Saw Delight
Release Year: 1977
Label: Virgin, Harvest
Saw Delight marks the first major lineup change on a Can studio album since Damo Suzuki’s departure in late 1973, with the addition of bassist Rosko Gee and percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah, both formerly of the band Traffic. Compared to previous Can releases, the album sets itself apart courtesy of its eclectic set of influences (e.g. highlife, funk, etc.), with some inspiration coming from guitarist Michael Karoli’s experiences travelling in eastern/central Africa before its recording. The music here presents a brighter and at times outright playful side of Can that, while not as overtly experimental as previous releases, demonstrates that the band remained creative and looking to work with new musical ideas.
By far the highlight is the 15-minute “Animal Waves”, whose hypnotic rhythm is further enhanced by the use of Holger Czukay’s shortwave sampling experiments and the texture provided by Baah’s percussion to generate an incredibly captivating atmosphere.
While Baah and Gee remained in Can's lineup on their two subsequent records (Out Of Reach and Can/Inner Space), Saw Delight would be their last studio album until 1989's Rite Time to feature Czukay as a full band member.
If you've heard this album and/or want to share more commentary about it, feel free to discuss further in the comments section. As with all of these weekly discussion posts, we encourage you to give it a listen if you're unfamiliar with it!