Flow Motion

Although not as critically well-received as some of their previous work, I found this album to be an enjoyable listen every bit as good as their other work. With shorter songs that some would say were not as well-developed and less involving than that found on, say, Future Days, they nonetheless exhibited all that was great with the genre - underlying beats and rythmic phrasings that provided a hypnotic backdrop to exploratory sounds and melodies that were electronically generated. By today's standards, the equipment's lack of sophistication did not seem to hinder the music in any meaningful way. Someone who has not been exposed to the work of Can and has probably known nothing of this genre besides Kraftwerk is in for a pleasant and enjoying surprise. I highly recommend this album to anyone interested in quality music.

Although this album is a little more accessible than the band's previous work, it a very enjoyable, groovy album. Combining reggae and even dance beats, it is a nice flowing album. Karoli's voice is gloriously deadpan as a sings about money, women and cars on the second track. The first track I Want More was their only hit and it has an infectious disco beat. The title track is a great closer, clocking in at over 12 minutes. I dearly love Babylonian Pearl sung by keyboardist Irmin Schmidt. It's a romantic sweet piece of pop. Though this music is not as challenging as Tago Mago Or Ege Bamayase, I think they soldier on quite well without a 'proper' lead singer. May be a good place to begin for a novice. Highly recommended.

Can - Flow Motion (1976)Is this Can gone mainstream? Not really, although the opening track does jump on the newly emerging disco bandwagon that was just getting hot. Still, the song has enough Can flavor to make it something special. The rest of the album tends to be laid-back and pleasant, traits that could theoretically appeal to mainstream sensibilities. But FLOW MOTION is a unique album, quite different from their earlier work and certainly different from anything one hears on mainstream radio. Like all good albums, it has its own feel, a breezy one. It doesn't rank high on my list of Can records and I would say that many if not most Can fans feel the same way about it. Then again, there are those who really love FLOW MOTION. While I'm not one of them, I can appreciate good music when I hear it and I especially appreciate the brilliant, inimitable Can. I came close to giving this album three stars, but my song ratings average out to four stars so I'll go with four. FLOW MOTION is a fun album worth getting. It's good and, hey, it's THE CAN! One of the greatest ever. rating: recommendedBreakdown:"I Want More" (3:29) - sounds like a cheesy disco party and it's really a question of taste whether or not you will like this track. Regardless, the heavily reverbed guitar and the trippy synth loops (I'm betting Gary Numan took note) are cool and there's a few spacey keyboard interludes in there that are really nice. Not my favorite Can song, it is nevertheless their lone international hit and I can't rate it less than ****"Cascade Waltz" (5:35) - is indeed a waltz, a very serene one with Hawaiian slide guitar (some call it Caribbean). Guitarist Michael Karoli turns in a supremely laid-back vocal as well as some electric violin. There are a few very trippy "Can" diversions to be heard as well. ****1/4"Laugh Til You Cry, Live Til You Die" (6:43) - has an easy-going reggae groove and an upbeat, sing-songy quality. Nice, but far from my favorite Can song. ***1/2"...And More" (2:43) - A reprise of sorts of "I Want More," this track gets into a spacier, more tribal vibe, all while the words "and more" are endlessly repeated. Bongos augment the 4/4 beat as Karoli wrings out some psychedelic notes. ****1/4"Babylonian Pearl" (3:29) - This is a rather strange, gently rollicking track sung by keyboardist Irmin Schmidt. It's laid back, kinda funky. ***3/4"Smoke" (5:15) - Part of Can's "Ethnological Forgery Series," this track has a driving African rhythm and loads of sound effects. Primo Can!*****"Flow Motion" (10:23) - A sprawling, playful 10-minute marathon featuring a loping rhythm and Michael Karoli squeezing out some sweet, jammy solos on guitar. The bass line is simple and repetitive and contributions from other players are minimal. The song pretty much serves as an excuse for Karoli to cut loose a bit, and he does. ****If you've gone through their discography up to this point then of course you will want FLOW MOTION. But I would recommend getting MONSTER MOVIE, SOUNDTRACKS, TAGO MAGO, EGE BAMYASI, FUTURE DAYS, SOON OVER BABALUMA and LANDED first.

Following their previous release  Landed ,Can came to understand as a lot of the more experimental rock bands of the era did that it might be a good time for them to enjoy some pop success. There was still the basic concern of how to do so without compromising themselves. That tends to be a very easy statement to make,but very difficult to put into practice. Luckily for Can it was 1976. And whether it be the the Munich sound or what was happening in America and England at this particular time it was not exactly the worst time to change up the groove for the band. For all intents and purposes,this is Can's funk album. The most important part of it is how much they seem to understand what funk is at it's musical core. "I Want More" and it's shadow "....And More" are both intense,rhythmically monstrous poly-rhythmic funk jams-filled with slippery baselines,abstract wah-wah guitar patterns and plenty of ethereal synthesizer arrangements. "Laugh Till You Cry,Live Till You Die","Cascade Waltz" ,"Babylonian Pearl" and the elongated title song combine this approach into more Caribbean inspired reggae rhythms. There's also "Smoke (E.F.S. No.59)",an extremely tribal poly rhythmic groove owing it's musical virtues mostly to Africa. During the 70's,musicians from Africa and the European continent were intermingling in some very interesting ways. And considering funk's origins in African rhythms,and Africa's interest in the funk era itself it's not the least bit surprising Can would few this music as something of a road to reaching a broader audience. Can's musically virtues were of course far too obtuse for anything remotely close to th disco/dance style of Munich . But this album remains the most accessible and even radio oriented release they likely ever made.

late can ... not so good ... one track is superb and well worth the price of this disc

This album is best known for the hit single "I Want More". Its fairly representative of what is a patchy album. The Band were never to regain the peaks of their previous output so chronologically this is perhaps one step too far for anyone other than the serious completist. Great remaster however .

En México los precios de los discos de CAN son excesivos; afortunadamente en lo encontré más barato y de importación. Lo malo fue que, la caja del disco, venía estrellada.

Very nice music for very affordable price.

un bellissimo disco che cercavo da tanto tempo e che finalmente ho trovato lo cercavo in vinile ma fa lo stesso