Trans-Europe Express

Kraftwerk | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00000DQSZ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,805 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Europe Endless

2. The Hall Of Mirrors

3. Showroom Dummies

4. Trans-Europe Express

5. Metal On Metal

6. Franz Schubert

7. Endless Endless

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's ironic that electronica's forefathers include two German bands whom, at least on the surface, were polar opposites. On the one hand, there was Can--shaggy, Stockhausen-trained advocates of trance improvisation--and on the other, Kraftwerk: clean-cut control freaks and masters of the pristine machine groove. Yet, even at their most robotic, Kraftwerk manages to locate the soul of the machine, as they demonstrate throughout this 1977 outing. Hell, the mannequin manifesto "Showroom Dummies" alone is worth the price of admission. For a band so closely tied to technology, it's a testament to Ralf and Florain that their music continues to sound fresh more than two decades down the autobahn. --Bill Forman

Product Description

Import pressing of their 1977 album. EMI.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Beautiful Album January 28, 2001

By M. Scagnelli VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

When one hears that Kraftwerk uses basically all computers and synthesisers to make their msic, you might expect a very jagged and metalic sound. Trans - Europe Express, however, is suprisingly beautiful and very melodic. This album proves that Kraftwerk weren't just brilliant musical engineers and sound creators, but also incredible musically. This is Kraftwerk at their best. All the songs are great and flow beautifully. My personal favorites are Europe Endless and the title track. After almost 25 years, this album still sounds like it was made in the future. Trans - Europe Express is, at least, a very interesting album to listen to and at most a brilliant album, mixing melody with technology.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Beware - This version is dubbed from an LP! December 6, 2006

By Harry Housley

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Years ago I purchased the EMI version of Trans Europa Express and have enjoyed it so much I decided to add the Capitol version to my last shopping cart so I culd have the English lyrics. When I played it I noticed lots of low-frequency rumble, especially on the first track - Europe Endless. I popped the EMI version in and it is totally quiet! I guess for $10.98 you get what you pay for but I find this recording unacceptable so I ordered the $15.98 version to see if the problem disappears. Here are the details of the "flawed" version:

Audio CD (September 26, 1995)

Original Release Date: 1977

Number of Discs: 1

Format: Original recording remastered

Label: Capitol

ASIN: B00000DQSZ

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Trans-Europe Express - 25 Years Later. November 17, 2002

By The Groove

Format:Audio CD

The title track to Kraftwerk's 1977 LP is among the most influential and vital singles of the modern era. It's a hauntingly beautiful exercise in electronic minimalism, stripped down to eerie synths, crisp drum machines, and a seductive monotone vocal. When it segues into the next track "Metal on Metal," with its click-clack beats, the recording approaches its very climax. "Trans Europe Express" was released in an era when disco was hitting its peak in popularity and while classic rock bands like Boston were ruling airwaves. Its arrival may have stuck out like a sore thumb, and naysayers may dismiss the album as cold, detatched, and synthetic. But the truth remains that this album, a classic in its own right, is the "Sgt. Pepper" of electronic music, and it deserves to be on as high a pedestal as any beloved rock and roll album. It was powerful enough to transcend many barriers, including hip hop, as Afrika Bambatta stole the title track's synth line for the single "Planet Rock." Beautiful and attention-grabbing in every which way, "Trans Europe Express" is a classic that's also essential listening.