dj mencap write-up = intrigued, although i'm surprised he says that about beefheart
― delete (imago), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:42 (eleven years ago) link
amg
review[-] by Mike DeGagneAs the Groundhogs' best example of their gritty blues-rock fire and unique form of guitar-driven music, Split reveals more about Tony McPhee's character, perseverance, and pure love for performing this style of blues than any other album. Based around the misunderstanding and mystery of schizophrenia, Split takes a raw, bottom-heavy recipe of spirited, spunky guitar riffs (some of the best that McPhee has ever played) and attaches them to some well-maintained and intelligently written songs. The first four tracks are simply titled "Part One" to "Part Four" and instantly enter Split's eccentric, almost bizarre conceptual realm, but it's with "Cherry Red" that the album's full blues flavor begins to seep through, continuing into enigmatic but equally entertaining tracks like "A Year in the Life" and the mighty finale, entitled "Groundhog." Aside from McPhee's singing, there's a noticeable amount of candor in Peter Cruickshank's baggy, unbound percussion, which comes across as aimless and beautifully messy in order to complement the blues-grunge feel of the album. Murky, fuzzy, and wisely esoteric, Split harbors quite a bit of energy across its eight tracks, taking into consideration that so much atmosphere and spaciousness is conjured up by only three main instruments. This album, along with 1972's Who Will Save the World?, are regarded as two of the strongest efforts from the Groundhogs, but Split instills a little bit more of McPhee's vocal passion and dishes out slightly stronger portions of his guitar playing to emphasize the album's theme.
As the Groundhogs' best example of their gritty blues-rock fire and unique form of guitar-driven music, Split reveals more about Tony McPhee's character, perseverance, and pure love for performing this style of blues than any other album. Based around the misunderstanding and mystery of schizophrenia, Split takes a raw, bottom-heavy recipe of spirited, spunky guitar riffs (some of the best that McPhee has ever played) and attaches them to some well-maintained and intelligently written songs. The first four tracks are simply titled "Part One" to "Part Four" and instantly enter Split's eccentric, almost bizarre conceptual realm, but it's with "Cherry Red" that the album's full blues flavor begins to seep through, continuing into enigmatic but equally entertaining tracks like "A Year in the Life" and the mighty finale, entitled "Groundhog." Aside from McPhee's singing, there's a noticeable amount of candor in Peter Cruickshank's baggy, unbound percussion, which comes across as aimless and beautifully messy in order to complement the blues-grunge feel of the album. Murky, fuzzy, and wisely esoteric, Split harbors quite a bit of energy across its eight tracks, taking into consideration that so much atmosphere and spaciousness is conjured up by only three main instruments. This album, along with 1972's Who Will Save the World?, are regarded as two of the strongest efforts from the Groundhogs, but Split instills a little bit more of McPhee's vocal passion and dishes out slightly stronger portions of his guitar playing to emphasize the album's theme.
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:43 (eleven years ago) link
ahhh, didn't see the J. Cope bit. lawlz
― delete (imago), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:44 (eleven years ago) link
Groundhogs?!
OK, this is officially one wacky poll! (fuck Rolling Stone etc.)
― Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:44 (eleven years ago) link
"Junkman" is insane. A ramshackle Fall-type Steptoe & Sonic boom of a song, which veers into staccato Guru Guru stop-start, before collapsing into freeform slide-toilet bowl FX guitar for several minutes.
AKA a piece of crap to you and me
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:45 (eleven years ago) link
Split is a brilliant album
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:45 (eleven years ago) link
Are you sure you're counting these up right?
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:46 (eleven years ago) link
Seandalai tabulates my polls not me
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:46 (eleven years ago) link
I have never even heard of the Groundhogs! Sign of a good poll imo.
― Newgod.css (seandalai), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:47 (eleven years ago) link
famous fans include John Peel (natch), Josh Homme, Stephen Malkmus,Julian Cope, Karl Hyde (of underworld)
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:48 (eleven years ago) link
Groundhogs are cool and all, but it never would've occurred to me they'd make the top 12, much less the top 100.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:48 (eleven years ago) link
Mark E. Smith too? (xp)
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:49 (eleven years ago) link
power of campaigning
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:49 (eleven years ago) link
If you like Groundhogs, you'll probably really like Captain Beyond's s/t record, which does similar-ish things a little better (mind you this is after 1 Groundhogs track, the damn thing's probably about to engulf me)
― delete (imago), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:49 (eleven years ago) link
Split is way better than that
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:50 (eleven years ago) link
11. CAN Ege Bamyasi (4826 Points, 33 Votes, 1 #1)RYM: #8 for 1972, #130 overall | Acclaimed: #759 | Pitchfork: #19http://moole.ru/uploads/posts/2009-04/1238872332_1.1.jpghttp://open.spotify.com/album/5qGj4yVyEMdOqcreJmJS60spotify:album:5qGj4yVyEMdOqcreJmJS60
Ege Bamyasi is a tighter, more sophisticated version of Tago Mago, though it lacks some of the earlier album's sense of excitement. The group integrates textures, rhythms and experiments into an almost jazz-like form on the two longer pieces, while also producing more concise songs of lyrical beauty like "Sing Swan Song" and "I'm So Green." One of Can's best. -- Trouser PressWeird and radical innovation, that still sounds bizarre twenty odd years on! In contrast (in fact in contrast with each other) the other two albums to feature Damo were, on the whole, less extreme: EGE BAMYASI with a collection of mostly shorter accessible songs, though still odd and uniquely Can, unexpectedly breaking-out with the wild avant-garde 10 minute "Soup" on the second side. -- Cosmic EggEge Bamyasi was the closest to a pop LP that Can ever got. That's not to say that it is pop, but there are at least clear cut songs with grooves of delightful melody and moment, plus a teen-appeal that still leaves me gasping with love for Damo Suzuki. Ege Bamyasi opens with the percussive rush of 'Pinch', nine minutes of groove in which the whole group seems to stand around the direction of Jaki Leibezeit's fury of drumming. Only Damo's vocal monologue edges out of the taut melee and one of the group hangs a hook on his vocals with a retarded but ultra-catchy mechanical bird-whistle. 'Sing Swan Song' follows in its devotional mid-tempo wake, like a fast funeral barge rowed by warriors, sculling to the music. Damo's vocals are breathily soaring and always his half English sounding, half-unconscious lyrical pronouncements end in the words '...Sing Swan Song' to give the strong impression of something divine being lost. 'One More Night' completes Side 1's drum-led groove down a narrow alley where one chord is enough for Damo to coo "One more Saturday night, one more suck o' your head" over and over. Behind him, the most sexual ethereality enfolds the listener, as Suicidey distantness sends him to sleep. The bedroom mood continues on to Side 2 with the pleading chorus of "Hey you, you're losing, you're losing, you're losing, you're losing your Vitamin C." Again the drums clatter and bounce as Holger Czukay’s abrupt bass scatters hard low percussives into the arena. The album is then cut in half by the wild trance-funk of 'Soup', a 10-minute freakout back in Tago Mago land. I didn't love it as a 14-year old except for its ability to empty rooms. Harmonically, I wish now that it were at the end of the album, but what a fucking carve up. When Damo starts raving like Kevin Rowland from Dexy's it gets really funny. Then it's into 'I'm So Green', my favourite-ever Can song. This light breeze of a song is so flimsy that it threatens to blow away at any minute. Here's where the David Cassidy comparisons compare most favourably. And then 'Spoon' closes Ege Bamyasi with just about the most unusual "Making love in the afternoon" hit song of all time. This was the first Can LP I bought brand new (Torquay 1972) and it is still my favourite. -- J. CopeBy far the most canonized (yar) of the Krautrock bands, and for good reason. Two students of Stockhausen (Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt) were shaken out of their avant-garde snobbery and introduced to leading-edge pop music (“I am the Walrus,” Hendrix, Mothers of Invention, Captain Beefheart, Velvet Underground) by Czukay’s 19 year-old student, Michael Karoli. Black American sculptor and teacher Malcolm Mooney applied his untrained vocals with utter abandon. Monster Movie (1969) was an excellent debut that built upon their influences, taking the first step towards defining their sound. Mooney freaked out and left the country, and Can found a new singer in Japanese street busker Damo Suzuki. Soundtracks (1970) features the often-covered “Mother Sky.” Tago Mago (1971) is considered by many as their peak. Chaotic and tribal, it can be difficult listening. Ege Bamyasi is to Tago Mago like Beefheart’s Lick My Decals Off, Baby was to Troutmaskreplica—more focused, concise, better. -- Fastnbulbous
Weird and radical innovation, that still sounds bizarre twenty odd years on! In contrast (in fact in contrast with each other) the other two albums to feature Damo were, on the whole, less extreme: EGE BAMYASI with a collection of mostly shorter accessible songs, though still odd and uniquely Can, unexpectedly breaking-out with the wild avant-garde 10 minute "Soup" on the second side. -- Cosmic Egg
Ege Bamyasi was the closest to a pop LP that Can ever got. That's not to say that it is pop, but there are at least clear cut songs with grooves of delightful melody and moment, plus a teen-appeal that still leaves me gasping with love for Damo Suzuki. Ege Bamyasi opens with the percussive rush of 'Pinch', nine minutes of groove in which the whole group seems to stand around the direction of Jaki Leibezeit's fury of drumming. Only Damo's vocal monologue edges out of the taut melee and one of the group hangs a hook on his vocals with a retarded but ultra-catchy mechanical bird-whistle. 'Sing Swan Song' follows in its devotional mid-tempo wake, like a fast funeral barge rowed by warriors, sculling to the music. Damo's vocals are breathily soaring and always his half English sounding, half-unconscious lyrical pronouncements end in the words '...Sing Swan Song' to give the strong impression of something divine being lost. 'One More Night' completes Side 1's drum-led groove down a narrow alley where one chord is enough for Damo to coo "One more Saturday night, one more suck o' your head" over and over. Behind him, the most sexual ethereality enfolds the listener, as Suicidey distantness sends him to sleep.
The bedroom mood continues on to Side 2 with the pleading chorus of "Hey you, you're losing, you're losing, you're losing, you're losing your Vitamin C." Again the drums clatter and bounce as Holger Czukay’s abrupt bass scatters hard low percussives into the arena. The album is then cut in half by the wild trance-funk of 'Soup', a 10-minute freakout back in Tago Mago land. I didn't love it as a 14-year old except for its ability to empty rooms. Harmonically, I wish now that it were at the end of the album, but what a fucking carve up. When Damo starts raving like Kevin Rowland from Dexy's it gets really funny. Then it's into 'I'm So Green', my favourite-ever Can song. This light breeze of a song is so flimsy that it threatens to blow away at any minute. Here's where the David Cassidy comparisons compare most favourably. And then 'Spoon' closes Ege Bamyasi with just about the most unusual "Making love in the afternoon" hit song of all time. This was the first Can LP I bought brand new (Torquay 1972) and it is still my favourite. -- J. Cope
By far the most canonized (yar) of the Krautrock bands, and for good reason. Two students of Stockhausen (Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt) were shaken out of their avant-garde snobbery and introduced to leading-edge pop music (“I am the Walrus,” Hendrix, Mothers of Invention, Captain Beefheart, Velvet Underground) by Czukay’s 19 year-old student, Michael Karoli. Black American sculptor and teacher Malcolm Mooney applied his untrained vocals with utter abandon. Monster Movie (1969) was an excellent debut that built upon their influences, taking the first step towards defining their sound. Mooney freaked out and left the country, and Can found a new singer in Japanese street busker Damo Suzuki. Soundtracks (1970) features the often-covered “Mother Sky.” Tago Mago (1971) is considered by many as their peak. Chaotic and tribal, it can be difficult listening. Ege Bamyasi is to Tago Mago like Beefheart’s Lick My Decals Off, Baby was to Troutmaskreplica—more focused, concise, better. -- Fastnbulbous
review[-] by Ned RaggettThe follow-up to Tago Mago is only lesser in terms of being shorter; otherwise the Can collective delivers its expected musical recombination act with the usual power and ability. Liebezeit, at once minimalist and utterly funky, provides another base of key beat action for everyone to go off on -- from the buried, lengthy solos by Karoli on "Pinch" to the rhythm box/keyboard action on "Spoon." The latter song, which closes the album, is particularly fine, its sound hinting at an influence on everything from early Ultravox songs like "Hiroshima Mon Amour" to the hollower rhythms on many of Gary Numan's first efforts. Liebezeit and Czukay's groove on "One More Night," calling to mind a particularly cool nightclub at the end of the evening, shows that Stereolab didn't just take the brain-melting crunch side of Can as inspiration. The longest track, "Soup," lets the band take off on another one of its trademark lengthy rhythm explorations, though not without some tweaks to the expected sound. About four minutes in, nearly everything drops away, with Schmidt and Liebezeit doing the most prominent work; after that, it shifts into some wonderfully grating and crumbling keyboards combined with Suzuki's strange pronouncements, before ending with a series of random interjections from all the members. Playfulness abounds as much as skill: Slide whistles trade off with Suzuki on "Pinch"; squiggly keyboards end "Vitamin C"; and rollicking guitar highlights "I'm So Green." The underrated and equally intriguing sense of drift that the band brings to its recordings continues as always. "Sing Swan Song" is particularly fine, a gentle float with Schmidt's keyboards and Czukay's bass taking the fore to support Suzuki's sing-song vocal.
The follow-up to Tago Mago is only lesser in terms of being shorter; otherwise the Can collective delivers its expected musical recombination act with the usual power and ability. Liebezeit, at once minimalist and utterly funky, provides another base of key beat action for everyone to go off on -- from the buried, lengthy solos by Karoli on "Pinch" to the rhythm box/keyboard action on "Spoon." The latter song, which closes the album, is particularly fine, its sound hinting at an influence on everything from early Ultravox songs like "Hiroshima Mon Amour" to the hollower rhythms on many of Gary Numan's first efforts. Liebezeit and Czukay's groove on "One More Night," calling to mind a particularly cool nightclub at the end of the evening, shows that Stereolab didn't just take the brain-melting crunch side of Can as inspiration. The longest track, "Soup," lets the band take off on another one of its trademark lengthy rhythm explorations, though not without some tweaks to the expected sound. About four minutes in, nearly everything drops away, with Schmidt and Liebezeit doing the most prominent work; after that, it shifts into some wonderfully grating and crumbling keyboards combined with Suzuki's strange pronouncements, before ending with a series of random interjections from all the members. Playfulness abounds as much as skill: Slide whistles trade off with Suzuki on "Pinch"; squiggly keyboards end "Vitamin C"; and rollicking guitar highlights "I'm So Green." The underrated and equally intriguing sense of drift that the band brings to its recordings continues as always. "Sing Swan Song" is particularly fine, a gentle float with Schmidt's keyboards and Czukay's bass taking the fore to support Suzuki's sing-song vocal.
Locked in for the finale as long as my browser doesn't crash.
― Eamon Dool Two (Mr Andy M), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:51 (eleven years ago) link
Pete Hook ('nother G'Hog fan)
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:52 (eleven years ago) link
oh yeah, Split Part 2 is the shit. liking this plenty
― delete (imago), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:52 (eleven years ago) link
I hope somewhere there's a Groundhogs tribute band called Minced Pig
― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:55 (eleven years ago) link
WARM JETSSSSSS! My #1. Homer simpson was right: "rock" music did attain perfection in 1974. Eno's incarnation as reptilian sexpot demigod = one of the happier occurences on this wretched planet.
aagggghhh title track to Here Come the Warm Jets is one of my favorite songs of all time! it's the embodiment of everything all at once! truly the portal to another dimension if you listen to it at the right time and place.― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:27 (13 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalinktitle-track was an excellent first choice of PA track after the recent Wire gig, which ended with ten minutes of 30 gutarists making white noise― delete (imago), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:28 (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalinkdreamy― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:29 (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:27 (13 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
title-track was an excellent first choice of PA track after the recent Wire gig, which ended with ten minutes of 30 gutarists making white noise
― delete (imago), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:28 (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
dreamy
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:29 (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
OTMFM. For about a decade now I've had a ~vibes~ DJ set existing in my head for which title track is the closer.
imago also otm re driving me backwards, but the whole album is pretty misanthropic! Like "cindy tells me" is actually a pretty shitty take on "middle-class feminism" (don't pay attention to eno telling you not to pay attention to the meanings of these songs) but that's part of its power, a scabrous bourgeois sneer wrapped in an almost-pretty package.
― beau 'daedaly (wins), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:55 (eleven years ago) link
EGE BAMYASI! My #10, best can.
― beau 'daedaly (wins), Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:56 (eleven years ago) link
predictions for the top 10 everyone?
lets see who gets the closest!
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:59 (eleven years ago) link
still no space ritual. would have though it was a top ten impossibility but if groundhogs can take 12....
― stirmonster, Thursday, 28 March 2013 18:59 (eleven years ago) link
Make them now as im eating my dinner. will post #10 in 10 mins
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:00 (eleven years ago) link
o space ritual will most probably be top 5
― delete (imago), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:00 (eleven years ago) link
Tago Mago, Funhouse.... errrrrrrrr..... The Modern Dance?
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:01 (eleven years ago) link
I still haven't seen Satori show up and I'm pretty excited to see where that will go.
― Non-Stop Erotic Calculus (bmus), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:01 (eleven years ago) link
are you taking it right up to #1 tonight, AG?
― stirmonster, Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:01 (eleven years ago) link
don't rush your dinner AG!
― beau 'daedaly (wins), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:02 (eleven years ago) link
"Marquee Moon" been in yet?
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:02 (eleven years ago) link
xxxp Modern Dance already placed I think?
― Eamon Dool Two (Mr Andy M), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:02 (eleven years ago) link
fun house #1, I reckon
― beau 'daedaly (wins), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:03 (eleven years ago) link
Surely some Kraftwerk to come?
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:03 (eleven years ago) link
Suspecting at this stage that Ash Ra Tempel self-titled has bitten the dust. Still half-expecting to see Satori and Yeti.
― Eamon Dool Two (Mr Andy M), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:03 (eleven years ago) link
so...
fun housevol 4unknown pleasuresspace ritualtago magosatorimarquee moonyeti
...all still to come right?
― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:04 (eleven years ago) link
"Satori"? Are you serious?
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:05 (eleven years ago) link
only kraftwerk nommed were 1st 2, right? and they've both placed
― beau 'daedaly (wins), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:05 (eleven years ago) link
I know "Split" made it to #12 but...
probably some talking heads to fill the 'boring classics' quotient
― delete (imago), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:05 (eleven years ago) link
satori will place yeah
― beau 'daedaly (wins), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:06 (eleven years ago) link
Right K'werk not rawk enough I suppose
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:06 (eleven years ago) link
heads were vetoed!
oh good
― delete (imago), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:06 (eleven years ago) link
I'm obv. totally out of touch with what's considered good these days
also they rule and fuck you :-)
xp
― beau 'daedaly (wins), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:07 (eleven years ago) link
Pink Fairies >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Talking Heads
(joke)
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:07 (eleven years ago) link
yes i asked earlier if everyone wanted me to finish tonight and they did. so i shall
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:08 (eleven years ago) link
Maggot Brain will obv be about somewhere.
― Eamon Dool Two (Mr Andy M), Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:08 (eleven years ago) link