UNLIMITED EDITION

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Generally I don't appreciate Odds & Ends record but this one should not really considered as such because the music on here should've really been put out on their respective studio album but were probably left out for time restrictions. This compilation is a must for Can fans but should not be used as an introduction for newcomers. The limited edition theoretically is entirely included in this one.

All of Can's albums were recorded in their own studio, Inner Space, initially located in an old castle and subsequently in a disused cinema. When they weren't touring, they worked in the studio every day, with bassist Holger Czukay acting as producer and engineer. Their first few albums were recorded on 2-track equipment, and it was not until they were well established that multi track recording became available to them. Unlimited Edition is drawn from something like 7 years worth of work, some of it material left off mainstream releases, some of it work in progress, some of it apparently recorded for the band's own amusement and all of it fascinating.

Both of Can's lead vocalists, the American Malcolm Mooney and the Japanese Damo Suzuki, are represented on this album, and there is also plenty of instrumental work. Tracks 1 - 13 were originally released as Limited Edition a couple of years prior to this, and were combined with the remaining pieces to make an excellent value double album in 1976. Despite the hopping around betwen different line ups and different styles of music, the whole thing flows along almost seamlesly, largely because of the metronimically precise drumming of Jaki Liebezeit - no matter how far out Can went, their remarkable drummer always anchored them to the earth. The album also displays an eccentric sense of humour.The EFS (Ethnological Forgery Series) were Can's attempts at imitating various brands of world music at least a decade before the idea of world music even existed in the mainstream music industry. Not all of them work, but the sense of adventure and exploration is palpable Malcolm Mooney's darkly humorous lyrics and vocals on Mother Upduff and The Empress And The Ukraine King are also a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes. Cutaway is an 18 minute sound collage from 1968 that sees the band (particularly Czukay) fusing psychedelia with dub reggae, with some odd snippets of studio dialogue thrown in for good measure. The early years are more strongly represented, but the opening and closing tracks are good examples of the kind of icily beautiful music Can made after 1973.

This is not a great album for the Can newbie, but for anybody interested in Can or in German progressive music generally it's highly recommended.

This expanded version of "Limited Edition" is pretty interesting collection of odds and ends between 1969-75. Of particular interest are early 1969 tracks recorded with Malcolm Mooney as vocalist - presumably leftovers from the "Monster Movie" sessions. "The Empress and the Ukraine King", "Mother Upduff", "Connection" and "Fall of Another Year" are excellent songs, most of them even quite accessible on the first listen. One can imagine how the debut would have sounded had these been included instead of, say, long and sometimes boring jam "Yoo Doo Right" - it might have been a better album, but let's not speculate too much! Of the later stuff noteworthy compositions are: somewhat spacey and ambient textures of Future Days- era "Gomorrha", ethnic-oriental flavour of "Transcendental Express" and "Ibis", a close cousin of "Dizzy Dizzy". The remaining stuff is more or less an issue for CAN completists but the overall estimation of "Unlimited Edition", given its high points described above, must be quite good. You will live a happy life if you never touch this album, but getting to know it a bit may add some nice spice to your ears.

CAN were known for recording tons and tons of material in their own studios over the years. Often they would simply jam, improvise and experiment, but no matter what they were doing they usually recorded it all. This particular album is a collection of songs that didn't appear on any of their studio records. For me it's very hit and miss but for the CAN fanboy i'm sure this is essential.

"Gomorrah" is a standout track and I can see why it's the lead off track. Lots of atmosphere and this instrumental is experimental sounding. "Dokoe" is mainly a beat with Damo on vocals. Other highlights are "I'm Too Leise" with the percussion and flute-like sounds before bass, acoustic guitar and Damo's vocals join in. Organ later on.

"The Empress And The Ukraine King" is catchy with Malcom on vocals, sax 2 1/2 minutes in. "Mother Upduff" is cool with Malcom trelling a story as the music seems to get more tense as it plays out. "Cutaway" is by far the longest song at 17 minutes. "Connection" is better with Malcom singing. I like the guitar after a minute. "Fall Of Another Year" is classic Damo and the music to match. One of my favourites.

A good album but definitely for the die hard fan.

This intriguing collection of Can-dementia was actually my introduction to the band. Right back in the days when I only listened to symphonic prog (yes I once was innocent too). Needless to say I hated the guts out of this thing and stayed clear of all things Can for almost 10 more years. But for the initiated, this is quite an interesting collection of leftovers, brimming with ideas, sketches, creativity and, well, sheer madness.

This album presents Can's music in an embryonic state, with few of the pieces entirely developed, but that's exactly what makes it an interesting release and must-have for Can-ophiles, as they add interesting new sonic explorations, alternate takes and other useful additions to the known body of Can works. The 'Ethnological Forgery Series' being the obvious examples, showing experiments with world music reminding me slightly of Embryo. The opener 'Gomorrha' is one of the few fully formed Can tracks, a little cosmic masterpiece unique to their discography. Much of the songs with vocals are from the Malcolm Mooney years, which is a plus as far as I'm concerned. The 17 minute 'Cutaway' is a bit of a disappointment though.

I don't fancy all tracks here equally, but the mix of experimental successes as well as the failures is a big part of the charm of this release. Besides, since I digitalized my entire catalog this year, a playlist with 50 very strong minutes can be easily compiled from what's on offer here. You could say this is for fans only, but well, that's what many people think of the entire Can discography anyway. So 4 it is!

An intriguing odds-and-sods collection from CAN, who arrange various snippets collected from the cutting room floor into a new album. Opening with the atmospheric Gomorrah, the album takes the listener through a bewildering variety of styles, ambushed at points by vocals from the departed Malcolm Mooney and Damo Suzuki. It's a fun enough experiment, though to be honest I find the world music-leaning side of krautrock (as represented by the likes of Embryo) to be the least interesting part of the genre, so I didn't get much out of the Ethnological Forgery series of tracks - and to be honest, you'd have to have very broad tastes indeed to enjoy this one from beginning to end.