Audiopile Review: Following the recent passing of Damo Suzuki, many have remarked that his time with Can was the band’s absolute high-water mark. Certainly, the Krautrock legends never sounded more free, more organic, or more approachable. The albums they recorded together, culminating in the lush, utopian ambiance of ‘Future Days’, are some of the greatest in the leftfield rock canon. Those albums, though, were very much studio creations, with the group’s fluid jams edited into something resembling songs. This latest entry into Mute’s ongoing series of live Can albums provides an opportunity to hear the Suzuki-era band in full flow. Many of these recordings have circulated previously as bootlegs, but the legit editions provide a new level of sonic clarity. What’s clear here is that Can really was at its peak when Damo was on the mic. And the group members knew it. They sound fired up from the get-go, and Damo is utterly blissed out. This is probably the finest release in this series yet, and it’s the ideal place to dip in if you haven’t checked the previous ones. Rest in bliss, Damo.

Mute and Spoon Records present the next installment of the curated CAN live concert series, LIVE IN PARIS 1973 – the first in the series to feature Damo Suzuki vocals.

The series was overseen by founding member Irmin Schmidt and producer/engineer René Tinner, who delicately worked on restoring the archival recordings to the best quality for current modern technology. This record captures the band’s 1973 performance in Paris, and features Irmin Schmidt on keyboard & synths, Jaki Liebezeit on drums, Michael Karoli on guitar, Holger Czukay on bass, and Damo Suzuki on vocals for one of his final shows with the band.