Autobahn [Import]

 

 

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...is among the most brilliant moments in electronic music. aside from the music which needs no qualifying, i am amazed at the production quality here. i always use the last 6 minutes of "autobahn" to test how a new pair of speakers, amplifier, speaker cables, cd player, etc sound with old analog synthesizers. a crappy stereo system does no justice to this recording. these nerds were wayyyyyy beyond ahead of their time.

This is an excellent CD and I have never heard of this band until recently while reading an Alternative Rock book. The first track is great with all the keyboards.

Kraftwerk's fourth album, 1974's "Autobahn", is not only a milestone for the group but for popular music as well. "Autobahn" marked the beginning of an era of synthesized pop music which would later explode in the early '80s. Had it not been for "Autobahn", bands such as Devo, Depeche Mode, The Human League, OMD and countless others may not have ever existed.
The "Autobahn" album, despite it turning 30 years old in 2004, still retains a vast amount of freshness and timelessness. Quite honestly, the album is still being discovered and embraced by generations of music lovers.
For this album, Kraftwerk expanded its line-up to a quartet with percussionist Wolfgang Flur and violinist/guitarist Klaus Roeder joining founding members Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider. Flur provided the rhythms using a handmade electronic drum kit while Hutter and Schneider modified their sound with the very latest in synthesizer technology (notably Minimoog and ARP synthesizers). Mix these experimental techniques with a dose of cheerful poppiness, and the end result is a winning combination.
"Autobahn's" title track is essentially an extremely long pop song clocking in at nearly 23 minutes. The different sections of the piece are divided between sung verses and choruses with lengthy instrumental sections which paint an audio picture of driving the German roadways. The stereo effects (especially those which are heard in the middle of the piece) are well executed as the band recreates the sounds of vehicles whizzing by at rapid speed with their electronic instruments.
The remainder of the album is taken up by four shorter pieces. "Kometenmelodie 1" is a slow dark forboding piece that has a sound reminiscent of Tangerine Dream. "Kometenmelodie 2" is an upbeat version of "1" with a slight '60s surf rhythm provided by Flur along with pleasant melodies provided by Hutter and Schneider. "Mitternacht" is another dark cinematic piece in the style of Tangerine Dream. Hutter and Schneider provide a slow repeated five note phrase while Klaus Roeder provides eerie wolf-like tones from his electric violin. This is probably the most haunting piece of music Kraftwerk has ever committed to tape. The album's closer "Morgenspaziergang" begins with electronic bird chirps and waterfall effects before Schneider brings in a pleasant melody with his wooden recorder and flute. Hutter then joins him on the piano followed by Roeder's guitar which turns the melody into a playful child-like round. This brings the entire "Autobahn" album to a close.
"Autobahn" continues to remain a timeless classic and a groundbreaking blueprint for electronic music. Even today, Ralf Hutter and Florian Schnieder continue to enter new boundaries and are still very much alive today as Kraftwerk. Wolfgang Flur remained with the band until 1990. Klaus Roeder's time with the band only lasted as long as this album. Before Kraftwerk hit the road to tour in support of "Autobahn", he was replaced by a second percussionist Karl Bartos who, like Flur, would remain with the band until 1990.
"Autobahn" is a definite must for anyone's music collection. This is an historic masterwork which paved the way for the music of the future. A classic worthy of every possible merit!!!

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5.0 out of 5 stars This is Kraftwerk's Best.
i just bought this album today and love it. i had the original L.P. when it came out in 1974. i'm glad they put it on c.d. Autobahn is great to meditate to. Read more

Published on Feb 1 2001 by philboyd46

5.0 out of 5 stars This is Kraftwerk's Best.
i just bought this album today and love it. i had the original L.P. when it came out in 1974. i'm glad they put it on c.d. Autobahn is great to meditate to. Read more

Published on Feb 1 2001 by philboyd46

5.0 out of 5 stars Electronic music at it's best!
A masterpiece of synthesizer music. An interesting thing to note is that the music works just as well when used for soft background, as it does when cranked up loud. Read more

Published on Jan 14 2001 by D J Levesque

5.0 out of 5 stars primitive techno with a heart
this was the soundtrack 4 many a car ride my family took when i was younger. my mom used 2 hate it, saying it wasn't music because there are no words, and i remember thinking... Read more

Published on Sep 4 2000 by luvbritney

4.0 out of 5 stars Hindsight is 20-20
I'd been a fan of the original Krautrockers Kraftwerk, circa "Kraftwerk," "Kraftwerk 2" and "Ralf und Florian. Read more

Published on Jun 13 2000 by Robert Carlberg

5.0 out of 5 stars A groundbreaking record by the pioneers of electronic pop.
Kraftwerk's 1974 "Autobahn" is still an amazing recording, over 25 years after its original release. Read more

Published on May 24 2000 by Mark J. Koenig

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for everybody, but I like it
This album's not for everybody. However, I first heard it in 1974 and considering what the electronic scene was then, it was great. Read more

Published on April 7 2000 by Joel Maye

1.0 out of 5 stars Insipid
kraftwerk's music making you want to dress up in plastic and go dancing at a gay german disco.

Published on Nov 5 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars fahrn, fahrn, fahrn
A masterpiece of modern art. The Kraftwerkers on top form

Published on Sep 24 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Electronic-heavenly symphonies
This is the best Kraftwerk's album. The title track is a fascinating trip that we always want to remake. Read more

Published on April 29 1999 by Marcos Henrique

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