In many ways, Can was (and is) the ultimate rock band. Accordingly,volumes have been written about Can by writers far more eloquent,knowledgeable and pretentious than me, so I will forgo any in-depthexplication of the band's considerable importance and influence.Suffice to say that Can virtually invented a new paradigm for rockmusic, pioneering a marriage of avant-garde techniques andimprovisational rock. They combined classically trained instrumentalvirtuosity with unhinged psychedelic meltdown, and recorded epicrecords filled with massive, funky grooves that were simultaneouslytrance-inducing and booty-shaking.Though the back catalog has been available for years via vinyl andCD reissues on Mute/Spoon, this marks the first time that the albumshave been massively overhauled and subjected to new digitalremastering. Beginning with the first four chronological releases,these reissues were overseen by Can founders Holger Czukay and IrminSchmidt. All discs are playable on CD and SACD compatible players, andeach contains allegedly improved artwork (though it actually looks likea step down in quality to me), rare band photos, and predictable newliner notes by The Wire's David Stubbs.
Perhaps not surprisingly considering Czukay and Schmidt helmed thesereissues, the elements that seem most obviously emboldened by the newdigital mastering are the bass and keyboards. Because the originalalbums were all made from carefully edited and assembled two andfour-track recordings, it would have been impossible for a particularinstrument to be isolated and expanded in the mix. Nevertheless, I amcertain that I detect a bigger presence of bass across all four discs,and Schmidt's architectural swathes of organ have never sounded fulleror more atmospheric. The hiss that was often detectable on previous CDissues has been almost completely eradicated. Often when hiss isremoved from old recordings it can wreak havoc with the treble tonesand bottom end, smoothing every sharp edge away into soft-edged,nebulous blandness. However, an extremely careful job has been done toremove hiss without disadvantaging the original mix. The volume hasalso been increased considerably across all four albums. Louder is notnecessarily always better, but in this case, it means an increasedpresence and a greater sense of acoustic vastness, with no discernabledistortion. The hiss removal and volume increase contribute a terrificlive feeling to this material, dragging it out of a dusty, formaldehydepast into a seething, organic present, loaded with previously inaudiblesonic detail. Jaki Liebezeit also benefits from the remastering, witheach robotic, hypnotic pummeling of his primitive drumming burstingwith an even more earth-shattering urgency than before. Only the lateMichael Karoli seems relatively unchanged by the new digitalprocessing, his uniquely spindly, spidery guitar still shredding andpiercing its way through the mix.
Though I've never heard anyone claim it's their favorite Can album, the pre-Damo Suzuki debut Monster Movieis nonetheless a force to be reckoned with. This is primarily becauseof the sidelong behemoth of "Yoo Doo Right," on which American vocalistMalcolm Mooney obsessively scrapes up the remnants of a brokenrelationship while the band unleashes a stoned, hypnotic groove thatsets a new record for transcendent monotony. The remastering jobbreathes new life into the song, highlighting a sense of presence andcohesion that previous editions have lacked. Though I know it's aterrible cliché, it sounds almost as if the band is in the room withme, and I could practically feel the flecks of spittle flying out ofMooney's mouth with every anguished repetition of his lyrical refrain. Monster Movie and its follow-up Soundtracksseem to be the most improved of the four reissues, perhaps because ofthe comparatively poor quality of the original recordings.
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Soundtrackswas a collection of music Can recorded for fivelong-forgotten films, with the main attraction being the 15-minute"Mother Sky," containing the first example of Damo Suzuki's stunningvocal technique. The track sounds cleaner and crisper than ever before,with each strike of the kettle drum sounding absolutely monolithic, andCzukay's bass tracing its own melodic path through the song.
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The massive double LP Tago Magois my favorite album of all time, hands down, making objective analysisall but impossible. I've become quite accustomed, over the years, tothe sound of the previous Mute/Spoon CD issue, so I did not easilywelcome the changes apparent on the new remaster. After just a fewspins of this version, however, I was completely won over. Whether inthe thick, rich detail of Schmidt's cosmic keyboards on "Paperhouse" orthe warm, dimensional presence of the transcendent "Oh Yeah," this Tago Magohas much to recommend it over all previous incarnations. Quiet,simmering tracks like the dark, ritualized experimentation of "Aumgn"or the album's hazy comedown "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" benefittremendously, as new ghostly details become evident at all audiblelevels, making these pieces seem even more ingeniously conceived thanbefore.
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The differences are least obvious on Ege Bamyasi,although the volume increase and fidelity boost make tracks like theclassic "Spoon" sound razor sharp, living in the perpetual present,instead of some shaggy Krautrock past. I welcome any chance torediscover and experience anew the unparalleled genius of Can, butthese reissues are truly a cause for celebration. They literallybreathe new life into music that has become such a legendary,influential, intellectually scrutinized body of work that one mighthave assumed that it had no more surprises to offer. While I'm notconvinced by the new packaging or the rather doctrinaire liner notes,the improved sound of these discs more than makes up for thoseshortcomings. People who own the original LPs or the previousMute/Spoon reissues would be most enthusiastically encouraged to seekout these remastered editions, and for those who still don't own theseCan albums, you have no excuse not to run out and buy theseimmediately. They would also make a swell, reasonably priced Christmasgift for that very special music junkie in your life who might not haveeven heard them yet!
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