ArtRockMusik

March 24, 2009 7:32 PM

A year ago today we celebrated Holger Czukay's birthday, so why not do so again this year with some CAN videos? Paperhouse, Spoon, On German TV in 1971, Mother Sky, Halleluhwah, Vernal Equinox
posted by ornate insect (18 comments total)

And also too Oh Yeah.
posted by grounded at 7:48 PM on March 24 [1 favorite]

See also Holger talking about Can; Can on wiki; Then I Saw Mushroom Head: The Story of Can
posted by ornate insect at 8:01 PM on March 24

Of course, a birthday post that ignores some of Holger's most important work seems rather silly to me, so let's redress the balance, shall we?

Canaxis Pt. 1 | Canaxis Pt. II | Persian Love | Der Osten Ist Rot | Premonition (with David Sylvian)
posted by mykescipark at 8:51 PM on March 24

Ode to Perfume is my favorite.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:17 PM on March 24

Cool in the Pool (!!)
posted by Burhanistan at 10:28 PM on March 24

Yay, Holger.

I like the last picture here. That's on http://www.czukay.de/, which has some interesting things.
posted by pracowity at 10:34 PM on March 24

Can is so goddamned good. "Mother Sky" makes me fall apart at the seams.

Alas,

Cannot get on clear vinyl

Another song inspired by Can
posted by koeselitz at 11:02 PM on March 24

Holger Czukay's birthday should be a public holiday, I think.
posted by Grangousier at 12:46 AM on March 25

Apart from "The shit-collectors descending the mountain" (aka Der Osten ist rot), I've always been partial to the rather lightweight Photo song.
posted by progosk at 12:48 AM on March 25

I've seen it happen a bunch of times here that Americans get off the plane and they're like "Hey, Can, right?" and the Germans are like, "Who?" and the Americans are like "uh, you know, the greatest band this country ever produced?" and the Germans are like "you mean Nena?"

I mean, Can's not exactly a household name in America, but somehow you'd expect them to be more famous here.
posted by creasy boy at 1:31 AM on March 25 [1 favorite]

Can was one super-talented individual (Jaki) stuck in a fairly middling hippie jam band.
posted by dydecker at 3:51 AM on March 25

"Mother Sky" makes me fall apart at the seams.

+1.

Soundtracks & Future Days would be close to my all-time most-listened albums.

(partially due to spending more than half a year in India with not a whole lot of music other than those two, plus Yo La Tengo: Painful & President, and Stereolab: Transient Random Sound-Bursts with Announcements & Peng! oh, and Current 93...Thunder Perfect Mind; so great. ah, the good old days of walkmans & cassette tapes...)
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:05 AM on March 25

Can are my Beatles.
posted by anazgnos at 7:45 AM on March 25

Watching these in youtube-quality makes baby Jesus cry. "Oh Yeah" is still mindblowing though.
posted by phax at 7:52 AM on March 25

UbuRoivas: Soundtracks & Future Days would be close to my all-time most-listened albums.

Me too. "She brings the rain / It feels like spring..." Malcolm Mooney is brilliant. And Future Days is such a shock after Ege Bamyasi - and yet so incredibly spiritual.

I was poking around and I found this:

Holger Czukay's Short History of The Can

from which it is clear that Holger is an interesting cat. Quoth Mr. Czukay: "We thought more of a collapsing building in slow motion pictures than becoming heroes on our instruments."
posted by koeselitz at 8:56 AM on March 25

Don't forget your Vitamin C.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 9:12 AM on March 25

The icon on the altar at which I worship.

Ah, Mr. Czukay, how I…well, you know what I mean.
posted by sonascope at 11:01 AM on March 25

*Tries to avoid commenting in yet another beloved Can post. Fails.*

Mother Sky-Gazer.
posted by Skygazer at 12:39 PM on March 25