Apr 13 2021
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1
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!
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Oct 28 2021
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5
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.
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Aug 24 2021
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4
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?
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Oct 21 2021
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4
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.
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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.
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Jan 29 2021
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4
What an interesting album. I can see why it is one of the most influential albums in modern music history. Electronica vibes
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Mar 11 2023
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3
Beep boop we are german and we like trains beep boop
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Nov 15 2021
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1
2 Kraftwek albums in a row....
Wtf are you doing to me. These sound exactly the same. Like crap.
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Mar 12 2021
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5
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.
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May 07 2021
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1
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.
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Oct 18 2023
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5
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.
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Nov 29 2021
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5
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.
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Feb 20 2024
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5
Kraftwerk really placed themselves on the avant-garde of the music of the future back then. Still sounds like the future today.
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Feb 21 2024
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5
As an insufferably pretentious nerd I obviously think this is great
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Feb 04 2021
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4
Dope. Never heard. Really enjoy
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Sep 21 2021
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4
The track Franz Schubert is what plays when you ascend to heaven
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Aug 25 2021
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1
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...
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Jan 31 2021
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5
Liked this one a lot more; slowly building songs, somewhat repetitive but intricately great
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Apr 18 2021
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5
One of the coolest albums ever. German version >> English version. Electronic ingenuity. 9-10/10
1. Trans Europa Express
2. Spiegelsaal
3. Schaufensterpuppen
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Jan 09 2023
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5
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.
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Jan 15 2023
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5
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.
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Feb 08 2023
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5
"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.
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Feb 17 2023
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5
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.
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Mar 11 2023
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5
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.
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Apr 17 2023
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5
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
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Apr 28 2023
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5
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.
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May 24 2023
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5
Electronic music classic. Hall of Mirrors.
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Jun 09 2023
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5
So simple and engaging. I'm sure it's a sheep in wolf's clothing.
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Oct 04 2023
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5
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
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Oct 20 2023
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5
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.
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Oct 22 2023
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5
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.
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Oct 22 2023
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5
Sounds like video game music at the start of the first track.
Album is very chill and I normally hate electronic. Love it.
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Nov 10 2023
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5
These guys really just woke up and decided to blueprint the next 25 years of music. Amazing.
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Nov 15 2023
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5
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.
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Dec 02 2023
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5
TRANS
EUROPE
EXPRESS
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Dec 11 2023
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5
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.
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Dec 15 2023
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5
A favorite of mine. Just a great album to put on. Even in the background.
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Dec 26 2023
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5
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.
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Jan 01 2024
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5
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.
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Jan 11 2024
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5
They are from my hometown, 7 stars
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Feb 20 2024
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5
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.
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Feb 27 2024
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5
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.
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Jul 11 2024
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5
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.
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Jul 26 2024
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5
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!
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Jun 14 2021
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4
Repetition, but make it beautiful and captivating. I really enjoyed this record.
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Dec 30 2021
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4
Great album about J K Rowling's least favourite train
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Nov 13 2021
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3
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.
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Jun 28 2024
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2
Might have enjoyed that one more if I had been high on crack
But I wasn't. So...
2 ⭐️
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Mar 07 2021
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1
Didn’t listen but I’m still going to rate it 1 just cuz
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Mar 07 2021
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1
Weak sauce
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Mar 07 2021
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1
I fucking hate Kraftwerk!!! We’ve had 3 too many Kraftwerk albums
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May 12 2021
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1
1977 German techno sounds interesting just by the title, but honestly it's feckin boring. Couldn't finish
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Jul 19 2021
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1
A little more in the way of vocals than the previous Kraftwerks album, still DEFINITELY not my thing though.
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May 13 2021
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1
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.
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Jul 05 2021
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1
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.
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Jun 03 2021
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1
This one was challenging to listen to the whole album. Grinds a bit on the outside of my brain.
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Aug 02 2021
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1
I don’t care for electronic music.
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Sep 28 2021
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1
not good
bad
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Nov 05 2021
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1
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.
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Dec 24 2021
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1
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.
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Oct 18 2022
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1
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.
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Jan 01 2021
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5
perfection
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Jun 17 2021
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5
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.
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Mar 29 2021
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5
Gran álbum que puedo apreciar como frecuente escuchador de tecno y deep house. Aunque también he de reconocer que no me lo puedo tomar en serio, es como música-meme. Chistosito, sobre todo la canción inicial la súper veo en un meme de gatitos tocando el synth.
Mood: los supersónicos atienden al concierto de robotina.
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Jan 24 2021
View Author
5
Brilluant
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Apr 19 2021
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5
Greatest electronic album ever
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May 18 2021
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5
Escuchar Kraftwerk no es sentarse a escuchar musica como haces siempre. Tenés que posicionarte en los 70 y mirar hacia este lado del charco. TEE se hizo cuando acá se cantaba pata pata la escena de la musica nacional se preparaba para explotar.
Es inocente, despojada de complejidad y terriblemente exacta. Te dicen Kraftwerk y escuchás como suena y decis "si, a esto me suena la palabra Kraftwerk".
Si bien no es mi disco favorito de ellos (Computerwelt y Die Mensch-Maschine por si se lo preguntan), es un disco mega significativo. La tematica de la musica es sobre cosas que cuando mirás para atrás suenan re simples y basicas, pero cuando lo contextualizas, tematizaban con la vanguardia de lo que estaba sucediendo. El Tour de France, la radioactiviad, un tren que cruza todo europa, robotica, computacion... De ahi viene la inocencia con la que hicieron musica y la forma en la que suena. Hoy pasarían como ringtones polifonicos.
Inventaron la musica electronica. Sin ésto, no hay Tiesto, no hay David Guetta, no hay nada. And that's something.
...Que increible que en los 70's estos tipos hablaban de un tren que iba a pasar por todo un continente y acá seguimos discutiendo si la emision genera inflacion.
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May 18 2021
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5
Otro disco que gasté. Hoy no estoy de humor para escucharlo. Me duele la cabeza y digamos que no colabora mucho a que se me pase. Gran disco igualmente. 9/10 ludomatics.
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May 18 2021
View Author
5
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
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May 16 2021
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5
This was an amazing trip.
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Jul 29 2021
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5
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.
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Aug 17 2021
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5
I tore thru this. I prefer Man-Machine but this album deserves 5 stars.
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Sep 28 2021
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5
Absolute classic
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Nov 02 2021
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5
Stunning example of electronica. Completely game changing - who knew that Germans could be so cool ;)
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Nov 29 2021
View Author
5
Good electronica
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Jan 03 2022
View Author
5
det er så godt det her
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Jan 20 2022
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5
Phenomenal, still comes in just behind Autobahn for my favourite of theirs but it's close.
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Jan 24 2022
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5
cool!
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Jan 31 2022
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5
Lovely, dreamy electro pop. Minimalistic sounds but gorgeously layered. 5/5 stars
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Feb 06 2022
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5
Take a ride on the T.E.E. Express. It is retro, but also futuristic. It is idealistic but also kind of unsettling.
It is a 10/10 but still not even my personal favorite Kraftwerk record.
R.I.P. Florian Schneider
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Feb 08 2022
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5
great stuff. continued listening to more albums.
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Feb 10 2022
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5
Beautiful sometimes uncomfortable listening. How can an album so subdued make me feel so anxious? The layered sounds, pioneering synth lines and monotone vocals of Trans-Europe Express are a master work.
This is another album that is so influential I find it hard to imagine what it would have been like to be one of the artists inspired by it hearing it for the first time.
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Feb 13 2022
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5
Iconic. Most people are not aware of Kraftwerk and their ground-breaking electronic style that wasn't really done. The inhumanness goes so far it wraps around and becomes somehow human. Only song I'm not a fan of is "Showroom Dumimes". 4.5 to 5.
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Feb 13 2022
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5
This may be their most refined and engaging album. It feels very conceptually unified as they begin to focus more on something closer to pop song structures with lyrics, at least on Side A. The fluid 3-track song suite of Trans Europe Express / Metal on Metal / Abzug on Side B is like a mini railway version of their masterpiece Autobahn, but with a much funkier beat. Quite a ride. This album is also a big step for them in becoming the robots they were destined to be in Showroom Dummies. And I must say I geek out every time when they name check their real life rendezvous with Bowie and Iggy on the title track. Absolutely historic. They were electronic music pioneers who were so far ahead of their time that they were essentially in a league of their own. You may not dig their schtick, hell, you may not even care for electronic music whatsoever, but, like it or not, these affectless Germans changed the sonic possibilities for music across multiple genres, some of which they nearly single handedly created. Hard to pick a favorite album by them but this just may be it for me.
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Mar 10 2022
View Author
5
duh
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Mar 16 2022
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5
Brutal!! Me ha encantado. Discazo
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Mar 25 2022
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5
I don't know why but I love this album. It's great. Fun sounds, cool german accents saying the same words over and over again. So amazing! I think my favourite tracks are Europe Endless and The Hall of Mirrors.
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Mar 25 2022
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5
Awwww yiss. I fucking love this album, but I am happy to rediscover that fact.
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Apr 12 2022
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5
Love this album, smooth elegance electronica.
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Jun 14 2022
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5
Det här kan mycket väl vara det bästa som någonsin släppts. Det är, fulländat.
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Jun 14 2022
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5
fucking amazing electronic
I love Kraftwerk
favorite song is probably Showroom Dummies, but the whole album’s great - 10/10
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Jun 19 2022
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5
Nonstop.
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Jun 28 2022
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5
Fav songs:
- The Hall of Mirrors
- Showroom Dummies
- Trans-Europe Express
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Jul 21 2022
View Author
5
Coooool
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Jul 23 2022
View Author
5
Still phenomenal.
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Jul 26 2022
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5
Repetitive, detailed, more to it than you get on a first listen. Great!
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Sep 05 2022
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5
Magnificence
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Sep 23 2022
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5
OK so I'm dumb. For the longest time I thought kraftwerk was that shitty joke from the eric Andre show. But that's kraft punk. I'm smart. But this album is amazing. It's so ahead of its time it isn't even funny. I will save this one for now and check out the whole kraftwerk catalog.
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Sep 29 2022
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5
All in on the synths and I love it
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Dec 01 2022
View Author
5
an electronic feast for the ears
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Dec 15 2022
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5
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.
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