NEU! 75

Have you ever been showering late at night with your grandmother and accidentally slipped over causing your face to press snugly against her vulva? This record felt like that wholesome family moment. Like a hugging embrace from an old friend...who's a massive racist.Like using a dildo for the first time, but it's a hand-me-down from your brother. Interesting, but perverse.

It feels like the building blocks for something, but not super exciting on its own.

This, boys and girls, is why it's important to listen to an album all the way through before rating it. I was pleasantly surprised by the first three tracks of this six-track album. They're chill but interesting melodic soundscapes and they made a nice backdrop to my morning. Unfortunately, those first three tracks are followed by 20+ minutes of incoherent screaming and mind-numbingly repetitive drums that utterly tanked the album for me.

Fresh, bold, daring, expansive... and never dull. "Neu! 75" cements Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger as two of the coolest, most forward-thinkers in rock. There are just six tracks here, and each one of them is a fully realised sonic world, offering a unique view of this extraordinary band. It's a cross-roads of different styles at the midpoint of the 1970s, indicating the different routes popular music was about to split off into. We begin with "Isi" and "Seeland", two instrumentals that are calm in tone, with very simple repeated melodic figures on synth, piano and guitar. They're psychedelic leaning, with hints of early 70's space-rock, but nothing ever falls apart or loses control. The air is cool, detached, and utterly captivating: simplicity is key, a firm tonal centre is key, and a steady tempo is key. While these tracks still offer strong melodic hooks, they're perfect exercises in restraint. In fact, vocals don't enter the mix at all until some semi-spoken word declarations in "Leb' Wohl". This piece is so beautiful, so stirring in its two piano chords and the space it affords, that its nine minute length is not an issue. It's meditative and contemplative, and it feels like an early foray into ambient that Brian Eno would later capitalise upon. The second half is driven by more energy, heightened aggression. Klaus Dinger takes the lead. We get the jagged edges of punk (and even post-punk prior to punk) with its bellowed vocals and abrasive instrumentation. Really though, it's just a warm-up to the sublime proto-industrial "E-Musik", with its liberal use of flange and its propulsive, motorik beat so relentless it feels like it could be a drum machine, and finally the blistering hard-rock of "After Eight". By the time this closer hits (by Neu's standards, out-and-out anthemic punk) it feels like a full-blown catharsis. It's the moment everything comes together. There are so many highlights across the record, but my favourites per side are "Leb' Wohl" and "After Eight" (honorable mentions to "Isi" and "E. Musik") This album is just missing out on 5* owing to "Hero" and "Seeland" not being quite up to the same standards as the other tracks, but it's a 9/10 for sure. Very grateful to have been introduced to this album and it's absolutely one I'll be spending a lot of time with.

Another sort of "whatever" album. It's decent electronic rock to have on in the background, but it's entirely forgettable.

My husband described it as golfing music. I hate golfing. Still oddly pleasant to listen to this, though.

An interesting album, divided in two halves between a solid atmospheric electronica style and an electronic rock style. Both are really good halves, and are worth listening to even if you're not particularly into either genre.

I guess it was cutting edge in 1975.

What an influence for all of my influencers. This was great

This album is something! Given it was released in 1975, it is basically (correct me if I'm wrong) post-punk that was recorded before punk. Legit stuff that reminded me of some later records I sincerely love. Highlights: Hero and After Eight.

A good listen on the whole. Unfamiliar with Neu but enjoyed the techno/ambient flavour of this album, especially the hypnotic Seeland. Some elements of proto-punk here too - Hero has a feel of the Stranglers to it

The first theee songs sound like they could be the background to a guided meditation. Nothing special, but pleasant listening. The next three songs erase any good will and totally shift gears. More electronic, more upbeat, more lyrics (barely). Two halves, neither of which did anything amazing for me.

I listened to this one with Julianne and it was incredibly soothing for the a side and a lot more engine like and moving on the b side. I loved the imagery that this was able to keep consistently in my head with its ambient passages and incredibly clever use of different tones

Kolejna niemiecka pozycja w tym tygodniu, ale nie jest to jedyna rzecz laczaca ten album z kraftwerkiem, oba zespoly nagrywaly z legendarnym w tamtych czasach Connym Plankiem, ktory byl chocby jedna z osob stojacych za sukcesem autobahna, tym razem trafilo na hardy kraut, wiec blizej mainstreamowym gatunkom muzycznym eksperymentalnie progresywnemu rokowaniu, ale jednak jest w tym cos o wiele bardziej czarujacego i tajemnicznego, bo jednak jest to muzyka z starego kontynentu, ktora jednak byla influencyjna na tak mainstreamowych tworcow tego okresu jak chocby pan Bowie i jego trylogia berlinska, gleboko czerpiaca z dorobku takich zespolow jak neu, nawet tytul srodkowego albumiku trylogii berlinskiej nawiazuje do openingowego traka b sajda dzisiejszej plyty, wiec neu!'75 jak sam tytul wskazuje wydanego w 75, 42 minuty, 6 trakow i idealna rownowana pomiedzy strona a i b, prawdziwy muzyczny jin i jang, pierwsza strona spokojna, niekiedy nawet melancholijna przez te deszczowe brzmienia oraz motyw przewodni calego nagrania, wiec rozlaki, bo otwierajacy isi, to zdrobnienie od izabeli, kolejny na plejliscie utwor seeland, wiec calkiem samotlumaczacy, jako kraina do ktorej iza pojechala, a zamykajacy pierwsza czesc leb' wohl na polski oznacza zegnanko, druga czesc rowniez zawiera slady tego motywu juz w samym hero, ktory jest najbardziej lirycznym trakiem calej plyty jest wspomniany wyjazd do norwegii jakiegos skarbeczka, ale to jak obie strony sie roznia jest czyms pieknym, hero nie ma w sobie nic z ambientowego grania do ktorych przez pierwsze dwadziescia minut czlowiek sie przyzwyczail, a atakuje ostrymi gitarami dzwiekami, ktore sa w pewnym sensie petane przez lagodne synthy, dodatkowo drumsy, ktore graja pierwszo planowa role na drugiej stronie, dodatkowo wokale ktore rowniez biora z zaskoczenia, a przypominaja jak cos co mozna bylo uslyszec pozniej u sex pistolsow czy stogesow, wiec proto punk kipi z drugiej strony tego materialu, oczywiscie liryka po anglinsku jak przystalo na jakosciowego krauta, ktory sluchany byl globalnie, a nie tylko lokalnie, na plejke wrzuce openingowe utwory obu stron zeby podkreslic dualizm tej plyty nawet na plejce, jesli mialyby grac po sobie oba traki, ale cala plyta leci na poleczke spotifajowa, bo album nagrany z zamyslem zeby przesluchac od poczatku do konca zeby poczuc roznice jak roznorakie oblicza moze posiadac jeden material, a nadal trzymac sie jednego konceptu

Fantastic album! Great music to just sit back and reflect. Any album that features waves crashing can do this for you. The order of tracks was very well done as they flow into each other pretty seamlessly and build to a climactic ending. For example, first couple track have no lyrics. Then the middle tracks featured just small little pieces of vocals here and there. And then the back half showcase the vocals pretty heavily. I also really dig how the opener sounded like something you’d hear on Rainbow Road in Mario Kart. This is definitely one I’ll be running back in the future

Oh boy, 2 German albums in 2 days. Guten Morgen! Ich möchte ein Mokka. Wo ist mein Auto? Little taken aback by this; it’s super easy to trace this to other albums I adore: obviously David Bowie’s “Heroes”, but also the gentle minimalism of Architecture & Morality & Music for Airports. At the same time, it’s got a swagger level somewhere between the Rolling Stones & the Clash. These things should cancel each other out, but they don’t. Hypnotic, addictive listen April 30, 2024

This one is completely new to me, both the album and the band. What a gorgeous song the opener Isi is. Reminded me of a band I saw a few times in college called Perpetual Groove - it’s cool to hear sounds from a band I’ve never heard of from an album from the 70’s sound so familiar. I loved the album front to back, at times it’s not exactly cohesive but the variety in sound and style doesn’t hurt the album too much. My only real exposure to “krautrock” before this was Kraftwerk, who is tremendous, but this is different and a step closer to prog I think. It also reminds me of moments you hear in some of King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard’s albums - a great compliment from me. Overall a great album that is immediately accessible in the right setting but probably rewards many listens.

J'ai pensé à détacher crisdusseld le temps d'écouter cet album originaire de sa terre natale et puis je me suis souvenu de l'ordure qu'il était.

Comme vous le savez tous, je me suis reveillé ce matin de très mauvaise humeur, la faute au service e-banking de ma banque UBS ayant décidé de ne pas fonctionner au moment exact où j'en ai besoin. Ce n'est certainement pas cette parodie musicale qui aura réussi à rehausser mon humeur, 45mn d'allemand se prennant pour des esthètes musicaux, qui ne proposent pourtant qu'une soupe de sons fort peu ragoutante. J'espère ne jamais vous retrouver dans ce génèrateur

Cool

Production: 17/20 Songwriting: 15/20 Innovation: 19/20 Bangers: 15/20 Emotional response: 18/29 =84 Wallop what a fucking cracker

really good!

NEU! is brilliant asf. Remains one of my top experimental electronic music artists from Germany.

kruatrock masterpiece. A lifetime's worth of ideas in a single album.

bon descobriment... after eight es molt bona... la resta és molt tranqui.

Production: 17/20 Songwriting: 15/20 Innovation: 19/20 Bangers: 15/20 Emotional response: 18/29 =84 Wallop what a fucking cracker

Great find

This was really interesting.

A great experience, atmospheric at first and psychodelic during the second part of the album. Draws you into the music.

Krautrock legends. Brilliant.

me ENCANTO sublime hermoso perfecto .

Why have I never heard of this band?

I liked this album. To make this chill music in 75 without getting wankery with the guitar is pretty respectable. This was nice. 5/5

Very chill album.

A krautrock classic! I have listened before and loved it. Listening again, I still love it. This albums comes at the end of their relatively short stint in the 70's, forming in 1970 and releasing this as their last official album in, well, 1975. This finality was due to differences between the duo of NEU! that could not be reconciled. As such, this is widely know as a fantastic "double album" with side 1 being completely by Rother and side 2 being only Dinger. Rother's side is noticeably more calm, entrancing listeners with ambient bits while keeping that classic steady Motorik beat. This is my favorite side of the 2, but side 2 is still worth exploring. A much more punk-influenced edge on the sound, still with the Motorik beat driving it. Dinger decidedly makes his side a wake-up from Rother's side, a stark contrast for listeners who had got up to flip the record over just a few seconds ago. The only major low point for the album is near the end of E-Musik where Dinger slows everything down. It just doesn't work as well in comparison to side 1, and ultimately takes away from the upbeat precedent set by the rest of side 2. Other than that, this is a wonderful album. Well-worth the listen. Loved it!

Yeah, this one's very sick. A blend of experimental soundscapes and hard rocking that never felt stale at any point. Favorites: Isi, Seeland, Hero,E-Musik

Fantastique!!!

5/5. Lowkey inspirational doe. Still futuristic

Another aural dreamscape. I haven't listened to much Krautrock apart from Can and Kraftwerk so was really surprised as how much Neu!'s sound is echoed in newer acts. They really reminded me of Stereolad who obviously are influenced by them which was great by me. I also picked parallels with Suicide and am curious as to who influenced who or if they hit their sounds independently. Either way, I love this and will be listening to it a lot more

Love this album. Is kind of one mood broken into lots of different moods, starting with the soaring Isi. It helps that I played it on a Monday morning as I sat down to start work. You can see why / how Bowie was so inspired by this band.

Krautrock with ambient tendencies? That's my jam! ✌️ I could happily listen to this looped all day. Fave track - "Seeland" maybe? But this is an album album, and should be listened to straight through...

Superb. New favourite

epic!

Four stars and a half An all-time classic of krautrock / komische As is usually the case with those five-stars albums, I won't write a full-blown review about this particular record, because others have already written wonderful stuff about it and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. It's just a gem. Go and listen to it a.s.a.p. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 917 (including this one) Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 43 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 22 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 19

The third in a line of practically perfect albums.

Back half was slightly less engaging than the first but man this was a trip. Great.

motorik - probably the most consistently german of the german proto techno mid 70s scene

As great as ever - very essential album, just like its two predecessors (I assume the first album is in the list as well but the second one should be too on basis of its first half).

This is a fascinating album. Musically adventurous, but also with just the right amount of restraint. The resulting songs are really listenable, never grating, always a little surprising. I love that there's a more ambient, organic sounding side and then a noisier, more mechanical side. The contrast is mind blowing, but in the best way. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Leb' Wohl, Hero, After Eight, Seeland, E. Musik, Isi

OK, so while I didn't actually listen to this today, I know that this is a brilliant album. Neu! took the foundations of krautrock and built a template for electronica, punk, post punk and so much more. Cracking stuff!

i love weird albums and this was weird, but the vibes were really good.

I’m a little embarrassed by how much I enjoyed this album. But a bunch of German dudes making space sounds was a great time

Chill good for a trip

What a sublime album. Thoroughly enjoyed the soundscapes of the first three tracks. I then also enjoyed the harder punk-ish last three. It didn't quite ease the transition which is probably my only major complaint with this album. Although this on vinyl I'd guess they're on different sides and the transition wouldn't be as clear as Spotify. Good track count and record length perfect 5/5

Oh god I'm becoming a krautrock fan

Super cool

Lekker album om naar te luisteren, was erg verrassend….

Geil.

Great stuff, prog rock at its best.

Really enjoyed this - especially Isi, E-Musik and After Eight. Lovely to have on in the background too - a bit like Autobahn.

Fajne

PREFS: TOUT MOINS PREF: RIEN

Listens: 2 Enjoyed: yeah Very relaxing - can't fault it at all tbh. First track feels like a The Sims loading screen so I'm fully here for that

Loved this. I don't usually go for Krautrock, but this is great. Could listen to it all day - brilliant as ambient music.

Notes - Krautrock legends Neu’s 3rd album - Split in half because the 2 members of the band wanted different things out of their sound - First half is more melodic and ambient, second half is more rock - Driving bass and drums with repetitive guitar/synth parts - Love the use of rain and wind sounds across the album - I like that its in 2 distinct moods - But there are enough common elements that it still sounds cohesive - Really good “getting shit done” music Fav - hero - Love the vocals on here, kinda sounds like the guy from the Jesus lizard Least fav - After eight - Sounds like hero but less good 5/5

Har bara lyssnat på NEU! lite sporadiskt tidigare, men denna platta är ju alldeles fantastisk.

Super

Radiohead vibes before Radiohead existed.

10/10 I listened to there first three albums and loved their third (this one) the most but all were a 10/10 super fun electronic/psych-roch

Great instrumental.

Delightful! We love underground basement vibes

A band I'd never really heard before, but I absolutely loved it.

Giorgio Moroder meets Mike Oldfield.

Tal vez si se le preguntara a Neu! por sus influencias, las negarían todas. Pero se puede trazar un camino, tan ligero como el aire, que -como dice chusen- arranca desde el impresionismo francés, pasa por The Velvet Underground y los atraviesa a ellos. Lo fundamental de esta música es, precisamente, su delgadez, su fisonomía maleable; como si no proviniera de ningún tiempo y no habitara en ningún espacio. La Historia, en el disco, parece pasar por el costado. Los sonidos aparecen, desaparecen y vuelven a aparecer, con una cadencia blanquecina, y su estatuto es el de la fugacidad. Así, parece que esta música solo existe para ella, a pesar de que tanto detrás como delante tiene un sendero, al cual ella cierra los ojos.

It's very lush. It's very cool.

para mimir

I love it. I'm not really familiar with any NEU! material that came later, but this seems like a perfect ending to their original trilogy of albums with the A side expanding on what was and the B side showcasing what could/might be. The proto-punk of "Hero" seems jarring at first but it's anchored in its depths by a groove that feels quite at place with all that came before. The whole album still gets better every time for me. There are a couple of brief vocals I find myself at odds with on the A-side, otherwise, this is nearly a perfect album for me.

Brilliant

Another great album. I had never heard of Neu! The Wikipedia helps explain the bi-polar quality of this album. The two sides are very different, but I like both a lot. I may actually enjoy side one more, but that's from a perspective that's almost 50 years after the album was released. Given when it came out, side two is the more amazing side. It's punk rock a couple of years before punk rock! (For anyone that listened to this on Spotify, track down the last track, "After Eight". It's good.)

Это лучший в их дискографии альбом. Если дебют построен на импровизации, и он довольно-таки непонятный в некоторых местах, второй кажется каким-то недоделанным, очень сырым, то третий... Очень свежо данная музыка слушается для середины 70-х, просто на одном дыхании. Тут нету песен лучше или хуже, круче или слабее, тут надо слушать всё! Один из лучших альбом в краут роке, и я его всем рекомендую.

F**king love NEU!

I really liked this. It was fun and fresh sounding. I can see why this album inspired a lot of other artists.

Mind blowing the progress

Absolutely glorious. Why do I leave these albums unlistened to after discovering and loving one record by a band? I guess there's lots of examples where that would be a let down, but not here. The debut is fabulous of course and so is this. That beat in E-musik is just perfect. Drilled into my psyche. The ambient stuff is gorgeous. What's great about sticking a Krautrock album on is Spotify generally throws up a great load of stuff afterwards, there's so much wonderful stuff in the genre to discover, in many directions (obvs krautrock is a reductive term). Reminded me to go back to Harmonium, another project Rother was involved with, Deluxe is a cracker.

One of the most beautiful albums I have listened to yet. This definitely gives a sense of tranquility while also being experimental. Highly recommended!

Five stars cause I fkn love saying KRAUTROK also the second half of this is much better than the first

Beautiful album. Leb’wohi was a little too atmospheric to the point of being dull, but everything else was excellent. Some tracks were punk, some were Kraftwerk jr in the best way possible, some were just pretty. Might not make the regular rotation but anyone with an appreciation of music can get something out of this

Still fresh after almost 50 years. Neu! is a building block for so many of my favorite bands; I feel like if anything, their influence on psych/experimental music has only gotten stronger. Really have no complaints. This thing is phenomenal and covers so much ground.

amazing album

This might have been a 4 start record if I was already familiar with it. How have I never heard this? 5 stars to 1001albumsgenerator for telling me about it.

Recently got way into krautrock and liked Can a lot, especially Future Days. Also some of Cluster's stuff. This is right in line! I'm excited to check it out completely... First two tracks I'm already sold, Seeland especially is just a vibe. Especially the end with the rain... this is so good! Also, end of Hero with the airplane. Love the inclusion of field recordings. Especially for 1975, this was so influential! I was digging the spacey music and then Hero kicks in and wakes you up! I didn’t really appreciate that song before, but in context it’s pretty cool. Just based on its influence, recording quality, and my personal preference, this is an easy 4. Maybe even a 4.5, but I need to make sure that's not just recency bias kicking in, since I've been getting into this music much more lately.

Is this really 'Krautrock'? Not sure this is romper stomper music it's more like Stereolab and Brian Eno discovered their long lost father. Regardless of whatever it's been labeled, it's really nice. Theres's some variety there with some hard stuff thrown in closer to the end, but the droning ambience of Neu! is really enjoyable. Evidently, both Dinger and Rother were early members of Kraftwerk which I never thought I'd appreciate, however the fondness I've got for NEU! 75 has inspired me to give them another listen.

I completely understand that this album was not met with popular success based on the brief band bio on Spotify. That said, holy shit. This is an amazing album which I've listened to 3 times in the past two days. To say I'm impressed is an understatement. Everything about this sound is incredible. Atmospheric, electronic, cryptic, drum heavy, guitar driving. Absolutely loved it. I found that first track to be loaded with compassion and enthusiasm.

Leb’ Wohl is a bit too long and I don’t like the vocals. That’s about all I have against the album, it’s very good.

This was a really welcome surprise. I didn't know what to expect, but being someone who likes early electronic music especially Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre, I loved this. Will definitely listen again, and will search out other music from them.

This is among my favorite albums of all time. Whenever I return to these timeless musical landscapes, I want to stay in them forever. I also love their story. The main two members, Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother, were so very different from each other, nearly polar opposites. Dinger, an intense, manic, extrovert type, and Rother a more reflective, gentle soul. They didn't even particularly get along well, but I think their willingness to respect each others talents, and commit to finding a middle ground, despite their differences, is sort of remarkable in the egocentric world of music. I'd venture to guess their producer Conny Plank had a huge role in being a buffer between them, harnessing that tension, and finding the common ground that he could weave into a more cohesive whole. Together they developed a relatively simple, but unique formula, which centered around Dinger's propulsive motorik beat, like some kind of nuclear fission engine, and Rother's elegant and versatile guitar musings. Each song is a journey, ever moving forward. And like all the best Krautrock, you can hear them searching for their own sound as they go. I like all of their albums, but this one is by far their most refined. Solid from top to bottom, bearing songs that reflect each of their personalities and inclinations. The duality that they embody here is what I am so drawn to. It's as if they are able to capture two perspectives simultaneously like some kind of impossible MC Escher drawing going off into infinity. Dinger throwing his hat in the proto-punk ring is the cherry on top.

Beautiful!

As always such a pleasure to listen to Krautrock heros like NEU! Smooth, soft, and hypnotic each track speaks to a world that was goign to be shiny and new after the horrors of WW2.

This was a great ride. Played it and played it again and played it again. Loved the driving beat on ISI. Seeland a slow burn, and E-Musik just a blast. Doesn't sound like 70s.

first song done and this is just fantastic