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Neocortical Sense
Record Review: Can - Future DaysMonday, Feb 23, 2009 2:18 PM  (1973 Release - Engineered by Holger Czukay - Produced by Can _ Musicians: Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli, Jaki Liebezeit, Irmin Schmidt and Damo Suzuki) What more is there to say about the Can? Personal experience associated with the Can is something that can be harvested every season since all Can records come with memories that never fade. This particular release, Future Days, is an original pressing picked up at Flo's Records in Oakland, Pittsburgh. Flo's had a nice place at the time to include glass block windows with a nice variety of music to select from. This included experimental stuff and krautrock. Our first introduction to the Can was Tago Mago, a two record LP that remains our favorite Can album. Our kids enjoyed this LP as toddlers and preschoolers, their favorite song being Paperhouse. But as it goes, this is Future Days and it happens to be second in line for various reasons, most importantly being the timing of its release and life experiences that were taking place in 1973. Future Days, although unlike Tago Mago, is every bit as good in other ways that enable us to explore other places where Tago Mago didn't happen to travel to. Future Days is obviously much more refined relative to the experimental jams and vocals (screaming at times) on Tago Mago. The rhythms of Future Days flow throughout with an underlying percussion that creates a tropical snowstorm in comfortable temperatures. Suzuki's voice is appropriately muffled on this release lending to an interesting soundstage, and of course Czukay flows with the show on bass. Future Days is a jam menagerie that is not hard on the ears. It cleans them out and opens a highway to the cerebral cortex. In the end the brain is soothed. Take a tropical winterfest vacation with the Can's Future Days. You won't be disappointed. (Recommended for collection and listening. Note: Michael Karoli is dead now. Czukay and Schmidt have some interesting material out there both in collaborative and solo works.)
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