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A startling record, to say the least. This album goes from strength to unexpected strength, and is considered by many to be definitive proof of the amazing sonic landscapes Can were capable of.
It is made all the more amazing when one realizes that this was their first "real" album with newly acquired singer Damo Suzuki ("Soundtracks" was a compilation which also included some Malcom Mooney material.) The first album kicks off with what was expected from this group: mysterious, psychedelic tracks with shifting polyrhythms and just-another-instrument-in-the-mix vocals. The second side of the first LP consists of "Halleluhwah," a Can favorite.
What truly makes this album notable, however, is the second LP. "Augmn" and "Peking O" show how this band truly thrives on heat of the moment energy: at first glance the pieces are seemingly structureless, but after a few listens, things fall into place with an eerie efficiency. Somehow, this group could make music in which it made perfect sense to have barking dogs appear out of nowhere, or even come up with strangely Oriental moments (such as in "Peking O") which seem to have come directly from the listeners' own head.
Apparently, the name "Tago Mago" refers to a magician. Not surprising, considering the music attached to it.
(Spoon 006/7)