FUTURE DAYS

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)

Share this CAN review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to Rune2000
• Report this review (#281748)
• Buy CAN music online with PA partners
• Show all CAN MP3/Stream
• Go to CAN page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Future Days page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for CAN related discussions