Kraftwerk

[Zeuhlmate]

^^
The whole album is IMO a masterpiece. This does not apply to all their albums.

[alucard]

I'm trying to get a sense of how big these guys were at their height (it seems these latest shows were a fairly big production). Is there another band we know that is sort-of comparable?

They completely part of official culture for some time now and play mainly in museums etc. From the same period and coming from the same surroundings I prefer in a mile Can and Neu. And I never liked the way Ralf and Florian bought out Conny Planck when they realized Autobahn was hitting big time and the way they treated Karl Bartos and Wolfgang Flür who are in a major part responsible for the classic Kraftwerk sound and got never any writing credits. BTW the Karl Bartos solo records are excellent.

[Smörgåsbord]

I'd like to put it like this: Even if they had broken up after II or R&F the first two albums would have been (obscure?) classics.

[rcarlberg]

That Kraftwerk concert clip is unbelievable, including the mere fact that it exists at all! What an important and historical musical treasure that is.

Among their contemporaries Kraftwerk were known as "The Millionaires" -- Florian Schneider (iirc) won some sort of large settlement in an injury court case, and used his substantial wealth to buy a ton of electronics. They were able to afford keyboards and stage lighting and an elaborate home recording studio that their German contemporaries only dreamed of.

Organisation (note the German spelling) is NOTHING like Kraftwerk, being primarily a psychedelic hippie folk band like the original Amon Duul I. It's interesting from a historical perspective, but not so much musically.

KWI and KWII are both pretty raw. I don't feel KW hit their stride until Ralf & Florian. There is some great stuff on Autobahn, but also the title track -- and unfortunately the title track became a hit, so from then on the band concentrated on this vapid drum machine electronic pop. They completely lost my interest when they began pretending to be robots, while pre-programmed sequences and tapes played at their "concerts."

Incidentally, there's a June 25, 1971 concert from Bremen Radio in circulation, which includes Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger. It's well worth searching out. Would LOVE to see an official release of that!

[Trane]

I'd like to put it like this: Even if they had broken up after II or R&F the first two albums would have been (obscure?) classics.

Define "classics"....

Because those three albums have never received a legit CD reissue... and 90% casual orvconfirmed of Kraftwerk fans don't even know about their existence

IMHO, of course)

[Smörgåsbord]

Trane, Classics in the krautrock genre (obscure genre for most casual K-werk fans), regardless of sales figures.

[spacefreak]

90% casual orvconfirmed of Kraftwerk fans don't even know about their existence

Most Kraftwerk fans, are electropop or electrowave fans. Their knowledge of krautrock is uber limited.

[zravkapt]

It's mostly 'Krautrock' fans who know of and enjoy the first three.

[rcarlberg]

90% casual or confirmed of Kraftwerk fans don't even know about their existence

Casual Kraftwerk fans only like the vapid electronic tanzmusik they did after the classic first trilogy.

[Trane]

Trane, Classics in the krautrock genre (obscure genre for most casual K-werk fans), regardless of sales figures.

Most Kraftwerk fans, are electropop or electrowave fans. Their knowledge of krautrock is uber limited.

Agree on both counts, but I'm not sure plenty of KR fans really know about those three albums... You'd have imagined that the demand was high enough to at least have one legit CD reissue in the 25 years CD ruled the world.

[alucard]

Casual Kraftwerk fans only like the vapid electronic tanzmusik they did after the classic first trilogy.

Had to look up 'vapid first'.... seen that it's unlikely that Kraftwerk will still record (even so Hütter gives still concerts, Kraftwerk will play in Detroit in may) the "classic" Kraftwerk period goes from Autobahn to Computerwelt. These are the records that created the Kraftwerk sound that influenced Africa Bambaataa, Bowie the early Detroit scene etc., and the sound they will be remembered for. It's obvious why Hütter does not want to be connected anymore to his early records and will not re-release them. My personal favourite would be TEE.

[chalkpie]

Kraftwerk-a-Thon today.

Pour the Riesling.

[rcarlberg]

Kraftwerk-a-Thon today.

Pour the Riesling.

Pass the Advil.

[rcarlberg]

Organisation (note the German spelling) is NOTHING like Kraftwerk, being primarily a psychedelic hippie folk band like the original Amon Duul I. It's interesting from a historical perspective, but not so much musically.

Just listened back to my CDR of this and it's better than I remembered. Lots of kinda aimless musical noodling backed by bongos and hand percussion -- Amon Duul I and/or Arzachel are pretty good comparisons, because of the organ -- but it's fairly restrained and not at all an LSD freakout as I thought I remembered.

[Rarebird]

Kraftwerk-a-Thon today.

Pour the Riesling.

I'm all in for it.

[spacefreak]

backed by bongos and hand percussion

Basil Hammoudi of Ibliss fame on that one.

[chalkpie]

Classic looks from my daughter and wife hearing "Even the Greatest Stars, change themselves in the Looking Glass...." in a thick German English accent with what sounds like a $45 Casio accompanying it.....Haha - they just don't get this AT ALL . "Autobahn" threw them for a loop too.

[adewolf]

I guess it would be beneficial to start a new thread on this group (instead of just burying it in the middle of Yves Top 5 Krautrock thread for cataloging future searches here).

So, I guess I'll start by asking if there are any fans of the first four (4) Kraftwerk albums? (Tone Float, Kraftwerk I, Kraftwerk 2, Ralf and Florian)

I had forgotten how much I really dig the s/t 1970 album! More organic than the later stuff and gets pretty psychy. A great driving album IMO, you just toss it on and GO. I like. I think I had heard "2" possibly once but I have no recollection. I'm fairly sure I have never heard "Tone Float" or "Ralf and Florian". If anybody has some insight into these earlier albums, I would appreciate it - danke

Me! I had the vinyl of all 4 albums in 70's.

[Halmyre]

Classic looks from my daughter and wife hearing "Even the Greatest Stars, change themselves in the Looking Glass...." in a thick German English accent with what sounds like a $45 Casio accompanying it.....Haha - they just don't get this AT ALL . "Autobahn" threw them for a loop too.

Heh. I remember as a young lad on a car journey on a family holiday persuading my dad to tune the radio to Alan Freeman's Saturday rock show on Radio 1. That was the track that was playing, and after a few minutes the radio was rapidly retuned to another station.

[chalkpie]

Die Roboter from Mensch Maschine kicks major hole.

[chalkpie]

(30 minutes ago in my living room with Man Machine cranked up medium volume while I'm making dinner)

Wife: "What is this? It's horrible!"

Me: "Its Kraft Verk. They're from Deutchland."

Wife: "It's horrible."

Me: "They're awesome."

(and then boring stuff related to income taxes)

[chalkpie]

Any fans of Man-Machine here? Its kind of cheesy, but I really dig it. Count me in.

[battema]

I'm a fan

[Rye-Ergot]

Just listened back to my CDR of this and it's better than I remembered. Lots of kinda aimless musical noodling backed by bongos and hand percussion -- Amon Duul I and/or Arzachel are pretty good comparisons, because of the organ -- but it's fairly restrained and not at all an LSD freakout as I thought I remembered.

How Amon Duul (there never was an "Amon Duul I") is even remotely comparable to Arzachel is completely beyond me. Then again have you ever had a pet peeve that you haven't pounded into the most minute particles to try to make your point?

[rcarlberg]

Then again have you ever had a pet peeve that you haven't pounded into the most minute particles to try to make your point?

Probably not.

Amon Düül was a German political art commune formed out of the student movement of the 1960s that became well known for its free-form musical improvisations. This spawned two rock groups, Amon Düül (sometimes referred to as Amon Düül I) and the more famous Amon Düül II.

The "art student, non-musician" half of the band was usually referred to as "Amon Düül 1" back in the early seventies, to distinguish it from the musicians in the collective who split off to try to become a real band. Then there's this:

The name 'Amon Düül' was trademarked by Chris Karrer and Peter Leopold of Amon Düül II, meaning that re-issues of Amon Düül's albums required to license the name from them.

Is that enough minute particles for ya???