Tago Mago
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Coming out with standard pre-Pavement material up until "Aumgn", with nice rants courtesy of then lead singer Kenji Damo Suzuki and neatly syncopated beats that would even have Beyoncé go "woo" Can susbsequently indulge into the unavoidable "bruitiste" wank till the gentler trance of "Bring me Coffee or Tea Please" puts an end to the pain. Erm...let's say it's a taste to be asserted but never understood neither explained. This LP will win early adopters a seat in the supercilious community of curled lips while those too honest to fake complete adoration will retain the Tago out of the Mago."-- Tigersushi "[Tago Mago is] as close as [the group] ever got to avant-garde noise music."--The Secret History of Rock (1998) by Roni Sarig "... Tago Mago blossom into kaleidoscopic panoramas that reach out and enfold the listener. The title track of Future Days opens the record, and immediately establishes an aquatic vibe. Eddies of sound rise out of silence , weaving ..."--The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion, and Rock 'n' Roll (1995) by Simon Reynolds |
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Tago Mago (1971) is the second album by German art rock band Can.
It is generally considered one of the most influential rock albums of the 1970s.
The group called Tago Mago its “magic record.”
Named after Isla de Tagomago, the island that figures in the legend of sorcerer Aleister Crowley, the standout tracks have an air of mystery and forbidden secrets.
It was the band's first studio album to feature Damo Suzuki after the 1970 departure of previous vocalist Malcolm Mooney.
Recorded in a rented castle near Cologne, the album features long-form experimental tracks blending rock improvisation, funk rhythms, and musique concrète techniques.
Considered Can's best and most extreme record in sound and structure, the album has received widespread critical acclaim and is cited as an influence by various artists.
"Peking O" made early use of a drum machine, an Ace Tone Rhythm Ace, combined with acoustic drumming.
"Aumgn" features keyboardist Irmin Schmidt chanting rather than Suzuki's vocals.
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Influence
Various artists have cited Tago Mago as an influence on their work. John Lydon of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd. called it "stunning" in his autobiography Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs. Bobby Gillespie of Jesus and Mary Chain and Primal Scream said: "The music was like nothing I'd ever heard before, not American, not rock & roll but mysterious and European." Mark Hollis of Talk Talk called Tago Mago "an extremely important album" and an inspiration for his own Laughing Stock. Marc Bolan listed Suzuki's freeform lyricism as an inspiration. Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke of Radiohead cite the album as an early influence.
There have been attempts by several artists to play cover versions of songs from Tago Mago. The Flaming Lips album In a Priest Driven Ambulance contains a song called "Take Meta Mars," an attempt to cover the song "Mushroom." However, as the band members had only heard the song once and did not possess a copy of it, the song is only similar-sounding and not a proper cover. The Jesus and Mary Chain have covered the song live and included it on the CD version of Barbed Wire Kisses. The Fall, led by lifelong Can enthusiast Mark E. Smith, recorded a song indebted to the Tago Mago track "Oh Yeah" entitled "I Am Damo Suzuki", which utilised the former's vocal melody for 1985's This Nation's Saving Grace. Swedish band Komeda recorded a version of Mushroom on their 1998 single It’s Alright Baby. Remix versions of several Tago Mago tracks by various artists are included on the album Sacrilege.
Track listing
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Paperhouse" 7:28
2. "Mushroom" 4:03
3. "Oh Yeah" 7:23
Side two
1. "Halleluhwah" 18:32
Side three
1. "Aumgn" 17:37
Side four
1. "Peking O" 11:37
2. "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" 6:47
Total length: 73:27
Personnel
- Damo Suzuki – vocals
- Holger Czukay – bass, engineering, editing
- Michael Karoli – guitar, violin
- Jaki Liebezeit – drums, double bass, piano
- Irmin Schmidt – organ, electric piano, oscillators; vocals on "Aumgn"
Production
- U. Eichberger – original artwork & design
See also
