Can
Future Days


4.5
superb

Review

by Neoteric USER (86 Reviews)
June 20th, 2008 | 213 replies


Release Date: 1973 | Tracklist

Review Summary: a concoction of subtle jamming, complete aural bliss.

You know the story, a band has one album that completely crowds over everything they've done, and while their other material is just as special, it seems to sadly get pushed aside. On many experimental listeners' favourite album lists, you are likely to see Can's Tago Mago near the top, if not at the top. While Tago Mago is a perfectly superb album with an abundance of positive points, I've always held the criminally underrated Future Days in higher regards. Tago Mago is a crazy album, but not one that is easily accessible whatever the mood. Future Days trims the fat from Tago Mago and turns down the "out there" level that made the album so different into a psychedelic ambient flow.

Future Days' sound is nearer to Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk than their krautrock peers Faust, but still manages to display all the habits that krautrock bands seem to encompass. As you may have noticed, Future Days has only four tracks, making it very concise even though the songs are generally long. The relaxing nature and the hallucinogenic euphoria of the LP makes the album duration go in rather quickly. There is a downplay of guitar gain and solid drum patterns but the instrumental execution fits in nicely with the fragile, subtle nature that is present. Future Days is one song and a set of three structured jams. The one song here, "Moonshake", is a delightful take on psychedelic surf but while being one of Can's shortest songs, it is admittedly the worst track here.

The best song proceeds "Moonshake" in the form of "Bel Air", a 20 minute sprawl of exhilarating bliss. The first quarter of the track features quivers of gentle pulsating, eventually transforming into a jamfest of epic proportions. With several minutes of compulsive noodling, the track soon reverts back to the gentle pulsating heard before, except more intense. The track finishes itself off with some luscious Tago Mago style playing that closes the record off. The first two tracks don't manage to live up to "Bel Air" but accent interesting guitar tones and percussion. Title track "Future Days" is a faultless opener that eases the listener into the whole atmosphere the album embraces, featuring very original Jaki Liebezeit world percussion playing. But while "Future Days" comprehends original playing, "Spray" is clearly Jaki's best work on the album. He plays with a strong intensity that would make the song not be as effective if he was absent.

Future Days will sadly not be remembered quite as well as Tago Mago, but for some this may be a new discovery from the other end of the musical spectrum. Sure, it doesn't feature the dark, bleak atmosphere of the band's considered magnum opus, but it does have the will to groove and settle into a euphoric background. The prominence of keyboards also add to this band's forever expanding sound, as is the band's disinterest in rocking out. Future Days is an artistic triumph that the band would never manage to reach after this period. Let's be happy they made this before falling off the ladder.



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user ratings (612)
4.2
excellent
other reviews of this album
Zebra (3)
...



Comments:Add a Comment 
Neoteric
June 20th 2008


3243 Comments


Just really a review to opposite Zebra's opinion.

Aficionado
June 20th 2008


1027 Comments


eliminator to the rescue!

Neoteric
June 20th 2008


3243 Comments


but this album has some keyboards and it's from the 70s so it obviously must sound like tangerine dream and kraftwerk

gee man!

joshuatree
Emeritus
June 20th 2008


3744 Comments


oh man i almost thought this album sounded like tangerine dream and kraftwerk
but then eliminator pointed me in the right direction!
thanks eliminator!

Neoteric
June 20th 2008


3243 Comments


now we know! :thumb:

Electric City
June 20th 2008


15756 Comments


and knowing is half the battle

Aficionado
June 21st 2008


1027 Comments


eliminator to the rescue!

MrKite
June 21st 2008


5020 Comments


i never found can that good

Zebra
Moderator
June 21st 2008


2647 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

good review even though we obviously disagree.

The Jungler
June 22nd 2008


4826 Comments


I've been listening to Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi alot, so maybe I'll get this.
good review.

Neoteric
June 22nd 2008


3243 Comments


It's their best in my honest opinion.

jontheatheist
June 24th 2008


79 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Dig Tago mago and Ege Bamyasi, was thinking of going to monster movie next but maybe ill go to future days.

ValiumMan
June 26th 2008


493 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

This is one of my favorite "summer albums", very upbeat and relaxing, but still deep and complex.

BTW: Tortoise's TNT album owes quite a bit to this, so if you like that album, be sure to check Future Days out.

Great review as well.

LeGo
June 7th 2010


9 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Great chillin' album. Only minus is that 'Moonshake' is too short and I would want it to run forever :3

feav233
December 14th 2010


1411 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Agreed, Moonshake is too short. I just threw this on and I haven't listen to this in such a long time. I forgot how much I enjoy this album

Cheesesandwich2
March 21st 2011


85 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

God damn it, Moonshake is incredible.

keesvdhema
November 11th 2011


7 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

ladies and gentlemen, we're dealing here with the best album ever made in the long history of music

fuckthatnoise
July 15th 2012


1479 Comments


why is this band so fucking amazing

H61
August 28th 2012


295 Comments


Real good

Chrisjon89
January 4th 2013


3833 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

early days for me but this is my favourite Can album.



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