Jaki Liebezeit has died aged 78. There aren't too many drummers- forgive me drummers if I'm showing my ignorance here- who you can say are unique and recognisable. His playing, his rhythms, on Can's records are otherworldly, like nothing else. As well as Can he played with Jah Wobble, Michael Rother and Brian Eno. Again, there aren't many drummers whose name alone makes me want to check out something they played on. Jazz trained, reluctantly pushed into rock 'n' roll in West German beat groups in the 1960s he (and the rest of Can) came up with something entirely new that was also culturally significant. Can were determined to reject all that their fathers had stood for, perhaps more significant in Germany in the 60s than other many countries, and avoid the influence of the USA too. They wanted to make a music which was new and European with the rhythms well to the fore. His Can companion Holger Czukay was asked by a journalist if Jaki was like a drum machine. 'More accurate' he replied.
Future Days
This footage shows B-Boys poppin' to Can's Vitamin C back in the day.
That is the real deal I believe.
RIP Jaki.
What Jaki Liebezeit gave to Rock + Roll, and modern music as a whole was a new, modern, futuristic even, pulse. His beat wasn't just the terra firma of a song, it was the jumping off point as well. His openness to music's possibilities led to some amazing collaborations post Can. He was a giant.
ReplyDeleteGreat video. Wish i could Break like that, wish i could Drum like that, ha! thanks Jaki. RIP
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