There's not an easy way to describe the music found on _Tago Mago_, but here's a slight stab at it: Imagine a proto-Radiohead (the vocalist reminds one of Thom Yorke at times) with tasteful psychedelic/jam elements *slightly* reminiscent of Cream, The Grateful Dead, The Yardbirds and others of that pantheon - added with an ambient aesthetic foreshadowing some of the ambient/dance music that became large some decades later (this was released in 1971.)
This is just a taste of what you'll find on this album, added with many other elements. A track by track overview:
"Paperhouse"--A 7 1/2 minute psychedelic workout featuring some tasteful guitar noodling, an addictive rhythm and some sensual vocals from (then) Oriental singer named Kenji 'Damo' Suzuki. I just love that sensual accent. The first day I got this, I listened to this track alone 23 consecutive times (non-stop), which came out to over 2 1/2 hours. It can get very addictive (as well as the rest of the album.)
"Mushroom"--A proto-ambient/dance number. To be honest, some of these tracks could mislead you from believing this came out in 1971, because they don't sound too dated.
"Oh Yeah"--Another ambient number. This time, with some bluesy licks and some eerie keyboard textures. Once again, the underlying funky, tasteful rhythms can become very addictive.
"Halleluwah"--A mid-tempo number which manages to keep the same rhythm for 1,107 seconds (with the exception of a quiet break somewhere in the middle) without sounding like it drags. By the way, the time limit--1,107 seconds--is 18:27 folks, if you were confused by the "seconds" sentence. Once again (sorry if I sound repetitive), the grooves & rhythms, the guitar/bass interaction and the vocals are so tasty, they can get addictive.
Now, the second half (or second disc, if you own the vinyl) is where it gets VERY challenging and inaccessible - depending on your point of view. These next few tracks are intense, relentless and uncompromising excercises in experimentation.
"Aumgn"--If you pay close attention, you'll notice the opening for "Paperhouse" is the way this track begins - and elaborates more on what was left behind in favor of the duration of the aforementioned track. Listen to this in the dark, with eyes closed and scare the daylights out of yourself. Listening to this is probably even scarier than most of those cheesy horror flicks. Ominous, slithering keyboard textures, creepy vocal atmospherics and some disturbing, relentless percussion & drumming can be found, which gives this track an aura of exorcism (I'm not joking.)
"Peking O."--Sounds like a prototype (along with Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention) for the type of thing Mr. Bungle does. This track features moments that will scare you, warp your mind, and make you laugh out loud. Underneath all the demented vocal shoutings (some sped-up) and ultra-bizarre, abrupt switches in dynamics, is an unlikely amalgamation of ambient, reggae, ragtime and fusion.
"Bring Me Coffee Or Tea"--Probably not as inaccessible or wild as the previous two tracks. This time, it's a slow, meditative number featuring some haunting chords, tasteful instrumentation and some exotic percussion that reminds one of the type of instrumentation King Crimson would revel in during their 1973-1974 period. This also probably sounds the most like a prototype for Radiohead.
To prevent (further?) embarrassment, I'm going to end this review, because there isn't much more I can say, except that this album is EXCELLENT. I don't consider myself someone who uses big terms very often, but, if there's a new discovery that deserves such big praise - this would definitely come to mind. Recommended to adventurous music listeners, as well as those progressive rock fans that want a little more than Yes, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson stuff (and I'm not degrading these bands, as I love them all as well.)
An Indescribable Classic
Some really good tracks. The others?....
7 tracks
