Reviews (page 3 of 9)
DNF. I hate these guys. If there's another album from them on this list, it starts to fall apart.
Can you play the one that goes "bee boo boo bop, boo boo bop boo bop"?
Trans-Europe Express is a perfectly enjoyable listen. It's cool, precise, and atmospheric in a way that rewards patience. But "one of the greatest albums ever made"? That's a stretch. There's no track here that I'd call a genuinely great song. It's enjoyable enough, but nothing that makes you want to hit repeat. That said, a list of albums every music fan should hear isn't purely about melody and emotional impact. Innovation and influence matter too, and albums like Velvet Underground & Nico managed to be innovative, influential, and genuinely *great* listens. Trans-Europe Express only delivers on two out of three. So let's talk about the influence and innovation. Critics love to credit this album as a foundation of modern hip-hop, but that's a stretch really. The real influence was on the early 80s electro and breakdancing scene, which was significant, but short-lived. (Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" is the clearest example, and modern hip-hop sounds nothing like this.) The innovation case is stronger, though Kraftwerk were refining a sound they'd already established rather than inventing one from scratch. Still, I can't think of much before 1977 that sounds like this, and that counts for something. So 4 stars? Not quite: without a single track that truly grabs me, I'll call it 3.
I've listened to this in German, and I've been on so many European trains in my life, and I really can't imagine how Americans can understand deeply this music
So good. I miss the times of MS Dos.
I dug it, its a really good full album listen and locks you in to a vibe. Obviously influential and historically important, but I found this much more enjoyable than Autobahn, but its making me question my original review of that album.
You always know what you will get with Kraftwerk. 7/10
I have a lot of respect for Kraftwerk but I didn’t enjoy this
Loved the first track in this but was disappointed in the rest. I prefer melodic and driving Kraftwerk to spooky Kraftwerk.
this type of electronic music just isn't my thing
Liked this a fair bit less than Man Machine - comes out of the gate strong with Europe Endless and Hall of Mirrors, loses a lot of steam in the middle and gets a bit too repetitive in places (I realize that is a lot of what Kraftwerk is about). Franz Schubert is quite pretty. Still appreciate the foundation these guys laid basically for all electronic music to follow but just didn't latch onto this one as much.
A la gente le gusta esto???? Que poronga es este album hermano parece cuando Ross toca el teclado en friends
Bleep boop boop. Bleep boop boop. Bleep boop boop. Bleep boop boop. The 4-synth phenom Kraftwerk still retain their krauty komische origins while fine tuning the melodic hooks.
Not a fan of this album. I can acknowledge it’s place in early electronic music. However, its place is in the past.
beeps and boops. i enjoyed!
This sounds like that fake song from that one episode of SpongeBob where SpongeBob and Squidward thinks Mr. Krabs is a robot. 3/10
Autobahn and The Man Machine were both pretty darn great, but still imperfect. Trans Europe Express is much the same. Facing perhaps the stiffest competition possible (given the year it was released), it can still hold its own. Even for 1977, this stuff is kind of mind-blowing. (And 1977 was the best year of modern Western music, no question about it.) The music gleams with a sort of shiny, sterilised series of electronic sounds – from the beginning of the opening track (Europe Endless). The vocals fail to stand out – much like with their other efforts – instead sort of blending into the beautiful goopy mess of synthesisers and electronic drums. Is it fair to say that Kraftwerk were more ahead of their time than any other band? The nearly 10 minutes of Europe Endless do eventually come to an end, suggesting a poor choice of title. In general the songs here drag on a little bit, but work pretty well as background music. I could see The Hall of Mirrors working as the underground theme of a video game soundtrack (if the vocals were removed). Most of the tracks go much the same way as the first two. A great series of synth riffs that use varied textures and cute little funky drums (none are from actual real drums). Franz Schubert makes for a late-album standout, largely because the mediocre vocals are completely absent. Admittedly there isn't much futurism to boast of in this song – the synths can sound extremely old-fashioned, and the melody is more Beatlesque than anything else – but I'm still impressed. Making a convincing soundscape out of three melodic lines from the same instrument cannot be easy. Excellent transition to Endless Endless, too, which earns the record some serious bonus points. We need more transitions in modern-day music. (Not interludes, though.) As a side note: why are these guys' album titles all synonyms of each other? 4/5 Key tracks: Europe Endless, Franz Schubert
A little samey, but well-produced and certainly influential. 3.5/5.0: Very Good
Could've been worse
its a fine listen, won't say it impressed me or i am adding anything of this in my playlists, but i respect Kraftwerk as artists who paved way to a lot of Krautrock bands, who in their turn made a lot of cool music and influenced a lot of cool bands
It really is a treat hearing such a pioneering album. I think it’s biggest problem is it’s VERY German so it’s sort of funny and strange in an unappealing way
I found a website that supplies durable rope, a stool and a map for some high trees. I finally found me excuse to do it, I'm off to finish myself after this crock or shite.
1977!!! Wow, this is the OG of electronic music that is still inspiring artists.
This was interesting and surprisingly catchy
Honestly, I need to listen to this like 3 more times. If deeper than I expected. Want to spent time with it.
Vamos con semana de dos días, que mañana hay paro y jueves y viernes son feriados, con esta banda, punto de inflexión en la música. Kraftwerk es de esas bandas que son pioneras. Inventoras de un género sin saberlo (electrónica) y derivadoras de otras (krautrock y en definitiva, las bases rítmicas del post-punk y del indie). Muchas gracias y nos vemos el miércoles
I always start out enjoying Kraftwerk and then eventually just want it to be over. Some of the songs are so cool and unique. This one even felt less cheesy ….until it did start feeling cheesy… But overall, I enjoyed this. I certainly don’t hate it. And definitely liked the uniqueness and creativity of this one.
beeping and booping
Electronic music. Could’ve been cool, but was so repetitive. 2 minute long songs stretched out to 5x what they should’ve been.
My second to last album and the music gods DELIVERED.
Even better than Autobahn
Another album I surprised myself by really enjoying!
None of the songs are bad but it's all so repetitive. It was probably new and exciting in it's time but through modern day ears it's very basic electronic music. I imagine there has been some great rap samples taken from this album.
Another one I appreciate more than I enjoy
I’ve never listened to a Kraftwerk album before. Just not my thing. But having listened to this I have a level of respect. Definitely groundbreaking. Enjoyed some of the repetitive and clever rhythms.
Watching them live bored me to tears, studio, a very different experience. With a pair of headphones on, moving about doing the housework (in a robotic style of course) is the only way to appreciate such a band. Its amazing to think this is the mid 1970's compared to other electronically of the time. Groundbreaking stuff.
feels wrong d’être autiste et de pas donner cinq étoiles à un album sur un train…….who am i je pensais que Hall of Mirrors était une chanson originale de Siouxsie so I was a bit gobsmacked d’entendre la version originale (which is so different but equally great) en tant que fan de Daft Punk qui ironiquement connaît rien à la musique électronique this was a fun and great Discovery (pun not intended) 🖤 — Abzug, Showroom Dummies
Influential, but pretty mundane.
Precursor for ringtone Favourite track: Franz Schubert
Sunken if it was good.
Dope as hell.
i enjoyed it, although the titular song was way too long for me considering there wasn't that much variation. i think it's not my favorite kraftwerk i've heard so far but it was still fun.
Not something I will play over and over, but interesting. Ahead of it's time for 1977? Influential.
good background music. The audio level fluctuations got obnoxious at times
Was familiar with a coupleKraftwerks albums already. Not this one. Not sure why this one was chosen over some of the others that they’ve done. Wasn’t their first. Wasn’t their best. However, that being said, a prime example of their work and why they are on the list as leaders in the electronic dance music genre.
What ChatGPT listens to when it needs to relax. This was a tough listen. Me no likey!
Starship Enterprise nightclub music. That said, I sort of enjoy parts.
You can definitely hear how this impacted quite a lot of electronic music: building a little these/snippet and repeating it with some variation over time. But other than there I couldn't find a whole lot to like about the album. Not bad, just kind of boring. Like with other albums (and I suspect more and more that we'll listen to), it's hard to fully appreciate this when you started with the music that this inspired, which has also been refined, enhanced and expanded. It's kind of like watching dead-ball baseball when you started watching in the modern era.
This album grew on me the 2nd or 3rd time I listened to it. It was never bad, I thought it was boring. What I realized is that its a very subtle album. Its good for the background, but not their most inspiring album.
Ha wizkid! I was going to cite Tangerine Dream as an example of how to do mirthless all-synth wrong and how this album is goes all hypnotic while staying adventurous and keeping a sense of humour. Okay, I guess I did then.
I was first introduced to Kraftwerk by my dad, maybe 10 years ago. Up until this point, I had only really listened to Autobahn and Tour de France, the latter album being my favourite of the two. After listening to Trans Europa Express today, I would say that it is somewhere between the two. Better than Autobahn, but not quite as enjoyable as Tour de France for me. All of the analog synth stuff is really cool, but sometimes I wish artists would either make a track fully instrumental or commit to singing instead of half-singing half-speaking the lyrics or making a robot voice say the words. Realistically, if I understood German I'd probably mind less.
A cool album, but I don't think I would ever enjoy this kind of music enough to give it more than 3 stars.
Might have been the day or mood I was in, but this one just didn't hit. If you are going to make electronic music that repeats itself into trance like musical passageways, then the sounds and electronic instruments you're implementing NEED to be soft and easy on the ears. Too sharp or higher pitched and you run into issues where things get annoying fast. A good example of this done well in my opinion is Tangerine Dream. Repetitive melodies and rythyms, but done with soft ambient synths. Or Timeless by Goldie, might have some more impactful drum hits, but the patterns don't overstay their welcome. The music switches gears to keep the listeners attention, keeping things interesting. I think Kraftwerk kind of failed to do this throughout some arguably longer songs on this album. Wasn't as fun as their previous album either. Tried to give it a 2nd listen to see if I was just imagining things, but I unfortunately don't think I was... quickly switched off to something else. Kraftwerk is not my cup of tea when it comes to electronic music. 5/10?
Out of Kraftwerk's seminal three albums, trans europa express has always taken last place for me. I find some of the tracks in it's first half a bit too martial and cold. Even with that being said, it's still one of the best records of it's time. There's so much warmth and charm to be found in the music, that it's hard to ever really dislike it. I've never listened to a Kraftwerk record and had a worse day because of it, nor do I think I ever will.
All I can hear is early Depeche Mode. I can understand the importance of, and the influence, but not my cup of tea.
I can't imagine what it could've been like to live in the 70s and get the news that there's a new Kraftwerk album. It must have been extremely exciting to listen to the future everytime. As experimental as it may seem, feels like their first real pop album. Europe Enless might be my favorite on the album, even on top of TEE, which is a classic amongst classics because of it's impact in proppeling rapping onto the world. It cover's all the basics of how they develope albums, the soundtrack music, the effects song, the trips, the singles, at least the first time it's really cohesive.
Excited to finally get some kraftwerk, I’ve heard nothing but positives. This is electronic that I like, weird, experimental, self referencing, just a beautiful album. Definitely not throwing this one on every day but what a cool concept seen all the way through.
I must confess doing this list has converted me on Kraftwerk. The first of their albums I heard through this was Autobahn and I found that quite tedious, but I loved The Man Machine and this was great as well This album in particular has an interesting air of minimalism - not everything has a million synth parts all competing for attention. The melodies are clear and catchy and the beats keep the head nodding along as the songs build. It also doesn't need big bass drops to keep your attention like a lot of the music it influences - the tunes are enough for Kraftwerk
6/10
6.5 / 10
yuck!!!
The German beep boop guys are back.
Video game music
It was weird, but about what I expect.
Standard pioneer euro synth. Don't these guys write about non European nations too?!?!
It is cool that the Trans-Europe Express sample is used in Planet Rock, otherwise this is pretty boring, some neat sounds here and there. Definitely better than bahn bahn bahn on the autobahn.
Terrible. An affront on my ears and 42 minutes and 46 seconds I will never get back
A highly rated album, this feels like the precursor to Radiohead. It has a lot of interesting things going on, but the songs seem to labor on longer than they should. Very repetitive in both the lyrics, which are minimal, and the melodies from the synths. I can see why, back in 1977, this was a ground breaking album but listening to it today isn't the easiest thing to do.
Love it, amazing stuff
Hell yeah, soundtrack my sunny land travel through Europe please
Legalll! Meio Bowie meio Talking Heads. Não tem muita alma mas gostei mesmo assim. :)
If Zoolander and Autobahn had a baby they would make it listen to this album
I've heard better Kraftwerk albums but they're simply nice with it
I understand how influencial Kraftwerk has been for many artists and they paved the way for many; however, I did not enjoy this album. I’m not sure repeat listens will help change my mind.
2.5
This was a fun ride. Very good, especially for a bunch of Germans in 1977. I listened to it twice for the nice ambience and driving, pumping flavor. Four stars.
я устала слушать альбомы, занимаясь ментальной гимнастикой с мыслями: ну да, это скучно, но оооо это же так повлияло на все остальное…. Окей, да. но сейчас мне скучно
Upvote for trains Favs: “Metal on Metal,” “Franz Schubert,” and “Endless Endless”
Weirdly enjoyable
very cool
A ground-breaking, super influential classic that is still a great listen. Years ahead of their time with electronics and synths, Kraftwerk still garner hooks and emotions out of the stark and artificial soundscapes. Vital listening.
Knien geborgen, Arme gestrecht, Ra ra ra.
3.75
This is a fine Kraftwerk album, but I didn't find it nearly as compelling as The Man-Machine. It's still a fun ride and it is very easy listening, and it honestly does give the feel of sitting on a train and just endlessly staring out of a window and just vibing out. Not my favorite by them, I'd rather return to some of the other albums by them instead. trans-Europe Express, Metal on Metal, and Europe Endless were probably my favorites.
i didn‘t dislike this as much as i‘d have expected
Somehow perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being on a train ride through Europe while also being explicitly German. An influential classic that doesn't sound dated, something you can put on in the background and just chill.
I respect what Kraftwerk did but they’re a band I kind of have to force myself to listen to. It’s pleasant music and interesting but not something I’m drawn to or need to relisten to much.
I can’t think of anything to say to commend this album.
One of the most influential groups of all time. Kraftwerk are basically godfathers to electronic music and the backbone of hip-hop beats/samples. I've actually seen Kraftwerk at Ultra Music Festival. Very cool show and glad I was able to see them!
Brilliant. So ahead of it's time. Stella liked this one.
I was annoyed at first but it quickly put me into a flow state that ended up being exactly what I needed this morning. I get it.
I appreciate Kraftwerk's sound and their influence on so much of modern music, from electronica to techno. But their sound is so chilly and emotionally distant that it doesn't resonate for me. I like the sonically and lyrically detours like "The Hall of Mirrors" and "Showroom Dummies" but, like all of their music, it gets monotonous and dull. "Trans Europe Express" is a great song that could have been 3 or 4 minutes long. Instead it morphs into a suite of songs that just go on...and on. The dream of a new, streamlined, sleek and beautiful Europe is cool and all...but it doesn't make for an album's worth of good or interesting songs.
You know David Byrne and Eno were spinning the hell out of this in the late 70s.. I listened while on a bus in the rural west of Ireland, and other than power lines crisscrossing the landscape, very few signs it's the 21st century, so that was a bit jarring. I love the cautious Euro optimism here. While it's true the continent is more interconnected than ever, and I could get from London to Poland tomorrow via rail with little hassle, darkness lingers and lurks around the corner too, it's no utopia. This sound captured that in the 70s, pretty crazy. Truly trailblazing stuff that paved the way for essentially a whole genre. Side note, love how he pronounces Iggy Pop on the title track
I generally don't care for electronic music, and I'm not going to go out and buy this, but for what it is it was pretty dang cool!
This is another album where, i get why it was important to music. IT reflects the beginnings of synths in music. It's not amazing, but it lead to amazing things. Literally after this album, my music app played an 80's new wave song and it was the "Kraftwerk had to walk so others could run" moment.
Someone learned how a looper works and they shouldn't be trusted with technology. Repetition can be artistic to a point...this one pushed past it into laziness. Yes, I get it, train rides are long and repetitive. They have a rhythm to it. That doesn't make this music genius.
1970s synth? Sign me the f up
9/10
Beepy and bloopy.
Weird, but I felt like I enjoyed it. A bit existential. As if I was trapped overthinking my life on a train.
Non è malaccio, però un po' noioso. Penso che sia perchè è uno dei primi album di musica elettronica.
This is the second Kraftwerk album I've gotten during this. I've always listened to Kraftwerk from time to time, but they aren't on my regular playlist. After listening to this album, I think it's probably some of my favorite music from them. It's definitely more melodic than some of their other albums and had kind of a soothing beat to it for background music. Utilizing the sound of a train in the title track was really cool. As always, just a solid album again from Kraftwerk.
You can't listen to Kraftwerk without realising that they took new technology and created a genre all of their own. It's a staggering feat of creativity and foresight. That said, the first of anything is rarely the best, but this is still an enjoyable album, though some of that is on more of an intellectual footing, appreciating the history and relevance rather than just enjoying the music itself. Only 'Hall of Mirrors' makes it into my regular playlists, which I will be muttering to myself for days.
Album 1065 of 1089 Trans Europe Express - Kraftwerk (1977) Rating : 3 / 5 Now this is a bit of electronica I can get behind. Instead of feeling like noise for noise’s sake, this one settles into a groove and stays there. It’s laid back. It’s controlled. It moves forward steadily without trying to overwhelm you. The tracks just kind of glide along - mechanical in concept, but oddly smooth in execution. Nothing here is begging for attention. Nothing is screaming for approval. It simply exists in its own space and lets you ride with it. And honestly, that’s something more albums could strive for. Not every record needs to hit you over the head. Sometimes it’s enough to create a mood and maintain it. It didn’t provoke a deep emotional reaction from me one way or the other, but I never once felt the urge to turn it off. In this genre especially, that’s saying something. A cool, steady listen that does exactly what it sets out to do — and does it well.
DNF
3,5
My favourite Kraftwerk album. I remember vividly listening to this while revising for third year uni exams. Its hypnotic and rhythmic sound helped to keep me focused. Listening back, the album is clearly rooted in its time, when electronic music was in its infancy. But Kraftwerk lean into this, creating a purposefully minimalist sound. The album builds to the standout title track, which embodies this style, swelling slowly and steadily over its runtime. As far as albums go that are an ode to the brilliance of the European transport network, it doesn’t get much better.
Lyssnade bara lite, men var för experimenterande för min smak, hade väl gett den 5/10 Lyssnade bara första 3-4 låtarna, de var ju så LÅNGA
Robotic and dull.
I get it as needing to be on the list, but way to repetitive.
Electronic Avant garde not really my bag
I'd love to meet someone who's favorite band is Kraftwerk - like its fine, but it just drones and I go in and out. And then suddenly I traveling in the TARDIS and then I'm laughing about the Big Lebowski joke about Kraftwerk and then I'm back to listening to KrautRock and I'm exhausted.
2.5
So I kinda got delayed listening to this. I started it, then when to the football and had to pick it up the next day. Initially it was going to be 3 stars off my first impressions with an acknowledgement of how influential Kraftwerk have been to electronic music and other artists. Anyway, I listened to it in full the next day and it just grew on me. Then I hear all the parts sampled by other artists, and I'm like, if this band didn't exist, we would have missed out on so much good music. Definitely a great album, not quite a 5, but a strong 4.
Pretty good, not easy listening but oddly addictive
My 3rd Kraftwerk album! I gave both The Man-Machine and Autobahn 3 stars. They were both within my first 150 albums of the project and only 40 albums apart. Listening to those albums gave me great respect for their work as well as an ear for the massive influence they've had on many artists I love, but I didn't think I would go back to them again any time soon. But I have, Autobahn especially. I would easily rate that a 4 now and I was happy to see Trans Europe Express pop up as the album of the day. These guys are awesome and I will never understand how they managed this kind of production value as early as the mid-to-late 70's . Of course my favorite track is the most haunted and unsettling, The Hall of Mirrors. ( The Siouxsie and the Banshees cover is cool too). Easy 4 stars for the album overall :)
I love the opening track and the final two, but the rest meanders a bit. Some songs, like Hall of Mirrors, are a particular slog. One thing the midsection has going for it is the influence on dungeon synth. 5/10
Kraftwerk doesn't miss! Siger en del om kvaliteten at det her er den mindst gode af dem, vi har haft
Alle Kraftwerk-plader på listen har været pissefede. Fremtiden lød federe i 1977 end den er i dag. :-(
Maybe the weakest of Kraftwerk? Still very good.
Different, appreciate their talent and creativity
Impressive statement experimentation piece! This group layers many sounds with rhythms and timbres that don’t seem musical in such an intricate way that the texture feels complete and driving while keeping the tangible, industrial feel. I’d love to see this type of work in more approachable, musical applications, but I am impressed with this as it is! I disagree with the notion that this album represents the gesamkunstwerk style, since it lacks melodic features and true style/talent in vocals/instrumentation and form. In fact, I’d call the album a dull listen as a whole because of these omissions. This is truly a proof of concept, not a masterpiece.
An enjoyable journey.
C'est un peu idiot et c'est très bon. 3.75 étoiles
I understand the importance of Kraftwerk to music. I'm happy many others took it from them and massively improve electric music and its many subgenres, and many, many others. That said, Krafwerk is not for me.
I happen to own a picture disc of this album, sold to me for very cheap. It isn't my favorite kraftwerk album but one i love dearly nonetheless. I have wanted to get a tshirt with it on for a couple years, because i think the additional context of me being transgender would be a fun playful double meaning. A must listen during long train rides. Favorite tracks are Trans-Europe express, the hall of mirrors (which i used to listen to before falling asleep on a regular basis a couple years back) and Showroom Dummies.
Ein großartiges Album, dass ich fast vergessen habe. Wie Autobahn fühlt man sich, als wäre man etwas schläfrig auf einer Reise durch eine künstliche, aber schöne Landschaft. Oft wünsche ich mir, Reisen wäre so, ist es aber nie. Ich habe mir das deutsche Original angehört, daher ist mir ein ‚deutscher Akzent‘ den andere Rezensenten hörten, nicht aufgefallen. :-) Und natürlich gibt es als Anerkennung für diesen deutschen Meilenstein in der elektronischen Musikgeschichte den Kommentar in Deutsch. 5/5
Great instrumentals, but the song takes almost two minutes to get interesting, when it actually gets interesting. Otherwise, it's just boring.
Kanskje det verste jeg har hørt noen sinne
Not a fan but not abrasive. Mid/high 2
I have a really hard time getting behind the robo-vocals on this album, but if you take those away there's really not much of anything left. The last Kraftwerk album I reviewed (The Man Machine) had a mix of instrumental tracks and some with robo-vocals, I felt like the instrumental tracks saved that album for me. This was just too simple, too repetitive and honestly too corny. From an artistic perspective I did feel like I couldn't look away, but it wasn't because I was enjoying it..
I love how retrofuturistic this album feels. When this album came out people were definitely saying that this is the kind of music that people will dance to in clubs in the future. They weren’t exactly wrong either.
I am so grateful for the influence Kraftwerk have had on generations of electronic and rave music, they are most certainly pioneers. But like some pioneers, just because they were there at the start doesn’t necessarily mean they were really good. I understand that the music was revolutionary at the time but I don’t find this particular album all that enjoyable to listen to, and find some of it quite bland. Perhaps that is due to so much exposure to electronic music and creative sounds throughout my life. That being said I don’t think this is a bad album. I really enjoyed the opening track, and I think it ends nicely on the last track and the penultimate track. I feel like Kraftwerk perfected there craft as time went on with there later albums. Favourite tracks are: ‘Europe Endless’, ‘Franz Schubert’, and ‘Endless Endless’.
Kraftwerk! Hahah första låten är som man skulle sitta vid montagen på skolan och göra stämmor HAHAHA, WOOOAHH GOSPEL STÄMMOR HAHAHA, KAN INTE SLUTA TÄNKA PÅ DET. det här albumet suger apa, rent bajs
unreal, perfect. slayed. wow. no skip album. first song sent me into another plane of existence
I've never loved Kraftwerk even though I like the cold feel to their music. Admitted them for their early synthesiser work. Maybe too easy to make fun of? Anyway it was really good to be forced to listen to this. I really enjoyed it, listened three times. Hall of mirrors was a bit indulgentbut Europe endless is a fantastic opener and then they're are several hits. I might never do a whole album again, but I'm glad I did it today and they have my admiration
Up until this album the only Kraftwerk track I have listened to before was Autobahn. Now that I have heard this album I am now hooked. It may be that repetitive sound.
Pretty fun - i think I prefer a couple of the others, and i definitely prefer Neu! and Can when it comes to their peers from the time...this feels a little bit novelty value to me, as much as I get their importance.
I like the simple clean sound of Kraftwerk. Not an everyday listen but I find it quite soothing and relaxing
Boring, sorry. I know it is groundbreaking but it is also boring.
Beep beep.
OK. 2/5
so weird but good
come stay at the spotted ox hostel and eat four or five sausages
Legenden. 2-3, würde jetzt nicht alles andauernd hören
Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express Trans-Europe Express
I like it for listening while working or something like that
Played this today on a long car journey - it worked. It's on my shelves. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★☆ (7/10) Total reviewed : 225 Already owned : 52 Purchased : 12 To buy list : 2 Nope : 159
Kraftwerk does something weird to me. It energizes me, but also calms me at the same time - there's a coldness to the music. It's like those beeps and boops are very deliberately pushing buttons in my brain. Great stuff.
Amazing album. In current dark days if you're looking for something optimistic, hopeful, even blissful or idealistic THIS is the right album.
It's ridiculous how ahead of their time these guys were.
trains mentioned 🚂🚂🚂
They must have has a vision that I’m not seeing cause this is ass.
Grown on me since my first listen. 9 minute long electro music isn’t my thing in general but I was able to hear more of what people love.
Listening session: february 3rd, while commuting to internship Listened to before: no Thoughts: I do believe Kraftwerk was ahead of their time, but I found the tracks on this album too repetitive and the production outdated Favourite track: Europe Endless
this is 50 years old!? INCREDIBLE.
"Europe Endless" is itself seemingly endless, but bonus points for being well ahead of their time. Maybe 3 Kraftwerk albums in the top 1001 is a little much?
Was that the extended theme song for “Knight Rider”?
4- Stars (10/15)
i want to like this more than i do, the repitition of phrases, both lyrical and musical just kind of wears on me. but it is still enjoyable and of course very significant
Legendary and innovative. But i heard this in full not in 1977, but in 2026, so i can't really dig it.
Haven't listened to much Kraftwerk before, but I enjoyed this.
Its not one of my favorite Kraftwerk albums but its Kraftwerk and I love Kraftwerk! Listened to the remastered vinyl, sounds amazing!
Well it is a classic Kraftwerk album, of course. But you really have to want to listen to Kraftwerk. Really want to.
#23/1001🇩🇪🤖 Listened to this through 3 times before 9am today. An absolute masterpiece of early electronica. The title track is magnificent and there is not a bad track on the album. Hall of Mirrors is wonderfully moody and dark. I know that Kraftwerk divide opinions. Seeing them live for the first time at Rock Werchter 2005 is still one of the best shows i've ever seen, whilst my wife will tell you that the time i took her to see them at Blue Dot was one of the worst she has ever seen. Best tracks: Trans Europe Express, Hall of Mirrors, Endless Endless.
3-4 pretty cool, would not normally listen but sounds good
I really liked it.
Quality work here, a worthy addition. 3.5 stars
Magnetic.
Although repetitive electronic music isn’t usually my thing, I understand how ground breaking this was for the time and can hear the influence of so many artists within this album.
10/10… electronic / *1977
This is what I wanted from this challenge. I know how important Kraftwerk and this album is, but I never think “I should listen to this” so it’s just unlistened to me Holy shit. Just fantastic electronic music that you can let soundtrack your life in what you’re doing.
Trans-Europe Express (the song) was very repetitive. Really most of the main songs were. But there was enough here to keep it interesting. I was surprised to see this came out in the 70s because it really feels newer than that. It's original, simple, and creative.
This generator is stalking me as I got this one as I was traveling to Europe for the first time and after listening on a plane is a fair three stars.
Oh it seems I haven't heard this Kraftwerk album yet! But obviously I've heard other albums from them. Decided to listen to the album in German because the list contains too much English anyway. I'm afraid Trans Europa Express just didn't have any big memorable moments for me. I do like Kraftwerk though so I hope to rate their other albums better when the generator gives them to me 2/5
When this came up I thought I had gotten it already, but I've been listening to a lot Kraftwerk over the last few years. I'm hoping they do a 50th anniversary tour for this album in '27. This album is awesome. All the Kraftwerk albums are awesome.
"Trans-Europe Express" begins already in motion. I mean, it IS a love letter to a train. Repetitive twinkling electronic textures swirl around the repeated vocal of "Europe Endless". Driving, synthesised beats build up, while repeating loops layer on top of each other and surround you until you realise that you've been completely hypnotised. Kraftwerk use repetition intentionally. Loops become momentum. The music feels calm, controlled, and strangely comforting despite presenting itself as something built on machine logic. Side B feels like a response to Side A. On the first half, human voices are wrapped in machines. Vocoders soften human voices rather than replace them outright. On the second, the machines take over completely, obscuring any trace of the human voice underneath. Melodies and lyrical ideas return, but altered, colder, more abstracted. This shift between man and machine gives the album a subtle narrative arc, in a way only Kraftwerk could manage. The record closes where it began. Repetitive twinkling electronic textures, swirl around the repeated vocal of "Europe Endless". If you play the opening track directly after the album ends, it feels continuous, like the album is a closed loop itself. And I do just that. Several times, in fact. Because I'm absolutely, fully hypnotised by everything I've heard over the last 42 minutes. Kraftwerk were pioneering engineers of electronic music, building a template that modern music still runs on. From Radiohead's electronic reinventions to the entire structural DNA of LCD Soundsystem, to the harmonised vocoders of Daft Punk, their far-reaching influence is obvious. Yet these electronic explorations still feel as fresh in 2026 as they did half a century earlier. A record obsessed with futurism, and one that somehow hasn't aged at all.
It was certainly unique, especially for 1977. I liked the first song as background noise, but as the album went on it definitely lost me. Didn't enjoy the rest of it as much.
Kraftwerk- trans Europe express- some cool synths. repetition and minimalism is cool but I wish there was more variation and development. I could do without the vocals too.
I know kraftwerk is important for the synth community but i cant imagine wanting to ever listen to this for enjoyment. Vocals and songwriting were pretty much non existent but i guess thats not the point. Not my jam but we’ve heard much worse
I don’t know. The songs are just so long and repetitive
Very interesting, just not my thing
Need to be in a specific mood to listen to this. First song was my fav
Express, Trans Europe
Det är många coola ljud som de får fram, men jag fick höra varenda ett upprepas betydligt fler gånger än jag hade behövt innan jag dör.
Med tanke på hur viktigt elektronisk musik har varit i mitt liv så tror jag inte att jag får sätta lägre betyg än såhär. Banbrytande, men kanske inte åldrats fantastiskt men det är väl det enda negativa. Toppenbra stämning!
Trans-Europe Express.
Trans Europe Express
Hated it
This sounds like the OST to a point and click adventure game about trains. And I mean that in the best way possible. Really cool proto electronic album, insanely far ahead of its time. Can definitely hear a ton of influence it must have had on modern EDM artists, and I think to video game composers as well.
a pain. Certainly new at the time, but the delivery sounds wooden to this day.
Yes that was a weird one to put on the list. Not for me
So fun. Did not realize what an impact this album had on so many of their contemporaries. Franz Schubert is the highlight here
Favourites 1. Europe Endless 2. The Hall of Mirrors 3. Franz Schubert Least Favourite Showroom Dummies
Klinkt een beetje als een moeilijk level van mario bros
kei speciaal en vernieuwend dus vond dit wel echt interessant om actief naar te luisteren
Honestly dees heeft mij echt verast. Der is altijd een goeie vibe en tis minder hard dan ik had gedacht. Nog steeds een beetje te repetitief wel ma wel gwn enjoyable.
Not much to say about this, but after a second listen I felt I appreciated it more.
es obvio y yo sé que es intencional pero es demasiado euro céntrico, me tiene cacorra. la mayoría del álbum es solo musical pero es como extraño, no se, no me gusta
well, it's more art than music. is it something i would listen to every day? no. is it something i respect and enjoy? yes, definitely!
I like these German electro fucks. Afrika Bambaataa, what's good buddy, you still a pedo?
Top song: Franz Schubert
Great electronic album. Little bit repetitive with simple lyrics but great production
Really interesting. Not good but glad I’ve listened to it. Europe endless and showroom dummies were my favourites
Great. I love listening to it and drifting away.
A true classic
As much as these German lads gave birth and pioneered my favourite musical genre and in this decade it was (hate the expression) “groundbreaking” it’s not something I go to as it sounds a little naff these days….but a 3 because they inspired so many!
You're in a train It's 1979 You're young old enough to travel alone grey world of January is passing by a world where you belong skies made of stone
Just got their 1978 album two days ago. I liked this one better.
This was ok. Some of it is better than others. Works best as background music. When I was actively listening I couldn’t stand it but when it was just on i I was ok with it.
This one's honestly disappointing me. I wasn't huge on The Man Machine, but it was still pretty good. This one though is just stretched out within an inch of its life with overly long, extremely repettitive tracks. The triple threat of Trans-Europe Express, Metal on Metal, and Abzug really wore me down. And then immediately into Franz Schubert, with basically the same synth riff for four minutes. And the cool sci-fi vibe of The Man Machine is not here, with this one having a more "futuristic travel" vibe, which... yeah, fair given the title, but its just not my vibe. Yeah, this one just isn't doing it for me.
не мое , но звучание прикольное
Would be good if I were on ecstasy in a German club!
I thought it was okay. A little repetitive, but I liked how the songs segued together. In retrospect, I enjoyed “Autobahn” more than I realized. 3/5 Might listen again
Trans europe express me podseca na twerkulator od city girls jedino zato 3 zvezdice al realno 2.5
Pretty good
It took more than four decades of my life to finally sit down and listen to Kraftwerk—and to see them perform live—which feels like a shame in one sense. But I also don't know that I would've appreciated it as much in my younger days. There's something transfixing about Trans Europe Express' elegant minimalism—there's a supreme confidence in it, as if to say they don't need to throw in a bunch of bells and whistles to flex their greatness. I need to be listening to them a lot more.
I was expecting something more Sprockets-esque, and while it was kind of Sprockets-esque, it wasn't so Sprockets-esque as to justify making a Sprockets joke to encapsulate the whole album, and that's good because I just (unjustifiably) used a Sprockets joke last week to encapsulate the Penthouse and Pavement album. This was really good and weirdly relaxing.
Not exactly my style of music and didn't enjoy it as much compared to everything else I've listened to
Have loved this for so many years.
Though still a fun experience, it sounds incredibly dated by today's standards to me. Good to experience once, but I don't see myself returning to it.
Huinea
I love this, especially the experience of listening to it as album. I love the feeling of relief in Franz Schubert after Abuzug ends. I love the way Endless Endless ties everything back together at the end. It feels like reading a novel; there's narrative movement, and it's obvious a lot of thought went into the sequence of songs.
The idealism, optimism and purity of purpose by a band who had mastered their form makes Trans Europe Express exquisite, sublime and intensely moving, nearly bringing tears to these old eyes in the first minute. Its romanticism is channeled through structures that proceed like a philosophical argument, serene and urgent by turn, but always clear: even the slight flange on the last repetition of the TEE motif that ends “Metal On Metal” decays in a perfect, controlled manner, feeling like a nod to the decadence that comes with a culture’s increasing years. I love this record more by the year.
Is this their best album? Probably first among equals anyway (and the most "human"?), just fantastic. My kids hate it, such philistines. "The Hall Of Mirrors" - incredible. "Europe Endless" now has an unintended yet precious flavor of melancholy that makes me sad.
muito bom
I wasn't excited about an electronic album, but this felt foundational to much of the music of the 80s and beyond. Planet Rock obviously sampled from it, and it laid the groundwork for lots of Euro bands. The mostly spoken-word lyrics had me thinking of the Sprockets from SNL, so German!
Enjoyable if bizarre
Annoyingly repetitive
An acquired taste, but Spiegelsaal is a terrific song
Otra banda que ya conocía y disfrutaba de antes. Otro disco que considero digno de ser escuchado antes de morir, especialmente por lo revolucionario que es.
Beep book beep. Good old school EDM/trance sounds
I'm not a big fan of a lot of the Krautrock stuff. I find it extremely repetitive at times. I like a lot of the beats on this album, but repeating Trans Europe Express 500 times does not make for good lyrics.
This one is a bit better than some of the other Kraftwerk albums I’ve heard, it’s a bit too repetitive on the beats for me tho. Mot much going on for my taste, one star. Actually found myself skipping at the end
I thought I’d like this a lot more than I actually did. It was alright, but I can only really remember one of the tracks and all the rest just seemed to zip on past me like cars on the autobahn with no speed limit. Shame, had hopes for this one.
Not quite a four. Pioneers of a kind of music I really like but not something I'm going to play very often. I know it's pretty sparse already but I like the bits without the melody or singing best.
Very ambient background vibes - but so recognisable as Kraftwerk. I know some of their other albums more but it was a great listen.
Cool album. Was hoping to like it more than I did the first time I heard but I think it's about the same for me. There are better Kraftwerk albums in my opinion. Favorite track: Abzug 3.5/5
Early on in the opening "Europe Endless" heard the same synth stab and despondent vocal delivery that can be heard in "Your Silent Face" by New Order and I couldn't help but be lulled into a blissful, relaxing listening state. I know this whole album can easily be seen as rigid and repetitive, but not to my ears. What I hear is hopeful, futuristic-for-its-time, and thoughtful. I love the eerie chiptune-quality arpeggio on "The Hall Of Mirrors" so much. It gives the whole song a jagged, uneasy atmosphere. "Abzug" was pretty cool in the ways it continued the "Trans-Europe-Express" motif and built on it all. "Franz Shubert" brought back that romantic arpeggiated New Order synth/key sound which I just genuinely could never get enough of. I think Kraftwerks genius here isn't just in their use of electronics, but the way they shaped this album. Personally it's a firm 3/5 but I respect this record immensely, anyone who rates it higher is all good in my book
I respect Kraftwerk’s innovations so much that they earn a 3 by default. If I’m going just by whether I enjoy listening, it’s a low 3, sometimes a 2. The title track, “Trans-Europe Express,” is a classic.
If you listen to some of Kraftwerk’s earlier stuff, like Radio-Activity or even their early krautrock albums, this is where things started to shift. This feels more focused and structured, and you can really hear them moving toward the kind of pop leaning, song based approach they would explore on later albums. This record was also a huge influence on early 80s minimal electro and the hip hop scene that branched off from it. Afrika Bambaataa even sampled the title track on “Planet Rock,” which helped connect Kraftwerk’s sound to a totally different world of music. You can also hear this album’s influence in early techno and industrial, such as artists like Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and groups like Cabaret Voltaire definitely pulled from this. It’s not necessarily my favorite Kraftwerk album, but it’s one of their most important, and its impact on electronic music is hard to overstate.
Fantastic album
Being the first to do something doesn’t mean it’s good
Timeless.
"Endless Europe" is amazing, the rest of the album is variations on it.
Very interesting album Not quite for my ear 2/5
This is just silly. Lol.
8 songs 43 minutes futuristic sounds and ideas Nice but maybe not the whole album after each other Metal in metal flows nicely into the next song
Such an innovative album for the timeframe. I feel like “Abzug” is a straight up 90z hip hop beat. Cool stuff.
2 - was going to give it a 1 but the last two tracks were decent
King's Quest beats. 2.5
gleaming, sleek, a wonderful journey
I cannot stress enough how important Kraftwerk were in the development of electronic music. They be unconventional by popular music standards and repetitive to a certain degree, but they're absolutely responsible for the electronic music boom that occurred in the 1980s. David Bowie borrowed their ideas for his Berlin Trilogy, and the great electronic acts of the 80s (New Order, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, A-ha) all followed Bowie, so Kraftwerk is incredibly important. 'Trans Europe Express' is an impressive excursion into minimalism, repetitive rhythms and monotone yet commanding vocals. The beauty of this album doesn't lie in its hooks but its production which, for 1977, sounded visionary. It wouldn't be remiss to think Kraftwerk consisted of members who crash-landed on Earth from a far away galaxy, and felt it was their duty to produce their own version of music for humans to better understand them, but the reality is they were just four forward-thinking guys from Düsseldorf, Germany looking to expand people's minds with synthesisers, vocoders and drum machines. Like much of their 1970s output, 'Trans Europe Express' is such a landmark in the develop of popular music. It isn't exactly accessible (although some parts are pretty catchy), but for 1977, this otherworldly record has to be heard to be believed! Best songs: Trans Europe Express, Europe Endless, Showroom Dummies, The Hall of Mirrors
Гипнотические ритмы, древние тембры.
Kraftwerk always has a hypnotic quality to their music which I enjoy. If you're in the right mood this is an incredible album. Excellent background music. Excellent album.
Interesting at times, but a large part of the appeal to me is the historical significance of Kraftwerk to electronic music.most of the songs don’t grab me at all.
Mmmm yeah
I didn’t expect to actually like this Kraftwerk album, but I did. Listening to it I heard a lot of influence into later bands like Oakenfold and Depeche Mode, and even at one point during the Trans European Express, I felt like I was listening to the Never-Ending Story soundtrack. I was familiar with the song, the Hall of Mirrors, because of the later Sousxie and the Banshees cover of it, but it was fun to listen to the original, which was also good. There is definitely a lot of redundancy on this album leading the listener to kind of melt into a world of their own consciousness. I would actually like to listen to this at home with headphones some night when I can just lean back and enjoy the music. Again, surprising, I’m coming back here.
Random thoughts: * I've been onto this album for some time. I can't remember how I was introduced but probably from something like this list and I bought this CD. * I went back and listened to this album on my CD player hooked up to my 30 year-old stereo component system. I forgot how good music sounds on that set up! * This is definitely a classic for me. I love that they made a cool and repetitive album about trains across Europe. * I can definitely zone out to this one in a really good way. It is almost meditative. * These freaky Germans are groundbreaking and still sound so cool today. * I will happily throw this one on any time.
Think it’s my second Kraftwerk album on the list and found them pretty good last time. Maybe similar to last time, find it a bit of a steady gait that doesn’t grab me too much. Yeh, pretty flat and basic. Nothing too exciting or inspiring for me. I imagine more significant in the 70s? But just not my bag.
Esse grupo é ótimo, e todos os discos deles são um deleite para os ouvidos. Acho que TEE é meu favorito de sua discografia. Uma ambientação ampla e extensa. Os pioneiros do gênero eletrônico, nada se compara com os universos que eles conjuram em cada uma de suas canções. Os motifs podem até ser repetitivos, mas eles são tão variados e lindamente construídos que em nenhum momento a escuta se torna monótona. Devo mencionar também o ritmo incrível e suave dessas faixas, com transições perfeitas e a duração correta. Seus discos são imersivos. Você fecha o olho e é transportado para terras distantes e estrangeiras. Mudanças repentinas no humor e atmosfera sonora tornam a escuta desse álbum engajante e divertida. Não é surpresa que tantas pessoas dançavam pra esse grupo de nerds alemães que gostavam muito de trens. É um disco lindo, onde as máquinas respiram como pessoas. Composições brilhantes em momentos e ofuscadas em outros. Têm tudo que você pode desejar em um álbum eletrônico. 5/5
I really liked the vibes, but the songs were too long and repetitive.
Kudos for being innovators and basically inventing a genre, but these songs just too damn long.
Ts is lowkey buns. 1.3/5
Didn't like
not their best work
Not bad. Kind of boring though. Some of the songs are too similar to each other. Probably would of thought differently about it in the 70's though.
I guess this sounded amazing (or at least very distinctive) to people in 1977, but I don't get it. Maybe I just don't understand minimalism. Kraftwerk formed the basis for a lot of music that I like, but it's antecedents have make the music on this particular album sound like a historical artifact. And we're talking 1977, not 1927. I wasn't expecting to give this my second 1-star rating out of this exercise, but that's where I'm at after listening to it. It's not painful, but it doesn't spark any emotion whatsoever.
Are these lovely compositions? Yes. Do I want to listen to this again? No, NEVER. Tedious, overly long, boring ass songs about trains. I will say they seque into songs quite well, which is admirable, especially in that style of music. But I HATED this & couldn't wait for it to be over. I did like the Schubert song & Metal on Metal. Beep Bop Bork Union Pacific Beep Bop Bork Chicago Northwestern Beep Bop Bork Monon Beep Bop Bork Amtrak Beep Bop Bork Metra Beep Bop Bork Am I doing this right? 1
Fav: Europe Endless Least Fav: Endless Endless Heartbreaking: the first song on the album is by far the best one
3 1/2.
Not first listen; 3.5; I really enjoy this album. It really sets a mood and is very interesting how they're able to create the mood/image with their instrumentation. There's something I really enjoy about how precise and pleasant some of the music is, and some of it is eerie as well.
..
Felt very reminiscent of daft punk, but in a good way. I really wasn’t sure what this was gonna be going in but I liked it a lot, a lot more than I thought I was going to. Favorites: Europe Endless, Showroom Dummies, Trans Europe Express
*Not my style but understand that its influential and has a high level of musicianship.
1977!
The phrase ‘ahead of its time’ was made for this.
Europe Endless The Hall of Mirrors Showroom Dummies Trans-Europe Express
Innovative and the blueprint for most electronic music to follow. More of a reference point than an album though.
There is almost a hypnotic quality to this album. There is a slow build to the bleeps and boops as lyrics and motifs fade in and out of the songs. It’s been fun to get to hear a lot of different older electronic music to see how some of those decisions helped to shape an album like this. Albums like this walked so future artists and soundtracks could run. I’d put it on again as background noise.
It's OK. A bit experimental, but rather boring to me.
Holy crap. Usually I’m annoyed by songs with string out chorus’ but the rhythm and synth on this album is so enjoyable.
seminal
A trippy semi dancy album.
Timeless.
LETSGO
I have officially received all the Kraftwerk albums available on this list, and I honestly don’t know how I feel about this band. Sometimes I’m like, “wow this is great!” and then other times after the 800th mention of the words “Trans Europe Express” across multiple songs, I start to wonder if I’m even going to finish the album. I think I preferred Autobahn to this, but I greatly preferred this to The Man Machine. Less words in the songs the better, I think.
Cool and inspirational for its time. Dreadfully boring for any other time period
This is a generous two-stars; Kraftwerk are just not to my tastes at all. Repetitive droning over hammering techno beats gets very old very quickly. There's no subtlety or light-and-shade, you get what you get (and in my case, don't enjoy it particularly). Was dreading this after the last Kraftwerk recommendation, and got on with this one even less.
Learned a lot.....sampling from 'Planet Rock' .
9/10 Proto synth is still synth and I like me some synth. Kraftwerk are special, the melodies are deceptively clever as they dig there catchy hooks into your head meat. 11-26-2025
#188/1001. Another classic Kraftwerk. Still a bit ambient and evolving, but I often prefer these tracks to the hit song(s). Hall of mirrors has been my new favourite Kraftwerk track for some time. Use of vocoder, drum sounds, the feeling of locomotion with some metallic noise, synthetic melodies and harmonies, what's not to love?
The best thing I can say about this album is that it helped me save money on getting a “23 and Me,” test. I think I can safely rule out any German heritage. Seriously, I might have liked this album a smidgen if the tracks weren’t so long, monotonous, and an obvious attempt at hypnosis.
How does one decide the length of a song when it is just the same couple of measures on repeat? There must be some kind of testing to avoid violent rage against the band. These songs press that limit.
This makes the old SNL Sprockets skits make WAY more sense. 2.5* rounded. . . up? I guess? Yeah, let's go with up. It can be playing in the background and I can happily ignore it. Mostly.
2artsy4me
I know that they’re an important part of music history, and have had a large influence on modern music, EDM in particular, but I just can’t make myself like Kraftwerk.
This made me feel like something Ross from FRIENDS would create.
Seems dated
First time I heard this album I was probably high. That's true for almost any Kraftwerk album. What is amazing about Trans Europe Express is how it presages EDM by 20 years.