Library Rock's Backpages

Can: Paladium, Cologne, Germany

Don Watson, The Wire, May 1999

DURING THEIR heyday in the mid-70s, Can put great emphasis on the subjugation of the individual to the sound of the group. At their best the formidable force of five egos were sublimated to a muscular trance music of terrifying density. It is ironic, then, that 30 years on, four founding members, Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli, Irmin Schmidt and Jaki Liebezeit should return to Cologne under the Can banner without sharing a stage together.

Total word count of piece: 859

Subscribe

Becoming a member is easy. Membership gives you access to all the thousands of articles in the library.

Click here to go to Subscribe page.

Click here for academic and other group subscriptions.