SOON OVER BABALUMA

I find myself looking at the work of Can in a somewhat objective light, rather than an emotional, subjective one...to me, Can can (sic) sometimes put experimentation above listener involvement - and in doing so they could be far more self indulgent than many of the contemporary so-called prog "dinosaurs"; sometimes though they did rise to produce great music with real feeling. "Soon Over Babaluma" has both ends of the spectrum. It kicks off with "Dizzy Dizzy" a lively track with more than a hint of cajun to it, led by Karoli's violin. And Karoli's vocals work really well on this track - unlike on "Chain Reaction" which I realise many will think is the centrepiece of the album; here though I think Michaels vocals are weak - we know he can't sing well, but please, at least try to sound like you're making an effort! It's the weakest track here, because of the poor vocals. It runs straight into "Quantum Physics" which is Can experimenting with sound and textures; I almost dismissed it but as with so much good music, after several plays I really began to appreciate it. The other two tracks - "Come sta" and "Splash" are good, if not great, music. Overall the album lacks the cohesion of its predecessor, Ege Bamyasi (and minor point - the album cover disappoints!). Unlike other reviewers, I found the production quality on this re-mastered CD first rate. Despite its shortcomings, I'd give it 3.5 stars which feeling generous I'd round up to 4.