Tago Mago
Tago Mago | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 1971 | |||
Recorded | November 1970–February 1971 | |||
Studio | Schloss Nörvenich (Nörvenich, West Germany) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 73:27 | |||
Label | United Artists | |||
Producer | Can | |||
Can chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Tago Mago is the second
Tago Mago has been described as Can's best and most extreme record in sound and structure.[7] The album has received widespread critical acclaim and is cited as an influence by various artists. AllMusic called it "not merely one of the best Krautrock albums of all time, but one of the best albums ever, period."[1]
Recording and production
After Malcolm Mooney left Can in 1970, the band was left without a vocalist.[8] Bassist Holger Czukay and drummer Jaki Liebezeit subsequently saw Kenji "Damo" Suzuki busking outside a cafe in Munich,[9] and invited him to join the band.[10] Suzuki performed with the band at the Blow Up Club that evening, and subsequently became a full member of the group.[11]
Tago Mago was recorded by Czukay at Schloss Nörvenich, a medieval castle in Nörvenich, North Rhine-Westphalia, between November 1970 and February 1971. Early in 1968, the band had been invited to stay rent-free at the castle for one year by art collector Christoph Vohwinkel, who had rented the castle with the idea of transforming it into an art center.[12]
Recording took three months to complete,[13] with sessions often lasting up to 16 hours a day.[14] Czukay would edit the band's long, disorganized jams into structured songs.[15] He used only two two-track tape recorders to capture the sessions.[14] Because of the limits of two-track recording, the group favored recording in the castle's entrance hall, using its natural reverberation and placing the microphones optimally relative to their instruments.[16] Czukay took advantage of the reverberation in the hall and limited the band to three microphones, shared between Suzuki and Liebezeit.[14] Keyboardist Irmin Schmidt experimented with oscillators in place of typical synthesizers on "Aumgn."[14]
Tago Mago was the first Can album to contain "in-between" recordings, for which Czukay secretly recorded the musicians jamming during pre-production sessions.[10] He also captured in-between recordings of the shouts of a child who mistakenly entered the room during recording, as well as the howling of Vohwinkel's dog.[14]
According to Czukay, the album was named after Illa de Tagomago, an islet near Ibiza in the Balearic archipelago, at Liebezeit's suggestion.[17]
Tago Mago was originally released in Germany in August 1971 by United Artists Records. The British release, with different artwork, followed in February 1972.
Music
Tago Mago saw Can changing to a jazzier and more experimental sound than with previous recordings, with longer instrumental interludes and fewer vocals; this shift was caused by the dramatic difference between Suzuki and the band's more dominant former singer Mooney.[18] Can took sonic inspiration from sources as diverse as jazz musicians such as Miles Davis and from electronic avant-garde music.[19] The album was also inspired by the occultist Aleister Crowley, which is reflected through its dark sound and in its title. It is named for Illa de Tagomago, an island that features in the Crowley legend,[3] and the title of the track "Aumgn" comes from Crowley's interpretation of the Hindu mantra syllable Om.[20] Czukay describes the album as "an attempt in achieving a mystery musical world from light to darkness and return."[10] The group has referred to the album as their "magic record,"[3] and the tracks have been described as having an "air of mystery and forbidden secrets."[9]
Tago Mago is divided into two LPs, the first of which is more conventional and structured and the second more experimental.[21] Roni Sarig, author of The Secret History of Rock, called the second LP "as close as [the group] ever got to avant-garde noise music."[7] Featuring Czukay's tape and radio experiments, the tracks "Aumgn" and "Peking O" have led music critics call Tago Mago the group's "most extreme record in terms of sound and structure."[7] "Peking O" made use of an Ace Tone Rhythm Ace, an early drum machine, combined with acoustic drumming.[22] "Aumgn" features keyboardist Irmin Schmidt chanting rather than Suzuki's vocals.[18] The closing track, "Bring Me Coffee or Tea," was described by Raggett as a "fine, fun little coda to a landmark record."[1]
The side-long track "Halleluhwah", which closes the first disc, was shortened from 18½ to 3½ minutes for release as the B-side of the non-album single "Turtles Have Short Legs", a novelty song recorded during the Tago Mago sessions and released by Liberty Records in 1971.[23] A different, 5½-minute edit of "Halleluhwah" would later appear on the compilation Cannibalism in 1978, while "Turtles Have Short Legs" remained out of print until its inclusion on 1992's Cannibalism 2.
Reception and legacy
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Pitchfork | 9.3/10 (2004)[27] 10/10 (2011; 40th Anniversary Edition)[28] |
Record Collector | [29] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10[30] |
Stylus | B[31] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [33] |
Uncut | [32] |
Tago Mago has been critically acclaimed, and is credited with pioneering various modern musical styles. Raggett called Tago Mago a "rarity of the early '70s, a double album without a wasted note."[1] Many critics, particularly in the United Kingdom, were eager to praise the album, and by the end of 1971 Can had played their first show in the UK.[34][35]
Julian Cope wrote in his book Krautrocksampler that Tago Mago "sounds only like itself, like no-one before or after" and described the lyrics as delving "below into the Unconscious."[13] Dummy called it "a genre-defining work of psychedelic, experimental rock music."[4] Melody Maker critic Simon Reynolds described the record as "shamanic avant-funk."[2]
Influence
Various artists have cited Tago Mago as an influence on their work.
Several artists have
Accolades
Tago Mago is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, which states: "Even after 30 years Tago Mago sounds refreshingly contemporary and gloriously extreme."[42]
Publication/Source | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Pitchfork | "Top 100 Albums of the 1970s" | 2004 | 29[43] |
Uncut | "200 Greatest Albums of All Time" | 2016 | 88[44] |
NME | "NME's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" | 2013 | 409[45] |
"Some of the Greatest Double LPs Ever Issued" | 1991 | 21[46] | |
Sounds | "The 100 Best Albums of All Time" | 1986 | 51[47] |
Mojo | "The 100 Records That Changed the World" | 2007 | 62[48] |
The Guardian | "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die" | 2007 | -[49] |
Tom Moon | "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die" | 2008 | -[50] |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Can (Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli, Jaki Liebezeit, Irmin Schmidt and Damo Suzuki).
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Paperhouse" | 7:28 |
2. | "Mushroom" | 4:03 |
3. | "Oh Yeah" | 7:23 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Halleluhwah" | 18:32 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Aumgn" | 17:37 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Peking O" | 11:37 |
2. | "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" | 6:47 |
Total length: | 73:27 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Mushroom" (Live 1972) | 8:42 |
2. | "Spoon" (Live 1972) | 29:55 |
3. | "Halleluhwah" (Live 1972) | 9:12 |
Total length: | 47:49 |
Personnel
- Damo Suzuki – vocals
- Holger Czukay – bass guitar, engineering, editing
- Michael Karoli – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, violin
- Jaki Liebezeit – drums, double bass, piano
- Irmin Schmidt – Farfisa organ and electric piano,[51] electronics, vocals (5)
Production
- U. Eichberger – original artwork & design
- Andreas Torkler – design (2004 rerelease)
References
- ^ a b c d e Raggett, Ned. "Tago Mago". Allmusic Guide. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ a b c Reynolds, Simon (1995). "Krautrock Reissues". Melody Maker. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ ISBN 0-634-05548-8.
- ^ a b "Can's ground-breaking album 'Tago Mago' is getting a re-release ". Dummy Mag. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ "Music". Malcolm Mooney. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
- AllMusic
- ^ ISBN 0-8230-7669-5.
- ^ Stubbs, David. "CAN - Tago Mago". CAN remastered - Tago Mago (CD liner notes). September 2004.
- ^ a b DeRogatis, Jim. "Then I Saw Mushroom Head: The Story of Can". Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ a b c Czukay, Holger. "A Short History of The Can - Discography". Perfect Sound Forever. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ Smith, Gary. "CAN Biography". Spoon Records. Archived from the original on 2011-10-30. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ISBN 978-0-571-31151-4.
- ^ a b Cope, p. 55
- ^ a b c d e Bell, Max (April 11, 2018). "Can: The making of landmark album Tago Mago". Louder. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ Cope, p. 57
- ISBN 978-0-571-31151-4.
- ^ Damon Krukowski (1998). "Can interview". Ptolemaic Terrascope. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
- ^ a b Cope, p. 56
- ISBN 0-19-517085-7.
- ISBN 978-8834017975.
- ISBN 0-87930-607-6.
- Hachette
- ^ Metzger, Richard. "'Turtles Have Short Legs': Can's Idea of a Krautrock Novelty Song?". Dangerous Minds. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Tago Mago [40th Anniversary Edition] - Can". Metacritic.
- ^ Dan Lucas (24 November 2011). "Tago Mago 40th Anniversary Edition". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ISBN 978-0857125958.
- Pitchfork Media. Archived from the originalon 8 January 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ Wolk, Douglas (9 December 2011). "Can: Tago Mago [40th Anniversary Edition] | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ^ "CAN - TAGO MAGO". Record Collector. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ^ Ramsay, J T. (7 January 2005). "Can - Tago Mago / Ege Bamyasi". Stylus. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ Cavanagh, David. "CAN - TAGO MAGO R1971 - Review - Uncut.co.uk". uncut.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
- ISBN 0-9723098-0-2.
- ^ Mute Records. "Biography". Mute Records. Archived from the original on 2008-12-20. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ISBN 0-312-11883-X.
- ^ Gillespie, Bobby. "CAN - Tago Mago". CAN remastered - Tago Mago (CD liner notes). September 2004.
- ^ Stubbs, David (February 1998). "Talking Liberties". Vox.
- ^ Bolan, Marc. Interview by Russell Harty. London Weekend Television. 23 Jul. 1972
- ISBN 0-8264-1663-2.
- ^ Coyne, Wayne (1990). Album notes for In a Priest Driven Ambulance by The Flaming Lips, [CD booklet]. Restless Records.
- ISBN 978-0-7333-2120-7.
- ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ "Rocklist.net..Rocklist.net... Uncut Lists ." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: 500-401 | NME". NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM. 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ "Rocklist.net....Various NME Lists..." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...Sounds - Sounds all time top 100's". www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...Mojo Lists..." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ Guardian Staff (2007-11-17). "Artists beginning with C (part 1)". the Guardian. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...Steve Parker...Tom Moon 1000." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ Doyle, Tom (July 2012). "Finding The Lost Can Tapes: Jono Padmore, Irmin Schmidt & Daniel Miller". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
Further reading
- ISBN 0-9526719-1-3.
- ISBN 978-1-6289-2108-3. ePDF and ePub editions are also available.
External links
- Official website
- Tago Mago at MusicBrainz
- Tago Mago (LP) at Discogs
- Tago Mago (Remastered SACD) at Discogs