patient_ot wrote:JGJR wrote:
As for CAN, they should be a separate thread. Lots and lots of great records even way past the Damo era. Some of the mid to late '70s stuff is super underrated IMO.
Agreed on the separate thread for more "rock" based bands of this type, or maybe just a Can-specific thread since they were so different from Amon Duul or whatever. I will admit I never paid much attention to the post-Damo era. I though Soon Over Babaluma was pretty good, but never went further than that. I've heard some hardcore fans say every album is essential, though I can't imagine I would love everything they did.
Soon Over Babaluma is great, the closest they ever got to Yes, but in a good way. It took me a little while to get used to Michael Karoli and Holger Czukay's vocals. Neither are Malcolm Mooney or Damo, but they are serviceable. Landed is their attempt at glam-rock ala Sparks, Roxy Music, or something in that vein. I haven't spent as much time with that one or the 2 after that, but I think they hit it out of the park.
The last one I'm familiar with is the '79 s/t album. I'm not really sure how to describe it. They'd settled into their own sound as a trio by that point and I think that was their last with Holger, too. It has nowhere near as much power as the earlier stuff and is more subtle and mellower, but it's a very nice listen. I've never heard the '86 album; I think that one is the big bugaboo in their catalog preventing more fans from saying that the catalog is perfect or whatever if you don't count the remix album. Oh and I think both volumes of Cannibalism are essential because there are lots of one-offs, single edits, etc. and they're pretty good introductions, too. I had the Lost Tapes box at one point, too; all great, but it's so much that it's kinda overwhelming.
