Kraftwerk

I'm thinking of getting some of their LP's and wondered if any of you would be able to give me a potted overview of their stuff. I've long been fascinated and intrigued by what they've done. Any recommendations??

My only piece of Kraftwerk is my old 7" single of The Model.

Thanks all

 

start with "the man-machine"

 

Bloody hell Robert - that was quick!!!

Cheers

 

better ?

 

Actually I'm pretty sure if you get a hold of any of Autobahn, Radioactivity (my particular fave), Trans Europe Express, The Man Machine or Computerworld, you won't go too far wrong. You will either like it or not and if you like, you will almost certainly like the others, if you don't you probably won't.

 

Thanks guys

Just one point - is it more than just coincidence that 2 fellow NAS owners answered this thread???

 

Speaking as a NAS owner my advice is to get the lot, definitely including the first two (Kraftwerk 1 & 2) which are very different to what came later though just as good. Best of the 'late period' (i.e heavily sequenced) is IMHO Trans Europe Express. There is no bad Kraftwerk LP. Also buy some Neu!, Cluster, La Dusseldorf etc; by now you will be a Krautrock fan, so buy some Can, Amon Düül, Faust, Ash Ra Temple, Popol Vuh etc.

Tony.

 

My opinion as a non-NAS user is you don't need a NAS deck to like kraftwerk but theres no point repeating what everyone else has said

 

Many thanks for the replies chaps, much appreciated.

Popped out to HMV this avo and got Man Machine on CD* - great album, hard to believe it was recorded in 1978. I'll be ordering a couple of lp's from Diverse now.

*This was just to see if I liked it (it'll be in the car from now on).

Tony - I'll check those other ones out, thanks for the tip.

 

I need to get some Kraftwerk albums, a website I have done a lot of work on as won a prestigious award so I got a bonus for that. Kraftwerk here we come!

 

Yes they are amazing producers, the sound always catches me out when I put their stuff on. When I think of 1970s synths etc. with miles of cables etc. its hard to believe how quiet and clean it all is. Why bother with diverse though? Far too much £££!

 

I really like 'Radioactivity'. I play it more than trans euro express.

I got radioactivity on a new slab of vinyl for about a fiver. I think Simply Vinyl may have re-printed the album.

I must investigate 'Neu'. My only exposure is a little glimpse at messeurs 'Bob's place. Which is the best Neu?

 

All are! None are 100% consistent but all have moments of utter jaw-dropping brilliance:

Neu! - As with all Neu! albums it opens with a 10 minute jam in E major, this, the first time, it is called Hallogallo and it changes the world. Nothing that sounds like this had ever been done before, and without it there could be no post rock (especially no Stereolab). The other standout track is Negativeland which sounds like a long lost new wave classic from 10-30 years into the future, part Magazine, part Franz Ferdinand.

Neu! 2 – The 10 minute E major jam is now called Fur Immer and now sounds like it was produced by Martin Hannett for Factory despite the fact that era is still in the distant future. It is even more wonderful. It should be as it cost nearly all of the album's recording budget, which left the ever enterprising Neu! spinning their last single at differing speeds for the vast duration of side 2 - a wonderful anti-music statement worthy of art terrorists such as Throbbing Gristle. Side one is utterly beautiful, side two somehow works despite the odds.

Neu 75 – The 10 minute E major jam is now called Isi and features synths sweeping in and out rather than the guitar noise. Things get stripped out and almost ambient for much of the remainder of side 1 and then side 2 comes in with a real pre-punk fury at times. It sounds like a combination of the very best bits of Bowie's Low and Heroes mixed with the very best of OMD (i.e. the first album) despite the fact that once again none of these things exist yet. Neu 75 is in many people opinions the most consistent Neu! album, and this is possibly true.

You need all three albums – the consistency may not be there, but 10 minutes of Neu! on form is worth far, far more than most bands achieve in a whole 12 album career.

Tony.

 

Definitely my fave - its almost religious. Just wondering though.

Two questions I've always had about this album.

The first is, on the 2nd track - off the top of my head I think the track is also called Radioactivity - there's lots of morse code - almost sounds like a morse conversation - does anyone know what the morse actually says?

Second. The last track Ohm Sweet Ohm? - is this actually based on some well known classical piece (and if so, wehat is it?) or does it just sound like that.

 

Neu!

Absolutely agree. Stumbled accross these on CD last year and immediately snapped them up given Tony's previous recomendations. I was suprised by how current they sounded on first play.

I now listen to Stereolab in a new light.

Stuart.

 

Anyone who likes the Lab would like Kraftwerk, because you'd already be a music fan of great taste, and after all Kraftwerk are genius.

Anyone who likes Kraftwerk may or may not like the Lab, though. I think Emperor Tomato Ketchup would appear to the majority of melody and rhythm loving Kraftwerk fans, though. It's a great LP, the best Stereolab LP I've heard.

PV

 

Well, they weren't the first krauts to do that. The opening to Das Rheingold (the first opera in Wagner's famous Ring Cycle) starts off with a 4 minute "jam" in E-major too

btw, does Rammstein count as krautrock?

Michael.

 

Careful, thats a hornets nest

 

I may have many things between my ears apart from a brain from time to time, Anex, but a hornet's nest isn't one of them. What's your favorite ??.

Paul

 

Dunno, I love stereolab. I think the danger is probably from me going on about the merits of each . I'm listening to Margerine Eclipse alot at the moment, its a nice blend of their old stuff. And sounddust has been on a fair bit too.
Still, can't beat a good bit of metronomic underground though