Customer Reviews

Delay 1968 (Reis)

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Actually mostly recorded in early 1969; since "1968" is considered a pivotal time frame in Europe (riots and revolution) they chose that year for the title. Also recorded during 1969 was the brilliant first LP "Monster Movie" and about 4 quite good tracks that were released on "Unlimited Edition" in 1976.

This release finally came out in 1982. They have said that this was the slated first LP that was rejected by record companies; I'm not sure whether some of the tracks placed on "Unlimited Edition" might have been here too when they submitted this (as those tracks are quite good). The sound is overall a bit less refined than the "Monster Movie" tracks and subsequent efforts; it's rawer, more straight-ahead, and more abrasive.

And in places it's literally amazing. "Uphill" is jaw-dropping. The sound being generated from the drums, guitar, and voice is huge, tribal, and amazing. It's on par with the level of brilliance in Jimi Hendrix' music, and pretty far beyond what Hendrix' more well-known successors (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath) were able to do with music. "Butterfly" and "Theif" are pretty good stuff also, gothic and dark R&B/rock workouts. FYI, "Man Named Joe" is the same track as "Kama Sutra 1" which you'll find listed in some discographies as an early single (credited to Irmin Schmidt). "Nineteenth Century Man" is raw but kind of clever. On the whole, quite startling, especially that a track as magnificent as "Uphill" could be kept on the shelf for 13 years.

Lovers of 'primitive music' and 'rock' rejoice! Having been a Can enthusias for 10 years I must say this has steadily grown from a minor but interesting footnote in Can's history to among one of my favorite albums by what I'd have to say is among the best bands of the last 50 years. There is no where among Can's output you'll find the intensity of Butterfly (though there are some moments on Monster Movie that approach it). Delay also remains Can's most lyrically playful album (sorry Damo!)--check out Man named Joe and Nineteen Century Man. What Delay doesn't have is excess--both in sound and length. This is Can at their most stripped down and because of this, it is also more effective. It is a pitty no one didn't got it then, and worse that no one gets it today.

Here's where it all starts...this release was the one prior to "Monster Movie", which got all the rejections and which they shelved to do "MM", which was the first album that got released. But this by no means says that "Delay" isn't a worthwhile listen for those into Can's sound, or even those into a lot of what's going on in rock right now. Tracks like 'Butterfly' and 'Uphill' have the same amazing Velvet Underground-ish noise feel of subsequent efforts, and this also includes the trippy beat-poet rant 'Little Star of Bethlehem'. Malcolm Mooney's in fine, crazed form throughout, the only flaw being the general roughness of the release.

Delay is a fantastic album, that, despite being made in 1968, still retains its awe-inspiring, garage-punk intensity. This album features Malcom Mooney as singer, who grabes hold of every song with a crazed determination to hold the listener's focus. As such, it is much more a "malcolm Mooney" album than "Can" album. While later Can singer Damo Suzuki was a much more subtle singer, leaving space for the band to improvise, Mooney aims straight for the jugular, comming on like a rabid schizophrenic needing your attention. Personally, I like Mooney more than Suzuki, although conventional wisdom says otherwise. Delay is a fine intro to Can. While some of their other albums are more esoteric, this album is pretty accessible. If you like punk, you will like this album.

I listen to this EP far more than I do to the full-length Monster Movie which is Can's first proper album. These tracks were recorded in '69 (I think) and represent Can's still embryonic sound. Indeed these tracks all have a "demo-like" quality (probably due in large part to the humble two-track production) which in no way undermines their effectiveness.

The "Malcolm Mooney" Can is a lot more harsh, a lot more pop-oriented (I am refering to song length and songwriting approach only) than the late Suzuki Can of Future Days or the subsequent Soon Over Babaluma, which emphasizes jazzlike composition and intricately textured soundscapes.

The songs on Delay (my favorites being Little Star of Bethlehem, 19th Century Man, and Pnoom) are all amazing and they emphasize a more " deconstructed-garage rock" Can which is analogous to the earliest Pere Ubu efforts.

In fact it is interesting to compare the stylistic evolution of both of these bands, as they appear to parallel each other closely (although Can is somewhat earlier). If you love The Modern Dance by Pere Ubu you'll probably love this too; if you've just bought Tago Mago or a later Can album and are expecting this to be a similar listen you may want to borrow a friend's copy before purchasing.

this is rough around the edges, sure....but there are some real worthy gems on here. this disc is worth the price for "Thief", "Little Star of Bethlehem", and the remarkable "Pnoom." certainly not a good starting point for those curious about CAN. but a great little footnote in their history.