Trans Europe Express

Props to these OG electronica pioneers. They kicked off an entire genre of music. They walked so Front242 could rave! But is it good? Is it listenable? Mostly. It's better than most of the dance-y sample-heavy electronica that hits this list! It's slower than most of that and it does have some interesting bits. As background music, it's pretty good. But those German dudes talk-singing really bring it down a few notches. I like the instrumental bits enough, although I do wish they would change up the speed/tone a bit more. "Showroom Dummies" is super annoying because of that "singing" and the repetition. "Trans-Europe Express" is good except for the insane repetition. And then they bring it back into the next couple of songs, apparently just to remind you of how annoying it was. I like the last 4 tracks the best as they're *almost* entirely instrumental. I'll put one or 2 of them on a playlist, but doubt I'll listen to this whole album again. I'd say this is worth a 3.4, but for historical significance and the fact that the German dudes can't help it that they have flat German voices, I'm going to give this a 4. Did I mention it's got too much repetition?

Interesting but too repetitive. Mostly the songs went no where. James Murphy probably loves this. Me, not so much..,

Nice 👍

Anyone can see how influential this album is, however, it's not one that I want to go back to and listen all the time. 7/10

Groundbreaking once, now just a bit dull.

Delightful until it got boring

I appreciated how unique and weird this is, but that didn't translate to massive enjoyment.

While Autobahn primed me to appreciate this more, it appears to me a little self-indulgent with the vocals. Just when I start getting into it, the vocal intrudes, and then in the other songs seems to not belong at all. Title track works; wish the others had followed suit.

Undeniably the Werk of Kraft.

I am really not a fan. Although I did go from wanting to turn it off to deciding that this album would be great for a spin class.

This album was not nearly as compelling as Autobahn was, for me anyway. Where Autobahn felt effortless, and therefore inspired, this wasn't nearly as fluid. I recognize situational factors like where I am when I'm listening and my state of mind play a part, it doesn't change the fact that this sounded stilted and didn't take me on the pleasant ride that Autobahn did. I guess I prefer a car to a train.

I think Kraftwerk is my new answer to one of those Reddit posts, "What popular artist or band do you simply not get?"

Well I loved this. A great early dance sound and a perfect capture of German culture. Particularly the first song. (I suspect this was an inspiration for “Sprockets.”)

Kedeligt

Europa endlos - 5/5 Spiegelsaal - 4/5 Schaufensterpuppen - 5/5 Trans Europa Express - 5/5 Metall auf Metall - 3/5 Abzug - 4/5 Franz Schubert - 4/5 Endlos endlos - no rating Average score: 4.3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ although some tracks were a bit lengthy for my liking, this was a fairly enjoyable listen. i like the seamlessness between some of the tracks, and the repetitive delivery almost put me in a trance-like state while listening

One of the most influential records. You can hear the proto electro sounds that shook up Detroit and Chicago and created a whole new genre. Only one thing: Kraftwerk is meant to be heard in German!

Ikke min kopp med te. Litt for spesielt og kjedelig

Classic electronic music

Pues seguro va a ser una herejía lo que voy a decir, pero el disco me hartó un poco. Sí, muy electrónico y experimental, pero me pareció también bastante repetitivo y medio aburrido. Ni hablar, este disco de Kraftwerk no fue para mí.

this was fun

1977!!! Empieza bien, pero acabas del acorde del trenecito hasta el gorro. Si aceleras Abzug te sale la música del coche fantástico y eso es todo lo que tengo que decir.

I mean, it’s more Kraftwerk, which I don’t love, but it’s relatively short. It was the exact amount of Kraftwerk that I can handle.

I like Kraftwerk but this is far from their best. I was eleven when this came out and was listening to Darts and 10cc and had no idea this sort of stuff even existed!

Always good

Den er fin og kraftværket, dog ikke et mesterværk.

Ikke det mest Kraftwerk agtige album. De prøver med noget mere melodiøst lyd og mere sang. Det skal de virkelig lade vær med. På titelnummeret og dets to tilhørende numre er vi mere tilbage i det monotone Kraftwerk. Det fungerer bedre.

I hear the influence this had on later electronic music, but compared to what we're used to now for this genre it's slow, odd, and pretty boring.

You can hear the influence on new wave and synth pop, not to mention hip hop, particularly the electro hip hop of Afrika Bambaataa, whose _Planet Rock_ samples the title track. There’s even an influence, I’m sure, on **Joy Divisions** _Unknown Pleasures_ which came out just two years later but whereas human fragility seeped through every pore of that albums glacial sound, this album sounds clinical as fuck! And that just doesn’t chime with me. It’s obviously very well done but I can’t connect with it. Because I know all the samples from it here’s my…

Enjoyed it a lot! ★★★★

I don’t dislike Kraftwerk, or this album in particular, but it is a little too repetitive and samey to be an enjoyable listen. I get the fact that it’s a concept album, but it didn’t land anywhere near as well as The Man-Machine.

WE’RE SO CLOSE TO BEST KRAFTWERK but every second of this is perfect anyways

She werks my kraft until I trans on her Express

I wish the autobahn was real

Really nice vibe and good listen. There's an optimism in the sound which is great. I wish I could think of better things to say but it's great and especially cool for the time.

Another well crafted album. Very well mixed and produced. Hall of Mirrors is so good. What this album did for not only electronic music, but also for Afrika Bambaataa, it deserves 5.

not great. didn't finish

Overall: 8/10 Honestly this was such a vibe. Very hypnotic electronic music that was obviously a precursor for the 90s electronic explosion. I can see how Kraftwerk are considered so influential. I don't know why I enjoy this more than other electronic music, cause it's just as repetitive, but I thought it was great. Fav Song: Showroom Dummies

Certainly the pioneers of electronic music, techno whatsoever but not my thing...

Okay. Got really repetitive towards the end of the album but I preservered. Would not listen again.

I was instilled with a healthy respect for Kraftwerk when I was in highschool. I never really listened to them, but I understood that they were the seed from which modern electronic music grew. Listening to this in the same week as that Les Rhythmes Digitales album (Darkdancer) really highlights how much this genre developed from 1977 to 1999. By comparison, Kraftwerk sounds like a collection of demos still looking for a producer/collaborator to step in and punch them up. This album has “good bones” but just feels undercooked by modern standards. The vocals in particular feel like placeholders. Where you’d use a sample or bring in a real singer to belt out your vocal tracks today, Kraftwerk vocals are mostly just a guy speak-singing in a flat-toned German accent. It’s charming, for sure, but not a recipe for pop success. Have you seen that viral clip from the show X Factor where the guy (Beck Martin) sings the “It’s Friday Night” song? Go look it up. Kraftwerk vocals feel kinda like that. A few tracks, "Europe Endless" and "Endless Endless" do feature more distorted/digital/robotic vocals, but the rest of the album feels very unfinished in this respect.

I understand their influence but it’s just not for me. Sounds very basic. Like a kid on an old Casio. 2.5

Hmm, not really my jam

I liked their other album we listened to on this list better than this one. It all sounded the same and not sure why they have two albums on this list.

It had its moments. I was surprised to see that it came out in the late 70s because it sounded like crappy 80s synth

Going from MC5 to this is whiplash. It feels too clean, too polished, too perfected for my tastes. I get what they're trying to do and they do it well but I don't enjoy listening to it. The songs are still too long, still too clean and polished sounding for me to enjoy. It's better than their other album we had. Too much repetition too.

if you like super repetitive, uber synth, long tracks, with repetitive vocals....then this is for you. super boring.

Repetitive repetitive repetitive. Read some stuff about this record being one of the most influential of the last 40 yrs or something. Maybe something about it was groundbreaking in the 70s but that doesn’t mean it’s still any good. I mean I was impressed with my kids’ artwork when they were 3 and 4 years old, by now looking back 15-20 years later, those drawing sucked. Hahaha! I do understand that these guys used new instruments and essentially created electronic music. That’s impressive and got it hand it to them for creativity. Still don’t like the music or the record.

This made me feel like I was losing brain cells.

The influence of this album is huge (probably one of the most influential of all time when you look at where music is now) but what often gets lost is how good the melodies are across the whole album - if you stripped back the innovation there are still good songs underpinning it. I can only imagine the impact of hearing it for the first time at that time. Fun fact: This was the album that we listened to while decorating the hall where we had our wedding reception.

It’s so difficult to listen to this and not bear in mind its legacy and what followed directly as a result of this album. As a standalone piece of work though, I love the sparsity of it; that every instrument, every note has a clear purpose in conveying the mood they are trying to evoke. Obviously Trans Europe Express and the tracks that follow are the centre point of this, but the other songs, hall of mirrors in particular are also incredibly striking. Although it might come across as cold to some, I do also get a sense of hope and wonder at inter-European collaboration and culture from it that wouldn’t go amiss in the modern day.

My own personal opinion on the Trans debate: this is slightly better than The Man-Machine because it came first and must have sounded so futuristic in the mid 70s.

Amos

Insanely too much Kraftwerk. And Bowie. Make it stop.

You can hear in this album the sounds of what would become 80s New Wave and Electronica -- "Abzug" illustrates my point. The synthesizers, the manipulated vocals, etc. Flock of Seagulls seem to have picked up where Kraftwerk left off. Bands like Tangerine Dream might owe a debt of gratitude to Kraftwerk for tracks like "Franz Schubert". 80s New Wave and Electronica are not my thing; but I can appreciate trend-setting artists.

Maybe foundational, Maybe transformative, I wasn't interested

A bit too basic to hold my interest and I don’t care for the repetitive lyrics

Wow for me this was just not very good at all. Couldn’t figure out what there was to like.

Listened to this in English, think it would be better in the og Deutsch. Still, boundary-pushing bleeps and bloops.

I guess you don't really have half of modern music without this record, huh?

Eh, fine for what it is, but tiring after a while. 2.7

Extremely German, not a fan

On the one hand, I want to award Kraftwerk for their individualism and their pioneering work in experimental electronic music. There are some interesting moments on here. On the other hand, I want to throw one star at them for never really taking the songs anywhere and the simplistic compositions. But maybe that's the point? Each song is like a piece of electronic equipment doing it's one simple task until it's batteries run out. Literally, I guess, since it's all keyboards and synth. Or maybe it's like sped-up footage of a European business centre at rush hour. The more I listened to this today the more I felt myself connecting with the music. I felt almost entranced and sucked in by the beats, much like some more modern IDM. I stopped thinking of it as individual songs and more one large piece of work as there are little call-backs to earlier motifs throughout the album. It's cool to be able to draw the dots and feel how this influenced electronica. It will still only be a 3.5 from me but I appreciated my time with the record.

Nie wiem co o tym myśleć. Ciekawe plumkanie. Może 3

Better than average Kraftwerk, still not saying much.

Much better in the German version than the English one, English just can't replicate beautiful words like Schaufensterpuppen. I really like Kraftwerk, but this is probably my least listened album of their golden era. Still a great album, but it doesn't have the refined songcraft of Mensch Maschine or the overarching theme of Radio-Aktivitat or Autobahn. The songs are all typical Kraftwerk, sparse, electronic beats sung over by a robotic voice. There's some nice and interesting sounds used throughout. Still fun to listen to.

This was good old trance/dance, good album! By a classic band

Meh

No soul

interesting listen.

Framtiden börjar här ...so abzug! Låt oss först reda ut några missförstånd. - Kraftwerk använder inga trummaskiner 1977, varje trumslag du hör är spelat av en mänsklig hand. - Kraftwerk är inga perfektionister, Kraftwerk är precisionister, rätt ljud på rätt plats i rätt tid. Det är detta som avspeglas i det mnimala men samtidigt oerhört melodiösa soundet. - Kraftwerk sysslar inte med låtskriveri, man jammar fram sin musik, all musik görs på plats i studion, det finns aldrig några demos av deras musik. Musiken är bara en produkt av arbetet i studion, inte målet i sig. När det finns ett koncept och en tematik för ett album införlivas musiken som en del i det. - Kraftwerk är lika mycket arkitektur, filosofi, estetik, ingenjörskonst, sociologi, design, laboratorium, cykling och kollegial kamratskap som musik. Man kan inte bortse från det, det vore att göra sig själv en otjänst. I min värld är Kraftwerk världens bästa band nånsin, helt utan konkurrens faktiskt. För man är så mycker mer ett band än något annat band är. Man tar begreppet band till en helt annan intellektuell nivå, på ett sätt som nog aldrig kommer att kunna överträffas. TEE är världens viktigaste album, den förändrade musikvärlden och än mer viktigt perpektivet på musik och det radikalt. Det är ingen åsikt, det är ett faktum. Det här är nollpunkten för framtiden, vad Kandinsky var för abstrakt konst eller TS Elliott var för modern poesi. Där tidigare (och första) rent konceptuella albumet "Radio-aktivität" (1975) fortfarande hade tåspetsarna kvar i krautrockens experimentella värld och efterföljande "Die Mensche machine" (1978) lägger mer vikt vid direkta låtar är TEE utpräglat bunden till det tematiska. Som sådant är det oxå deras mest lyckade. Ser man bara till det musikaliska och låtar håller jag "Komputer liebe" (1981) som deras höjdpunkt. Men som sagt man kan inte se Kraftwerk bara så endimensionellt. TEE må ha inspirerat och influerat all form av modern musik, från den glättigaste pop till minimalistisk dub-techno via hiphop och postpunk, och det är fantastiskt men det är inte poängen här. Poängen är att man lyckas ta nåt i grunden experimentellt (all syntmusik innan Kraftwerk var i nån mån experimentell) göra det melodiskt tillgängligt, vackert och svängigt. Och göra detta utan att kompromissa bort ett enda dugg av den intellektuella tyngd och helhet som hela bandet vilar på och dessutom få världen att förstå. Det är en minst lika stor bedrift som att Elvis tog den svarta rock'n'rollen till de vita massorna.

Lyssnade både på engelska och tyska versionen och föredrar den sistnämnda. Även om det inte förekommer mycket text sitter de tyska fraserna bättre ihop med musiken. Alla låtar känns spännande de första 2-3 minutrarna, men sedan blir minimalismen lite för endlos. Det leder inte riktigt någonstans. Samma rytm samma melodistrofer hela vägen. Kanske saknas det ein grosse Knüller som The Model, Radioactivity eller the Robots. Showroom dummies/ Schaufensterpuppen är närmast.

Stilbildande och välljudande. Blir lite enformigt i längden. Stabil trea.

A-sidan är ok. Lite för mycket syntiga melodier för min smak. Men B-sidan är mästerlig. Tågrytmen som maler på. De spöklika syntarna. Det är industriellt för att sedan övergå i det vackra avslutande Frans Schubert och Endlos endlos.

"Trans Europe Express" is much more Krautrock to me than, say, "Computer World." Songs like "The Looking Glass" and "Showroom Dummies" feel more man-machine, blank, expressionless, even dreadful, a la Kurt Weill. Like a German Expressionist film where you the listener are trapped.

fun!! really enjoyed

7/10 Favourite: Trans Europa Express Least Favourite: Metall auf Metall

I've never heard Kraftwerk before. While I recognize how influential this and Kraftwerk must have been in 1977 I really hated this album. If I have to hear "Trans. Europe. Express." one more time I might lose it. I found the whole thing so obnoxiously repetitive. If it weren't so repetitive, I think I might actually like it. I respect them as pioneers but I'll stick to more modern electronic music where it's enjoyable even when highly repetitive.

I had the pleasure of actually listening to this album on a train. It certainly adds to the experience

Mesmerizing and repetitive, but I kinda liked it? Maybe even a 3.5.

I feel like they put a curse on me. 2.7.

Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Ehh not really my cup of tea

I actually have a lot of respect for Kraftwerk being so influential and groundbreaking for electronica music, a genre I enjoy. But this is not something I'm pretty much ever going to choose to listen to.

'Parks, hotels, and palaces / (Europe endless).' About as bourgeois Euro-centric as it gets, but also frank and reflective in a Wildean sense: 'Even the greatest stars / Fix their face in the looking glass'; 'We look around / And change our pose / We are showroom dummies'; 'In Vienna we sit in a late-night café / Straight connection, TEE.' Kraftwerk's masterstroke is an irrefragable annotation to this ongoing moment of globalized capitalism, a stretch of time witness to mere simulacrums and postures. In other words, as I came to the end of the record, I was filled w/ a deep sense of sadness, especially as the album gradually grew into a kind of meta-medley: tracks that blent into one another and sadly, tho beautifully, recited its beginning.

This album should come with a black turtleneck and sunglasses. I'm settling for a 2, this didn't move me.

My hopes were low since I wasn't a fan of Autobahn, but this one wasn't too bad. Still slightly repetitive, but enjoyed the early sound of electronic.

Better than the prior album from Kraftwerk, but still wasn't a huge fan. Given how important they were to the foundations of genres I really like, I'm surprised I'm not enjoying them more. Rounding up for this rating.

Some old school techno. It's really interesting to listen to this considering the limitations they had on drum machines and samplers. Really innovative stuff, not done by others at this time, or at least not done to this level. It's good stuff and I'm a fan of their work, it's brilliant. Kind of strange but still I think brilliant.

Trans Europe Express is the only track considerable as a “song”. The rest is keyboard demo material.

I think German electronic music is one of my favourite “niche” music genres (as a non-German), but I found this one to be subpar to the others I have listened to. Still pretty good, beep boop and stuff.

It’s good! Definitely ahead of its time. I think ‘Man-Machine’ was more compelling overall, so I’ll score accordingly. But boy did these Germans know how to synth.

Tracks very long at the beginning, then become very short. Not a lot of vocals, but instrumental is very goofy-y and interesting. Definitely a discovery and an interesting album. Several languages in the album. Apparently as been considered as an important pop album at some point. It's good music for when you don't know what to listen to because it sounds very interesting so you don't get bored. Has good transitions. Kind of has the same beat throughout the whole album which is very interesting, it's like a single very long song. Track 7 is the most peaceful and the best one in my opinion. Very good first album.

Not the best Kraftwerk album but on a first listen i really enjoyed this. Wasn't sure by the first few tracks but it got better as it went along.

This does all the things I've been wanting the other synth albums we've had recently to do. It gives room for all the sounds, it has dynamic and the songs build nicely. The balance is then skewed because so many of the songs are soooo long and don't really have much in terms of vocals to carry you through them. Plus I'm not a fan of the vocoder effect they utilise a bit. I enjoyed it more than I expected.

After track one I expected to hate this but The Hall of Mirrors and Showroom Dummies are both killer tracks. The rest was interesting especially for the time but a noticeable step down. All around very happy to finally have a Kraftwerk album under my belt.

Kraftwerk are the pioneers of electronica. Every album has something, but Trans Europe Express might be there most cohesive effort, even if it doesn't feature their biggest hits. It is one of their most hypnotic/Transcending. I would take the Trans Europe Express to anywhere. Ps: Listen to the German version, it feels so much more authentic.

The simple beats and loops were a little bland and annoying at times but I have to remember this was a new style in the 70s, so I can’t expect it to come out like a Daft Punk album. Good work music at times, could’ve went without the vocals.

Not into this electronic synth stuff. That being said, it could be a lot worse. It’s palatable but I’m glad it’s over.

It was an interesting listen, spotted a couple sample sources, can definitely hear how the entire EDM genre is stemming from this. All that said, it has no human quality to it, and that keeps it from being truly enjoyable. It's like a non fiction book, important and valuable but not something you pick up to enjoy casually.

Interesting, innovative, and decent music to put in the background. But definitely a little dated, little repetitive, and very cold, austere European, trance-y communist synth vibes. That aspect kind of scares me. You can hear all the ways this influenced other artists from Bowie to Radiohead (and Afrika Bambaata) and it’s pretty easy on the ears. I appreciate it more than i like it but i like it enough

son muy freak estos alemanes, 3 de 5. Siento que una vez que escuchas un disco de kraftwerk ya escuchaste todo lo que teniai que escuchar de kraftwerk

Gostei. 70s space vibes. 3,5/5

Good music to fall asleep to, which I think I said about their other album I listened to.

It’s good, especially for 70’s electronic

Clearly, Trans Europe Express and Kraftwerk have massive influence. I had to laugh when I heard a Trans Europe Express sample on Africa Bambaataa's Planet Rock: The Album. Then there are the stylistic influenced bands like Depeche Mode, whose early stuff sounds like it could have been a Kraftwerk tribute band. But I also could not help thinking of Sprockets: the SNL parody of 1980s German art culture. Dieter--Mike Myers detached, black-clad, monkey-obsessed host--seemed like exactly the the type of person that listened to Kraftwerk. Incidentally, Sprockets did use a sped-up Kraftwerk song for its introduction. My review now bores me and I have shame. It is time to dance.

i was honestly so pleased to finally get kraftwerk album... among the many things i'm learning about music doing this project, i've learned that kraftwerk (whomst id never sat down to listen to before) is a major influence on some of my favorite artists. like, i think this whole album is a trip to begin with, but it was especially trippy to put the first track on and wonder if i hadn't somehow put early new order on by mistake - THEN, we jump to show room dummies and i'm suddenly reminiscing about SOPHIE (❤️). my favorite thing about this album is when it seamlessly flows together as a coherent fifty minute block of music. i love the melody that carries from the first and last track. while it can, at many points, feel rote and droning, i feel compelled to charitably attribute these qualities to its dark and experiential atmosphere as opposed to thinking its, like, bad music or something. and you know: this album really grew on me with each listen through. idk what i'd do if i was teleported to 1977 and didn't have my emotional support electronica. think i'd get by with disco, and of course moog is here, but could i remain steadfast long enough for the 80s right around the corner?? maybe it wouldn't be so bad if my new best friend, kraftwerk, was there with me and my haphazard time machine accident. anyway, idk what i was talking about: 5 stars. highlights - europe endless, showroom dummies, franz schubert

Not their best imo

They're so iconic. Loved the first song, and the atmosphere created throughout was so well done

awesomeness

Today I learned where Afrika Bambaataa sampled Planet Rock. Amazing album to just throw on and go into a futuristic world.

It was okay. Not my usual vibe but I feel like there's a certain mood that's needed to appreciate it entirely. But for what it is, I'd say it's alright

So good ! electronic music!!!!*

Less lyrical songs were better

Like a classic wine

4.5

Not for me

Ein stilprägendes Album, das mit minimalistischen Synths und futuristischer Ästhetik die elektronische Musik revolutionierte. Kühl, hypnotisch und seiner Zeit voraus – ein Klassiker mit bleibendem Einfluss. Irgendwie wie „Music For the Masses“ nur 10 Jahre früher und aus Düsseldorf.

5/5. Kraftwerk has been hit or miss for the albums on this list. Thankfully, this one was a hit, incorporating a good balance between the simple but cryptic lyrics and the innovative electronic music they always deliver. And the music here is top tier, with a mostly dark and brooding tone, calming or upbeat at times as well keeping it fresh. I have no clue why they are repeating a train line over and over again, but it slaps. Best Song: Trans-Europe Express, Europe Endless, Franz Schubert

Not my taste, but I don't hate it. It sounds ahead of its time and not outdated yet.

Yeah! 🤩 Finally some Kraftwerk in here! I've been going through almost 500 albums without using this, but now is its time: 👉 "Overraaaated" 👈 That felt good. Because, you see - and I'm German, my opinion on Kraftwerk is twice as right here, I don't make the rules - I've always felt like all they did was to take what Krautrock had created before them and to strip the fun and soul from it and turn it into sterile, rather dumb and consumable pop music - but electronic. Which was, uh, oh, fancy, new to most people apparently. For which they do deserve some credit, I guess, with regards to music's history, but without the quasi boygroup spectacle of the costumes and the performances and everything about their act, they would have had no business becoming so highly revered. But now people see a recording of their alleged first public performance and are over the moon about the drummer's fantastic, unmatched skill to /𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 not mess up a four-to-the-floor kickdrum!? Both Kraftwerk's music and legacy has no right to overshadow the likes of NEU!, Can, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Cluster or, for a different flavour of pioneering, Laurie Spiegel the way it does. Is what I'm saying. And yes, I was thoroughly bored here. "Franz Schubert" was nice.

what a ride. enjoyed more than expected. good headphones helps. probably a 3.5

Genius. Pure genius

I didn't love it. It wasn't terrible by any means, probably a 2.5 if I could. I'm going to give it three stars because I respect that it's very, very influential, but I think it was a bit boring.

Absolute masterpiece

I enjoy it more than Man Machine. An important album, but not my absolute favorite.

I really wanted to like this album more especially because of it's obvious ties to New Wave. But I was also noting early ideas that we're influences on house, techno, and trans which I thought was a very cool springboard even though those three particular genres are not very high on my list. I did find it a bit slow and repetitive especially when you get to the "TEE/Auzbug" suite which felt like it went on forever. All in all I actually enjoyed it as a whole but not something I probably return to often. But it is interesting enough to keep it in a solid four-star range 8.4★★★★

Very cool synth sounds. Groundbreaking for the 1970s. 4 stars

This isn't totally my jam, but I have to give it props for being as futuristic as it is in 1977. Kraftwerk definitely influenced a lot of stuff, some of which I like better than others, but you certainly can't deny their impact. I was really taken aback how modern it sounds for the time too. Even on songs I don't love, there's some really cool, beautiful elements. Highlights for me are probably "Europe Endless", "Abzug", and "Franz Shubert". 3.5 stars.

One day on the Island of Sodor, Thomas the Little Blue Engine was given an album to listen to for his 1001 Albums project. It was Trans Europa Express by a mysterious group called Kraftwerk. The Fat Controller was working on the same 1001 Album project and said to young Thomas “You better hurry up and listen to this as soon as you can. I know you are a cheeky young steam engine but this is an incredible train-themed album that will educate you about 70s electronica and do you a lot of good”. So Thomas listened to the album on his little blue train headphones and was mesmerised by the sounds. “Bleepity bloop”, said the album. “Bleepity bloop”. “Clackety clack. Clackety clack” it said later on. “It’s so beautiful” said Thomas. “This is like being in train heaven”. Some German voices appeared and Thomas said to himself “Hmm Das Ist Gut, Ja!” Then the next track happened and lots of spacey sounds occurred. Thomas got overexcited and started losing himself in the music and let out a great big whistle. “Look at me! Look at me! I’m a space engine flying through space, yippee!” he said and then he carelessly went off-track and flew off a 200ft cliff where he crashed onto some sharp rocks and exploded into a massive tower of flames. Engulfed with him in the flames was his driver, his fireman, his coaches Annie and Clarabel and a hundred screaming passengers. Oh, what a silly engine! Devastated by the loss of Thomas and a very large count of manslaughter under his watch, the Fat Controller was forced to close down the Isle Of Sodor Railway and fell into a spiral of drink and drugs and even more hamburgers after his lengthy prison sentence. If Thomas had survived the massive cliff top fall he would have revelled in the seedy German nightclubbing sounds of the title track, done a little bit of breakdancing and I think he would have given the album 4 stars, don’t you?

I didn't love this one as much as some of the others on this list. Maybe there are fewer unique sounds? I'm not sure. It's good, not great.

i felt like i was playing pong

I think this style of electronic music is just not for me. It's too repetitive, which causes me to get bored of each song by the time it finishes. The synth sounds are nice, and the atmosphere built up is pretty cool, but there's just not enough change or melody to really hold my interest

great early pioneering electronic music. too simple for my tastes

I felt in a strange videogame. Like a wii mistery one (does that exist?) Whatever pioneer, I could not take it.

Very listenable early electronic music album, reminds me of an SNL skit though, so in a way it is difficult for me to take it too seriously.

first beat on fl studio core kind of cool but feels a bit too primitive to keep my attention. like why are all of the songs so long?

I'm on a train, going around in circlez

I'm not in the least bit ashamed that this once soundtracked a journey across central Europe for me and some friends. A bit clichéd but it was better than being stuck on the M6 outside Birmingham with Radio 1 for company.

awful

Not a fan of this one, it seemed very repetitive. The sounds were interesting the first couple times but it just got played over and over again

It's cold in here...

Oh good! Kraftwerk #3. If this list has done one thing, it’s taken me from feeling pretty neutral about Kraftwerk to actively hating them.

ugh, more electronica

Great album with an original sound for its time. Still relevant today so timeless

Loved this

Not my kind of genre but some songs on this album are smooth enough to enjoy either way. Not to many random noises or strange sounds inserted which can be the case in more modern songs in the genre.

Completely incredible for its time and influence on dance and electronic music can’t be overstated. I’m very glad to have listened to it.

This was already my favorite Kraftwerk album, love it. Songs that stood out on this listen were Trans-Europe Express (as usual) and Franz Schubert. Hard to overstate how important this album was for the evolution of electronic music, and I’m so thankful I got to see parts of it performed live a while back. 9/10, 4 stars

Now that was really good. Need to listen to more kraftwerk!

437/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Never liked…v influential hence 3 but not for me

One of the most influential bands ever, from a listening point of view it was fine, not for me

Never properly listened to kraftwerk before as didn’t think it would be my bag. Strangely enough loved this, would go back

Repetitive. But not a terrible listen. Probably won’t listen again

Focus music.

i loved it! the recurring melody synth in the first song, to franz schubert to the last outro song is so good. ties it all up nicely. franz schubert was really nice brain massage with the panning. reminded me slightly of the stuff tangerine dream did in phaedra. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

this album is my 13th reason. it's just flat out dumb, and i know i might not be "getting it" but i don't know where would be to get. it's just dookie.

Very insightful album!! Learned a lot!! I learned that Europe is endless. Also, life is timeless. Also, there’s a thing called the Trans Europe Express, that potentially may be endless!! (I will not be listening to this again).

I wasn’t very impressed by this album, but also didn’t hate it. Fun to experience some 70s electronic music, and I appreciated the theme the album and inclusion of German, English, and French. Another album that may be no doubt influential but a bit lost on me.

Surprisingly good. Reminds me of jean michelle jarre who I'm sure was directly influenced

Really good! I can hear where New Order and OMD got their start. Absolutely would buy in a thrift shop or resale, probably not a new copy though.

Nintendo Entertainment System music if written by the dancers on Sprockets.

Not. Really...into it :?

Interesting music. ALL electronic, too. But did not light my fire. Can see how this was the underpinning bed of some of the EMD music today.

Sorry but I just don’t get it!

Again, I get someone had to do it first to lead the way, but damn this is repetitive and annoying. This is what my computer listens to during the screensaver. Metal on Metal made me want to drive a screwdriver into my brain.

Some good sections, but nothing to write home about.

In the beginning, there was Kraftwerk…

There was a car accident while I was listening to this album

Going through a lot of albums that are obviously not my cup of tea, especially from the same band, makes me feel a bit like a bully. But such is the way of discoveries, even if sometimes they are more about the history of music than enjoyment. I found Trans Europa Express more interesting than the ultimately android-like Die Mensch-Maschine, but still very unmoving. The most lively part of it is the vocals in Spiegelsaal, which is the most lovely track here. Thankfully, Kraftwerk are those super-influential pioneers who can do without my love.

This was a letdown. My reaction was "THIS is what Kraftwerk is?" I appreciate the deliberateness of the notes and pacing, but that doesn't make it not plodding and interminable. It was interesting to see how the genre has evolved since this early pioneer into electronic music, but still. 2/5.

Not my style. I'm going to give it 2 stars

what if the Blue Man Group had something to say? i liked this.

The influence is clear on later electronic bands but judged solely as a listening experience this gets a bit dull 2.5*

Not my cup of tea

Kraftwerk, you would love eurovision

When I were young if we wanted beeps and boops we had to make them ourselves with wires and valves.

all change at Dusseldorf

me if i was the first person to discover special effects on a keyboard

This is much darker than I expected. Moody might be a better word for it. I like the driving, yet somehow close to ambient vibe. Standout Track(s): Europe Endless, Trans-Europe Express, Franz Schubert

Kraftwerk is weird

Sounds like the shit you’d hear at a really boring German orgy in the 1980s.

I understand their pioneers yadda yadda yadda. This is good & unbearably repetitive. I think people like Brian Eno & Gary Numan also working in the electronic genre were doing waaay more interesting stuff. The first & last two tracks would have made for an ok ep.

Why did every song have to be so long? Why is this album on the list? Is this going to turn out to be some kind of joke where at the end we get a message laughing how we wasted years doing this? Needs more footwerk

Дуже люблю цей альбом, подобається цей похмурий синтовий грув, як тут працюють з репетативністю. Маю на платівці і періодично переслуховую

Дуже люблю краутрок (і косміче) у будь-яких його проявах, в тому числі і крафтверк. І хоча я, мабуть, скоріше оберу ближчий до сучасної музики тур де франс, TEE це теж клас, слухаю з задоволенням.

справжня класика. мені здається, це дуже універсальна музика, як віково, так і по настрою, досвіду, жанру. люблю потяги та ритм їхнього ходу... люблю, коли музиканти різними засобами відтворюють інші "немузичні" звуки. крутий альбом.

Surprised I liked this one as much after the one star review my friend gave it but honestly found it excellent. This era of synth music can leave people very hot or cold but I love it. There's a way in which in this album especially you feel the influence of Kraftwerk on the medium. So many tracks here would be without the lyrics perfectly fitting 90s video game soundtracks. There's parts here that are super JRPG coded. I love the circular mirroring of the first and final track and Trans Europa Express is really fun. Pioneers at the forefront of the future taking something a little bit silly very seriously in a way that just makes me happy.

I don't really see the appeal in Kraftwerk outside of an artistic live venue show.

I'm a huge fan of this band, I have the vinyl in the garage from high school. I personally think that a couple of the tracks on this record are very very influential for the creation of industrial music. In particular, the title track, "Metal on Metal" and the portion labeled as "Abzug" are all really quite transformative. The concept of finding rhythms in everyday modern life that can be used as the base for music is also essentially the beginning of the idea of sampling. Now, there are other albums I'd rather listen to, so I'm not giving this a five star rating, but it's certainly important.

I respect the influence and that this foundational for electronica. But I mostly hear beep boop we are German and we like trains. 2.5⭐️

Incredible and influential album

Needless to say, an incredibly unique sound, so very "electronic". While it's not something I would listen to every day, I enjoyed as such a very different sound.

better than most electronic music but still, unfortunately, electronic.

own

Cool but too long and monotonous

I took a music theory class in college. One of the first things we learned was the definition of music. "Organized sound." This sound is organized as fuck. Filed away. Collated. Properly alphabetized. Kraftwerk are massively important for electronic music and technology in the music industry, but I can't seem to get into them.

I love electronic music. And was excited to listen to its early roots. This album did nothing for me. They were on the cutting edge of sequencing in the 70s and really paved the way for future electronic music but this album is so monotonous and the lyrics and vocals just really take me out of being able to even try to get into the music. After reading the Wikipedia article, I’m even more amazed that the LA times considered this one of the top pop albums ever made. How is this even classified as pop?!

I can listen to this and understand this group's influence on electronica, and I can also listen to this and say this is boring and repetitive nonsense. Nothing stands out in any way.

Yes, this is ahead of its time. But goddamn it this is boring.

I see why this would be highly influential, and the idea of an album about trains is pretty cool, but ultimately this is not something I need to listen to multiple times.

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this album when I started it, but the more I listened, the more I dug it. It was such a fascinating insight into where so much of modern music has come from - even something like video game music from the 8 and 16-bit eras.

Kraftwerk is definitely going on my blunt rotation.

beep boop. kinda somber

Kraftwerk Werks best when they are purely instrumentals. Songs like "Hall of Mirrors".. don't cut it

I guess it is a pivotal album for electronic rock music and it's not a bad listen, however it lacks variety and the melodies are fairly forgettable. Give me Can instead of Kraftwerk any day of the week. 3 stars

Everything I've heard from Kraftwerk so far has been a lot of fun. I can't help but wonder what it would have been like to listen to this in the 70s and genuinely feel like it was "the sound of the future," or even "the sound of space." And despite being so experimental and creative, late 70s Kraftwerk (which is all I've heard so far) sounds incredibly poppy, pleasant to the ears, and doesn't sound strange. All things considered, it's what Brian Wilson did with Pet Sounds a decade earlier, and the Beatles with Sgt. Peppers. Because after all, no matter how experimental and technological the sound is, if it doesn't move people, inside and out, it's useless. 5 stars.

The Godfathers of Electro take their place in musical history after dumping improvised Krautrock.

What exactly is a Showroom Dummy?

Minimalistic Electronica. The mechanistic repetition, the (subdued) pop melodies and sequenced electronic sounds and rhythms create the image of a trains mechanics as well as the movement and action limited passangers inside. Still feels a bit monotonous.

I love synths, and this is iconic stuff.

Solid album, didnt know oakenfold sampled this for swordfish

Legacy album that set the standards for the electro genre. They developed and used new tech to such amazing effect for this album and this is all pre computers.

Can absolutely hear the influence on darkwave / goth, techno, trance, electro, industrial etc - ominous and yet futuristic and almost hopeful in places. I liked it, but with more atmospheric music it might take a few listens - I can see it growing on me

”Ja ja ja. Mach schnell mit die Art things. I must get back to Dancecentrum in Stuttgart in time to see Kraftwerk” - Baron von Herzenberger A legacy pick for sure, but a bit too minimalistic for me to return to.

A stone cold classic. So beautiful and revolutionary. Reminds me of when we studied it in berlin

Trans. Europe. Express. Trans. Europe. Express. Too lit… perfect late night drive music

Cold, impartial, repetitive, soulless, relentless, endless, etc etc. Void of all human emotion.

Very experimental, interesting. 4.1/10

Psychodelic Electronica!!! I liked it I didnt know much kraftwork beforehand but they were well ahead of their time. The odd track was too advengarde for me but it was overall very good. Will check out more

Definitely not their best album

Rad. Great band, good listen through. Saved a bunch of the songs

Fun but sometimes repetitive

3 1/2 - respect and admiration for kraftwerk, but not something I would find myself craving on the day to day.

I revisit this album from time to time and I absolutely love it. It’s a singular record that is I think Kraftwerk’s best that I’ve listened to and one of the great electronic albums of all time. It still sounds futuristic, and I’ve found it to be one of the best albums to listen to while working - it’s like a flow state hack.

This is probably my favorite Kraftwerk album of the ones I’ve heard. It’s just so atmospheric and almost haunting. The album is alittle challenging at the beginning cause it has a very repetitive opening that’s stripped down and isolated. But that’s what is going to make or break your opinion about Kraftwerk. If you can get past the repetitive nature of the music you can see that this band was obviously so ahead of there time, but also mastering their own genre. Like the amount of growth on this album compared to a few previous albums is very evident. But the other thing Kraftwerk doesn’t get enough credit for is how iconic every aspect of the band is. For example, you can describe something as “Kraftwerk-esque” and people familiar with the band will have a pretty good understanding of what to expect (plus that is not limited to music, their look and their music videos are all so original and stylistic that there’s just so much to this band and their overall style). I understand when someone doesn’t care for them, they can be challenging at times. But I think this is their most accessible album and it’s definitely one of their best.

Without a doubt one of the best and most immersive albums in the history of electronic music. Not only extremely groundbreaking, but still holds up 100% even to this day. The flow from song to song is just like nothing else, and it really is amazing how many different ideas they can explore with such a limited instrumental pallet, and despite the album's length being pretty average, they still manage to make the whole thing come together perfectly as one complete project.

It’s weird that I like this, but I do. Kraftwerk manages to create weird, almost pretentious, music, that is so catchy and fun to listen to

Well, I really wanted to like this. I mean, I really did. Electronica, scrappy West Germans trying to make a name for themselves in the 70s new music scene, ("Now is the time on Sprockets when we DAHNCE!") but honestly, I just found this to be rather redundant/repetitive and a bit of a snoozefest if I'm honest. Listening to other late 70s albums like those by The Police make this seem like a weak effort, and parts of this remind me of the demo tracks that came on a Casio keyboard.

Meni možda najbolji kraftwerk

Kinda cool and kinda annoying.

Pretty interesting album overall enjoyed

I truly have no interest in this album, and after listening to it I have not changed my mind whatsoever. 1 star or F.

Kind of fun synth

How tastes can change. When I was young, Kraftwerk was an easy target to poke fun at. Their music was cold, precise, and European. For a kid of a certain age, Showroom Dummies is basically SNL Dieter announcing, "Now is the time on Sprockets when we dance." Maybe it's because I hadn't yet developed my own sense of irony to understand the wit of the lyrics on tracks like that and others. Because in the now of, like, right now, I keep loving these Kraftwerk records. There's a clarity of purpose to Trans-Europe Express and Autobahn that's refreshing to me — that cold precision? It's now a space that can somehow be filled with feeling. Especially, the long tracks. They are sleek, unhurried, and hypnotic. The repetition isn’t dull, it’s scenic. All the synthetic blips and vocodered phrases are markers on an endless route through a self both real and imagined.

Day555 - now’s the time on sprockets when we dance

I dig it. It's a bit repetitive, but I love how experimental it feels.

Yep that's kraftwerk. Sounded like it was somewhere between autobahn and the more poppy one we had, and I think I'd put it there in terms of enjoyment too. Clearly groundbreaking to the point that they didn't need to do much more than repetitive electronic beats to stand out, felt like most the songs started well but never properly kicked on. Enjoyed it and reminded me I should listen to more kraftwerk but probably not this album, 3.5 but more a 3.

Not as engaging as Autobahn nor the Man Machine albums. They were maybe saving their creative energy. All the songs run into each other with very little variation. Bit of a miss.

These guys really like an inter country railway hey, and why not! I don't mind kraftwerk, but I don't think it's as impactful now as it would've been when it was released. Something cool about it though

★★★⅓

A couple tracks are fun, but Kraftwerk just ain't my thing. It's dull, repetitive and long. Now comes the time on Sprockets where we sway in a desultory fashion.

boring

This reminds me of the first Nokia phones with the downloadable ringtones, everyone thought you were super cool because your 3310 could sound vaguely like the bond theme tune.

I don't hate the concept... But the execution... Oh no Not my cup of liquid

I think if aliens invaded us, this album would be their debut into humanity. On the other hand, I felt like I was being dragged in a cult onto the Trans Euro Express and soon enough I'd have to follow orders on who to assasinate

I felt like I was being brainwashed, not my tub of mayonnaise

The synths are fire! Such an interesting meandering listen and cool to witness the birth of electronic music. The Hall of Mirrors is so distant and melancholic, I like it.

Awesome electronic record. Equal parts weird and beautiful. Some of the progenitors of electronic/synth music and it is crazy how well it still holds up.

Meh

Very nice album, really enjoyed it. Love the electronic sound of it, its so creative.

L’album qui te fait aimer les trains, l’Europe, et le St-Hubert Express! C’est vraiment une vibe; vient pas pour danser. D’ailleurs, être en mouvement améliore drastiquement l’expérience d’écoute, je recommande une activité sur roue pour imiter le doux roulement d’un TGV sur… une pochette magnétique?

Niche thing

Europe Endless had a very upbeat and quick tempo beat, which made for a joyous song that it was hard to sit still for. Hall of Mirrors has a much slower, more contemplative sound. And the repeating “riff” coming in and out sounds like a background instrument from an old sci-fi set. The production is intentionally sparse, leaving lots of aural negative space for the listener to float into. I wanted to like it more than I did, but I had a hard time not letting my mind wander.

I thought i was being punked, pulling Kraftwerk two days in a row. Alas. Not to my taste

Didn't listen as it's one from my teenage years that I already have

better than I expected, thought kraftwerk were mostly overrated although I always liked Trans Europe Express

Krautrock at its finest

Respect but no thanks

those certainly were noises that were put together

Would've been better without any words.

I had dreams of this being a beautiful album, but upon an unfortunate series of events saw those dreams dashed and divided like a million stars in the night sky. that I wished on over and over again- sparkling and broken. But I really didn’t mind because I knew that it takes getting everything you ever wanted and then losing it to know what true freedom is. When the people I used to know found out what I had been doing, how I had been living- they asked me why. But there’s no use in talking to people who have a home, they have no idea what its like to seek safety in other people, for home to be wherever you lied you head. I was always an unusual girl, my mother told me that I had a chameleon soul. No moral compass pointing me due north, no fixed personality. Just an inner indecisiviness that was as wide as wavering as the ocean. And if I said that I didn’t plan for it to turn out this way I’d be lying- because I was born to be the other woman. I belonged to no one- who belonged to everyone, who had nothing- who wanted everything with a fire for every experience and an obssesion for freedom that terrified me to the point that I couldn’t even talk about- and pushed me to a nomadic point of madness that both dazzled and dizzied me. Every night I used to pray that I’d find my people- and finally I did- on the open road. We have nothing to lose, nothing to gain, nothing we desired anymore- except to make our lives into a work of art. LIVE FAST. DIE YOUNG. BE WILD. AND HAVE FUN. I believe in the country America used to be. I belive in the person I want to become, I believe in the freedom of the open road. And my motto is the same as ever- “I believe in the kindness of strangers. And when I’m at war with myself- I Ride. I Just Ride.” Who are you? Are you in touch with all your darkest fantasies? Have you created a life for yourself where you’re free to experience them? I Have. I Am Fucking Crazy. But I Am Free.

Classic electronic album

Fun. Silly. Important. Risible.

3.75

I like trains.

It's soooo goooood! Every song on this is great. It is also very cohesive as an album! The vibes are great, I would be willing to listen to a lot of this on its own, just good stuff.

I did like this one better than the other Kraftwerk album we've had so far, it's very vibes, and was a nice listen while I was working. That being said, it was a little simple.

The Man-Machine from a few days ago was great, but this was delightful! Exactly what I want out of my 70s electronic music - a great precursor to all the forms of electronic to come.

The first song was really fun! And Franz Schubert sticks out in my mind as being really good. Unfortunately the rest of it I wasn’t vibing as much.

Oof. I think my appreciation for Kraftwerk starts and ends with admiring their role in early electronic music. Some of the sounds here reminded me of classic video game soundtracks, which is pretty cool. But man, the actual listening experience is *rough* by today’s standards. Most tracks feel like 90-second ideas stretched way past their welcome. Their robot voice I didn’t love on The Man-Machine is back, and I still don't care for it much. It was only until Frank Schubert that I really started vibing… and of course, that’s right about when the album ends. Overall, it's far from being bad, but I didn't care much for it. Much respect for their appreciation of public transport though 🚆 Standouts: Frank Schubert • Endless Endless

Previously I've had trouble enjoying a Kraftwerk album in one sitting, but this was a real treat. I can definitely hear signs of the bands they inspired in this. It's also just groovy as hell. I do think some of the songs are a little long to the point of getting annoying, but it wouldn't be Kraftwerk without repeating the same sounds for several minutes, would it?

Super repetitive and the songs could’ve been way shorter. But, I got a good laugh imagining these people on stage taking this very seriously and every few minutes leaning into the mic and just saying “Trans-Europe Express” over and over. So at least there is that.

I really enjoyed this but can’t say I loved it

Idk the lore and it’s impressive for the 70s but Imagine if it were named pan Europe express. That’s it.

Io e i Kraftwerk ci capiamo

It's definitely better when they aren't "singing"

teško mi je uopće ovo rejtat objektivno onak jednostavno mi je dosadno

Apparently I own every pre-82 Kraftwerk album. Not sure how that happened :)

Heard it before and love it

Solid early electronica! A bit boring to modern stuff but can’t really fault it for that. I enjoyed “Man-Machine” album better but this was ok. Easy to loop for background music, 3.5/5

Too weird for my taste. A genre that gets annoying for me.

Inject this beautiful minimalism straight into my veins; I like everything on this one, start to finish.

liked it. less jarring and more melodic than I was expecting

It's really cool to see how Kraftwerk's industrial and electronic sounds have helped shape the so much of today's music - the synthy pop, atmospheric rock, industrial metal, and probably way more. I love their haunting sounds. Are they human or are they machine? Either way, very European.

First half of the album: Even for someone who is usually pro-drone (musically, sorry Obama), The Hall of Mirrors made me hate Europeans. Legitimately, I started to think maybe we should exit NATO listening to some of these songs. And why does the album artwork for the German version of the album look like it unironically used a first grader to perform photoshop? Second half of the album: I am starting to see what they are doing here. I feel like I'm trapped 20 hours into a 24 hour turn in the steel mills at the turn of the 20th century, with a villainous Manager staring down at me. The transition from Trans-Europe Express -> Metal on Metal -> Abzug was pretty sick. I was ready to hock a 1 on this album, but by the end I think it's (if a slight stretch) a 3.

Kraftwerk was one of the key band discoveries helping me keep my grip on reality during early pandemic, and between that, my longstanding love for Germany, and the distinctive (and cohesive) thematic focus of their entire project, I have *feelings*, which are included below the review (most of those are about the band, rather the TEE, which is middle of the pack of their albums). Listening notes (first listen in original German recording): -Initially recorded in German, I've long felt that English (especially accented English as they speak) is the ideal language for Kraftwerk, because their work is about industrial society, and the merging of the "European Project". -While their other albums are arguably better, I will say (as an American who has spent a lot of time in Europe, so whatever that's worth), this feels like one of the most distinctively *European* artworks of any kind. Kraftwerk's music often feels like it's about transcending humanity through technology, and this particular album feels like it's about transcending nationalism and that feels like it goes to the core of the European Project--a dream that obviously faces headwinds, but is nonetheless visionary. -The minimalism of Kraftwerk is extremely admirable, especially given that electronic music by its very nature *begs* for overdoing it. -A further point here: even their lyrics say very little. And maybe it's just because I've listened a lot, but their music accomplishes almost all of its meaning through sound: form matching function (which itself is resonant of the way their music looks into the merger of machines and their creators). -Showroom dummies really sucks and drags this album down substantially. -In general this drags in the middle I'm sure there will be more Kraftwerk and I'll hold off of my most effusive fan-posting until one of their highpoint albums comes up. Honestly, the inclusion of this is perplexing to me. They have 6 great albums, but I'm guessing this program will not include many of them, and this would be imo an easier one to cut (Autobahn is effectively their first, and Man-Machine and Computer World are their best)--ignore this comment if in the future we get all 3 of these. I decided since this is an album I know extremely well, I'd listen to the original German one first, just for fun (hard to find!). Side note: the revamped Kraftwerk album covers are beautiful and perfectly compliment their soft-industrial vibes. Original covers are unremarkable, but the 2009 remasters might just be be the best themed release of updated album art (across the 5 classic era covers and also Tour de France). On the other hand, I think heavily inflected German accents speaking English actually really works for Kraftwerk in that it has a transhumanistic quality. Given how much I've written here and how much I love this band, it feels wrong to give three stars, but I think it's correct (though I’d say it’s rounding down). I'll save the top ratings for their other stuff.

I went in not knowing anything about Kraftwerk and what there sound would be like. I was not at all surprised by this. In honesty, this is a 3.5 stars album, but I'm going to round up.

this was very campy, and just didn't work for me. i generally don't like music it sounds like I could have made, but I can appreciate that this was likely extremely interesting for its time.

lots of synth and repetitive sounds with a dark vibe. i feel i would like it if it werent so repetitive and dull.

The opening track might be the closest thing I've heard to C418's Minecraft Soundtrack. Made me just wanna chug along on an adventure. I was surprised to hear the iconic riff from Planet Rock on the title track. Some of the songs were a little too repetitive and needed to be shorter or spiced up. Nothing bad here but nothing I will probably return to aside from the first song.

21/06/25 I wasn't the greatest fan of it, but I understand it's pioneering importance 50 years on.

Nice synths

If this was a video game soundtrack, I’d love it. Otherwise, no thanks

Kraftwerk has the coolest album covers. The repetition, the mechanicalness it just works so well. These are the kind of beep and boops that I vibe with. Everything flows together so well here too. I wish to be on a train across Europe.

Two days in a row with trans in the title?? It truly is pride month. Hell yeah. On a down note, I believe this is going to be extended techno for like an hour and NOT a train themed romp through the triumph and tragedy that was the 2019 Kraft Dinner Twerkathon in Waterloo. Loonies were spilled, backs were thrown out, and the cheese dust is still being vacuumed out of that church basement to this day. Instead it’s probably just German electro music. Oh well. Surprise me. Please. Europe Endless - The first song is just shy of ten minutes. Oh joy, oh bliss. I don’t know what to tell you here. This is a monotonous video game soundtrack from 1980. Three years ahead of your time. Congrats. Don’t forget! There’s also a guy saying “Europe Endless” over the top of it. That’s good. Pause. Settings. Audio. Soundtrack volume. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 OFF. Ahhhh that’s better. Now I can enjoy this space motorcycle racing game from 1983. The Hall of Mirrors - Oh my god I forgot I was listening to this. Uhhh. This is actually way cooler. Dark, weird, and all around more intriguing. Verrrry German. Of course the one two minute idea is stretched over 8 (Europe) endless minutes, but that feels like par for the course here. Showroom Dummies - Uh yeah I’m in the market for an upsetting puppet? Something I can easily conceal at the border, but with a face that says “I will kill you if you don’t eat vegetables.” I have a school tour starting tomorrow. Oh my word this song is terrible. The repetition is nauseating. Trans-Europe Express - Whoa some French. This really is about going across Europe. I doubt we’re going to get Latvian in here, but this was during the Cold War. Did the sides even acknowledge eachother? I don’t care. This is another bad song repeated ad nauseum. Or “ad museum” as my lovely autocorrect believes I meant to write. Metal on Metal - Yeah this is what I would want from an album like this. Literally as industrial as it gets. Deep, ominous, and thankfully just over two minutes. Abzug - We are so back. Back where this musical voyage so often leaves me, in the doldrums of misery. Why is this the same song again. We loved Trans-Europe Express that much? Apparently this translates to “Deduction” in English. I will make a deduction right now. This music is overrated. Franz Schubert - I am so happy to be out of that loop that this is the greatest song I’ve ever heard. 10 stars. No, of course this also one 10 note lick played on repeat. It’s actually more than likely looped. Played once and then repeated. Endless Endless - You’re telling me! Yeah the transition was kind of cool, but this again the same bad “riff” from the last song with some vocals. Well it wasn’t as long as Daft Punk but my god I feel irritated. Strangely itchy. I’m sorry, but this is worthless. I’m sure at the time, if you were a North American kid used to warm radio rock, this would’ve hit like an arctic blast from the eastern bloc, but come on. This isn’t worth sitting and listening to. This isn’t for dancing, this isn’t for listening intently. Is it supposed to induce a trance? No it’s too annoying for that. I am baffled. If you’re a fan of this, I’m sure you’ll say it’s “beyond me” but I beg you to reconsider that take. If this provided some variety, it would probably be a really nice piece of art, but as it stands, Trans Europe Express is about 7 minutes of chilly, post Industrial Revolution, pre Industrial (music) Revolution stretched out interminably. For future reference, avoid the Guantanamo cut. 0.5 HIGHLIGHTS - Metal on Metal

I did not care for this, except for the first and last songs

repetitive and not my style

Intresting album, I enjoyed it.

Love a bit of Kraftwerk. Europe Endless is the best track on here, but they're all good.