EGE BAMYASI

Unlike the albums before it, Ege Bamyasi featured quite a few shorter tracks and not a single composition over 11 minutes mark. Did that mean that Can had finally given up the long improvisations and became a commercially successful band? Not really, although considering that their single Spoon was a hit in Germany there was some unintentional success. From what I've gathered, recording this album was a frustrating process for the band and due to the lack of material the single Spoon was added to the end of the record just to fill out the space.

Still, this is far from why I consider it an inferior album from the Damo Suzuki-era. My main concern has to do with the track arrangement. Of course I can understand that Can wanted to mix things up a bit after Tago Mago that featured its longest tracks towards the middle of the album. Ege Bamyasi features the first longer groove/jam composition right off the bat. Even though I enjoy Pinch for its steady hypnotic groove and off the wall work by Damo Suzuki, the song lacks a punch that has been featured on previous album openers and instead plays like a transition to the next three shorter tracks. Note that this was never the case on Tago Mago even though that release was double the length of Ege Bamyasi nothing there could even remotely constitute for transition material. The perfect placement of the avant-garde material in the middle of the album created a real surprise for the listener, while here it's more of a roller coaster ride where the two longer tracks feel just like rising to the top, leading up to the fall, while the shorter tracks are the fun parts.

By this time Can began to incorporate vast amounts of world music influences into their work which was an interesting addition to their sound while, at the same time, smoothing out some of the band's rawer and more energetic moments. This album is also much groovier and less experimental than the previous releases which, in a way, was a sign of the things to come. When the material hits all the right notes this album becomes a real treat, but there are only a few such instances and they become easily overshadowed by the lesser material.

Ege Bamyasi can be considered a transitional album for Can. A weird mix between the raw avant-garde sound of the past and the hypnotic groove sound achieved on Future Days. Personally I just lack the energy and inspiration even though this was the period where Can could do no wrong. Hence, good but non-essential release!

***** star songs: Vitamin C (3:34) Spoon (3:04)

**** star songs: Pinch (9:27) Sing Swan Song (4:47) I'm So Green (3:04)

*** star songs: One More Night (5:34) Soup (10:32)

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