Can: Ege Bamyasi (Colored Vinyl) Vinyl LP

Usually when I listen to Can, all I can think about are all the groups that bit, I mean were “influenced” by, their sound.When listening toEge Bamyasihowever, I heard for the first time all the groups thatCanincorporated into their style. The major influences have got to be theBeatlesandJames Brown’srhythm section, but there are a lot more. Right off the bat “Pinch” sounds like it samples “Mommy What’s aFunkadelic,” over processed guitar and drums just riding out the extended beat. While the music on “One More Night” is really a precursor to what we would hear fromZeppelin’sHouse of The Holya year later in ’73, the drums sound straight off the best ofPrestige’ssoul-jazz sessions. And how can we not mention the producer’s favorite, “Vitamin C” (sampled by everyone fromKurupttoSpank Rock)? “Soup” takes us into the territory of their one time mentor Stockhausen, complete with eerie sound-scapes and glitches they didn’t have a computerto create. Although they’re still there, the influences aren’t as pronounced on the other songs and I am back to disbelief of just how innovative these Germans were. My pick, music and production wise is “Spoon,” which led to them charting in Germany because of it’s use in a German gangster tv show calledDurbridge. “I’m So Green” and “Sing Swan Song” both have beautiful melodies and rather coherent lyrics (a rarity for them, to say the least). All together, this is the most accessible Can album I have heard and I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t find something they dig on it. 2014 Remastered version on translucent green colored vinyl.

• translucent green colored vinyl
• printed insert
• limited edition
• music label:Mute 2014

reviewed by jemz 05/2005

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