We’re reaching peak rock star death era – many of the musicians active during rock music’s formative years are reaching their seventies. This week we lost Walter Becker of Steely Dan, who was an integral part of one of the 1970s’ best and most consistent bands, and he was rightly mourned. But Holger Czukay of Can also passed away this week, and he deserves a moment in the spotlight as a driving force behind a unique and influential band.
Czukay was born in 1938, and studied under Stockhausen, before taking up with rock music, after hearing The Beatles’ ‘I Am The Walrus’. He was part of a formidable rhythm section in Can with drummer Jaki Liebezeit, who also passed away this year. But as well as his bass lines, Czukay was the group’s editor, honing the group’s jams into coherent songs.
I already covered Can’s ‘Halleluwah’ a few weeks ago, but Czukay also had a respectable solo career after leaving Can. His 1979 album Movies is included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, and the most accessible track is ‘Cool In The Pool’, a showcase for Czukay’s infectious bass and goofy humour.
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I had forgotten he had a solo album (in addition to the Can albums) on the 1001 list – thanks for giving him a moment in the spotlight.
I always find it interesting to hear what song/album/moment inspired a musician, neat to read it was I am the walrus with Holger
It’s my favourite Beatles song – I can certainly see how it would make someone who wasn’t interested in rock music into a fan.
I guess, we are going see and hear about all these older guy’s passing now! I could never get into Steely Dan but still sad and I enjoyed Tago Mago a week or so ago, I’ll have to check out his solo stuff now!
Have you heard Can’s Future Days? It’s more ambient – but it’s a pretty cool record. Everything they did with Damo Suzuki is pretty worthwhile IMO.
I’ll have check that one too! Do know the English band The Fall? The song “I Am Damo Suzuki”? That’s cool!
Yup I know The Fall. The Classical is my favourite song from them.
Or Soon Over Babaluma
Sad news, but well done for highlighting his contribution (I haven’t read anything else about his passing in the print media or online – a sad state of affairs…). I was a huge fan of his collaborations with David Sylvian, especially ‘Plight and Premonition’.
I guess his passing was shadowed by Becker’s a little – he was something of an invisible hand guy who has fingerprints everywhere, but little fame outside of music geeks.
I haven’t heard any of his other stuff outside Can and Movies (and only know Secrets of the Beehive from Sylvian). Guess that’s something to explore sometime.
I reviewed “Movies” for my site a while back. It really is a great album. The guy invented sampling before the term had even been invented! R.I.P.
Yeah, I found your review while trying to find an image of the cover. You were right up the top of the listings.
I have never heard of this guy. If you had (literally) told me he was the president of the Czech Republic I would have believed you. I note that, born in 1938, he’s quite a bit older than the generation we’re seeing pass, most of whom were born in the mid-to-late ’40’s.
3/4 of the German musicians in Can were already in their 30s when the band started. Irmin Schmidt is still around.
The backlog of obituaries is daunting and inevitable but sad nonetheless.
Although I chose to write on Walter Becker, I’ve been thinking about Can all week.
I’ve been blogging for less than two years. It feels like I do one obit/month. And that’s not even everybody. Sucks.
We must be nearing the peak, right? Feels like rock music was most dominant as an art form in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and those are the people we’re starting to lose now.
Yeah, my sister and I were chatting about that. Bums her out as well. And many of those guys lived hard-charging life styles and so likely won’t make it to 90. So three cheers for Keith Richards who I believe to be technically dead but too dumb (smart?) to lie down.
Although Bread are mostly dead, and most of The Stones are still around. Lots of it is genetics too, right?
I don’t know. Not a genetecist.
Two of the premier bands of the 1970s lost their bass players within a few days.
Indeed. An acquaintance who plays bass was feeling most insecure.
So pleased to see a Movies mention – a unique album ahead of it’s time.
I need to add the record to my Can page – Czukay was pretty essential to Can, great technical skills and he added some silliness.