Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express (Album Review)

[@waterorjazz]

My first Kraftwerk album and still my favourite. Totally reminds me of European holidays as a kid, even though I got into it afterwards. The title track suite is monumental.

[@SeaDevilLagoon]

Listening to your vids have got me through the week at work - looking forward to the next! I think that the whole album holds together as a wider concept - it's not just about trains. It's about Europe, romanticism, living and identity - at least to me. I do agree that it's a great albums too!

[@TheWonkyAngle]

my point was that there's not really a concept that runs through every single track or ties together neatly like Radio-Activity does, but whatever it's not like that takes away from my enjoyment lol

[@thurmanbaseballfuriesleade4302]

The Wonky Angle Europe endless is one of my top 5 kraftwerk songs.... p.s. I like your videos

[@liverawkstar]

This is a great review`--- Kraftwerk had a lot of what would be considered boutique manufactured gear at this time-- The sequencer most definitely, the one you mention that they used was a superior 32 steps from what was stock on the Moog Modular (only 8 steps) and the ARP ( 16 steps, which is early Depeche Mode in use)---- the percussion is still hand played-- on man Machine they will start having drums and sequences in sync--- Europe Endless is still maybe my favorite track by them-- They havent gone robot yet, also... This is not a concept album, somebody definitely attached that later--- Showroom Dummies is a weird track that I would say definitely was a prototype for New Wave (as it was called)--- probably most likely in tracks like "Warm Leatherette" by The Norml ( or Daniel Miller, label boss for Mute Records)---- This came out during disco times, I was 13, I should point out that it was not club culture people that consumed all early Kraftwerk, it was progressive people, more or less progressive rock people, "heads", stoners, record collector geeks---- (Careful and hesitant Iam using the term "progressive rock" for that term was hijacked by guitar hero dumb fucks later on with Rush probably to thank for spawning the following abominations with Dream Theatre being at the top of that list of dreadful awfulness, to me and my friends, progressive meant the band had shit tons of keyboards and the guitars didnt really do power chords , witness the track Cinema Show by Genesis or Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd)... It was a stoner that initially introduced me to Kraftwerk Autobahn when I was a freshman in high school)--- The Length of Autobahn and Trans Europe should be further support that this was "progressive music ( progressive rock minded)--- Only bands like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and Berlin School stuff (Klaus Schulze , Tangerine Dream) did these 20 minute ish pieces. Kraftwerk would eventually tighty up these long pieces to decently 8 minutes or so..... As I said: Kraftwerk did not really identify with any scene necessarily--- I believe it was early DJ culture and Depeche Mode ( and or the 2nd wave of electronic British Synth pop) that would pigeon hole Kraftwerk........ Kraftwerk had a long long hiatus between Computer World and Electric Cafe, on Electric Cafe they were very much in a genre created by folks that THEY inspired..... Lastly, I should point out that there was a French band called Telex that had a bigger allegiance to Electro sounding disco more in the vein of Donna Summer. " I Feel Love" that sounded more Kraftwerk than Kraftwerk-- I think I had their first album around 1978. This was not the record I had by Telex, but it was what I found--- the album I had opened with a cover of a Sly and The Family Stone track that I dont remember. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2SlloVvhtZsfdk BTW, The Iggy Pop , David Bowie reference : kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3i3o4Cwjs2ffZo Bowie and Iggy Pop hung out with Kraftwerk when they lived in Berlin and stuff... Krautrock Musicians were supposed to work with Bowie on his Berlin albums, but there was a shake up in Bowie camp that nixed this idea--- All of this is well documented in the two documentaries : Kraftwerk and The Electronic Revolution and the Krautrock doc by the BBC

[@enderpotato0088]

Europe Endless and Franz Schubert is my favorite!

[@gaborkrausz5402]

Showroom dummies is my favourite!

[@tobiasvilainnewman3569]

My favourite is the T.E.E. suite (Trans-Europe Express / Metal on Metal / Abzug).

[@commanderkruge]

The sequencer was sold to KW by Dirk Matten from the Synthesizer Studio Bonn, a shop from which I also bought some of my synths (several years later) and Dirk got me an autograph from Ralf and Florian on the cover of my "Man Machine" CD. Although Florian, the old joker, signed it with "Florian Schnitzel". :D The shop is closed now, but there is a (German) page dedicated to it: elektropolis.de

[@commanderkruge]

Dirk is still friends with Ralf and one of the "semi-official access points" if you want to try and get into contact with KW somehow. Alas, Dirk doesn't talk with me any more nowadays. Since he's so close with KW he'll draw the line (it seems) when someone is friends with some Ex-Members of the band. And as a (really insignificant ) member of Karl Bartos' Audiovision Team and a acquaintance of Wolfgang (through Karl) I assume I'm forever blacklisted from the KW circles now. ;) Since then my guestbook entry on elektropolis.de as well as my account in the elektrokamerad - Forum (semi-official KW forum) have been deleted.

[@commanderkruge]

When I saw an old Doctor Who episode featuring the "Autons" I thought I had solved the mystery of where Showroom Dummies came from. The Autons are beings of plastic who hide as showroom dummies until, when the time comes, they start to move, break the glass, walk through the city and ... don't go to dance but massacre the pedestrians. They're evil aliens after all. Anyways - I suspected that maybe KW had seen that episode back when it originally aired and they were touring the UK. Wrong. According to Karl the story behind Showroom Dummies - both the song and later the Dummies KW use to this day - started with a reporter who was making fun of the fact that, unlike most rock bands, KW didn't run around on stage - they just "stand around and don't move like showroom dummies".

[@cjjones258]

As sampled by Afrika Bambaataa, J Dilla and Madlib.

[@DanielBarrett]

Hey, maybe after this you can review some of Groundbreaking's stuff. He's an alternative, but mainly electronic, producer that's really good.

[@ayyywerelisteninghere1022]

This was Wonky Angle's lego-hair period.

[@armenkaramian3321]

You were kind of dancing around it but Metal on Metal is the dub version of TEE.

[@JeffCecchin]

hall of mirrors is my favorite song.

[@Tomversal]

I've never heard a Kraftwerk album, I've ordered this one on vinyl though to listen to!

[@talkingtechno7315]

Europe Endless aka Wise words from the Saad

[@Steinwelt]

I very much like the french version of Showroom Dummies (Les Mannequins)

[@EoinCarty]

I ❤the mix

[@niccoford9034]

you should review Larry fast Audion. it's a brilliant well composed album. it's considerd experimental and ambient.

[@thelwulfeoforlic6482]

I’ve got my Kraftwerk tracks on my iPod than it takes to drive across Germany top to bottom

[@narcovlog1]

you rock

[@dld493v2]

I prefer The Man Machine, but this a good album.

[@Cykelpump33]

Plzzz be nice to Techno Pop. x(