Music Banter - View Single Post - I know what I like: Trollheart's History of Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal

Trollheart · 11-15-2019, 01:14 PM

Somehow I left this very important album out when I wrote up the albums for 1969, so before I proceed let me just get slot it in here.

Album title: Monster Movie
Artist: Can
Nationality: German
Label: Music Factory
Chronology: Debut
Grade: A
Previous Experience of this Artist: Zero
The Trollheart Factor: 0
Landmark value: Can were seen as one of the creators of krautrock, so this being their debut album, I doubt the landmark value could be any higher. Is it true to say that without Can there would have been no krautrock movement?
Tracklisting: Father Cannot Yell/Mary, Mary, So Contrary/Outside My Door/Yoo Doo Right
Comments: Like Soft Machine, these guys apparently used the definite article in front of their band name originally, meaning that for this album they’re THE Can, not Can. Hmm. A pretty stripped-down, sparse sound as “Father Cannot Yell” opens the album with some fine guitar work, a more spoken than sung vocal, reminds me of Byrne’s work on “Once in a Lifetime”. Fast and uptempo, sort of a constant flow to it. Kind of a cross between Hawkwind and Amon Duul II (which isn’t surprising as the latter were also krautrock). Much slower is “Mary, Mary, So Contrary” which takes Waits’s idea of using nursery rhymes in his songs to a new level (yes, they’re doing it first I know) by basically seeming to use the entire rhyme of (anyone?) “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”. Lovely violin work here, like the slow, clanging guitar, and - hmm. Doesn’t seem to mention violins or cellos anywhere, but this was well before you could make such sounds on a synthesiser so there must be one. Mustn’t there?

Choppy guitar and harmonica drive “Outside My Door”, more a typical rock song with little of the meandering we’ve seen in the opener; guess all of that has been reserved for “Yoo Doo Right”, the closing track, which runs for over twenty minutes. Pretty cool, almost tribal opening, kind of laid-back, melding in some eastern influences maybe, and also some blues. Halfway through it becomes all but acapella, with an almost rap against nothing but tapping drums before the bass comes in and then the guitar and more percussion. Bit of an extended jam for the last five minutes or so, puts me vaguely in mind of that Sleep album, but a lot better and more coherent.

Favourite track(s): Pretty much everything really
Least favourite track(s): n/a
Overall impression: Probably the best krautrock album I’ve listened to yet, though admittedly I haven’t heard much from that style. Look forward to hearing more. I can see how some bands, listening to this in 1969, sat up and took notice, and a whole new sub-genre would be born. Monster indeed.
Personal Rating:

Legacy Rating:

Final Rating:

11-15-2019, 01:14 PM	#179 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Somehow I left this very important album out when I wrote up the albums for 1969, so before I proceed let me just get slot it in here. Album title: Monster Movie Artist: Can Nationality: German Label: Music Factory Chronology: Debut Grade: A Previous Experience of this Artist: Zero The Trollheart Factor: 0 Landmark value: Can were seen as one of the creators of krautrock, so this being their debut album, I doubt the landmark value could be any higher. Is it true to say that without Can there would have been no krautrock movement? Tracklisting: Father Cannot Yell/Mary, Mary, So Contrary/Outside My Door/Yoo Doo Right Comments: Like Soft Machine, these guys apparently used the definite article in front of their band name originally, meaning that for this album they’re THE Can, not Can. Hmm. A pretty stripped-down, sparse sound as “Father Cannot Yell” opens the album with some fine guitar work, a more spoken than sung vocal, reminds me of Byrne’s work on “Once in a Lifetime”. Fast and uptempo, sort of a constant flow to it. Kind of a cross between Hawkwind and Amon Duul II (which isn’t surprising as the latter were also krautrock). Much slower is “Mary, Mary, So Contrary” which takes Waits’s idea of using nursery rhymes in his songs to a new level (yes, they’re doing it first I know) by basically seeming to use the entire rhyme of (anyone?) “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”. Lovely violin work here, like the slow, clanging guitar, and - hmm. Doesn’t seem to mention violins or cellos anywhere, but this was well before you could make such sounds on a synthesiser so there must be one. Mustn’t there? Choppy guitar and harmonica drive “Outside My Door”, more a typical rock song with little of the meandering we’ve seen in the opener; guess all of that has been reserved for “Yoo Doo Right”, the closing track, which runs for over twenty minutes. Pretty cool, almost tribal opening, kind of laid-back, melding in some eastern influences maybe, and also some blues. Halfway through it becomes all but acapella, with an almost rap against nothing but tapping drums before the bass comes in and then the guitar and more percussion. Bit of an extended jam for the last five minutes or so, puts me vaguely in mind of that Sleep album, but a lot better and more coherent. Favourite track(s): Pretty much everything really Least favourite track(s): n/a Overall impression: Probably the best krautrock album I’ve listened to yet, though admittedly I haven’t heard much from that style. Look forward to hearing more. I can see how some bands, listening to this in 1969, sat up and took notice, and a whole new sub-genre would be born. Monster indeed. Personal Rating: Legacy Rating: Final Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 04-13-2021 at 09:21 AM.