Search - Can DVD on DVD

Visual scrapbook of Can brilliance

D. Hamilton-Smith | Merrye Olde Engelond | 05/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this DVD primarily for the live footage on Disc One. The intensity of the performance is something to behold, especially Damo swaying and shrieking in his pink and red catsuit (Justin Hawkins eat your heart out) and Irmin hammering away at his synths with Mad-Professor-like concentration. The opening performance of 'Spoon' is an absolutely viscious jam, surpassing anything they've done in the studio, and the 52-minute film then cuts from their frenzied live jamming to the more contemplative setting of a studio where they record the vocal dubs for 'Bring Me Coffee or Tea'. The film cuts back and forth between the two places, which is a little annoying as you only get to see about four live songs (long as they are, of course), but it's all of a very high quality. The camera angles are intimate and in one particular shot you feel like you're right behind Michael Karoli, jamming along with them. All too short, sadly, but I'm glad of any classic-era Can footage I can get.

The documentary on Disc Two effectively makes up for the Can Free Concert's shortcomings. It's almost 90 minutes long, features an array of archive interviews as well as ones from the late 90s and the late 80s, when they reconvened with Malcolm Mooney, and several TV performances. Among these are excellent versions of 'Paperhouse' from 1972 and, perhaps the best performance in the whole double-disc set, an Old Grey Whistle Test version of 'Vernal Equinox' from 1975. Here Jaki plays an absolutely stunning rhythm for 10+ minutes, breaks into all kinds of mad fills, and STILL doesn't break a sweat, confirming that he is indeed a machine. There's a great-sounding version of 'Moonshake' on there somewhere too.

I haven't watched the rest yet, but the two main features alone are worth the asking price."

Very disappointing

D. Dwyer | California | 05/30/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Can made some great records, but you wouldn't know it based on the evidence here. This set features an unenlightening documentary (using mostly footage shot after 1974), and a very poor concert. For completists only."

`HERACLITUS:"NOTHING ENDURES BUT CHANGE"

Mark Wix | Downstate IL,USA | 11/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of all the groups that I had the priviledge to see perform,none encompassed change as much as Can.I saw them one year after the concert featured in the DVD.I enjoyed the 3 performances that I witnessed more than this but recommend the DVD regardless.This shows Can at a point in time;however,one can not access chapters of the concert as at the request of the director,the concert is to be viewed as a whole.Can combined the Gesamtkunstwerk of Wagner with the theater of Artaud to totally immerse the audience into the performance.I enjoyed the members talk about the conflict among themselves that ensued during their performances having witnessed this and can attest to the positive results that engendered;as Thomas Paine wrote, the harder the conflict,the more glorious the triumph.I also enjoyed seeing the clips from appearnces that Can made on television in the pre -MTV era.Another bonus was seeing Malcolm and Damo socializing together.A bittersweet moment is viewing Michael knowing he's not with us presently but having this document to treasure him and his contributions.This features the awards ceremony for a band renowned in Europe but unknown for the most part this side of the pond.Can exemplified change and this DVD is a constant reminder of that.To finish my review, I'll quote Flaubert, "One becomes a critic when one cannot be an artist".I may not be a critic but I know artists when I see them and they are CAN."