Can: Soon Over Babaluma

Can: Soon Over Babaluma

1974

United Artists Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Dizzy, Dizzy  2. Come Sta, La Luna  3. Splash  4. Chain Reaction  5. Quantum Physics


Damo Suzuki leaves the band and surprisingly the group doesn't replace him...Michael Karoli and Irmin Schmidt just take turns on the mic (in addition to their existing instrumental duties)...Sure, neither one is as interesting a vocalist as Damo Suzuki or Malcolm Mooney, but they don't hurt the album one bit...

I had always heard that after Damo left, the band's recorded output went down the toilet, but I picked up a copy of the "Can Antholgy"  (which, in view of the band's love of "can" puns, I'm surprised wasn't called "Canthology") ...



...and went crazy for the song "Dizzy Dizzy."  I loved the violin and the stammering vocals..."Got-t-t- -t to-to-to-to  get-t it up...Got-t-t-t to-to-to-to get-t it over..." It's surprising how that vocal line gets hammered in your brain...Anyway,  I went to the record store and picked up a copy of "Soon Over Babaluma," despite not having any idea what "Babaluma" meant...

As I played it, I was surprised to discover how smoothly this picks up right where "Future Days" left off...It differentiates itself  by stepping a little deeper into the "World Music" waters, but really, "Chain Reaction" and "Splash" would have sounded just fine on that album...

"Chain Reaction" is the best thing here, by the way...It's unbelievable how intricate all the little lines in the song are...Each instrument functions as a microscopic, precision gear that contributes to the larger, forward momentum of the track...After 11 head-nodding minutes, the machine disintegrates into closing track "Quantum Physics" and we're all left pondering our place in the universe...Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the shit!

I'm also a huge fan of Irmin Schmidt's vocals on the cosmic bossanova "Come Sta, La Luna." The song makes me want to drink liquid LSD out of a space pineapple....

I often see "Splash" singled out as the album's weakest moment, but I think that speaks more about the overall quality of the album rather than any particular shortcomings "Splash" may have...It's a 7 minute Latin/Martian/ Jazz workout full of squonkin' saxes and electric piano, and while it may be the least appealing thing here, I still say you'd better savor it...If you're anything like me, you'll find the albums following this one not up to the same high standard, despite their always stellar playing...

I'll cherish the psychedelic mystery that made these early Can albums so unique...So let's listen to "Dizzy Dizzy" by Can...