KRAFTWERK

I was at the earlier show. Great, mostly, I thought.

I wasn't expecting them to do anything new or different (it's not very likely, given that they clearly spend very little time making music together), so I wasn't disappointed on that score. Having said that, I thought they did impressive things with Radioactivity especially, turning it into quite a fierce bit of electronica.

Last time I saw them was in 1982, and both sonically and visually I thought this time round was much better. Very glad to see them again, no disappointments at all.

-- Ian

As a first timer I loved them. I Saw the late night gig also.

I thought the presentation was fantastic. My only problem with the crowd was that, by and large, they seemed incapable of dancing even though they appreciated the performance.

Two hours of brilliance IMO.

If I were to buy just one Kraftwerk album what would you advise? I keep reading about their seminal influence but can confess to having heard 'The Model' only. I'm intrigued enough to buy one album anyway.

Bruce

If you were to buy only one Kraftwerk album, you would be shunned by all right-thinking people...

Probably Trans-Europe Express. But if you only had Trans-Europe Express, you wouldn't get to hear "Neon Lights", their greatest song, because that's on The Man Machine. So you'd have to get that as well.

-- Ian

I could confess to all the other 'essential artists' whose work I do not own (Beatles and Stones for starters).

Bruce

Bruce,
does not make you a bad person because you don't own either Beatles or Stones stuff! It makes you indipendant minded and able to make your own decisions IMO. (I don't own any of these artists material either -and I was brought up in a house where nothing else was played!)

Re Kraftwerk, it depends what you like about em. If you like the electronica side of things, then the above recommendations are fine..
If you like thigs a bit differant try 'the mix'.

andy c!

PS if you search Amazon.com you'll find CD's 2nd hand at good prices thus reducing the risk...

Well I have to concede on this one on several levels. Having recently been to several gigs by oldies that other people thought were fantastic (Stones, Brian Wilson etc.) and tried to add a bit of a more measured perspective I would like to add the following to all of the above.

First of all, I am a fan and have been for a long time. I heartily endorse the recomenndation of

Autobhan
Radioactivity
Trans Europe Express
Man Machine
Computer World

You can't just own or listen to one although if I had to start anywhere I would go with Man Machine. I would also add that The Mix is tremendous. I think that remixes are generally badly done and ill-defined in purpose. The Mix proves me wrong. It's not a great intro. though as there is a tilt toward more recent material (loose definition of 'recent' there).

Also, if you go to a London gig then you get a London audience. All localities have their peculiarities but (very) generally a London audidence contains a disproportionate number of pillocks and sycophants etc. I have generally found this to vary with venue but Brixton is one of the worst for this.

I went to the Manchester gig. They couldn't dance either although the clapping was entertaining.

Kraftwek haven't produced anything of note for a long time so it was essentially a Greatest Hits plus bits of Tour De France that sound great out of context but somewhat bland and old hat on CD. The visuals have moved on ever so slightly but really this was the 1985 to 1989 shows repeated.

For all that, it was tremendous and probably the most enjoyable and mesmerising gig I have seen them do. The Guardian and The Observer both picked up on what was said here - the version of Radioactivity was superb. It made the album version seem like a demo. Other highlights have to be the wry comedy and the visuals plus a magnificent Autobhan. Where was Showroom Dummies though?

"generally a London audidence contains a disproportionate number of pillocks and sycophants etc."

As Kraftwork only played London they would have been collecting plenty of the audience from the provences. Perhaps these are the audience members which you allude to above.

The late night gig had a fantastic audience response, just a little static during the tunes. Mainly due to the "we forgot how to dance" 30/40's demographic as evidenced by the quantity of shiny heads.

I heartily endorse many of the recommendations above. Really, ownership of the Five Great Kraftwerk Albums From Autobahn To Computer-World should be compulsory (just like Stevie Wonder's five great 19070s albums).

The Mix is to be avoided at all costs. It contains tinny, shit, digital versions of their analogue masterpieces, fit only for consumption by E-damaged ravers. A dreadful blot on their otherwise unimpeachable catalogue.

The problem I had with the audience on Saturday night was not the fact that few people were dancing (why do all you Fun Nazis insist that people have to dance all the time? Why can't they just stand there enjoying it in their own way? If I choose to be static during Kraftwerk's or anyone else's music, that's my business – I've paid my money so I'll react in the way that I deem fit; and if you don't like it, well just fuck off and dance), but that it was full of brain-damaged oafs screeching in a Pavlovian fashion at every shot of a bicycle; couples constantly snogging; and style-magazine twats there not for the music, but because it was "the hottest ticket in town" that night.

I don't buy into this crap about KW being the "Godfathers o techno", as I've said before on this forum. Their best music as about the past – a romantic yearning (almost haiku-like in its clean simplicity) for a Mittel Europa between the wars, when the radio and the railway were glamorous and romantic, before terrorism, computers and the banalities of contemprary life. It's when Ralf and Floz bought into all that techno bollocks, and started trying to be futuristic that they went off the boil.

Still enjoyed the gig though – but it wasn't as good as the 1981 tour.

Kevin

quote:

---

I don't buy into this crap about KW being the "Godfathers o techno", as I've said before on this forum. Their best music as about the past – a romantic yearning (almost haiku-like in its clean simplicity) for a Mittel Europa between the wars, when the radio and the railway were glamorous and romantic, before terrorism, computers and the banalities of contemprary life.

---

Undoubtedly true, and very clear from the 1950s b&w film footage they used so much of at the gig. But, unfortunately or fortunately, they're also the godfathers of techno, inasmuch as their influence on that genre is so obvious.

I didn't hate The Mix, but I wouldn't recommend it as a way into Kraftwerk; you're right, it's a different kettle of fish to the real thing.

-- Ian

Kevin,

I know you are a confirmed Mix-knocker.

Is the world not a better place for having The Mix?

I honestly can't see how the move from Trans Europe Express through Abzug to Metal on Metal is not a sublime piece of precision engineering, but with feeling as well?

I say pick the The Mix over the early and later albums. Can anyone really believe Tour de France is a Tour de Force?

DS

OTD - Kai Tracid - Trance and Acid

David
I am indeed a Mix-disser. I agree with you about TEE on that album, it's a work of great beauty. But the rest of it is rubbish: the truncated Autobahn is a disgrace and the speeded-up Radioactivity is an abortion (in contrast to the 1991 and 1997 concerts, this year's tour saw them slow it down again, thank goodness).

BTW, there is a fantastic German-only 12" of The Robots from that period, on Kling klang/EMI Electrola. Have you heard it?

Kevin

My goodness. Some people are a bit sensitive (and inaccurate) aren't they?

Nick Lees - you go to a gig. You do what you wish (as long as you don't talk all the way through I would have said). Not a problem to me. I don't recall saying that I had a problem with anyone dancing or otherwise. I am dreadfully sorry for wibbling. Do tell me how I join the sad forum mafia? You hang around long enough and it becomes apparent who people are talking about. In-jokes, groups of mates who don't a forum (they should just meet up like other people do) etc. etc.

Simon Mathews - "As Kraftwerk only played London". Aha, I'm sorry. I must have been at Manchester Apollo watching something else completely!!! Not from London by any chance are you???

I have been to a gig with Nick. He has this really annoying habit of actually listening to the music and watching the band then clapping in the right places (i.e. at the end of the songs).

Mike

Ok , I meant within a reasonable distance Mr pedantic.

They also played Tokyo recently, should we include that also?

Kevin,

Do you mean 'Die Robotier', yes I do have that one.

I am tracking down the double 12" version of Aerodynamik at the mo'.

DS

OTD - Jammin' Unit vs Walker - Egg Layer EP

"the model" was the first record i ever bought,i was 10 at the time.

Simon - I have checked my occupation on my passport and it does indeed say "Mr. Pedantic"

Nick - Yup, I think you misinterpreted me and I was then having a bad lunch hour. Perhaps we should start a thread on "the most annoying things that happen at gigs?".