XTC and Kraftwerk: Where to start?

[Jefferson James]

I love Wasp Star. I have no idea why it gets panned by a lot of people. It's not as good as it's predecessor, but it's got it's own little charm as a more electric, rock-oriented album.

I don't think anything could top "Apple Venus Volume 1"! However, I'm with you: "Wasp Star" is a great CD and, although I do sorely miss the musical presence of the magnificent Dave Gregory, for the last XTC album to end with this amazing song pretty much makes me stupidly happy :



Also check out Mike Keneally and Andy Partridge's collaboration out last year, "Wing Beat Fantastic" -- great stuff!

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Yeah, I've got Wing Beat Fantastic and like it a lot. I hear some Partridgeisms, but it seems to me to be more of a Keneally album, which isn't such a bad thing!

[yogibear]

with xtc i prefer their new wavey smart assed herky jerky tunage. they were what the whole movement was about. energy and good songs with interesting arranging. when they changed was when they stopped touring and they became more mannered and thought out ;pop songs that were really good but again they lost their youthful energy and became like the new waves version of the Beatles. for XTC the best place would probably be "Skylarking" as it has good songs and the energy was still on display in places.

kraftwerk began as german cosmic rockers with long jams and such then they began hitting the synths and computer drums in earnest and had some success with em. so "computer world" is killer as is "autobahn".live on radio bremen from 1971 is a radio bootleg that has some killer stuff (they actually do a song called heavy metal kids). i've read the live "minimum maximum" has all their best tunes done live and would probbly be the best for someone new to kraftwerk.

[JAMOOL]

minimum-maximum is indeed an astounding release. its live but the sound quality is so good that it doesn't feel that way. it covers all the major bases and reworks the tunes to make them more modern, but not in a scary way (like The Mix flirted with); instead it just feels timeless. maybe their best album as a whole but of course you'll want to hear the originals.

also, i'd probably stay away from the pre-Autobahn albums until you know what you're getting into. the first two albums (and Organisation) are generally avant-garde, driven by percussion - nothing like later Kraftwerk. I think Dinger and Rother (from Neu!) were in the band at this point but they don't play much on those albums. The Bremen Radio boot is Ralf+Dinger+Rother I believe and it is amazing. I prefer it to any of the early studio albums. R&F is a nice album but it feels a lot like a Cluster imitation.

[Facelift]

As you don't know the bands at all, I would say start at the beginning with both and work forwards and find out what you like becasue both bands have varied enormously over the years.

This is usually the best advice for most bands.

[GuitarGeek]

also, i'd probably stay away from the pre-Autobahn albums until you know what you're getting into. the first two albums (and Organisation) are generally avant-garde, driven by percussion - nothing like later Kraftwerk. I think Dinger and Rother (from Neu!) were in the band at this point but they don't play much on those albums. The Bremen Radio boot is Ralf+Dinger+Rother I believe and it is amazing. I prefer it to any of the early studio albums. R&F is a nice album but it feels a lot like a Cluster imitation.

There's is reportedly a "lost" Kraftwerk album, I believe recorded between the first two, with the Schneider/Rother/Dinger trio that appears on the Beat Club video. I guess they decided they weren't happy with the results, and Schneider and Hutter by then had reconciled (Hutter had left the band for awhile), so they got back together and booted Rother and Dinger.

I don't agree with the "stay away from the pre-Autobahn albums" advice. Those are the best records they made. Unless you actively enjoy listening to robotic dance music (which is mostly what they did after Autobahn) than if you ask me the first four albums are the only place to go.

[Sunlight Caller]

I am just home from seeing Kraftwerk at the Tate Modern gallery in London, quite appropriate that they play in the Turbine Hall of a converted former power station. It was spellbinding, 3D visuals, crystal sound, superb set list and just the coolest gig. I was so transported that I sprung for the 8 CD box set (starts at Autobahn), in spite of having them all individually, but 'twas a thing of beauty!

[JAMOOL]

There's is reportedly a "lost" Kraftwerk album, I believe recorded between the first two, with the Schneider/Rother/Dinger trio that appears on the Beat Club video. I guess they decided they weren't happy with the results, and Schneider and Hutter by then had reconciled (Hutter had left the band for awhile), so they got back together and booted Rother and Dinger.

I don't agree with the "stay away from the pre-Autobahn albums" advice. Those are the best records they made. Unless you actively enjoy listening to robotic dance music (which is mostly what they did after Autobahn) than if you ask me the first four albums are the only place to go.

knowing KW, that material will never surface. it's weird that Kraftwerk have been huge for almost 40 years and yet almost no "non-album" material has ever come out. there was one new song in 1998 that didn't make an album and another a few years later, but we only have low quality boots to show for them. otherwise, you got "House Phone" which is not really anything "new", but that's about it. kind of amazing, really!

to the second part I say to each their own, just that those who enjoy the pre-Autobahn stuff usually don't like the more popular albums, and vice versa. but lots of people enjoy the "robotic dance music" phase!