7-31-09 Kraftwerk
I was once upon a time a huge fan of Kraftwerk, the German electronic band.
CD AUTOBAHN EMI DE CDP 746153.2
1974 5 TRKS original CD issue
LP AUTOBAHN PHILIPS DE 6305 231
1974 5 TRKS original issue
12" COMPUTER LOVE EMI
1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve
CD COMPUTER WORLD ELEKTRA US 3549.2
1981 7 TRKS
LP COMPUTER WORLD EMI
1981 7 TRKS English language
LP COMPUTERWELT EMI DE 1C 064-46311
1981 7 TRKS original issue
CD DIE MENSCH MASCHINE EMI DE CDP 746131.2
1978 6 TRKS in German
LP DIE MENSCH MASCHINE EMI DE 1C 058-32843
1978 6 TRKS original issue
LP ELECTRIC CAFÉ EMI DE 1C 064-240644.1
1986 6 TRKS
LP KRAFTWERK PHILIPS DE 6305 058
1970 4 TRKS original issue
LP KRAFTWERK 2 PHILIPS DE 6305 117
1971 6 TRKS original issue
12" KRAFTWERK'S DISCO BEST CAPITOL
1977 4 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo-only
12" POCKET CALCULATOR EMI
1981 3 TRKS with pic sleeve
12" POCKET CALCULATOR promo WARNER US PRO-A-951
1981 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo
CD RADIO-ACTIVITY CAPITOL
1975 12 TRKS
LP RADIO-AKTIVITAT EMI DE 1C 064-82087
1975 12 TRKS insert, original issue
LP RALF & FLORIAN PHILIPS DE 6305 197
1973 6 TRKS poster, original issue
LP RALF & FLORIAN PHILIPS JPN BT-8102
1973 6 TRKS ('79 re-issue)
12" SHOWROOM DUMMIES CAPITOL US 8501
1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve
12" TOUR DE
1983 3 TRKS with pic sleeve
LP TRANS EUROPA EXPRESS EMI DE 1C 064-82306
1977 8 TRKS poster, original issue
12" TRANS
1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve
I still have my nice set of German original LP’s. But after “Electric Café”, I just couldn’t keep up. I also have some 7” singles. I suppose I am no longer waiting on CD issues of the first three Kraftwerk LP’s. I started with “Ralf & Florian”, so I really wish they’d do that one.
My original German LP of it has a big poster in it!
So, is Ralf Hutter the only one left, now?
I remember when each and every year, there were release sheets from exporters in my office that always listed a “new LP” that was never forthcoming.
I once went to a costume party dressed as someone from the cover of “Die Mensch Maschine”.
7 comments:
I find that Electric Cafe has aged far better than its original splash would have indicated. In 1986 "side 1" sounded thin and strident, but we didn't know about minimal techno at that time. What sounded disappointing to me in 1986 sounds much better 23 years later. The whole "boing boom tschak" phoneme thing sounds great to me now.
But, yes, Kraftwerk did squander the "lead" they once had on all of their followers. Ralf certainly pumped his trust fund Deutschmarks into hardware R&D that certainly worked for a few years there. Once sampling became widespread I think it completely spooked the band and they became rigid and immobilized as their copyists kept moving on. Eventually, electronic sound processing seemed to hit a brick wall where it became software driven rather than hardware driven, and Kraftwerk's day was certainly over by then!
Their one "new" album after "Electric Cafe" is a pleasant curio but a far cry from the days where they strode the music world like a colossus. The remake suite of "Tour De France" was a misguided waste of effort. Some of the other cuts (Vitamin, Aerodynamik, Electrokardiogramm) were successful but not earth-shaking.
I like the first Karl Bartos album far more than any post 81 Kraftwerk, for what it's worth! That said, I wept for the first 15 minutes when I saw them in 1997.
I am willing to try "Electric Cafe" again, after all these years. I was totally disenchanted with it, upon release. After all "Into Battle" by the Art of Noise was the 'new' Kraftwerk album - and the not-released Mainframe "5 Minutes" album (which I've still not ever heard).
That, and the French wave was happening in '86. I saw Kraftwerk live a few times, always underwhelming, unfortunately. I remember all the talk was about bicycles. They weren't interested in talking about music, they only wanted to talk about bicycles. Adn they wouldn't sign *anything*. I wonder if they would've signed a catalogue of bicycle parts?
All that said, "Ralf & Florian" was one of th albums that really changed me, back about '73 or so. A human face on Krautrock, if you will. I will never forget hearing "Kristallo" *very loud* at KPFK-FM, in the control room - on a super nice stereo. Boing boom tschak, indeed!
I have a video of a "live" performance of "Aerodynamik" from the MTV music awards (which you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uor8KYvPpQE&feature=related) in top-quality and excellent sound, and just for a moment there all is right with the universe.
Alas, things fall apart, as Milton said. It's a shame they couldn't have fleshed out that last record and gone out with a bang, but apparently we're just going to get "live retreads" from now on. It will be interesting to see if Florian actually DOES pursue a solo career as was claimed.
Still, those records (I think I entered the scene with "Autobahn," but I *might* have picked up "Ralf & Florian" first, or around the same time -- very different records!
I still have a CD copy of "Tone Float" and vinyl of "Ralf & Florian" but my main interest has always been "Autobahn" and beyond.
sorry, that third paragraph suffered an "edit malfunction"!
I meant to say that those early albums really did change the landscape for me as well, giving me an early interest in electronic music that served me VERY well by the time New Wave rolled around!
I never got to see them live, and I kick myself for this all the time.
Yes. I'm with Charles' sentiment. That humble, brutal 7" edit of "Autobahn" was my entree into a larger world for my top 40 ears. It is one of the three seminal 45s in my personal canon.
And the other two would be?????
Yeah, Jim - What are the other two? I don't think I could narrow it down like that!
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