Haven't heard some of the much later releases, but for me, Future Days I find is always well worth my listening time. Ege Bamyasi would a be a close second.
Just one? Urrrgh! Up to "Soon Over Babaluma" it could be any album but since I have to pick one I went with the double album
I'd have to agree with Future Days, though Ege and Tago aren't far behind. I haven't heard the later period albums yet.
Tago Mago for me, though Monster Movie, Soundtracks, Ege Bamyasi and Future Days not far behind. An amazing run of albums.
'Babaluma' was my first Can album, US copy in the cut-out bin for about $2.50 or so. Played it to death back in '77; enough for it to be a sentimental favorite; but the logical part of my brain still has to give the nod to T-M (which I didn't get until much later.) What a wonderful world it would be if we always bought an artists' best album first, huh? Though I doubt there was any Can album anyone could have bought back in the 70s that would have been a wrong option.
I've got Can's classic run of albums - Tango Mango thru Soon Over Babaluma. More often than not though, I find myself listening to the 2-CD Cannibalism compilation. It covers Can's entire career save for the 1989 reunion album Rite Time and the track selection and sequencing is spot on.
