Customer Reviews

Autobahn

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2 star:		(1)
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I am usually a bit weary of digital remasters of original analogue recordings, but this one has been executed very well. The sound is still there in all its analogue splendor, but the dynamics have been turned up a notch. Especially the last part of the main track has gained an immense level of depth--the bit where almost all the synthesizers drop out, leaving only the electronic percussion, makes my heart skip even more than before. Well done!

Kraftwerks, "Autobahn", is one of the first of its kind being one of the first albums by a group of muscisan to employ electronic elements some of which they pioneered themselves and made the use of other electrnoic instruments that werent even availible to the public yet. Containing vocoded vocals, minimoogs and more this albums contained sound which up to its release had not been heard before and was way, way ahead of its time back in 1974 making something that was a true innovation in music and the impact of this album and others by Kraftwerk is still being experienced today. But, for all the new sounds that this album contains it is not an entirely electronic album since it still contains insruments like the flute, guitar and piano but nonetheless a maijor innovation and Kraftwerks first concept album that of being the experience of the autobahn and so forth.

Autobah: Spanning at a length of over 22 minutes long the influence for this first track and was intened to recreate the experience they felt when driving on the autobahn. The rhythym of this song is actullay based on the rhythyms they heard from cars in motion. The centerpoint of this album the only non electronic instrument this song employs is a flute which fits in amazingly with the other electronic instruments. It is also the first Kraftwerk track to contain vocals as well but is mainly instrumental. It contains an array of electronic instruments from distorted magnificent sweeps of synthesizers to blissful waves of flute all the way to rhythmic patterns of electrnoic drums the sounds of which had never been heard before whatsoever all in all this song was a maijor leap in the bounds of sound and the realm of popular music and simply music in general.

Kometen Melodie 1: Running at a seemingly short length of 6 minutes long this song is a very ambient texture of synthesizer not really containing to much of a melody as the title insists but could possibly one of the first songs recorded that could be called ambient or be considered to contain an ambience of sorts.

Kometen Melodie 2: Now this track is much more of a melody than the previous one. At first it starts off the same way but then launches into a bright synthesizer melody with an upbeat drum beat that sort of sounds like the Beach Boys except without vocals or guitar and the guitar being transformed into a synthesizer melody.

Mitternacht: This track unlike the previous two doesent follow any musical thing whatsoever and even though it only spans at being 3 or so minutes in length is a complete distortion and experimentation in sound the likes of which could of possibly came from the so called electronic symphonies of Stockhaussen

Morgenspaziergang: Employing the full use of guitar, piano, and flute and is almost all non electrnoic except for the fact it contains a sort of backtrack that seems to of been some sort of synthesizer or tape effect but either way it gives this track a very sort of surrealistic blissful feeling to it and almost sounds like the rising of the sun in the early hours of the morning. It contains very light strums of a guitar that sound sort of Asian combined with a mellow piano melody being playing while flourishes of flute spread amongst these sounds in a way that is great.

Though Kraftwerk are not the first artists to ever employ electronic sounds before they are one of the first ever to combine it with music and realease it in album format causing reprecussions on popular music that are still being felt today.

This classic electronic album has been remastered perfectly! This is a must have for true Kraftwerk fans. Fans who don't already own Kraftwerk cds may want to opt for the complete remastered box set available.

Had this when I was a kid on album, lost it and it's been hard to find. Love it.

Asides from a tad of inspired repetition found in the long running title track and the shimmering beauty of Kometenmelodie 2, there is not much to wrap your head around when excessive and primitive electronic experimentation claim center stage.