MONSTER MOVIE

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I must admit that I have always preferred CAN's later works to the early Mooney stuff, but this album (their first) has finally grown on me enough that I can say "I like it (a lot)." A few years ago I would have taken immense delight in describing how painfully disgusting Malcom Mooney's voice is and how the songs are all too raw and simple, even by CAN's standards. But Mooney's deathly croaking and the band's electrified exuberance make it all work somehow, and Jaki Liebezeit is a thrill to listen to as always. If you want CAN in a "tribal" mode, sounding at times reminiscent of the Velvet Underground, then this is your album (Delay 1968 is good too). If you prefer a more refined exploration of chaos, then check out Future Days or any of their Suzuki-period classics (don't ignore Landed!).

In his review, Mr Corbet makes a pretty good point about the Mooney period . One of the most striking feature of early Can is their Velvet Underground influences and in this album, this is quite clear. Among the similar characteristics between the two groups is the repetitive minimalist nature of their music.

You Doo Right although relatively fun and quite repetitive does not stand too many repeated listenings and the shorter numbers lack the genial quality of the Tago Mago era. Still a good lp

To me, this album sounds like many debut albums: they release a decent enough album but of course better things were to come with their following albums. This is also their most '60s sounding of their albums, no doubt helped by Michael Karoli's guitar, played in that late '60s acid rock style. Percussion is quite dominant, as you expect CAN's music to be, all courtesy of Jaki Liebezeit. And then they have a black American (from New York) named Malcolm Mooney handle the vocals. To me, I find his shrieking style a bit grating for my liking, making it a bit difficult to appreciate this album. But I can still see all the great ideas this band had like "Mary, So Contrary" and the bluesy "Outside My Door". And then there's the side-length epic "You Doo Right", which is basically Mooney repeating "You Doo Right" over and over with lots of percussion and strange guitar effects from Karoli. Irmin Schmidt adds some cheesy organ on this (and the rest of the album).

To me, if you're new to CAN, I suggest you try "Tago Mago", or "Future Days" to hear CAN at their best, before you come here.

Almost everything I like about CAN can be seen in purest form here; the head-on meeting of avant-garde minimalism and raw acid rock experimentation. This album brings to mind both the DEAD & Prankster collaborations of the Acid Tests, as well as the VELVET UNDERGROUND in full "White Light" mode...but "Monster Movie" has an additional element, an intangible vibe that separates it from even the best of the psychedelic era's explorations. I suppose you'd call it...progressive.

Mooney is Can's version of Syd Barrett; his voice is unmistakable, he's headed for a breakdown, and his early contributions are dismissed by many fans. Sure, I prefer Damo's energy, but this album just wouldn't be the same without Mooney's ragged wail. Many rockers have expressed romantic desperation, but none have approached the level he reaches on "Mary Mary" or "Outside my Door". Orgiastic, playfully dark, and unabashedly honest, this is the Krautrock version of bands like COMUS- wonderfully primal, especially compared to the idealized realms and complicated structures of typical prog.

Instrumentally, CAN's albums have rarely been a venue for highlighting the members' respective virtuosities, and "Monster Movie" is no exception. It's more about what you can do with sound than about how well you can play; CAN has nothing to prove, except that they can sound like nobody else before or since...and the best part is that it's all real; there's an immediacy and unbridled feel that most avant-garde lacks, as well as a compositional restraint that owes more to impeccable musical understanding than lack of chops. They could make a tape loop rock, and that's really saying something.

Even if you ignore the historical details (this album started the career of one of the most unique and influentual bands in rock, as well as the entire subgenre of Krautrock), this is a wonderful album. It bashes the preconception that anything avant-garde can't be fun, or that anything fun has to be silly. The music here is equally suited to drugged-out dancing, contemplative appreciation, or getting full-on naughty. Five stars is a bit too much, even for fans, because CAN just isn't for everyone ( at their best, and they had more to offer than just this album)...but "Monster Movie" should be thoroughly enjoyable for anyone who doesn't have too many preconcieved notions of what music should be.

Can, among other characteristics, is one of the few bands which have more than one (in this case, two) debuts. And this one is the second by recording, first by release date.

Listening to Delay 1968, one may understand why Monster Movie was released instead of it, and still keep on wondering if any of the tracks (at least shorter ones on side 1) were already present during the initial production of Delay.

The three (relatively) short tracks on side 1, and the improvisational 20 minute Yoo Doo Right on side 2 reveal hints of what was later to come: psychedelic roots (which are more evident in Delay), electronic experimentation, outstanding vocals. As with the most other debuts, these are only shadows of the delightful future work, which peaked in Tago Mago. Yet, this is a good starting point for those who want to know about the band.

The only problem (which later surfaced with the release of compilations) with this album is that 3 out of 4 tracks are included in 2 other albums, Cannibalism 1 and Anthology (the former of which is identical with the 1st CD of the latter!), eventually reducing the interest for those who already have the mentioned compilations. Even the side-long psychedelic jam Yoo Doo Right is featured in its full-length! Actually if you have either of them, you may easily forget about buying this as well, 35 minutes of the 40 minute album is already present! The remaining track "Mary Mary so Contrary" is not so essential.

Either way, excellent addition to a prog collection, but suffering from the shortcomings of a debut, preventing it to become a masterpiece.

Along with AMON DUUL II's "Phallus Dei", "Monster Movie" is the cornerstone of German "kraut-rock" scene and a fundamental work defining its sound and aesthetics. Recorded in 1969 it is still today an amazing piece of music. This is done by the original CAN line-up featuring Malcolm Mooney as vocalist and this is his only full-length album contribution. "Father Cannot Yell" and "Outside My Door" sound almost like "proto- punk" with mocking and spitting Mooney shouts and "dirty" guitar chords by Michael Karoli. Apart from VELVET UNDERGROUND, not many bands dared to question rock conventions during the peak of the "hippie era". Therefore, some prog purists may see this album as being too basic, rough and musically underdeveloped to their taste. But don't forget - such thing as "prog rock" did not exist in this period yet. "Mary Mary So Contrary" shows that even in this early period CAN were able to produce a melodic and quite catchy tune, which did not reach top lists probably only because of the geographic constraints. The psychedelic mega-jam "You Doo Right" shares company with AMON DUUL II's "Phallus Dei" and VELVET UNDERGROUND's "Sister Ray" - a noisy experimental hodge-podge that clocks over 20 minutes. It is a wonderful example showcasing Mooney's capability to use his smoke-ragged voice as a rhythm instrument or as a sound effect. It is a rhythmic and hypnotic trance-like composition, with bass and drums "beating 24-hour a day", but uninitiated listeners will probably get tired around the half, where drummer Liebezeit emulates the sound of metronome with his drum sticks and Mooney whispers his crying voice in agony. However, this is a wonderful debut album of CAN and one of truly timeless avant-garde rock efforts.

The Dinosaur of Prog vs the Monster of Punk

This album is unique. It's quite incredible that this was recorded in 1969, as it feels completely timeless, and yet has an appeal for every generation. It will never sound like "old" music, yet it is the most basic and primaeval expression of music you could hope to hear. The raw energy and cyclically repetitive rock would have you believe that you were listening to some punk garage band from the streets, rather than a group of students of one of the most influential composers of the 20th Century and a free-jazz drummer.

But why would a free-jazz drummer instilled with the motto "Never Repeat" decide to move to the opposite of this lofty ideal?

Why would students of the very latest compositional techniques that were influential on every electronic group of the late 1960s, not to mention the Beatles and their experiments that led to outstanding albums like "Revolver" and "Sergeant Pepper", decide to produce music so apparently minimal and initially empty-sounding?

Communism, Anarchism, Nihilism.

You may be surprised at how much you recognise in this (and other) Can albums, as their back catalogue has been plundered again and again by bands in search of inspiration.

It's the primitive grooves that strike at the very heart of musical consciousness that do it - drum beats and cymbal splashes extracted from the soul of the human tribe, underpinning stalking bass lines that demand movement - and if you don't move to the bass, it does the movement for you. This is bass that is felt long before it is heard - and it's high in the mix, as Can were rather partial to bass.

Then we have the screaming layers of guitars and keyboards putting a crystalline icing on a fat cake, but in between, we have the vocalisations of Mooney, the hoarse- larnyxed chanting that rarely attempts anything so pretentious and arty as singing - but when he does, the effect is quite disturbing - a kind of Klaus Meine in baggy trousers, although I have to say that I have never been keen on hearing nursery rhymes used in rock songs no matter what the sought effect.

There is no point looking for structure in Can's music, so an open mind is required from the word go. Comparisons are often made of the music of P/I/L, Talk Talk, Primal Scream and Radiohead to Can - and it is from that perspective that the best appreciation will be made; If you're looking for riffs, then look elsewhere. If constant change and virtuosic displays are what you crave, then you won't find it here.

Indeed, "Outside My Door" is closer to some of the earlier White Stripes material - stripped-down essence of Blues Rock - albeit wrapped up in a Stranglers-like shell of heavy keyboards, thick bass lines and aggressive, punky vocals that hearken back to the Velvet Undeground. Oh, and THAT groove, that surpasses even the Ozric Tentacles in its groovetasticness.

The album is wrapped up with the 20-minute megalith of "Yoo Doo Right" that is the piece-de-resistance in every aspect. The vocals are rawer, the bass is bassier, the keyboards and guitars are stripped back almost beyond essence, and the drums produce the heartbeat of the earth - the self-same rhythms produced by Ug the caveman when he realised that whacking a rock with another rock made other people want to dance, and altering these just slighty would induce a rapt state in the dancers.

In fact, Liebezeit strips it right back to Ug's very first impacts, about halfway through the piece.

Summary

So how exactly is this progressive rock?

Everyone who knows anything about Prog Rock makes the distinction between rock music that is progressive, and music of the Prog Rock genre.

Monster Movie fits neither description comfortably - it is in a category more or less of its own, but at its very heart, it is a number of very lengthy jam sessions edited down in the studio - one of the techniques Stockhausen imparted, and indeed, a technique that would not have been possible without the innovations of that composer.

And that is the key: It is composed, but feels completely improvised because it is composed entirely from improvisations.

Just checked my genre review statistics and found out that I’ve reviewed only ONE Krautrock album (ELECTRIC SANDWICH’s Kraut-related stuff)! That’s shocking – I got almost 10 Avant albums reviewed, and only one from “that” German scene! OK, let’s take a look into early days of my musical PROGression.

I got “Monsta Moovy” from a friend of a friend of my father (who also got involved me into LED ZEPPELIN, JETHRO TULL and UK…and most of Classic Prog after all) 5 years ago. The album sounded pretty heavy, rough (almost proto-punkish) and stony. Psychedelic chimings like “you do right” or “Mary Mary so contrary” hypnotized me as well, and I got used to this mentally damaged stuff. I thought it was the most insane CD I ever experienced – what a fool I’ve been! There were 2 months left before my first introduction into KC, so I was happy and unaware ;). And, despite some over-repetitive moments (even for Krautrock), this album still works well for me. If you wanna “do tha legal trip”, you must check this one out. You won’t regret anyway.

For me this album rivals "Tago Mago" as their best release.Probably the best guitar work i've heard from Karoli. It opens with "Father Cannot Yell" that features a relentless beat and throbbing bass as Karoli plays over top with his fuzzed out screaming guitar melodies.Amazing ! Mooney stops singing and joins the groove 3 minutes in with vocal melodies. "Mary,Mary So Contrary" is based lyrically on the nursery rhyme.It's slower paced with Mooney's wonderful vocals leading the way, as karoli again grinds out melodies over top.The song builds in intensity until the vocals stop 3 1/2 minutes in.This song so moves me.How can something so simple be so emotional ? A brilliant display of guitar work on this one. "Outside My Door" opens with a 60's feel to it.Hmmm,this is 1969 right ? Harmonica sounds fill the air as Mooney almost speaks the lyrics.He then starts to sing as he and the song becomes more passionate.Some ripping guitar follows with out of control vocals. "Yoo Doo Right" is a side long suite at over 20 minutes in length.The drums pound slowly as gentle guitar comes in followed by soft vocals.This hypnotic,repetitive melody starts to build. "Once i was blind, but now i can see now that your in love with me." The guitar 3 minutes in is killer ! Check out the drumming of Liebezeit 6 1/2 minutes in.Experimental sounds come in.Percussion and reserved vocals only 8 1/2 minutes in.The song rebuilds like it did in the beginning.Incredible. "You made a believer out of me babe". The vocals stop after 12 minutes as the guitar,bass and drums play on for about 3 minutes until vocals return.Nice. The Can doo right on this one.I am more partial to their earlier stuff.These guys sure can groove though.As inpraiseoffolly says,this came out the same year as "In The Court Of The Crimson King".A very significant record not only in the krautrock genre but in progressive music period.

Can really surprised me a lot. I am not an expert in Krautrock and I hadn´t heard about Can before reading about them in PA. I decided I would give Monster Movie a chance even though I read about the whole Krautrock genre that it builds a lot on repetitive rythms and prolonged acid rock jams, something I don´t normally favour. But boy did I learn a lesson ! This is great music and it must have been really innovative when it came out in 1969 ? Did they really make music like this in 1969 ? Well the proof is here and it´s great.

First of all the description of Krautrock as repetitive fits well here. It doesn´t matter though as this is the whole charm IMO. Can builds a lot of things on the rythm as the songs develop even though the basic structure never seems to change. It has a kind of hynotic effect on me and I would really have liked to have seen this band live after enjoying a good joint. I have to be in a special mood to really appreciate Monster Movie, but once the mood is right this is fantastic.

The first song Father Cannot Yell caught my attention instantly with the almost punk like vocals and the repetitive rythm which builds to a climax. Mary, Mary so Contrary and Outside my Door are also great Krautrock songs. Repetitive rythms but pretty melodic and varied anyway. The last song last for 20+ minutes and can be a hard one to swallow when you are new to this genre, I know it took me a while, but patience is rewarded in this case. You doo Right is a great repetitive jam like song. So much happens in this song. Malcolm Mooney sings in a lot of different ways and the guitar and keyboards make sure you´re never bored even though it´s almost the same rythm throughout the whole song.

Well what can I say ? I´m sold. This is really great music in my ears. What makes it even better for me is that I had expected something awful and got something ( beautiful wouldn´t be the right word here) special instead fully deserving the 4 stars I will rate it. This might even be upgraded to a 5 in time. Highly recommendable album from Can.

Note the beautiful cover art. Crazy stuff.

After listening the late 60's "Delay" tapes, I had to priorize this classic for instant listening. The minimal, trashy and anxietic songs sound here slightly less powerful to my ears than the first more demo-level recordings. But also here the spontaneuos and rough approach is strongly emphasized. The record kind of expands the american garage rock sound to further heights by expanding the track lenghts and avoiding even more traditional rock song solutions. Third song "Outside My Door" maybe crystallizes this aspect most perfectly. "Father Cannot Yell" starts the album with neurotic beat slightly similar to jamming sounds of JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (minus hippie-joy and openess) and 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS (no jug...), added here with "migraine effects" and streetwise tales chanted by Malcom Mooney. Stinging acid guitar of Michael Karols does not give remorse but only forces to either accept or reject this music, where different variations within the main theme constantly shift and morph. "Mary, Mary so Contrary" starts as melodic and mellow, developing to really anxietic and depressive directions by growing pressure in the hypnotic mantra form. The fourth track "You Do Right" does a twenty minutes long trip to the world of colective groovy jamming, imaginative but still solid in variations, sticking up to the menacing repetition.

I think this music probably unites (rarily?) fans of vintage psychedelia and progressive rock with those also interested of roots of artistic punk and rhythm music related to the forthcoming paths of Krautrock scene. Maybe this factor added to sincerity, personal solutions and cool aesthetics have earned this group to become a real cult classic act with wide reconing?

If you get to hear this official debut after you've gone through Can's discography in a backwards way like I did, it is a strikingly harsh and dissonant adventure to say the least. It pretty much obliterates much of what they did afterwards. As I've pointed out in my Delay 68 review, for something from the 60's, this is downright visionary.

Father Cannot Yell is another example where these Germans have written rock history: droning rhythms, dissonant guitars, weird sonic experiments with organs and electronics, and the anti-tuneful but affecting croon of Malcolm Mooney. The influence of this sound would spread through all following decades. Starting by infecting early Hawkwind in the 70's, then post-punk and avant-rock like Sonic Youth in the 80's, then both post-rock and drum and bass in the 90's and many many more.

Mary Mary is entirely different. It reveals the Velvet Underground as one of their main influences. It's a more melodic track that doesn't sound at all like the anarchistic opener. Outside My Door is another peek at their origins: the psychedelic rock from 66-67. Interesting to hear where they were coming from and where they ended up when the track gradually evolves into their own sound: harsh, anarchistic and aggressive.

The main beast on this album is evidently You Do Right. With its 20 minutes it further expands the groundbreaking aspects of the opening track. Even though it's not easy to enjoy, it's essential to work your way through some Can albums. And this one should definitely be one on the list.