Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can

Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can > Reviews > Can I Have a Sauerkraut Moonshake

Kraut Rock - StudioRecording - 1 CD(s) - Label: Spoon - Distributor: EMI - Released: 01/08/2005 - 724356329522 more

2 offers from £8.97 to £10.98

Overall user rating Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can 1 review | Write a review | Add product to list





Please wait ....
Rate this product:  
 
All Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can reviews
Can I Have a Sauerkraut Moonshake
A review by Champ666 on Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can
February 16th, 2006


Author's product rating:   Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can - rated by Champ666

Originality Groundbreaking 
Lyrics Not applicable 
Quality and consistency of tracks Flawless 
How does it compare to the artist's other releases Outstanding 
Value for Money Excellent 

Advantages: Superb Chilled Out Krautrock
Disadvantages: Ever so slightly self indulgent

Recommend to potential buyers: yes 

Full review
Krautrock is a generic and somewhat derogitary name for the experimental bands who appeared in Germany in the early 1970s. Of these bands Can were at the forefront of the genre along with bands such as Kraftwerk, Faust, NEU! and Tangerene Dream.

Can were formed in 1968 and described themselves as an anarchist community. Their music was based around improvisation and editing, and they were known to be able to Jam for hours on end without stopping. Their infulence on subsiquent generations of musicians has been noted and written about, with everyone from Julian Cope to John Lydon and even Blur citing their influence. Due to the experemental nature of the music they never really achieved any comercial success and have only achieved critical success in recent years, but then I don't think they really set out to achieve either.

The line up on this album was Michael Karoli : Guitar, Damo Suzuki : Vocal, Jaki Liebezeit : Drums, Irmin Schmit : Keyboards and Holger Czukay: Bass.

Can began the recording of Future Days in 1972 in Cologne (Köln to those of you who are rather pedantic about this), and by all accounts this was a rather balmy summer. The band had just returned from a holiday and the musical differences within the group had been examined and made workable, what ever that meant. Can were one of those bands that seemed to thrive when the creative differences within the group were at their highest, besides bands should never be mutual admiration societies, when that happens the result is U2 or worse still Genesis from the late 70's onwards.


Upon listening to the album you get a definite feel that the inclement weather of the Köln summer of 1972 had a major effect on the proceedings within the studio. The songs have a definite summery feel.

The first two tracks Future Days and Spray highlight this, what with Jaki Liebezeit's Latin polyrythms and light touches on the drums, mixed with Karoli's airy almost ethereal guitar work. This is compounded by Damo Suzuki's vocals which are light, breezy, and it is highly unusual for a rock singer to have his voice treated like this. The keyboards and bass of Schmit and Czukay burble and swoop in an effortless fashion all adding to a highly chilled out feel.

The album then shifts gear slightly with Moonshake, a laid back number with a funky / jazzy beat and more Latin polyrythmns adding to this is a funky bass line and some jazzy guitar. Whilst Suzuki chants a laid back mantra of something or other on top of it. Additional percussive and strange noises add a slightly quirky feel to what is as close to pop music that Can ever got to.

The highlight of the album has to be the final opus on it clocking in at nearly 20 minutes long Bel Air is a stunning piece of music. It never seems to reach a climax rather it shifts through relaxing musical themes. It is filled full of more Latin polyrhythms laid back drumming, guitar chops and great keyboard sounds and more relaxed mantras by Damo Suzuki. It is near to indescribable how it works but it does and work well it does, as each member solos but not soloing at the same time. Imagine if you can a psychedelic flower floating on a psychedelic lake under a psychedelic sky in a psychedelic world and you will become close to being there but not quite.

Cans output could be highly variable in general goodness, but it was never short of brilliance. As a result of this their back catalog should be approached with caution for the uninitiated. Futures Days is one of their finest and most accessible works, so for anyone with an interest in real psychedelic music and the weirder fringes of prog rock then this one comes highly recommended.

This remastered edition comes in as hybrid SACD so that folk with Super audio CD players can enjoy the aural experience to its fullest, and those without can enjoy it without. It also has a fantastic booklet with a write-up about the album and lots of photos which made the £13-99 I paid for it from Piccadilly Records in Manchester much easier to part with.
 

Write your own review




More details
How does it rate alongside the competition Outstanding 
Cover / Inlay Design and Content Outstanding 

Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision?
Rating guidelines

   

Comments on this review
More options
All Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can reviews

Compare prices for Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can

2 out of 2 offers for Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can   sorted by Price  
Future Days (Remastered Sacd/CD Hybrid) - Can Future Days (Remastered Sacd/CD Hybrid) - Can
The second wave of Can reissues, freshly remastered by bassist/studio wizard Holger ... more
Czukay, keyboardist Irmin Schmidt, and engineer
Jono Podmore repeats the trick pulled on the first
batch, stripping away background hiss and
muddiness and leaving these...
£ 8.97 Amazon Marketplace

Postage & PackagingCheck Site.
AvailabilityUsually dispatched within 2 working days...
Amazon Marketplace

Products you might be interested in
River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)

Rock & Pop - StudioRecording - 1 CD(s) - Label: Rev-Ola - Distributor: Pinnacle - Released: 20/01/2003 - 5013929431423

This product has not yet been reviewed. Rate it now

Buy now for only £ 6.12

Best Power Ballads In The World...ever, The - Various ArtistsBest Power Ballads In The World...ever, The - Various Artists

Rock & Pop - StudioRecording - 2 CD(s) - Label: Virgin/EMI TV - Distributor: EMI - Released: 02/06/2003 - 724381136027

 12 reviews

Buy now for only £ 18.99

What A Feeling (44 Uplifting Songs For Summer) - Various ArtistsWhat A Feeling (44 Uplifting Songs For Summer) - Various Artists

Rock & Pop - StudioRecording - 2 CD(s) - Label: Universal Music TV - Distributor: Universal Music - Released: 11/08/2003 - 602498093184

 3 reviews

Buy now for only £ 3.25

Summer Party Hits (20 Feelgood Sunshine Anthems) - Various ArtistsSummer Party Hits (20 Feelgood Sunshine Anthems) - Various Artists

Rock & Pop - StudioRecording - 1 CD(s) - Label: EMI Gold - Distributor: EMI - Released: 20/06/2005 - 94631160721

 2 reviews

Buy now for only £ 3.48

Love Action 80's (54 Classic Love Songs) - Various ArtistsLove Action 80's (54 Classic Love Songs) - Various Artists

Rock & Pop - 3 CD(s) - Label: Disky - Distributor: Disky - Released: 22/10/2001 - 724356471825

 1 review

Buy now for only £ 4.97

Top Ten Hits Of The 60's - The Best Sixties Groups Ever - Various Artists

Rock & Pop - 1 CD(s) - Label: Pegasus - Distributor: Arvato Services - Released: 29/08/2003 - 5034504202023

 1 review

Buy now for only £ 1.90




Are you the manufacturer / provider of Future Days [Remastered] [Hybrid SACD] - Can? Click here