Autobahn is such an unassuming masterpiece, and what strikes me most when listening to it is just how contemporary it continues to sound (for example, where would bands such as Spiritualized be without borrowing liberally from the title track?). The reason for this, of course, is the incalculable influence it has had on the various forms of Rock and Electronic music that followed it, but it is also an album that demands to be heard on its own terms because it contains some truly beautiful music. Kraftwerk, intentionally or not, took a huge, unexpected leap toward accessibility with this album, mainly by employing a recognizable rhythmic pulse or beat that gives some of the songs a faint semblance of traditional pop structure. By doing so, they became instrumental in bringing the synthesizer to the forefront of popular music. While each of Autobahn's five tracks holds up well to repeated listens, the 22 minute title track is one of the most important recordings of the past 40 years and quite possibly the holy grail of Electronica.
Autobahn (2009 Remastered Edition)
1. Autobahn (22:42)
2. Kometenmelodie 1 (6:26)
3. Kometenmelodie 2 (5:48)
4. Mitternacht (3:43)
5. Morgenspaziergang (4:04)
This is a must have. And anything by Eno. Thanks for the post and for spreading the word.
ReplyDeleteThanky!
ReplyDeletecould you ask, is this taken from the original, or the 2009 remaster, i have the origional on cd already, i'd like to hear the diffence of the remastered. And you don't happen to have Any Green World remaster, same again i have the old version cd. By the way the site looks very good
ReplyDeletelovely album, many thx!
ReplyDeleteScurfie, I'm with you- more people need to hear this stuff; without it, very little of what people listen to today would even exist, thanks
ReplyDeletepinklewickers, you're welcome. Please join the blog; we need you!
ReplyDeleteJFK, you're welcome and keeping coming back. I'll be posting more Kraftwerk down the line
ReplyDeletecharlesp, yes, the download files for Autobahn are a rip of the 2009 remaster. I will be posting Another Green World remaster next week, so keep coming back, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have a wall of cd's and vinyl but not all of it would fit in with the KMM template. Tell me how to join be glad to share.
ReplyDeletewell, for now just hit the "follow" button, and let me know if there is stuff you'd like to see posted, but eventually, I will be looking for some people to make posts on the blog and perhaps we will broaden the template at that point. Great to have you with us picklewinkers!
ReplyDeleteThanks! There are original sources and continuity in the "electronic" and "ambient" music worlds, and knowing these works is important for finding one's way to the best of what followed and continues.
ReplyDeleteAnon., I completely agree. I've been meaning to post more Kraftwerk since last spring. I should get that done
ReplyDeleteJust so people know, this remastered version is not at all unlike other current 'remastered' releases - HIGHLY COMPRESSED. It suits the average modern music listener who is accessing the sound via a cell phone, tablet, computer, or a car's audio system. Put this on a home system with real speakers and it will sound distorted and overly loud. Load it up in any audio editing program and you'll see that the waveform isn't really a wave any more - it's now an almost solid block as all the peaks have been pushed up to the top (no more headroom left) and the bass is clipped to give it that fat sound (that appears to untrained ears as 'punchier').
ReplyDeleteSeeking out one of the old, original 'flat' masters is well worth the effort for hardcore Kraftwerk fans.