Tago Mago

Mojo - "Punctuated by bursts of thunder and disturbing silences...it encapsulates the band's ability to demonstrate musical freedom within strict bounds." Mojo - 5 stars out of 5 - "TAGO MAGO displays Can's psych-free and disciplined sides at their most ritually balanced." Spin - Included in Spin's "5 Essential Krautrock Records" - "...'Post-rock' starts right here....one tough, streamlined groove..." The Wire - "[With] one of the most dazzling set-pieces in early 70s music." Magnet - "[The band's] groove-centric art-rock masterpiece..." Q - "[A] mind-expanding double-album...whose most jaw-dropping item is the 18-minute 'Halleluhwah'..." Spin (9/01, p.134) - Included in Spin's "5 Essential Krautrock Records" - "...'Post-rock' starts right here....one tough, streamlined groove..." Record Collector - 5 stars out of 5 -- "When Michael Karoli cuts loose with that stinging guitar solo near the end of 'Oh Yeah,' it's like setting the stone on archaeological perfection."

The influence of these seminal '70s Krautrockers on the alternative music of the '80s and '90s has been quiet but enormous. Blending the ethics of acid rock with a more forward-looking penchant for subtle sonic experimentation and atmospherics, Can dismantle traditional song structures to pursue lengthy explorations of pulsing polyrhythms, floating, associative guitar lines, keyboards, tape loops, hard, sometimes danceable grooves, and enigmatic, often indecipherable singing.
TAGO MAGO is one in a triumvirate of essential Can albums (also including EGE BAMYASI and FUTURE DAYS). The least "ambient" of the three, TAGO MAGO retains much of the group's early hard-edged, guitar-based sound while still creating tapestries of rhythm, space, and texture. Shimmering pieces such as "Bring Me Coffee Or Tea" alternate with full-fledged journeys into electronica ("Aumgn"), while the nearly 20-minute psych-groove opus that is "Halleluhwah" serves as the album's centrepiece. This disc is a crucial addition to any "alternative" record collection.|

With the band in full artistic flower and Damo Suzuki's sometimes moody, sometimes frenetic speak/sing/shrieking in full effect, Can released not merely one of the best Krautrock albums of all time, but one of the best albums ever, period. Tago Mago is that rarity of the early '70s, a double album without a wasted note, ranging from sweetly gentle float to full-on monster grooves. "Paperhouse" starts things brilliantly, beginning with a low-key chime and beat, before amping up into a rumbling roll in the midsection, then calming down again before one last blast. Both "Mushroom" and "Oh Yeah," the latter with Schmidt filling out the quicker pace with nicely spooky keyboards, continue the fine vibe. After that, though, come the huge highlights -- three long examples of Can at its absolute best. "Halleluwah" -- featuring the Liebezeit/Czukay rhythm section pounding out a monster trance/funk beat; Karoli's and Schmidt's always impressive fills and leads; and Suzuki's slow-building ranting above everything -- is 19 minutes of pure genius. The near-rhythmless flow of "Aumgn" is equally mind-blowing, with swaths of sound from all the members floating from speaker to speaker in an ever-evolving wash, leading up to a final jam. "Peking O" continues that same sort of feeling, but with a touch more focus, throwing in everything from Chinese-inspired melodies and jazzy piano breaks to cheap organ rhythm boxes and near babbling from Suzuki along the way. "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" wraps things up as a fine, fun little coda to a landmark record. ~ Ned Raggett