrup with bacon bits.

This album sees Irmin Schmidt coming to the forefront of the sound as every song save for one seems to be based around and features his keyboard padding. I'll admit that I'm glad there's more keyboards since past albums always struggled to bring Schmidt into the sound. Now, Schmidt is very present in the sound as is Jaki Liebezeit as usual. Unfortunately, the other three members are barely noticeable. I only notice Holger Czukay on ''Bel Air'' and Karoli and Damo are detectable in specs throughout the album.

The three gargantuan tracks (title, ''Spray'', ''Bel Air'') are loaded with keyboard pads and drum patterns and little of anything else unless your ears are amazing. Bedtime would be more appropriate to listen to these tracks than in the future because generally nothing happens throughout most of the album. The exception is the poppy ''Moonshake'', a light, almost tropical song that actually puts Damo and Karoli centre stage. All in a three minute track that sounds like a single.

I've been hoping to find the CAN album that is a runaway masterpiece, and I really wanted FUTURE DAYS to be that album. Instead, I find the album to be one of the most lulling experiences I've had with music. TAGO MAGO is an earth-shattering album that I would recommend to any listener interested in the band; FUTURE DAYS shall be left to the hardcore fans that wish to the balance of musical roles shift.

I've given this album a few years' time to percolate in my mind so I can give it a proper evaluation, and I'm finally ready to do my review of Future Days by Can - my favorite Can album.

This album marks both the beginning of Can's ambient/jazz period, but the ending of the lineup fronted by Damo Suzuki. That makes this a very important album. Not only is this album important, but it is incredibly good. There is no kraut-pointlessness on this album, and is definitely not as rough around the edges as Can's earlier releases. The sound on this album reminds me of a German take on the sound that Herbie Hancock used during the Mwandishi period, and it works very well. From the slightly exotic/tropical touches on the title track and the epic-length "Bel Air", to "Spray" which sounds like a soundtrack from the lost island of Atlantis, to the groovy island jazz of "Moonshake", this album is a winner throughout. Damo Suzuki's wonderful and quiet vocals are fantastic here, sounding much more like another instrument in the mix. Some of this music can really make you move your body, and "Moonshake" would be absolutely for a pool-side party. There are still plenty of psychedelic elements present in the music, but it all fits together much more nicely than any other example that I can think of.

Definitely a masterpiece in the krautrock genre, but I feel that I could honestly call this a fantastic jazz-rock album as well. If the harshness/weirdness of Can's earlier albums don't appeal to you much (I'm in this camp), then you should definitely check out this album and the following two albums. The two follow up albums, however, don't reach this level by a long shot.

The final Can album to feature Damo Suzuki rather proves that the musical direction they were heading in didn't require him; whilst his eccentric vocal style was essential to the sound of Tago Mago, from the croon of Paperhouse to the hootings and wailings of that album's more experimental tracks, here Suzuki almost disappears entirely as the band become wrapped up in their spacey, hypnotic instrumental jamming, which is perfected on album highlight Bel Air. The approach here would reach its peak on the excellent Soon Over Babaluma, but it's certainly an improvement over Ege Bamyasi; at the same time, as far as Can albums featurign Damo Suzuki go it's no match for the classic Tago Mago.

8/10

"Future Days" is a courageous step forward onto a completely different path for the band in question: one of the highlights of Can's glorious career.

After 'Tago Mago', Can released yet another landmark album, 'Ege Bamyasi', a more toned down, but still freaky LP that kept the fans still very happy. 'Future Days' follows 'Ege Bamyasi', leaving the fans stunned by how different this sounds from everything else the beloved band had done. Nevertheless, because of it's bravery, it still remains as an important Krautrock album and one of the highlights of Can's glorious artistic career.

'Future Days' indeed is the quietest of the band's albums; some have even drawn comparisons to Tropical music, because of it's extremely calm atmosphere. The production is very toned down, lowering the volume of all the instruments, especially the vocals, which seem always lost and drowned by the music. Of course, the lower tone is not accidental, it's just another form of experimentation Can decided to use, instead of the stunningly bizarre sounds used in 'Tago Mago'. We still have though a lot of typical Can elements, particularly the always very creative and versatile rhythm section, at times dominant in the music, at times rigid, at times loose, at time driving, at times laid back. It is though a much more melodic album, thanks to the straight-forward guitars and soft vocals. In other moments, it feels that the band is improvising instrumentally, especially thanks to the touch of organs, which give to the music almost a Jam Band feel.

'Future Days' includes only four tracks that barely end at the forty minute mark, like 'Ege Bamyasi'. But the forty minutes can be quite puzzling, starting from the first nine minutes, the title track, a great start for this album. It's a bit of a builder, where the punch is a soft, yet psychedelic influenced melody with Damo Suzuki's almost whispering vocals in the background. But surrounding that are tons of buried details, as if you were listening to the track in another room, with your ear attached to the wall. Same thing goes for the more lively 'Spray', a long instrumental that is a little less repetitive and hypnotic and much more progressive in nature. After the small little track 'Moonshake', that is however the loudest and liveliest this album gets, comes the grandiose, near to twenty minute epic 'Bel Air', a sort of mixture between Krautrock and Progressive, being at times repetitive, however having a structure very similar to the one of a suite, with a few melody changes and some free experimentation in between.

This album isn't one that exactly clicks at first listen, because it surprises and, in a way, disappoints a listener who perhaps was fond of the previous work of the band, like I was. 'Future Days' ends up being once again a courageous and interesting LP, contributing in giving the title to this wonderful band as the best Krautrock band.

The Sound of Summer

First of all, you have got to see music in coexistence with the times surrounding it. Can were at a very special place musically back in 1972 - Damo had proven to be an unforeseen vocal attribute to the band, and the way these guys rolled with each other was just a thing of beauty. An astonishing example of how you could twist sound out of it's proportion and make it into something funky, unhinged and psychedelic.

Recorded during the scorching heat of down-town Cologne in 1972, the sweat does actually drip from the walls during these recordings. The band is so into each other going by almost telepathic powers, that you get the feel of steam filled rooms with semi naked men roaming around frantically, and it shows.

Irmin Schmidt tends to be forgotten sometimes, but the way he conjures up sound and sparkling sodapop electronics on this outing is just mind-bendingly brilliant. It's like an organic pulse soaking everything around it in magic honey. Most wonderful thing about it though is it's willingness to cooperate with the ambient shamanistic and rather lethargic calypso funk of Jaki Liebezeit, who in return is remarkably loud in the mix. That is the thing about Can you have to remember: They were all about the sound and groove. In a live setting, Karoli's guitars would suddenly roar right through in the jam, whilst Czukay's bass similarly climbed to unknown sound levels, leaving Jaki's drums in the back. On here they are right up front, and it clearly demonstrates to me how much they appreciated what they indeed brought into the band. On some levels, Future Days is actually all about the feel the drumming gives off. The surrounding instruments circle around the beat like big surfing kites, and those great overdubbings he additionally does with the bongo drums is just some of the most frail beautiful and truly melodic drumming I have ever heard in my life.

Then you have the spirit of the 60s oozing through underneath it all as well. That was always what guitarist Michael Karoli injected into the sound. His jamming laid back suave and gentle persona counters the somewhat staccato stuttering and hypnotic force of the rhythm section, and does so with a natural docile touch. He's like an eternal trip to the beach, if you will. and backing him up in an unorthodox manner is Holger Czukay, who really is a bit of a mastermind. People who have heard his Canaxis album probably know what I'm on about, as this release displays some of the most adventurous soundscapes you'll ever come across. Together with Karoli he is like a fish in the sea. They know each other so well, and everything is right in the pocket. What this effectively does, is to grant the guys the power to break free at any given moment and still be right in the groove! And that is essentially what this album is all about: The Groove!!

Don't come looking for melodies and highly sung choruses here matey! This is about the summer- glistened sunlit bubbling groove of the mighty Can. Everything is an instrument in it's own right, even mimicking others at times whilst keeping the flooding beats. I know I don't normally write about albums with over 200 ratings, but then again there are albums I am always on about in the forums, and this is one of those, so instead of perpetuating the inevitable, I thought it best to share with you, one of my alltime great musical loves. This album also gets it's fair share of flack, and music will always be like that, but to me personally, I find Future Days timelessly beautiful. If you just forget about what Damo really is singing and let your mind transform him into an instrument, he becomes like this human tribal reed with strange wind-like characteristics to him.

Take it out at 5 in the morning, when the sun is getting outta bed and ready for some red and orange. This album has a thousand other colours to it, than originally shown on the blue front cover, and bringing Future Days with you into mother nature takes you to a whole other listening experience - proving to you just how organic and in tune these guys were. It is like stepping into a cooling breeze - like jumping in the tub after a week in the desert.

And when you think you got it pecked - you know what to expect next - you get Spray. This is an experiment, that not unlike Il Balletto di Bronzo's Ys is very reluctant to give off any sort of red thread or open melody. Two very different sounds, but still that wandering around in the surprisingly funky and tight musical space, still manages to convey the image of some remote cave explorers going around secret mountain alleys with flash lights looking for a way in the dark. The journey truly is the ride. Which quite efficiently speaks about the fuel running this band. They were seekers - true sound pioneers looking for the next great thing out there in the lands of music, and somehow Can were able to snatch on to it. They wielded that sucker right in - every time. At least for a period of 7 or 8 years, these guys were never less than hugely inspirational and unique in the world of experimental music.

Sometimes you miss that 6th star, and this is for me one of those occasions. I love this album.

I never thought I'd like a Can album more than Tago Mago, and when I originally heard "Future Days" this opinion was maintained.

Well, it's been several years, I forgot about, (then rediscovered) this magnificent band and while I love them much as I always did...to my surprise I fell in love with this album.

Call it growing older, but I appreciate the more subdued and mellow nature of this album, something I thought was lacking back then and missed the abrasive, over the top elements that I thought made Can what it was. However, "Future Days" is a beautiful album that maintains the Can essentials: chill, psychedelic atmosphere, drifting songs, arty guitar and Jaki's superb drumming with all the fixings: jazzy, driving, monotonous yet cerebral. However, on "Future Days" some other Can sounds are greatly subdued, if not removed entirely: the, (often harsh), noisy bits, over the top whackiness, blatant avant garde endeavors and most notably Damo's vocals.

Famous for his wild, I'd say insane, vocals singing a mish mosh of languages and sometimes not any at all, here Damo is majorly subdued and mellow. To be honest, while I love Damo, I can't say this change is unwelcomed. It not only fits the more atmospheric nature of this album, but I was a little perturbed by fans of experimental music who lament the artist experimenting or changing it up.

The unquestioned winner of this album is the 20 minute "Bel Air" which is a brilliant microcosm of the album itself: Relaxing, beautiful, minimalist, hypnotic and warm. In a style that could be called "post rock" the song dips into a brief interlude devoid of music and simply consists of birds chirping and bugs buzzing, makes me want to sit on a beach with a nice drink, before the music picks back up and gently builds to a powerful climax.

A beautiful album that should satisfy any fan of Can, (though one may be underwhelmed if they must have the older, more avant garde style) but I think can satisfy fans of most prog rock. A wonderful album that I'd dare say is Can's best.

FIVE STARS

"No attraction I can feel via such a well-arranged music creation", Damo SUZUKI said before he left CAN. Not sure what he really intended to do with the words as above, but let me mention I cannot hear enough Krautrock via this creation, too.

Via the first two "Future Days" and "Spray", we can hear slight Krautrock essence really ... some bubbled vibes or distorted sound interplay, repetitive hypnotic bottom line, complicated rhythmic basis ... every tonic phenomenon can express their essential Krautrock initiative. On the other hand, some artistic sound unification we cannot avoid. Yes so refined and so polished enough to confuse us. The shortest track "Moonshake" is filled with ethnic beats and heartwarming melodies. Damo's danceable percussive voices remind us of oldie goodie German psychedelia. Ermm, afraid we could not make our mind and feeling clearer and finally would rush into the last music courtesy.

Regardless of above mentioned, however, "Bel Air" should be called as their masterpiece without any suspicion. Upon synthesizer-based slow and smooth waterflow, dry and fruity guitar chops plus light drumming of comfort slip through. Damo's inspired and a tad philosophical voices can be hear like the last tragic phrases before the giant flies away. Inevitably wondering where such a mad hippie like Damo went for. Their performance upon this track might be not strict not harmonized in perfect manner (especially Damo's voices sound like an octopus sorry), but the gem merged, crystallized, and constructed with every talented play should get apotheosed really. 20 minutes? Very short for us. Time must not be absolute, I would say.

In conclusion, well understood what a lonely crazy guy pissing over the rainbow shouted. Not attractive as Krautrock but every progressive rock fan loves this creation. And my favourite one. That's the truth.

CAN continued its influential streak of influential recordings all throughout the early 70s as Germany's Krautrock scene splintered into myriad directions. CAN itself had crafted several albums each with distinct musical personalities but all rooted in a trimmed down version of progressive rock that focused on tight musical interplay, funk driven grooves and psychedelic, even hypnotic musical motifs. While "Tago Mago" caught the world's attention for its extreme unorthodoxies that took music based on the rock paradigm to include some of the world's furtherest out head trips, the band steered their sound to a more accessible percussive driven ambient flow on the following "Ege Bamyasi" which focused on the pulsating dynamics of the motorik deliveries of Jaki Liebezeit along with the spidery guitar playing of Michael Karoli, the alienating atmospheric keyboard playing of Irmin Schmidt and the extraordinary space funk bass grooves of Holger Czukay.

On the band's fifth album FUTURE DAYS, the band continued in the trajectory of "Ege Bamyasi" and focused even more on the ambient elements fluttering around the exotic busy percussive grooves that allow the instruments dance around while each musician creates a completely different counterpoint to the rhythmic oscillations. The change in musical direction meant a lessening role for vocalist Damo Suzuki and as a result he would depart the band after FUTURE DAYS which would continue on as a quartet with various members picking up the occasional vocal duties that found less and less of a spotlight. Unlike "Ege Bamyasi" that focused on aspects of rock music, FUTURE DAYS is a calmer effort that creates four tracks that evoke more atmospheric constructs even though the percussion remains as energetic as ever. The keyboards for example embody a floaty feel while the guitars create a form of space rock that eschews traditional 70s rock bombast.

Originally FUTURE DAYS consisted of three tracks on side one of the vinyl LP; the title track, "Spray" and "Moonshake" with the second dedicated to the side long magnanimity of "Bel Air" which just shy of the 20 minute mark resulted in one of CAN's most memorable and well-crafted tunes of its entire career. The title track begins the album with an immediate airier sound than the band's previous albums. Starting out with a fascination for water sounds and a tumult of ambient sounds that engage in an eerie procession before the expected motorik drumming leads the way accompanied by an oscillating "shaker" sound and a series of cyclical loops that have proved to be inspirational for all types of musical genres of the modern age including post-rock, industrial and various other experimental musical forms. While clearly rooted in the Krautrock scene, CAN stood out even amongst its peers in that its deconstructive approach was much more radical than any other act of the entire era.

"Spray" perhaps displays Czukay's importance as a bassist more than most tracks as his uncanny fretwork finds the bass implementing as important roles in the musical flow as the percussive drive. Also notable are Schmidt's amazing organ runs on this one with the guitar taking a lesser role. Perhaps the busiest sounding track on the album, the incessant percussive drive and organ heft are supplemented by the space funk bass and guitar counterpart that offers only occasional heft that can be heard distinctly from the dominance of the drumming. Suzuki is demoted to merely throwing out a few vocal utterances every now and again which sound rather patronizing as the musical flow is not dependent on him at all. The ultimate case of creating a need where none is needed. No wonder he would leave as the band developed such a full sound that the vocals were actually becoming a distraction. "Moonshake" takes on the strongest motorik percussive drive of all and reminds me of "Neu!" on its 1972 debut. This is also the only track that really allows Suzuki to stand in the limelight but even on this one there are vocal-free moments that allow the bizarre antics of the guitar and keys to dominate.

The strongest track by far is the side long "Bel Air" which displays the band in full effect. Whereas the shorter tracks showcased various trends in the band's developing fascination with ambience, this closer is the one that allows the subtle differences to organically unfold and also finds each musician slowly ratcheting up the tension since there is no time limitations. It also successfully implements Suzuki's vocal style to fit in with the developing motifs and doesn't sound like his contributions are wasted. In other words, this is the most convincing band effort on this one and the last gasp of Suzuki's involvement in the band before its consistent flow of strong albums would end before the hit and miss era that followed FUTURE DAYS. "Bel Air" is divided into sections although it's connected by a thematic flow of rhythm and melodic drive however after every few minutes, the song changes up a bit and engages in a new procession of variations. All the parts are equally enthralling and are stitched together quite beautifully.

While i prefer the much more experimental "Tago Mago" to the more sedate following albums, there's no doubt that FUTURE DAYS is one of the strongest album's in the CAN discography and is a close second for its consistency and ambient charm which is more focused than its predecessor and shows CAN at a creative peak before the inconsistency of the FUTURE DAYS would be the norm. In short, FUTURE DAYS is utterly infectious with tight interlocking grooves that display one of the most unique mixes of funk, rock, psychedelia and ambient. No musician steals the limelight here and CAN exhibits the qualities of a true democratic sound performance where every member's contributions are a vital aspect of creating a greater sum of the parts. True that Suzuki's vocals have been tamped down for the majority of the album but all is redeemed on the ending "Bel Air" where his presence is fully integrated into the CAN paradigm. Only slightly weaker than "Tago Mago" in my book but overall the second great masterpiece of CAN.

4.5 rounded up