Soundtracks in the best Can album

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And Future Days is second. Why do people overlook it? Soundtracks features everything that makes Can great.

black betty, Friday, 19 August 2005 07:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes, but is a compilation effectively.

mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 19 August 2005 07:45 (eighteen years ago) link

Soundtracks in the best Can album and Future Days is second. Why do people overlook it? Soundtracks features everything that makes Can great.
-- black betty (bambala...), August 19th, 2005.

No it isn't, no it isn't, they don't, no it doesn't

Diddyismus (Dada), Friday, 19 August 2005 07:50 (eighteen years ago) link

But apart from that...

mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 19 August 2005 07:58 (eighteen years ago) link

OK then, I hate "Deadlock" (both versions) but everything else on it is brilliant

Diddyismus (Dada), Friday, 19 August 2005 08:00 (eighteen years ago) link

No it isn't, no it isn't, they don't, no it doesn't

BAHAHAHAHAHA

otherwise, i don't own it. although i have been discouraged because it doesn't get as much love as their other albums.

while we're on the subject, though, i finally picked up Tago Mago a few weeks ago and find 2/5 almost unlistenable. The other 3/5 more than makes up for it (and maybe I need some more time with it), but is anyone else with me?

poortheatre (poortheatre), Friday, 19 August 2005 08:14 (eighteen years ago) link

Corking album, Soundtracks.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 19 August 2005 08:15 (eighteen years ago) link

although i have been discouraged because it doesn't get as much love as their other albums

This a problem, this may help explain the over-inflated reputation of "Future Days"

i finally picked up Tago Mago a few weeks ago and find 2/5 almost unlistenable. The other 3/5 more than makes up for it (and maybe I need some more time with it), but is anyone else with me?

I'm with you. I ask myself, how often do I actually listen to "Aumgn" and "Peking O"? And I answer myself, hardly ever and rarely with much pleasure.

Diddyismus (Dada), Friday, 19 August 2005 08:18 (eighteen years ago) link

What's your take on Soon Over Babaluma?

poortheatre (poortheatre), Friday, 19 August 2005 08:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Love it to death but, as with most Can albums, there is "the duff track" and this time around it's "Splash"

Diddyismus (Dada), Friday, 19 August 2005 08:25 (eighteen years ago) link

OK then, I hate "Deadlock" (both versions) but everything else on it is brilliant

Sweet Jesus... "Deadlock" is such an amazing song. Probably the Can track I play most often. It sounds just so *bitter*. It reminds me in a way of the little instrumental theme they did for Wenders' "Alice in the Cities" (which I'd really love to get hold of).

Baaderonixx on a long black leash (Fabfunk), Friday, 19 August 2005 08:30 (eighteen years ago) link

You say "bitter" I say "overwrought" and "slightly proggy"

Diddyismus (Dada), Friday, 19 August 2005 09:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Tago Mago was a 2-record set, you know. So it made sense. You put one record on, and the other one stayed in its sleeve.

Diddyismus otm.
"Tango Whiskyman" is one of Jaki's finest moments.

eek, Friday, 19 August 2005 17:36 (eighteen years ago) link

the other one stayed in its sleeve

Spot on!

Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 19 August 2005 17:58 (eighteen years ago) link

sdtracks is always in my top 3 can albums, while the rest of the first 7 (counting delay) circulate through wildly. it might be because the suzuki/mooney split, it also might be because of "tango whiskyman", "dont turn on the light", "soul desert", and "mother sky", ALL of which are in my top 10 favorite can songs, which is a stabler list.

petesmith (plsmith), Friday, 19 August 2005 19:30 (eighteen years ago) link

I'll go with "Landed" or "Soon Over Babaluma"

SoHoLa (SoHoLa), Saturday, 20 August 2005 05:08 (eighteen years ago) link

"Vernal Equinox" is great but Landed is like ... around the bottom of my top 5.

I'm Hi, Jared Fogle (ex machina), Saturday, 20 August 2005 05:10 (eighteen years ago) link

"Mother Sky" = the most overrated early Can song! I will take "You Doo Right" and "Halleluwah" over it, thx.

"Deadlock" = greb t!

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 20 August 2005 05:16 (eighteen years ago) link

when I first got into Can I felt this way about Soundtracks

but not any more

and yeah, Landed is better than Simon Reynolds says...

m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 20 August 2005 10:49 (eighteen years ago) link

"Deadlock" reminds me of nothing so much as Goblin's theme for Dawn of the Dead. Only not as mind-blowingly cheesy awesome. But- "Mother Sky" overrated?! Surely you jest, man!

telephonethingwhatever, Saturday, 20 August 2005 11:04 (eighteen years ago) link

UR ALL FUCKIN CRAZY, TRAX 5-7 OF TAGO MAGO ARE MY FAVORITE OF THE WHOLE LP. STILL HAVENT HEARD SOUNDTRACKS BUT I NEED TO PICK IT UP SINCE MY FAVORITE CAN RECORD SO FAR IS MONSTER MOVIE AND I NEED MORE STUFF WITH MOONEY.

tonyD (noiseyrock), Sunday, 21 August 2005 03:19 (eighteen years ago) link

Delay 1968 with Mooney is also the bomb.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 21 August 2005 03:22 (eighteen years ago) link

peking-o is un-fucking-believably grate.

mullygrubbr (bulbs), Sunday, 21 August 2005 05:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Am I te only person who doesn't skip "Augm" but plays it loud? And then skips the rest of the album more regularly (lack of time usually)

mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 22 August 2005 07:34 (eighteen years ago) link

Too much guitar soloing on "Paperhouse" and "Halleluwah" is slightly too long. "Monster Movie" is the only Can album I have no complaints about whatsoever.

Diddyismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Monday, 22 August 2005 08:08 (eighteen years ago) link

"soul desert" is so tense!

you should always listen to tago mago from start to finish, ALWAYS. not doing so is like stopping white light/white heat when "sister ray" starts! like, dudes, c'mon.

haitch (haitch), Monday, 22 August 2005 12:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh come on, "Sister Ray" is MILES better than either "Aumgn" or "Peking O"

Diddyismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Monday, 22 August 2005 12:31 (eighteen years ago) link

"Aumgn" & "Peking O" disregard = yeah. "Sister Ray" eats both of them alive. But "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" is possibly my fave on Tago Mago so I can't totally knock the second side.

"Mother Sky" disregard = whatever! That song is the most visceral argument the band ever made for itself, and easily one of the best.

Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Monday, 22 August 2005 12:41 (eighteen years ago) link

"Bring Me Coffee or Tea" is good and then you hear "Sing Swan Song" and realise that they've just done the same thing about a thousand times better

Diddyismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Monday, 22 August 2005 12:44 (eighteen years ago) link

i dunno - theyre both great; i wouldnt want to get rid of either. coffee or tea is more cryptic/mysterious, partially owing to its place at the end of tago mago.

petesmith (plsmith), Monday, 22 August 2005 12:54 (eighteen years ago) link

here's the REAL question. TS: "soul desert" vs "thief"

petesmith (plsmith), Monday, 22 August 2005 12:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh no, the real question is surely "Mary, Mary, So Contrary" vs. "Thief" - to me the latter is a much better version of the former. Much as "Sing Swan Song" is a much tighter version of "Bring Me Coffee or Tea".

Diddyismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Monday, 22 August 2005 12:59 (eighteen years ago) link

but "soul desert" is reined in so well, just like "thief". i totally agree that theyre both better than "mary mary", but i can never decide which i like better. currently, i think its "soul desert".

petesmith (plsmith), Monday, 22 August 2005 13:05 (eighteen years ago) link

"Thief" has good words and it builds in intensity really well whereas "Soul Desert" is just super-intense all the way thru! But the music in "Thief" is better, especially the bass playing.

Diddyismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Monday, 22 August 2005 13:15 (eighteen years ago) link

Tago Mago > Soundtracks > Future Days > Ege Bamyasi > Monster Movie

Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 22 August 2005 18:38 (eighteen years ago) link

reading this thread makes me realize just how much i love can. i could make minute value judgments all day about their stuff, but the bottom line is that they really really rule.

petesmith (plsmith), Monday, 22 August 2005 18:55 (eighteen years ago) link

OTM

Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Monday, 22 August 2005 19:15 (eighteen years ago) link

Ege Bamyasi > Tago Mago > Monster Movie > Future Days > Soundtracks

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 22 August 2005 19:17 (eighteen years ago) link

OUT OFF REACHH ROXX U R ALL FHA GZ

donut floccinaucinihilipilification (donut), Monday, 22 August 2005 19:18 (eighteen years ago) link

I really like Malcolm's silly stuff, too, like "Connection" and "Mother Upduff." He's also very silly on the reunion album, with lyrics like "This time the experiment that we've made/Has turned out to be some new type of lemonade."

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 22 August 2005 19:24 (eighteen years ago) link

sorry Ian, but Tim actually otm for once! (insert Delay '68 between Tago and Monster)

amon (eman), Monday, 22 August 2005 19:33 (eighteen years ago) link

and Soon After Babalabalablabuma goes between Monster Movie and Future Days

amon (eman), Monday, 22 August 2005 19:35 (eighteen years ago) link

not doing so is like stopping white light/white heat when "sister ray" starts!

People skip "Sister Ray?" Weird. I always thought that "The Gift" was the obvious clunker on WL/WH..

poortheatre (poortheatre), Monday, 22 August 2005 20:10 (eighteen years ago) link

no, Tim is wrong.

I'm Hi, Jared Fogle (ex machina), Monday, 22 August 2005 20:17 (eighteen years ago) link

The Gift without vokills = the JAMM

Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 22 August 2005 20:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Killers > Can

amon (eman), Tuesday, 23 August 2005 01:49 (eighteen years ago) link

Kill yourself.

Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Tuesday, 23 August 2005 02:57 (eighteen years ago) link

get one joke detector

amon (eman), Tuesday, 23 August 2005 03:45 (eighteen years ago) link

i dont mean to be a pest, ian, but "the gift" w/o vocals = "the booker t." technically.


just sayin is all.

petesmithhhhh, Tuesday, 23 August 2005 04:23 (eighteen years ago) link

I always thought that "The Gift" was the obvious clunker on WL/WH..

-- poortheatre

B-b-but "The Gift" = "Mother Upduff"! (Narratively, I mean.)

Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 23 August 2005 06:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Monster Movie > Ege Bamyasi > Tago Mago > Soundtracks > Soon Over Babaluma > Future Days > Landed > Saw Delight > Flow Motion > Rite Time > Can > Out of Reach

Can't work out quite where to put "Delay 1968" and "Unlimited Edition". "Tago Mago" and "Soundtracks" are interchangeable, depending on mood, as are "Future Days" and "Landed", as are "Saw Delight" and "Flow Motion"...

Diddyismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Tuesday, 23 August 2005 11:48 (eighteen years ago) link

thirteen years pass...

It's really struck me how much Mother Sky is a blues-reduced interpolation of the long version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's version of Suzie Q. It was the beat at first; contrary to lazy received opinion it's mostly not a straight four to the floor 'motorik,' but Karoli also seems to be riffing on the guitar solos while Damo does those little angelic vocal interludes.

And then I realised that the name of Jane Asher's character in Deep End is... Susan.

the sun-dried raisins of muesli (Noel Emits), Sunday, 16 September 2018 21:08 (five years ago) link

By astonishing coincidence I was watching that very film for the first time not an hour ago, and spent the red light district scene where Mother Sky plays on the soundtrack involuntarily air-drumming along.

Category: Animist Rock (Matt #2), Sunday, 16 September 2018 22:28 (five years ago) link

xpost pedantic thing, sorry, but four to the floor isn't motorik. four to the floor is a bass drum on every quarter note, on the beat (like pink floyd's 'another brick in the wall').

the bass drum in a motorik beat is typically struck on all the eighth notes (or the variation where it's struck on every eight note in a measure except for the 2's and 4's, when the snare drum is struck), like Neu's 'hallogallo'. technically, i'm not sure there's any motorik on "mother sky" - generally Jaki is just hitting the BD on the off-beats (every other eighth note), which if anything is a slower precursor to the 'blast beat' in a lot of hardcore punk.

i know none of this matters, and also 'mother sky' RULES

Karl Malone, Sunday, 16 September 2018 22:42 (five years ago) link

I think in parts of Mother Sky (near the beginning) he is hitting every 8th note, then the same with accents on the off-beats (or it might be an overdub) then the cut and it switches to those off-beat syncopated kicks where it mostly stays. Very cool - and very much the same as Suzie Q.

Does Dinger skip the 2 and 4 in Hallogallo? I think they're all there.

the sun-dried raisins of muesli (Noel Emits), Sunday, 16 September 2018 22:57 (five years ago) link

I don't think it's at all fanciful to suppose the director wanted a version or suggestion of that song and that's what they came up with. The lyrics would fit with the lad Mike's obsessed condition and it makes sense of what that song is doing in that sequence.

the sun-dried raisins of muesli (Noel Emits), Sunday, 16 September 2018 23:10 (five years ago) link

i'm not hearing this at all

budo jeru, Sunday, 16 September 2018 23:40 (five years ago) link

You don't hear that it's a very similar (and quite unusual) drum pattern? Then listen to the guitar solo that starts around 3:48 and the way the bass simplifies and the drums intensify with it. Speed it up a bit and that's Mother Sky rght there. Karoli even uses a similar guitar tone that you don't hear in any other Can song I can think of. The atmosphere of the songs has a lot in common as well, and those spacy delayed / feedback noises that sound like Irmin Schmidt's keyboard synthy things.

https://youtu.be/YJe5sMBpnNY

the sun-dried raisins of muesli (Noel Emits), Sunday, 16 September 2018 23:56 (five years ago) link

The guitar solo which then follows the trippy vocal bit, Michael Karoli almost literally copies parts of it except he plays it way tighter. Meanwhile the added crash and snare hits (6:26...) are almost exactly replicated in the instrumwntal parts where Mother Sky builds.

the sun-dried raisins of muesli (Noel Emits), Monday, 17 September 2018 00:24 (five years ago) link

I think it is possible, especially considering Can pretty much just improvised their music. Start with an idea and go, probably with the deadline for the film in the background.

earlnash, Monday, 17 September 2018 01:14 (five years ago) link

five years pass...

i am currently watching roland click's modern-day spaghetti western DEADLOCK (1970) which among other things helps you hear that can's* song deadlock is clearly conceived as being morriconish

•the can, call them by their on-screen name

mark s, Sunday, 8 October 2023 18:09 (six months ago) link

good movie, if you appreciate very unattractive and sweaty men in a desert landscape

mark s, Sunday, 8 October 2023 18:10 (six months ago) link


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