Kraftwerk

5-14-10

Kraftwerk

No, I haven’t fallen for the recent re-mastered CD’s, but I bet they sound OK. What I am waiting for are the first three albums to come out on legit CD.

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 UK 12EMI 5207

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" COMPUTER LOVE / NUMBERS WARNER US WBS 49795

1981 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP COMPUTER WORLD EMI UK EMC 3370

1981 7 TRKS English language

CD COMPUTER WORLD (Elektra) ELEKTRA US 3549.2

1981 7 TRKS

CD COMPUTER WORLD (Warner) WARNER US 3549.2

1981 7 TRKS original issue CD, paint face

LP COMPUTERWELT EMI DE 1C064-46311

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 1C058-32843

1978 6 TRKS original issue

LP ELECTRIC CAFÉ EMI DE 1C064-240644.1

1986 6 TRKS

7" KOMETENMELODIE 2 (PS) VERTIGO UK VER 3

1974 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP KRAFTWERK (1970) 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 (#8865) promo CAPITOL US SPRO-8865

1977 4 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo-only

12" KRAFTWERK'S DISCO BEST (#8866) promo CAPITOL US SPRO-8866

1978 4 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo-only

CD MIX, THE ELEKTRA US 60869.2

1991 11 TRK Collection

7" MODEL, THE CAPITOL NL 5C006-85673

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" POCKET CALCULATOR EMI UK 12EMI 5175

1981 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" POCKET CALCULATOR / DENTAKU WARNER US WBS 49723

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve, green vinyl

12" POCKET CALCULATOR promo WARNER US PRO-A-951

1981 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

CD RADIO-ACTIVITY CAPITOL US CDP 746474.2

1975 12 TRKS

LP RADIO-AKTIVITAT EMI DE 1C064-82087

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 FRANCE EMI PATHE FR 1545056

1983 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" TOUR DE FRANCE EMI UK EMI 5413

1983 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD TOUR DE FRANCE SOUNDTRACKS ASTRALWERKS ASW 91708.2

2003 12 TRKS

LPx2 TOUR DE FRANCE SOUNDTRACKS EMI UK 591708.1

2003 12 TRKS

CD TRANS EUROPA EXPRESS EMI DE 746133.2

1977 8 TRKS original CD issue

LP TRANS EUROPA EXPRESS EMI DE 1C064-82306

1977 8 TRKS poster, original issue

12" TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS CAPITOL US 8513

1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS CAPITOL US SW-11603

1977 7 TRKS English language vers.

12" TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS / METAL ON METAL CAPITOL CAN 75001

1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

K: Kraftwerk

10-15-09 K: Kraftwerk

I was taken aback when I read an interview with Ralf Hutter of Kraftwerk in a British magazine recently, where he was talking about finally re-mastering all the Kraftwerk albums on CD. And it looks like the process has begun! All of the Kraftwerk albums that were released as legit CD’s were done so long ago – 80’s mastering. And, as we all know and lament – the first three albums are still not on CD…but it looks like they’re ‘coming soon’.

For the record, I was a huge Kraftwerk fan in the 70’s, bought everything when it was a new release upon it’s release from “Ralf & Florian” all the way to “Computerwelt”. I was not such a fan of “Electric Café”, I confess.

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 UK 12EMI 5207

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" COMPUTER LOVE / NUMBERS WARNER US WBS 49795

1981 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

CD COMPUTER WORLD WARNER US 3549.2

1981 7 TRKS original issue CD, paint face

LP COMPUTER WORLD EMI UK EMC 3370

1981 7 TRKS English language

LP COMPUTERWELT EMI DE 1C064-46311

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 1C058-32843

1978 6 TRKS original issue

LP ELECTRIC CAFÉ EMI DE 1C064-240644.1

1986 6 TRKS

7" KOMETENMELODIE 2 VERTIGO UK VER 3

1974 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

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 (8865) promo CAPITOL US SPRO-8865

1977 4 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo-only

12" KRAFTWERK'S DISCO BEST (8866) promo CAPITOL US SPRO-8866

1978 4 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo-only

CD MIX, THE ELEKTRA US 60869.2

1991 11 TRK Collection

7" MODEL, THE CAPITOL NL 5C006-85673

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" POCKET CALCULATOR EMI UK 12EMI 5175

1981 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" POCKET CALCULATOR / DENTAKU WARNER US WBS 49723

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve, green vinyl

12" POCKET CALCULATOR promo WARNER US PRO-A-951

1981 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

CD RADIO-ACTIVITY CAPITOL US CDP 746474.2

1975 12 TRKS

LP RADIO-AKTIVITAT EMI DE 1C064-82087

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 FRANCE EMI PATHE FR 1545056

1983 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" TOUR DE FRANCE EMI UK EMI 5413

1983 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP TRANS EUROPA EXPRESS EMI DE 1C064-82306

1977 8 TRKS poster, original issue

12" TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS CAPITOL US 8513

1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

12" TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS / METAL ON METAL CAPITOL CAN 75001

1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

My most vivid Kraftwerk memory: My dad took me to KPFK-FM about 1973/4 to visit a DJ that I had been listening to, Mr. Greg Stewart. My youthful enthusiasm for European music was both tolerated and respected by Mr. Stewart – I am still friends with him 35+ years later! He played me “Kristallo” by Kraftwerk (from “Ralf & Florian”, a new release at the time) on the huge stereo in the control room of KPFK. Wow. I’d never heard anything ever that sounded that good before! I was 14/15 years old, and had not previously been exposed to audiophiles!

I somehow got their studio telephone number, and I called the number when I was visiting Koln, Germany. Dusseldorf was only a few train stops away. I had the phone number, but not the address of their office / studio. My memory hazes up, but I believe I spoke to Florian Schneider, who told me that they would love to meet me, but that they were very busy preparing their new album (which would’ve been “Computerwelt”). I wandered around Dusseldorf, then got back on the TEE (I think) and went back to Koln, where I was more familiar with the city.

Kraftwerk

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 UK 12EMI 5207

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD COMPUTER WORLD ELEKTRA US 3549.2

1981 7 TRKS

LP COMPUTER WORLD EMI UK EMC 3370

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 US SPRO-8865

1977 4 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo-only

12" POCKET CALCULATOR EMI UK 12EMI 5175

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 US CDP 746474.2

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 FRANCE EMI PATHE FR 1545056

1983 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP TRANS EUROPA EXPRESS EMI DE 1C 064-82306

1977 8 TRKS poster, original issue

12" TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS CAPITOL US 8513

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”.