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Old 31-03-2008, 03:37
Lukeyboy
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I admit, I've had a few of the old drinky-poos, but I thought I'd better come and announce my love for Kraftwerk!

They're just the best band the world has ever seen!

Admit it, you all feel the same way too!


Trans-Europa Express!
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Old 31-03-2008, 12:48
SheepdogNo1
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Oft copied , but never bettered
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Old 31-03-2008, 19:34
tortfeasor
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I'm a fan too. They released some excellent material - a lot of it is quite eerie, but definitely ahead of the game at the time. Trans-Europe Express has been sampled/remixed so many times, but I still think the original album version is the best. It still sounds great now.

Some of my other favourites include

Showroom Dummies - I actually had a 7" single of this and played it to death.

Autobahn

As much as I like The Model, I think it has sadly overshadowed a lot of their other work.
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Old 31-03-2008, 20:03
2manyads
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Love all their stuff and the spin-off sounds of Elektric Music.
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Old 31-03-2008, 23:36
revolver44
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The purest Kraftwerk album is "Radio-activity".
Awesome band.

Boing Boom Tshak!
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Old 31-03-2008, 23:37
Lukeyboy
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As much as I like The Model, I think it has sadly overshadowed a lot of their other work.
The Model and The Robots both I think overshadow a lot of their work, which is a shame, as a lot of the early stuff is fantastic too. SD and Autobahn as you said. Side 2 of Autobahn is great. Kometenmelodie 2 sounds so fresh, even today.

It's also fun to go even further back, right back to Kraftwerk 1 and 2, when they were still using guitars and drums. Stratovarius from their first album starts with 6 minutes of synth drones, but then becomes a great rock song.

I love them!
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Old 31-03-2008, 23:53
revolver44
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"Ralf & Florian" and "Tone Float" are worth a shout too.
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Old 01-04-2008, 00:09
Lukeyboy
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"Ralf & Florian" and "Tone Float" are worth a shout too.
Definitely, especially Tone Float, which was recorded under the name Organisation.

Ralf und Florian is a great album too though, Tanzmusik and Kristallo are great tracks.
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Old 01-04-2008, 00:32
revolver44
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Pascall Bussy's biog is highly recommended too.... I was amazed to learn the inspiration for Autobahn was The Beach Boys. You just wouldn't think it....
I was lucky enough to see them on their Computer World tour in 81 (iirc). Karl Bartos was always my favourite, very underrated, co-wrote The Model for a start.
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Old 01-04-2008, 00:45
Lukeyboy
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Pascall Bussy's biog is highly recommended too.... I was amazed to learn the inspiration for Autobahn was The Beach Boys. You just wouldn't think it....
I was lucky enough to see them on their Computer World tour in 81 (iirc). Karl Bartos was always my favourite, very underrated, co-wrote The Model for a start.
The Beach Boys element of Autobahn is fairly clear in the vocal style. It just annoys me how many people think the lyrics are "Fun, fun, fun on the Autobahn"

I'll try and find that biog, I'll have a read. And yeah, I always like Karl. Have you got his last solo album, Communication? Lots of KW inspired bits on it, but it's much more 'dance-y' (Is that even a word? )
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Old 01-04-2008, 09:35
spikej
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Their recent live album Mininium Maximum is a great album, I quite often have that on at full blast!
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Old 01-04-2008, 10:38
Lukeyboy
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Ah, yeah, Minimum-Maximum is great. The live version of Numbers/Computerworld is fantastic.
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Old 01-04-2008, 12:33
doffer
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I do like the Tour de France album
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Old 01-04-2008, 13:37
Lukeyboy
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Yeah, Tour De France Soundtracks is a good album, although they're missing something without Karl and Wolfgang.

I think it was Karls legendary beats that propelled songs like Trans-Europe Express and Numbers. Without them, it's not quite the same.
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Old 01-04-2008, 15:36
The Superviser
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Great thread

Kraftwerk capture the modern world with minimalist irony like no other band. Perfectionists, they only release records every five years or so. They have influenced so many other bands that came after them. Their album covers too are minimal and fit the music perfectly. They are not talked about enough IMO.
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Old 01-04-2008, 23:54
Lukeyboy
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Great thread

Kraftwerk capture the modern world with minimalist irony like no other band. Perfectionists, they only release records every five years or so. They have influenced so many other bands that came after them. Their album covers too are minimal and fit the music perfectly. They are not talked about enough IMO.
They're not talked about anywhere near enough. They were just as influencial as The Beatles. They pratically invented any form of electronic music we have today, and yet no one knows about them.

Once, when wearing my Autobahn t-shirt, someone asked what it was all about, and when I said Kraftwerk, they said "Didn't they have one hit aaages ago? *sings The Model* Are they still on the go?"

It's a shame.
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Old 02-04-2008, 23:13
revolver44
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'll try and find that biog, I'll have a read. And yeah, I always like Karl. Have you got his last solo album, Communication? Lots of KW inspired bits on it, but it's much more 'dance-y' (Is that even a word? )
Yes I have all Karl's solo stuff. Electric Music is probably my favourite of his, but I'm a big McCluskey fan so I'm biased on that one
Wolfgang's book "I Was A Robot" is an excellent read, he's a real eccentric. His first musical memory is "wanking off" to My Generation on his old man's leather sofa. Classic!
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Old 02-04-2008, 23:19
BrokenArrow
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Early life soundtrack.

Fan
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Old 03-04-2008, 07:07
ThinBoy
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Pascall Bussy's biog is highly recommended too.... I was amazed to learn the inspiration for Autobahn was The Beach Boys. You just wouldn't think it....
I was lucky enough to see them on their Computer World tour in 81 (iirc). Karl Bartos was always my favourite, very underrated, co-wrote The Model for a start.
I never noticed that until I heard "We Are the Robots - the Kraftwerk Story" a few weeks ago on the radio, when they said Autobahn was a tribute to Barbara Ann. When you hear them together it's pretty obvious.
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Old 03-04-2008, 10:42
Lukeyboy
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Wolfgang's book "I Was A Robot" is an excellent read, he's a real eccentric. His first musical memory is "wanking off" to My Generation on his old man's leather sofa. Classic!
Hahaha!

I've been wanting to read that for a long time, and that just makes me want it more! Off to Amazon I go.
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Old 03-04-2008, 13:15
Midiboy
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They are my heroes (along with Bob Moog, Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, Walter/Wendy Carlos and Giorgio Moroder).

Trans Europe Express, Man Machine and Computer World are three of my most played albums.
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Old 03-04-2008, 18:23
revolver44
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As I've got older I prefer now to listen to Kraftwerk in their mother tongue. Just makes them even more enegmatic (if that's possible) and pure.
"Wir sind Schaufensterpuppen!"
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Old 03-04-2008, 19:34
Lukeyboy
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As I've got older I prefer now to listen to Kraftwerk in their mother tongue. Just makes them even more enegmatic (if that's possible) and pure.
"Wir sind Schaufensterpuppen!"
I do enjoy listening to their material in German. I only have Trans-Europe Express and The Mix in German, along with Autobahn, Radio- Activity and their first three albums, which were only released in German anyway.

One of my favourite musical moments in the first verse to Trans-Europa Express, just for the way the lyrics fit to the music.

'Rendezvuse auf dem Champs Elessy (sp). Verlass Paris am morgen mit dem TEE'
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Old 03-04-2008, 20:01
tuesday91
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Ooh I like too!

Especially The Model, know it's one of their big ones but it's great all the same. Anyone see Bill Bailey's tribute to them on his live show? Comedic genius!
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Old 03-04-2008, 23:22
tangsman
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Big Kraftwerk fan.
Seen them live quite a few times.
They were ahead of their time in the 70's.

However they haven't released any new "classic" pop tunes since Karl Bartos left in the early 90's.

I like most of Karl Bartos' solo stuff.
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