Post-Suzuki Can: Soon Over Babaluma

In 1974, CAN found themselves delving into new musical territories. The quartet did so assertively and the result was a stunning album that further established the band members’ reputation as some of Germany’s most innovative and forward-looking musicians.

Soon Over Babaluma was written and recorded shortly after Damo Suzuki left CAN. The singer’s departure did not paralyze the band despite what music historians and critics – including Jim DeRogatis – assert. With Michael Karoli and Irmin Schmidt sharing vocal duties, the band focused on composition and instrumentation, creating in the process a densely intricate and truly invigorating record.

Jeffrey Walker, author of the album’s liner notes, describes the band’s music as “a celebration of the primeval; reaching deep into the primordial past, grasping our collective musical soul and then hurling it into space.” He pertinently adds: “CAN is four people.”

This is a seminal krautrock album and it does present CAN in its inherent completeness.

Stereo 8 (United Artists UA-EA343-H) – Track Listing:
Program A: Dizzy Dizzy – Come Sta, La Luna (part 1)
Program B: Come Sta, La Luna (part 2) – Splash
Program C: Chain Reaction (part 1)
Program D: Chain Reaction (part 2) – Quantum Physics

LP – Track Listing:
Side A: Dizzy Dizzy – Come Sta, La Luna – Splash
Side B: Chain Reaction – Quantum Physics