2 Strange German Records: Can’s Soon Over Babaluma and Amon Düül II’s Phallus Dei

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve purchased some strange German records from the local music store, the first one being Can’s album, Soon Over Babaluma (1974 United Artists).  

Can sometime after Damo Suzuki's departure

Monster Movie - 1969

Being a big fan of Can, it was one of the few releases by the group that I had never heard, so I was curious to say the least.  Thanks to the recommendation of a friend that worked at the store, I picked up the Lp (Thanx David!!).  For those who don’t know, Can was a psychedelic, experimental rock band from Cologne, Germany that formed in 1968.  The band released over 11 studio albums, as well as many compilations and live recordings, and their debut full length, Monster Movie (1969 United Artists) is often hailed as the first major Krautrock record, signaling the start of one of Europe’s most interesting rock movements.  

An earlier post, link to previous Can post here, made the statement that Can’s best material comes from the early era, before the departure of singer Damo Suzuki, but Soon Over Babaluma definitely challenges that thesis. Can recorded this album right after Suzuki’s exit, and it’s awesome!!  It’s a loud rock album and a quiet, ambient experiment all in one, very much  what one would expect after the release of the previous Future Days (1973 United Artists).  Guitarist Michael Karoli and keyboardist Irmin Schmidt provide vocals for the record, and they pull it off well.  Unfortunately, it’s hard to find YouTube samples from the album, and for some reason, this is due to EMI blocking American audiences from having access... I'm guessing it has something to do with copyright laws.... God, I hate that company....  Here’s the opening track, however, and hopefully EMI won’t remove the file any time soon.  The song’s called “Dizzy Dizzy”:

I love the addition of strings on that track, and it sounds really good for a session that was recorded on a two-track setup.  I hope it’s not redundant, but here’s a great video copy of the same song performed live:

I love Irmin Schmidt’s Silver Surfer jacket!!  The live version’s a lot funkier but lacks the strings and ambiance of the studio recording.  Both are really great jams.  Definitely check out the whole album.

http://www.mediafire.com/?3kmilzjgyuw

Amon Duul II

I recently picked up another German krautrock classic from the same store, Amon Düül II’s debut, Phallus Dei (1969 Repertoire).  Amon Düül II’s first studio release has also been claimed, alongside Can’s Monster Movie, to be one of the original krautrock records.  Amon Düül II formed out of the politically radical art commune known simply as Amon Düül.  The commune was founded in Munich, Germany in the late 60s, and the members embraced extreme leftist principles (some commune members, in fact, later joined the controversial Maoist group, the Red Army Faction...)  The commune performed and recorded music as Amon Düül, but some of the more “serious” musicians eventually wanted to develop the group’s sound more professionally and more commercially, causing a split in the commune and the birth of Amon Düül II.  In the early 70s, both Amon Düül and Amon Düül II released albums for the commercial market, but the latter project proved much more prolific and successful, releasing what I believe to be a total of 17 albums over the years.  I’m actually a little confused about the Amon Düül II discography because, being the commune they were, members came and went, making it difficult to determine where the “original” lineup ends and its later inception begins. Personally, I stick with the early stuff, which reminds one of the previously mentioned Can in many different ways.  The first record is a natural place to start. In fact, we’ll begin with the opening track of the album, “Kanaan”:

The song scores equal points for sonic psychedelia, but it doesn’t have that quirkiness characteristic of Can’s sound.  The highlight of the album, however, is the single title track that makes up side B of the record.  If you have time, check it out (if impatient, it really gets going around 3min 34sec...):

Wow!!  That’s a jam. If you like psychedelia, experimental rock, free jazz, prog, or anything of that milieu, get these albums.  They’re great!! Feel free to comment and enjoy the muzak!

Amon Duul II live in recent years...

http://www.mediafire.com/?0103xegxqdv

Here's to a great Record Store! Houston's Sound Exchange - The Right Price for My Favorite Albums by 2 Great Bands: Can & Yo La Tengo

Met some friends in downtown Houston today (well, yesterday when this actually posts...), and we decided to visit a local record store, Sound Exchange on Richmond Ave.  I don't know if it was the "black Friday" consumption extravaganza or what, but the prices at this record shop are unbeatable.  I recommend visiting to anyone passing through Houston. I found two records that aren't rare, but they're usually not cheap as well. (At least to my standards, and I'm not a "collector," so I have "cheap" standards... I just listen for the quality sound, so I love the reissues and reprints...)

Can circa 1972

Well first off, I picked up a vinyl import copy of my favorite Can album, Ege Bamyasi (originally released 1972 on United Artists).  I'm sure this album is many people's favorite Can record; it's a hard one to beat. The album was a breakthrough success for the band, containing such favorites as "Pinch," "Sing Swan Song," "Vitamin C," and of course "Spoon," which succeeded on the charts as a single.  For those who don't know, Can was a German experimental, psychedelic rock group that formed sometime in the late 60s and disbanded before the 80s. Due to their experimental nature, they are often labeled "Krautrock" and associated with groups like Faust, Ash Ra Tempel, Neu!, and Amon Duul II. Can stands out as my favorite project of this movement, without a doubt, and my favorite album is the one I finally picked up on Vinyl today at Houston's Sound Exchange.  In little more than a decade, the group released 11 studio albums, but the early 70s, with releases such as Tago Mago (1971 United Artists), Future Days (1973 United Artists), and a the aforementioned purchase, are the best years by far.  This is also the period that featured vocalist, Damo Suzuki, as frontman; perhaps that has something to do with it... The Fall seemed to think so as they released a song in the singer's honor, entitled "I am Damo Suzuki," on the album, This Nation's Saving Grace (1985 Beggars Banquet). Here's the opening track, "Pinch," from Can's Ege Bamyasi:



That's a great opener: groovy, psychedelic, weird, with indeterminable lyrics to top it off.  But nothing beats the song "Sign Swan Song," a track that fortunately is not their Swan Song as their career continues prolifically.  Most of us have probably heard this song, so here's some live footage of questionable sound quality:



If you have not heard the studio version of this song, definitely check it out; it's much mellower and more structured, better recording as well...  I think many people's favorite from this album is the groove called "Vitamin C," the opening tune of the 2nd side. Once again, here's a live clip of the famous song:



Unfortunately, it's only a fragment of the recorded song; I wish there was more.  Once again, listen to the studio version as well if you haven't checked out this excellent Can album.  This one is a definite essential for any Rock library.

Yo La Tengo

Now, is there any connection between Germany's Can and the New Jersey natives, Yo La Tengo?  In terms of influence, not that I know of, but who would be surprised if such were the case?  The connection here has to do with today's purchase at the Sound Exchange record store; I finally bought my favorite Yo La Tengo album on vinyl, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000 Matador Records). Yo La Tengo are an American "Indie Rock" group that formed in Hoboken, NJ in 1984 that are still active to this day.  There's nothing I could say about these guys that you probably don't already know; they're Indie Rock legends, up there with the likes of Pavement, Guided by Voices, or Wilco.  Over the years, they've released 12 studio albums as well as several Eps, film scores, and collaborative releases.  I love their 9th album the best, however. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out is the album where the band really mellowed their sound and focused more on texture and atmosphere.  Their distinctively noisy approach was replaced with more subdued, melodic compostions, involving diverse intrumentation in the background of each song's soundscape. My favorite tune on the album is the track, "Last Days of Disco":



That track would fit well on a playlist with some of the later Talk Talk & Slowdive material posted elsewhere on this blogsite.  A mellow, jazzy post-rock sensibility is obviously present in the song's sound.  Another great track is the song, "Tears Are in Your Eyes," and since most have probably heard it, I'll link another live video:



Now that tune would go well with the music of Neil Halstead & Rachel Goswell as well, but this time the sound sits well with their later country-influenced project, Mojave 3.  What a beautiful song! There was a better quality live video on the net, but I couldn't use it because the camera person completely ignores the talent of drummer & co-frontperson, Georgia Hubley. She and her husband, Ira Kaplan, share roles of lead vocals in the band, and she deserves just as much camera time... All this to say, it was a worthwhile visit to a well-known Houston record store that did not disappoint, and like I said before, the prices were great. I give the store an enthusiatic recomendation! Now I can't wait to head home and hear the records on my house stereo.... But before I depart I leave you with the epic conclusion to Yo La Tengo's And Then It Turned Itself Inside-Out, the song "Night Falls on Hoboken."  If you have the time, listen to the song, presented here in 2 parts:





Enjoy the tunes and take care!

 

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P.S. Hyperlinks aren't working, so paste the above addresses in your web-browser... Peace!