On the Way to the Peak of Normal

ON THE WAY TO THE PEAK OF NORMAL, from 1981, was the first conventional pop record Holger Czukay released after the breakup of Can in the late 1970s. Of course, as always with this prime experimentalist, "conventional" is a relative term. Recorded with Can's drummer Jaki Liebezeit, plus occasional help from Conny Plank and Jah Wobble, it is one of the few Czukay solo records that have the feel of vintage-era Can, particularly on the hypnotic, near-instrumental two-song suite on the original LP's first side. The four shorter pieces on side two are more varied.