Trans Europe Express

What's not to love about Kraftwerk? Groundbreaking electronic music and German accents! I've been a fan since a very young age. The Siouxie and the Banshees version of "Hall of Mirrors" was an important moody college song, but sounds positively jaunty next to Kraftwerk's masterpiece of existential dread, which leads nicely to "Showroom Dummies." We are all showroom dummies; "we go into a club, and there we start to dance." I never had this album, but "Trans Europe Express" was on a Kraftwerk collection I had, and was always a favorite of mine with its funky train beat in the background and (retroactively) futuristic feel. On a sleek, high speed train of the future, speeding through the European landscape, I'm filled with ennui and angst under this façade I'm forced to wear. Timeless perfection.

Early electronica should always be celebrated. It’s the foundation for any synthesised music today. But this foundation has cracks...and their extremely repetitive and flakey. There is a solid compound in it’s mix yet nowhere near interesting enough to want to reapply once let alone over and over again. 1 Star!

Good job it wasn't the Trans UK Express or it would have been overpriced, delayed, busy and the toilets would have been horrible. AMIRIGHT?

OK, I wrote my first review below but was still listening to it when driving across town. In the space of a mile, I encountered some staggeringly entitled arsehole drivers. I found that it actually was the perfect soundtrack to staring the patriarchy in the face with a cold, dead, unblinking stare. It's just gone from 1 to 4 stars. ---‐------------------------------------------- Yes, I know, massively influential on the electronic music genre. But this is the musical equivalent of eating 6 crackers without water. Joyless, functional and boring. I couldn't finish it. One star.

What an interesting album. I can see why it is one of the most influential albums in modern music history. Electronica vibes

Beep boop we are german and we like trains beep boop

I LOVE KRAFTWERK. So cool, different, electronic, but not overwhelming or too much. Genius. I discovered them playing in Vintage Vinyl one day and had to ask an employee who it was and bought the CD.

Solidly boring. I see that it was made in 1977 so this may have been foundational to the music that I DO like but... I do not want to listen to this ever again haha.

2 Kraftwek albums in a row.... Wtf are you doing to me. These sound exactly the same. Like crap.

The track listing is 8 tracks, but in reality it's only 5. That's how coherent it is. It's an album that gets better with each minute as the anticipation keeps building but modifying their formula. Kraftwerk is by far the leader of the electronic world, and this is them at their peak. This record comes right before The Man-Machine and you can hear it with the lush bright synths despite the monochromatic cover. "Europe Endless" is a fantastic opener, so happy and bright like it's opening for a movie. It goes on for 10 minutes, but with the variation and atmospheric sound, it works well. Kraftwerk was brave for following a 10 minute song with an 8 minute song. "The Hall of Mirrors" takes a mysterious, eery turn and shows another side of the group. The spoken word is mesmerizing, and the simple repeated chorus is catchy. "Showroom Dummies" is our most intense song. It's catchy, cool, accessible, and fun. I love how cold and mechanical it sounds, really matches their robotic vibe. My favorite after the titular track. Then we get to the entree, the titular track is divided as a medley of three. The iconic glissando motif leads a minimalist beat. "Metal on Metal" pauses the motif but varies the beat in the most krautrock way possible, adding creepy atmospheric synths and industrial effects on top. "Abzug" smoothly returns to form but plays with variations. This ends with the climatic closer. "Franz Schubert" and "Endless Endless" are combined as our bright peaceful instrumental coda. It's a soothing and satisfying finale. Only complaint is they could have done more with their variations to make the tracks more engaging and warrant their runtimes, which could get tiring after several listens. But I'm fairly satisfied with what we get.

Sounds like someone dicking around on a keyboard. Almost ten minutes of this shit on the first song. Guh. Like is the fact they say "Europe. Endless." Over and over and play the same shit over and over for 10 fucking minutes supposed to be ironic? Or is it supposed to be a stab at coloratura? Europe is endless and so is this fucking song. I don't find this groundbreaking in anyway. It's sophomoric if you we're to ask me. Pedantic even. I'm not taking the right drugs. I've just seen there's a song called endless. I can't wait...

It is such a great album and love the early electronics and rhythms, along with the German flair in Kraftwerk's vocals. Listening to this made me want to catch a train in the middle of the night in the city. A very essential listen. Trans Europe Express to Abzug was perfection and its chant felt like a powerful mantra. Have to say though, the German version was better and in partitcular, so were the live versions of Hall of Mirrors and Showroom Dummies in 1981. Fun Fact: Dr Dre playing a live version of Metal on Metal at the beginning of Defiant Ones effectively prescribed me to Kraftwerk and this album.

One of the coolest albums ever. German version >> English version. Electronic ingenuity. 9-10/10 1. Trans Europa Express 2. Spiegelsaal 3. Schaufensterpuppen

This is the Kraftwerk I've been waiting for. Just the right amount of weird forward-thinking energy without getting too much. Great, catchy songs. A fantastic medley on the back half. This was just what the doctor ordered.

As an insufferably pretentious nerd I obviously think this is great

Kraftwerk really placed themselves on the avant-garde of the music of the future back then. Still sounds like the future today.

What a treat. These guys are the best at what they do. Hugely influential. The sound just envelopes you. Hard to believe this is 46 years old.

The track Franz Schubert is what plays when you ascend to heaven

Dope. Never heard. Really enjoy

Diese verrückten Deutschen sind wieder dabei, ja. Sie lieben die Synthesizer-Musik und sie lieben das gesprochene Wort über Euro Rail und Mirrors so sehr. Bringt mich dazu, mit meinen Händen vor meinem Gesicht abstrakt zu tanzen.

These guys really just woke up and decided to blueprint the next 25 years of music. Amazing.

Electronic music classic. Hall of Mirrors.

I loved this album when I first heard it, back in 1979, because all of my favourite artists; OMD, Human League, Ultravox, Gary Numan, cited Kraftwerk as a major influence. I still love this album.

Highly influential and no wonder. A move away from the previous "Autobahn" incarnation of Kraftwerk - in fact, this was the third style the group created. Wonderful stuff.

What more can be said about an album that like Sgt Pepper or Pet Sounds virtually nothing is left to say. Two notes from the relisten here: their melancholy beauty is even more pronounced in a Brexit Britain listening to this love song to Europe. And the transition from Trance Europe Express to Metal on Metal is an awesome drop.

"Trans-Europe Express" is the sixth studio album by German band Kraftwerk. This album was a move away from their Krautrock style of improvised instrumentals to more melodic electronic music. The melodies certainly carry the day in many of these songs. Sequenced rhythms, minimalism and manipulated vocals are also incorporated. Yep, we've covered most of it. The themes include the European rail service, glorification of Europe and disparities between reality and appearance. There was and is very high critical praise for this album: "Timeless, retro and contemporary" and "The modern electronic birth certificate." A high pitch sequencer/keyboard melody begins the album and song "Europe Endless." A happy song. A man's voice and a manipulated man's voice. An ode to Europe...parks, hotels and palaces. "The Hall of Mirrors" has an eerie echoing beat and melody. This song is frightening. Deadpan vocals with a heavy German accent. I hear many a video game soundtrack and noises. It's autobiographical with how stars look at themselves in the mirrors...loathing, self-obsessive. Eins, zwei, drei with a Ramones ode and were off with another creepy song in "Showroom Dummies." A little more dance with the beat. Paranoid lyrics as they compare themselves to mannequins from the point of view of a mannequin. The famous dramatic melody keys begin "Trans-Eurpe Express." The hypnotic repetitive snare-drum beat noise. The robotic repeating of the song title. Hey, a shout out to David Bowie and Iggy Pop at the end. Bowie was a fan. The song is about the modern European railway system. The next two songs, ""Metal on Metal" and ""Abzug" are basically extended codes for "Trans-Europe Express." Keep a good thing going. "Franz Schubert" is an instrumental with repetitive keys. More grandiose with an orchestral background. The album ends with "Endless, Endless" and a manipulated voice repeating endless. I guess you might fall into two categories with this album: either there is not a wasted moment or rather this entire album is a wasted moment. I'm a huge fan. That "Trans-Europe Express" melody will be in my head for the rest of the day. There is no doubt as to the influence of this album in electronic music, other musicians, video games and probably a lot more. This sounded as good today as when I first heard it years ago.

I loved quite a lot about this listen. It brought forth the electronic sounds of the '80s while having been released in 1977. This is really one of those pioneering albums. It was perfect for working to, because the leitmotifs were just repetitive enough to settle me into a groove without growing boring. Catchy, well-crafted music that isn't just one of the best as what it does -- it wrote the book. This is a 4.5er to me, and it was hard to decide which way I'd swing it. I'm feeling generous today.

Liked this one a lot more; slowly building songs, somewhat repetitive but intricately great

Think I’ve gotta go 5 here. It’s just so well executed and influential. Not something I’d reach for every day but I’ve heard this a couple times now and I think it keeps getting better. Europe Endless and the title track are bomb.

So simple and engaging. I'm sure it's a sheep in wolf's clothing.

I've never listened to Kraftwerk before, and that's a shame, because they influenced so many bands that I love. I was really excited to see this come up today, and I expect that I'll really enjoy it. As I expected, I really enjoyed this album. The thing that surprised me the most is the range of emotions that Kraftwerk was able to evoke with a sound that's fairly minimalist. From the nostalgia of "Europe Endless", to the sarcasm of "Showroom Dummies," this album is broad in sound and mood. "Europe Endless" was easily my favorite track on the album. I loved its bright tones and the way that more layers were added to the sound as the song progressed. The first three tracks on side B of the album were great too, and I loved the way the rhythms sounded like a train chugging along. This album was really brilliant from start to finish, and I loved how unique it was. I'm really excited to review the other two Kraftwerk albums on this list.

The 1st song had me smiling & I never looked back. All other electro-pop bands owe their existence to Kraftwerk This is a great lp to start the day No boring filler, every song stands on its own Now excuse me infeel the need to catch a train

This album is a minimalist masterpiece. Its use of sequencing was revolutionary for its time and it remains a listenable, hypnotic album and stands as one of Kraftwerk’s best. I love how the songs take their time and build slowly. Some reviews have had issues with the repetitive nature of the album, but I find that the repetition demands attention and falls into a satisfying and transfixing groove.

Groundbreaking and classic. And still fun electronica! If you are a) reading this review, b) like electronic music and c) are not familiar with Kraftwerk, please look them up and research what they are about. It's understandable from today's position to think this sounds "simple", but it was not from 1977's technology. Many of these sounds you hear and know from keyboards today were created mechanically (analog wires and electricity) by these people. If you just don't like the music or this genre, be well and I hope you enjoy the rest of the 1001 list!

Trans Europe Express doesn't feel quite as (German) goofy and upbeat to me as Autobahn, and is a little less out there, so I don't like it quite as much. But I would have rated Autobahn six stars if I could. I love these guys.

A favorite of mine. Just a great album to put on. Even in the background.

Masterpiece of synthpop/progressive electronic. It's almost unbelievable how Kraftwerk can create strong and powerful tracks while being so minimalists at the same time. The beats, the tones, the groove, the sounds... I'm all in for a 5 stars rating.

They are from my hometown, 7 stars

TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS

Not my favourite Kraftwerk album, but still pretty amazing for 1977. You can hear how this would be so influential on the artists following in the wake of Punk. And that's before we get to Planet Rock. I also think the humour of Kraftwerk tends to be overlooked,. I love that the title track has only seven lines of lyrics and the traditional and classical music references here do make me smile. Great tunes, great fun - inspirational.

Sounds like video game music at the start of the first track. Album is very chill and I normally hate electronic. Love it.

I’m a little concerned how I’ve gone my whole life and never heard of this album or band. The first few electronic beats and I was loving this album. Great concept with the concept of the Trans Europe Express and the chugging beats! Album seems timeless to me as I thought it was a recent album and was shocked to find out it came out almost 50 years ago! A quick google search and I really think they should use the original album cover…classic. Anyway was a joy to listen, something about the beats are almost zen like & trance inducing.

You'll think I'm weird for this, but I listen to Trans Europe Express a lot when I'm working. There's something about it that keeps me focused. My personal work habits aside, this is a perfect album in a lot of ways, and the influence and power of Kraftwerk can never be overstated. They never got enough credit for what they did, but Kraftwerk in general and this album in particular are directly responsible for so much of what we hear in all kinds of music going forward, even to this day. Not only that, but it's also such a beautifully made album. Gorgeous music that runs the gambit from elegant and ethereal to coldly authoritative and trancelike, even menacing at times. The songs are minimalist, but subtly layered in a way that allows you to really hear and appreciate every tone. It's stunning how an almost 50 year old album can still sound so innovative. All the stars for this one. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Impossible to rank. All these songs are perfect. Europe Endless, Franz Schubert, Showroom Dummies, Trans-Europe Express/Metal on Metal/Abzug, Endless Endless, The Hall of Mirrors

Great album about J K Rowling's least favourite train

Repetition, but make it beautiful and captivating. I really enjoyed this record.

Kraftwerk opens this album with sparkly electronic synths reminiscent of 8-bit games that would later be invented years after its release. A display of their visionary status in the 1970s music industry milieu, 'Trans-Europe Express' (album) implements simple beats and minimal production that is perhaps more contemporary and innovative at the time. Despite this, Kraftwerk fundamentally misses the target - static and uniform composition that manages to revel only in its past glory, of being first to experiment with the digital medium.

Might have enjoyed that one more if I had been high on crack But I wasn't. So... 2 ⭐️

Didn’t listen but I’m still going to rate it 1 just cuz

Weak sauce

I fucking hate Kraftwerk!!! We’ve had 3 too many Kraftwerk albums

Noooo! Synthpop... This was the most painful listen so far. Ja ja ja, mach schnell mit der art things, huh? I must get back to Dancecentrum in Struttgart in time to see Kraftwerk.

Tedious, sterile and joyless. I really don't understand the appeal of this music - except maybe as a background, ambient sound. Felt a lot longer than 43 minutes.

1977 German techno sounds interesting just by the title, but honestly it's feckin boring. Couldn't finish

A little more in the way of vocals than the previous Kraftwerks album, still DEFINITELY not my thing though.

This has to be one of the most abysmally boring albums I've ever heard. The fact that it's early electronica does not excuse them creating a mildly intriguing sound and then proceeding to do absolutely nothing interesting with it for several minutes at a time.

Really could not get through it. Understand why it was foundational for its time but unsure if it translates to anything interesting today. Did find out the melody from the title track was used in a Bollywood movie which was funny.

not good bad

I don’t care for electronic music.

This one was challenging to listen to the whole album. Grinds a bit on the outside of my brain.

I like synth. I even like some Kraftwerk. But this album is so repetitive and boring that it was pretty hard to get through. There's a set of 3 songs that are actually the same song. Rough.

Such a german album from my perspective, and I mean that in the best possible way. I don't know how else to explain it, other than the fact that it reminds me of my college roomate who was from Germany, and used to iron his pillowcases and jeans

Phenomenal, still comes in just behind Autobahn for my favourite of theirs but it's close.

Pretty stunning album - a cohesive and sonically inventive piece. Both the melodic highs and murky lows come together for a complete listen. Those simple and robotic lyrics really make things fun - enjoyed this listen. Happy to back the unsubstantiated rumour I heard about Kraftwerk headlining Meredith 2023. All aboard the hype-highspeed-continental-railcar Four and a half. Fave track: The Hall of Mirrors

cool!

enjoy!

I liked this album! It’s a vibe for sure, but it’s a vibe that I vibe with. Hi Mickey, I hope you’re having a great day!

Kraftwerk. Absolutely essential listening. Vital to everything electronic in the world ever. 5 / 5 stars.

det er så godt det her

Good electronica

Super importante y bueno al chile

I mean, I don’t hate electronica, and this is pretty decent so far. I don’t consider myself the biggest electronica fan, but I found this fairly enjoyable. It was not a pain to listen to at all.

Lo escuché un poco a las apuradas, pero es una banda que me gusta Como dijo Betz es un gusto adquirido. Ideal también para trabajar, me permite concentrarme. 5 efes

Impressiona por ser carregado de inovação e sonoridade icônica já em 1977. Com suas batidas mecânicas, sintetizadores cria um clima de modernidade e a tecnologia e ainda apresenta melodias envolventes.

Classic Kraftwerk album. The first Kraftwerk album I listened to - did not like it back in the early 80s, but adjusted my view in the 90s: it is obviously a great album.

An incredibly influential album by a fantastic band. Trans Europe express is actually quite challenging by modern standards, but not because of the maximalism of IDM nor the inaccessibility of some of the more extreme metal genres (Looking at you The Body). It's challenging because of its simplicity and hypnotic repetitive electronics and vocals which is the result of a combination of their krautrock background and the early pioneering stuff they were doing with electronics. This kind of thing, taking a simple idea and repeating it over and over again until it becomes hypnotic is often relegated to ambient and drone but is on full display here. This is an album that rewards you if you have the patience to give it in exchange. Just like a train ride through the countryside of Germany or Austria there is an immense amount of value if you just sit back do nothing and look out the window. Favourite track: Showroom dummies

NIIN VITUN LAISKAAAAAAAAAAAA-----naama varmasti niin mutrulla kun olla voi.....ei sätkähdystäkään naama lihaksissa....ei kiinnosta tää musiikki homma PÄTKÄÄKÄÄN. lyriikat bro kirjota kolome lausetta tällä kertaa... jotain vaa...käsi käy...rennolla liikkellä. VITTU EN HUOMANNU EES BIISIENVAIHTOA PAITSI MAINOKSISSA KUN UNOHDIN manuaalisesti klikkaa niin ei tuu spotifyssä mainoksia en jaksa kräkkää VAIHTAA:::::::::::::HUHHUH... the hall of mirrors

Elegance and decadence

Classic electronic.

Так, ну это реально мой альбом, потому что только увидев облогу с утра я подумал: ну вот это меня точно чем-то удивит. Удивило. Для меня концепт раскрыт полностью, музыкальные решения пушечка, лирика тут не мешается, но и не вокал не машинальный, за что я 4+ "леди и джентльменам поставил", ну и не затянуто, быстрые 40 минуток. Такой музыкальный тикток 70х: 1,5 семпла, 2,5 музыкальных решения, которые привели к прекрасной поездке. Обязательно буду включать в дальних поездках после выезда из города и прямо перед въездом (для полетов уже есть песенька). Отдельно могу выделить почти все, но титульная композиция прям обязательно. 4-6 треки тоже надо послушать. Пы.сы. первая пятерка! Пы.пы.сы. кажется, я ебнутый, но мне заходит что авангард как визуальный жанр, так и аудиальный, как оказалось. Ещё пару альбомов и созрею до пытки авангардом от славы КПСС Пы.пы.пы.сы. возможно не оч структурировано, но 1) оч эмоций много, 2) хочу с утра получить новый альбом, а сейчас уже в кроватке с телефоном лежу, так что подробнее обсосем на подкасте

Охуенно просто (да, я решил не заморачиваться)

Stunning example of electronica. Completely game changing - who knew that Germans could be so cool ;)

I tore thru this. I prefer Man-Machine but this album deserves 5 stars.

Brilliant.

First time listening to Trans Europe Express. It's what I expect from Kraftwerk based on the other albums I've heard and Kraftwerk never disappoints.

Is this their best album? Probably first among equals anyway, just fantastic. My kids hate it, such philistines

I do like the journey of the album's concept. If you catch it in the right mood, it can be quite immersive. It's a good one to zone out to, given it was released in 1977, it's a ground-breaking album. Otherworldly. I was going to give it a 4, but feeling optimistic today, 5.

an electronic feast for the ears

Iconic Suite in the back end, and further solidifies one of the bands I actually would have have been a hard-core fan of in the 70s

All in on the synths and I love it

Lovely, dreamy electro pop. Minimalistic sounds but gorgeously layered. 5/5 stars

Coooool

Fav songs: - The Hall of Mirrors - Showroom Dummies - Trans-Europe Express

Still phenomenal.

Nonstop.

fucking amazing electronic I love Kraftwerk favorite song is probably Showroom Dummies, but the whole album’s great - 10/10

Love this album, smooth elegance electronica.

Repetitive, detailed, more to it than you get on a first listen. Great!

Det här kan mycket väl vara det bästa som någonsin släppts. Det är, fulländat.

Absolute classic

Really innovative and fun. It's repetitive, but there are variations throughout. My five year old developed a dance to Trans Europe Express while wearing sunglasses. 5/5.