Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Great ambience. Wow, I'm pretty speechless on this album. It either speaks to you or it doesn't
3.0/5.0: Good
First part is 4, second one is 2. (4+2)/2=3
Is it interesting? Yes. Will I admire it for the rest of my days? Nein. (That’s German)
Solid
i had no idea what to expect but i really like this!! having read up on it, it seems to have been really influential. i liked that the two band members wanted to do different things so side A is one style and side B is another style. i love this. g’wan then! take my 5.
It was ok. The last 3 songs were great. Very Wire/Sonic Youth kinda a sound.
I like that this sounds cool but also sounds like an early ‘80s workplace training video.
This was fantastic. I read some reviews that said the second side let down the first, but I had the opposite experience. There was an enticing blend of space rock and proto-punk that shifted gears as the album progressed. I got some heavy Hawkwind vibes from some of the tracks, particularly Hero, which was the high point for me. This will go on rotation for me now, and it's an easy 5 star album. I was so impressed that I went and listened to Neu! 72, which I also liked, but not quite as much (would have been 4 stars I feel). So many influences from both albums that it felt like this was the missing part of a puzzle for me.
I’m actually shocked that anyone listened to this and decided it was one of the best 1001 albums ever made, unless I’m totally missing something. I can generally see why an album is great even when it’s not to my personal taste, but this was just noise
#565. This seems like a very short double album. The first three songs are very distinctly different than the last three. I do believe I like the second half better. 3/5: decent.
Kind of enjoyable, very boring. A precursor to Explosions in the Sky.
**In-Depth Review of NEU! '75 by Neu!** Neu! '75, released in 1975, is the third and final studio album by the German krautrock band Neu!, consisting of Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother. The album is notable for its split personality, reflecting the creative tensions between the two members. It stands as a landmark in experimental rock, influencing punk, post-punk, ambient, and electronic music. This review will analyze the album’s lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, followed by a summary of its pros and cons. --- ## Lyrics Neu! '75 is unusual in that much of the album is instrumental or features minimal, non-traditional vocals. The lyrics appear primarily on Side Two, dominated by Klaus Dinger’s vocal contributions. Unlike conventional singing, Dinger’s delivery is often snarling, spoken, or breathy, adding a confrontational and raw edge to the music. - **Leb' Wohl** features breathlessly spoken vocals layered under a slow piano and ambient sounds of the sea, creating a fragile, melancholic atmosphere. The words are difficult to discern but suggest themes of lost love and acceptance, with a haunting, intimate feel[3]. - **Hero**, the centerpiece of Side Two, features Dinger’s aggressive, insolent vocal style, embodying a proto-punk attitude. The lyrics and delivery evoke a sense of struggle and defiance, resonating with the punk ethos that would emerge shortly after[1][3]. - Overall, the lyrics are sparse and cryptic, serving more as an atmospheric or emotional texture rather than narrative storytelling. This approach enhances the album’s experimental nature and highlights the tension between the band’s two creative forces. --- ## Music Musically, Neu! '75 is divided into two distinct halves that showcase the contrasting styles of Rother and Dinger. - **Side One (Rother’s influence)** is characterized by clean, melodic, and ambient soundscapes. Tracks like **Isi** and **Seeland** feature the iconic *motorik* beat—a steady, hypnotic 4/4 rhythm that drives the music forward with mechanical precision. Rother’s guitar and keyboard work are bright and euphoric, creating pastoral and spacious sound worlds that evoke open fields and blue skies[3][4]. - **Seeland** is a seven-minute ambient piece that anticipates Brian Eno’s later work, blending minimalism with a serene, almost hypnotic mood[1][3]. - **Side Two (Dinger’s influence)** contrasts sharply, with a harder, more aggressive rock sound. The music is raw, noisy, and confrontational, with distorted guitars and pounding drums. **Hero** exemplifies this side’s punk energy, with Dinger stepping out from behind the drum kit to deliver snarling vocals and abrasive textures[3][4]. - This duality between ambient and punk aesthetics makes the album unique, though it also reflects the fractured relationship between the band members. --- ## Production The album was produced by Conny Plank, a legendary figure in krautrock production. His role was crucial in balancing the disparate elements and guiding the band through their creative tensions. - The production on Side One is clean and understated, emphasizing clarity and space. Effects like ethereal voices and field recordings (rainstorm, sea sounds) are woven into the mix to enhance the atmospheric quality[3]. - Side Two’s production is more raw and immediate, capturing the energy and aggression of Dinger’s punk-inflected tracks without smoothing over their rough edges[3][4]. - The album’s production quality has been praised for its agelessness and influence on subsequent genres, from ambient to industrial music[3][4]. - Despite the quality, the album was a commercial failure at release, partly due to the band’s internal conflicts and financial difficulties[3]. --- ## Themes Neu! '75 explores several themes through its music and minimal lyrics: - **Duality and Conflict:** The album’s split personality mirrors the creative and personal tensions between Rother and Dinger. Side One’s serene, melodic sound contrasts with Side Two’s aggressive, punk attitude, embodying a clash of musical philosophies[3][4]. - **Futurism and Mechanization:** The *motorik* beat symbolizes a mechanized, forward-driving force, evoking images of progress and industrial landscapes. This theme resonates with the broader krautrock movement’s fascination with technology and modernity[4]. - **Alienation and Urban Angst:** Especially on Side Two, the music and vocals convey a sense of urban darkness and existential struggle, prefiguring punk’s themes of alienation and rebellion[3]. - **Nature and Space:** Side One’s pastoral and ambient textures evoke natural landscapes and open spaces, providing a counterpoint to the mechanized rhythms and urban tension on the other side[3]. --- ## Influence Neu! '75 has had a profound and lasting influence on various music genres and artists: - The *motorik* beat pioneered here became a foundational rhythm for krautrock and influenced bands like Kraftwerk, Joy Division, and later post-punk and indie rock acts[1][4]. - Brian Eno cited Neu! as a key influence on his ambient work and the Bowie/Eno “Berlin Trilogy” albums (Low, Heroes, Lodger), with *Neu! '75* particularly inspiring the blend of ambient and rock elements[1]. - The aggressive, punk-inflected Side Two anticipated the rise of punk rock and post-punk, influencing artists such as Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols), Public Image Ltd, Sonic Youth, and Primal Scream[1][3][4]. - The album’s experimental approach to sound manipulation and remixing foreshadowed later developments in industrial music, electronic music, and post-rock[4]. - Despite initial commercial failure, Neu! '75’s reputation grew over time, becoming a cult classic and a touchstone for experimental and alternative musicians[3][4]. --- ## Pros and Cons | Pros | Cons | |----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Innovative blend of ambient and punk styles | Split personality can feel disjointed | | Iconic *motorik* beat that influenced many | Sparse, cryptic lyrics may alienate some | | High-quality, ageless production by Conny Plank | Commercial failure at release limited exposure | | Atmospheric, evocative soundscapes on Side One | Side Two’s rawness may be challenging for some listeners | | Pioneering use of sound effects and remix techniques | Band’s internal conflict evident in the music | | Deep influence on punk, post-punk, ambient, and electronic music | Lack of synthesis between the two sides’ styles | --- ## Conclusion Neu! '75 is a seminal album that captures the creative tensions between Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother, resulting in a work of striking duality. Its innovative use of the *motorik* beat, ambient textures, and proto-punk aggression marks it as a milestone in 1970s experimental rock. The album’s production by Conny Plank enhances its timeless quality, while its themes of futurism, conflict, and alienation resonate through decades of music history. Though its split nature can make it feel uneven, and its minimal lyrics may not appeal to all, Neu! '75’s influence on a wide range of genres and artists—from Brian Eno and David Bowie to punk and post-punk bands—cements its status as a masterpiece of the krautrock era and beyond.
Lyricless songs are fine but outstay their welcome, the lyrics are in German and sound slurred
Really didn’t understand the inclusion of this, it was just… nothing to me. I was excited for a German band I hadn’t heard of before but then… meh. What am I missing?! (1.5 stars)
This album is a tale of two sides…the first side is for the most part, pleasant background music. I really enjoyed the second track, Seeland. The second side, to me is a bunch of noise. Most of these songs are just too long. After side one I was set to give this one 3 stars, but after side two l am settling in at 2 stars.
Interesting. Some was very soothing instrumental music and some was hard edged rock. And some was really repetitive.
NEU! '75 has this constant sense of anticipation, like it’s slowly winding itself up toward some grand moment, but that moment never really comes. There’s definitely atmosphere and mood here, but overall it feels like it’s missing a payoff. A little too meandering to really stick with me.
3.6 - Pleasant
This album sounds waaay ahead of 1975. It deserves much plaudits for that fact alone. I am into this. One of the most exciting completely new albums for me in a minute. Fave Tracks: Isi, Seeland, Hero 4.7/5
This album was completely NEU to me and after a couple times through I'm feeling like I'll need several more to really form a strong opinion. After two times through I'm pretty high on it though. I read that these two guys couldn't agree on a direction - the ambient style or rock so they split the album. I enjoyed both sides and although the second half is very different I think there is enough of a throughline to make it work. I may prefer the front half. The sound quality stands out throughout. Some good rocking on the second half but slightly less interesting than the front, probably because of my familiarity with rock.
Nein.
After The Gold Rush is a tough act to follow, but this didn’t disappoint. A solid 3 stars from me, big fan of these wildly left field albums I found this pleasant enough to work to. None of the songs went too far out there, but they also never really got boring either. Some random punky vocals were mixed in really tastefully throughout the album - they sounded like a Mick Jaegar howl) E-Musik is my favorite track. It gave a really groovy jam band vibe… unexpected. Deep in the mix, there were really fun guitar lines and weird synth textures.
Another Krautrock album! A genre I knew nothing about before this exercise and now can honestly say I'm a fan. Future Days by Can is still one of my favorite new albums from the generator, and I think a better representation of the genre, which I now know so, so much about. Reading that Conny Plank - the producer of this album - also did some work with Can, but that's about the only intersection I can find between the two bands. This is a wild ride - I found it kind of interesting to think of this as one continuous piece with a few movements - such a calm and structured beginning with the first couple of tracks, then devolves into total insanity - sounds like the Stones on acid - like two different bands in the first and second half. In the end though, this was more interesting and good, but not great. The overall album has an arc, but the songs felt a little stagnant - not something I can see myself coming back to as much as I have Can.
2/5 Instrumental with nature sound sampling. Feel like I need to use psychedelic drugs to appreciate. Kind of off putting lyrics.
This is pretty tame as far as the genre goes, not bad by any means but overall just a bit more mellow than I wanted. Rating: 3.0
Track 2 and 3 are perfect for moments when you just want to be sad and think
It was interesting
The wave sounds notwithstanding, tho even those I'm inclined to embrace, there's something unforgivingly real and reliably peaceful w/ this record. It doesn't blow you away, but then again I'm not so sure that it's supposed to - and one way or another, you learn to speak 'bye, bye' into existence, okay w/ quieter steps into spaces larger than yourself. That's until 'Hero' (David Bowie?) comes on and an unexpected jolt of energy provides the backbone of a moving display of confidence and wit: 'And you're just another hero trying to lose your fight.' After that, the music continues to be playful and driving, ethereal only in moments, concluding w/ a cry for true nurturance: '... help me through the night / Help me see the sun / help me to get up.'
It feels like this album just wanders around at times without saying anything too much
Very atmospheric. Wanted to like it...and yet.
Incredible, I definitely have to listen to their entire discography now. Very influential on basically all the electronic and instrumental artists I listen to right now. ML #115
Nicht großartig, nicht schrecklich
Chill, relaxing , sounds surprisingly modern.
What is noise? What is music? When does noise become music? That seems to be the thesis of this album. Data point to consider: chainsaws are not music. Also the last "song" sucked. Like what am I even listening to? I'm sure other artists have sampled from this record since it's basically a library of sound.
Surprising! Absolutely loved mellow stuff, the higher tempo stuff not so much and bringing it down to four stars
I was very impressed with how boring an album can be
eh...
Classic Krautrock that influenced so many of the 80/90s bands. It remains a classic
Nah
There were parts of this I really enjoyed, and parts of this I was put to sleep (Leb Wohl especially made me run for another coffee) Every track was distinctive and had an identity. I like the mix of instrumental and vocals. Overall left me with 'Meh'
A bit of a slow burner, but I liked it.
un mierdón
Like the proto Music for Airport bits more than the ”rockier” parts.
5/10
I’m not sure who this album is for but it’s not for me.
I had a difficult morning with my toddler and this was very calming for me. I’ve never heard of Neu and I probably won’t listen again unless the generator tells me to, but this made a bad day better.
This album is really amazing. First listen all I could think about were the negative things: mostly the vocals in “leb’ wohl”, the (at first glance) lack of coherency between the front and back. After the second listen I was thinking “this is some kind of masterpiece!” “Isi” has a sweetness and beauty on top of that motorik drumming, it’s hypnotic, charming music. Then “Seeland,” this epic journey, organic and evocative. Hero is clearly the song that Public Image was born from, a stunning proto-punk statement coming from NEU! of all people. “E-music” ties this all together with equal parts hypno-psychedelic and the chugging motor-beat that defines krautrock. What a fine flange-tastic way to spend ten minutes. Then we get launched off of whatever planet this was by “After Eight,” another rocker the predicts the most exciting post-punk. This is great. My new favorite album.
A cool listen. Can be listened to attentively or unattentively, and it still gives a sense of driving progress.
Elevator music?
Krautrock! Love it!
I sure find this entrancing. While I like the earlier stuff more, this holds up pretty well too.. A little more laid back (perhaps sometimes way too laid back). I'm rewarding its good moments.
I’m upset I can’t use my joke about this being sauerkraut rock. It wasn’t a sour experience at all. Nothing earth-shattering but perfectly fine as background music.
This was enjoyable. I don't have much to say beyond that.
i'm surprised i never checked this out before. it's always been on my radar, but today was my first listen. ... not super impressed, honestly. i mean, it's fine, but I think it had been built up in my head as this watershed krautrock release. but it seemed kinda bland. side two was better, but by then i'd checked out a bit.
This is indeed neu to me! I thought Kraurock was heavy a la Ramstein. Really enjoyed this and looking forward to discovering more from Neu.
Hatunnosto sille, että Neu oli tekemässä oppimateriaalia ai:lle, joka nyt tekee opiskelu- ja muun täytemusiikin soittolistoja.
Kuuntelin tätä jumpatessani kotona. Viivi: "tää on tämmöistä Wii Fit -musiikkia". Pisteet huvituksesta.
Very atmospheric "rock", good for a rainy morning at the office
30 years ago when I was a teenage stoner, I may have found this album to have a cool vibe. A lot has changed in those years.
Thoughts before listening: There sure is a lot of krautrock on this list. Neu is one I've heard of but don't really know much about. Review: Apparently this is some of the guys from Kraftwerk. I like this better than their main gig I think. The songs can get a little long and repetitive, but once you know to expect that there's some real gems to dig into here. 3-stars
I was expecting some pretty wacky krautrock like Can but it started very pleasant and chilled out on the first half. The first half sets the tone and builds a nice atmosphere The second half picks up the pace and is much more abrasive. Hero is quite punky (it seems it was pretty influential), whilst E-Musik is very driving and tight until it transitions into a somewhat eery close with wind and what sounds like somebody hitting something in the distance over some sparse piano. After Eight is something of a release after tension has built through the album, another rough around the edges punky tune Ordinarily I favour noisy and abrasive sounds but I think I actually prefer the first half. The second half maybe doesn't feel fully formed, like there was some tweaking that could've been done to bring those songs up a notch. My only gripe with the first half is Leb Wohl felt a little bit repetitive since it's centred mostly around the same 2 piano chords and goes for 9 minutes, but it's still a nice song Really enjoyed this Highlights: Seeland, Isi, E-Musik
Honestly a little forgettable.
Ooh, early punk I'd not heard of! Nice
Not for me. Honestly found it to be pretty stale overall.
How nice that the gems of Krautrock appear in this list from time to time. I'm always amazed by the innovative power that this German music scene had back then. Unfortunately, I was still too young at the time to really appreciate this music and immerse myself in it. I only found this access later. The album is great and I enjoyed listening to it. But it's not one of my favorites of the genre. 4/5
Yes and no
It was ok as background music while I worked.
Hero, E-Musik, and After Eight were ok on this album, they had a simple repetition that I kind of liked, might be good to have on in the background while working and not concentrating on it. The beginning of this album felt very ambient and minimalist to me and then picked up quite a bit. There's kind of a punk feel to the distortion and tempo in a bunch of these songs that I didn't mind plus electronic wind sounds and backmasking voices with flangers
This was an uninteresting listen. This album couldn't quite figure out what it wanted to be. There are some artists who can put together an album of disparate styles and make it work. Someone like David Torn can mix ambient music with harder, more aggressive styles and maintain cohesiveness both within single tracks as well as across an entire album. This album doesn't manage it. The ambient-ish tracks were boring. I love ambient music, but this stuff was bland. The dip into a sort of proto-punk was bad and very much out of place. 2 stars.
I found this interesting and will need to revisit it later.
Confused how this got on the list, honestly.
Aika tylsää kamaa, vähän rokkista elektronista instrumentaalia. Melkein ambienttia kunnes muuttuikin punkiksi. Instrukappaleet oli sentään rauhoittavia, mutta punk kappaleet pilas tunnelman.
с немецкими названиями ожидаешь либо рамштайн, либо техно, либо Вагнера. этот приятный мелодичный)
Innocuous
Meh. Even for the genre wasn’t a huge Fan
When it’s just the music, this album is all about the vibes. Just super chill and enjoyable, then it gets absolutely ruined by the vocals about halfway through the album. I didn’t even finish it, the singing was so atrocious. Was leaning towards a 4, but a 2 is all this deserves with that voice.
Wat een herrie zeg
Similar to Kraftwerk, maybe a little more “rock” at times, didn’t really care for the vocals too much, but still pretty great
I very much enjoyed this album. I'm profoundly grateful for the cool things happening in Germany in the early and mid 70s, since they influenced Eno, Bowie and everything wonderful and "new wave" after that. This almost sounds post-punk, despite being pre-punk. Whilst I didn't love the vocals, 'twas sehr gut.
The start was really calming, but the songs with lyrics were not it (3)
Boooorrrring.
Good stuff. I'm not too familiar with Kraut Rock but I did detect some Kraftwerk vives in there. Fun album.
10 Albums You Actually Need to Hear Before You Die Chapter 10 Perfekter Klang Für Immer: “NEU! ‘75” by NEU! There’s a freedom to being on an open road, getting your car up to (or past) the speed limit and watching the painted lines of the roadway scroll past continuously as you’re propelled forward. In your peripheral vision, the scenery starts to blur: trees, buildings, other cars are no longer permanent - they coalesce and fade into the background as you pass them by at speeds you could never accomplish on your own. You’re left to focus intently on what is front of you, the bends in the road lead you to your destination and the things around you are left to the ether. It can be a calming, nearly meditative experience. Neu! is the musical embodiment of that sensation: Their repetitive drums and minimalist rhythm guitar push the songs forward. All around that rhythm, bubbling synths, reversed guitars, piano, vocals and other sounds swell, then fade in and out of focus as the rhythm continues chugging along…. It is a truly beautiful thing to me. Following a stint in an early incarnation of Kraftwerk, Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger started Neu! in 1971 and released their first self-titled album in 1972 (Neu! ‘72, as it’s known by fans, as means of differentiating it from this record). Its opening track, “Hallogallo”, is pretty much Krautrock’s national anthem, if such a thing is even possible. Its pulsating “motorik” groove is probably the most recognizable and defining characteristic of the genre: a simple, repetitive and driving drum beat that propels the song forward, seemingly forever. An argument can be made that Neu! ‘72 is the album that should be on this list, just for the sheer influence it has had and I would not argue with that opinion. Neu ‘75, their final offering (at least until a scrapped mid 80’s album - Neu! 4/Neu! ‘86 - appeared in the mid 90’s), is less collaborative than its predecessors and ends up being a bit like two mini-solo albums: one from Rother and one from Dinger. Rother’s side of the album is decidedly more ethereal, taking Neu’s sound towards more ambient and pastoral psychedelia, while Dinger’s half is more earthbound, aggressive and wild. While disparate in its approach, Neu! ‘75 is still an overarching encapsulation of Neu’s approach to their music. The propulsive drums, experimentation and hypnotic psychedelic sound that characterized their first two records are all here. ‘75 also serves as a glimpse of what was to come from Rother and Dinger: Rother would go on to further explore ambient music and refine the pastoral psych found here on Neu ‘75, first by joining up with Cluster to form Harmonia and then as a solo artist. Dinger would start a new band, La Düsseldorf, that would further expand on the swirling, guitar psych-punk on his side of the record. Even though the two might have appeared to be polar opposites in 1975, the sound of Neu! was still readily apparent in the music Rother and Dinger made after their split. Concurrently, their influence grew more and more with the likes of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Stereolab and countless others praising their work. Because of that, Neu’s sound never really ended, it just became bigger and more expansive. (Recommended additional listening, if you are so inclined: NEU! - NEU! ‘72, Harmonia - Musik Von Harmonia, La Düsseldorf - VIVA, Michael Rother - Flammende Herzen)
The song Hero was ok but the rest did not interest me at all. 2 stars or D+.
most hippies are so horrible but these hippies are all right
I like it and glad I found it
I did not enjoy this at all.
Another where I had no idea what to expect. This album is very sound-scapey but I liked it. There are parts that are very peaceful and songs that are a little more upbeat, but as a whole it’s very calm and ambient. Almost no lyrics. Not something I would listen to all the time, but I enjoyed it.
3.5
The first two songs took me on a fairly nice instrumental and ambient journey. Felt a bit like Kraftwerk with "real" instruments instead of synths. 'Leb Wohl' was more of a drone than a piece of music. Would've slotted in nicely as a transition between the first and latter half of the album if it wasn't so incredibly long. 9 minutes of empty space is way too long. The last 3 songs felt like the exact same song but different sections of it. Same drum beat, same key, same chords, almost same tempo, etc. Would've been fine as a 3 minute piece, but not 20 minutes. In summary this wasn't too bad, and was nice background music to listen to when working. But everything is just way too long for what it gives you. I enjoyed the first 2 and parts of Hero, but the rest was just overflow. Strong 2.
Listened to this twice and it really grew on me the second time. The first track sounds very modern and sounded like and intro to something like a "War On Drugs" song. I can't help feeling something is missing, like this is the start before vocals are added. Was a cool album mainly since it was made already 1975. Not my favourite but I'm impressed by how modern it still sounds.
I don’t think anyone else has made a song as good as Isi. Doesn’t feel as disjointed as it should do, with both sides of the album having almost completely different creative direction. I think this is slightly better than Neu! 72, because it doesn’t have any bad songs on it, although Negativland is another all-time song for me.
First song: “This is rad. I’m gonna love this.” Second song: “Ok, not as good as the first, but I’m still into it.” Third song: “This is a nice interlude-y kinda song… but it’s 9 minutes long??” Fourth song: “Ok now we’re talking, I’m into this… wait, it’s still going?” Fifth song: “Oh so this is what we’re gonna do again? A meandering 7 minutes followed by an unnecessarily long outro of… not really anything?” Sixth song: “Ok, I’m back. This is awesome.” Listen, I’m a prog fan, so I’m not afraid of long songs. But if you’re gonna write a 9 minute song, at least switch it up a little bit. Yet, all that aside… I still loved it. If it was just a tiny bit less self indulgent, this would have been an instant favorite.
I owe this another listen as I had this on in the car with two passengers, but I liked what I heard.
If it was just music, no lyrics, this album would get 4 ⭐s....unfortunately the "singing' is just not great
This was an awesome listen. I never knew Kraftwerk had a fracture that led to this side band. The intro track's piano opening that works into a lot more complexity is a great way to start an album. This felt really experimental for anyone but especially for '75. I could see me telling people to check this out. It's not a perfect album but most albums need more of what makes this work. I feel like there's a fair amount of 5 star work here but not all the tracks work at the same level. Great one to have on the list.
This opening track gets going. Reminds me of road trip montage music for a PG rated movie from the 1970s or 1980s. Track 2 keeps it up really cool intro. Cool vibe throughout. Track 3 is so calming. Solid vibe. Track 4 is not my favorite but it's cool that it is like proto punk and inspired other artists. Track 5 is another good driving song. Track 6 another with a proto punk thing. Like it a bit more than Track 4. This is a really cool album overall especially for 1975. I had never heard of this before. I'm not sure yet if this will stick with me, but I think it's just a tight little album. I really like it.
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, well in that case they have just flattered the fuck out of Jean Michel Jarre. Yeah it was done well and was enjoyable to listen to but very much I've heard it all before. It's a lot better than many of the 2's I've given, but I don't think it worthy of a 3.
I really enjoyed that! The first 3 tracks felt quite meditative, with track 2 ‘Seeland’ being a standout. The 2nd half of the album saw the tempo lift which stopped it getting too samey. A high 3 / low 4.
This was so mellow and ambient that it just washed over me, entering my consciousness every now and then in a reasonably nice way. Stuff like this is for doing things and listening to it in the background. I wouldn't dare listen to it in the bath, as I might relax so much and drown. Did anyone check to see what Whitney Houston was listening to that fateful day? I bet it was this.
Never heard of this group or album. It was an interesting ride. Very eclectic mix of art-pop/rock/krautrock with detours into Eno-style ambient music. Not sure I'd listen to this all that frequently, but I didn't mind it. Given that they influenced the Sex Pistols and Bowie, it's hard to argue against the significance of the album, even if it is new to me. 4/5
Instrumentals are pretty decent. Loses a star for the tracks where they let that guy sing.
3/5
Excessive monotony. The performers can't deny theyr roots as former members of Kraftwerk. It's hard on the limit between music and noise. I can survive verry well without listening.
This album sounds like it would be used in the background of a government PSA or work safety instruction video in the 90s. Boring.
Meh it was alright. Like other Krautrock more but I still enjoyed it. Seems more like looking at building blocks than the finished product Rating: 3.3
Think i've underrated this in the past from the couple times i've heard it, it's super fun, especially the 2nd half where they up the tempo. Nice to see some interesting krautrock stuff represented in this list, only other I can remember so far was the Faust album.
2.5
The instrumental parts were good! Not massively enjoyable vocals.
first half was better, preferred the slower ambient. would've been a 3.5 if it was all that but 3 is fine
I love Klaus Dinger so much. Michael Rother, maybe more.
The vocals on some track are annoying, but I really like the groove
Fav: After Eight Least Fav: E-Musik This was something NEU! to me, and it was a pleasant surprise
I liked this. Nostalgic and some of the tracks were lovely. Rating: 3
This really felt like two albums. The first three tracks are mellow background, then the second three turn it up. If felt like this album was a producer and competent vocalist away from being a solid four star effort. As it is, there are some interesting ideas and some throw-aways.
Most of it felt like a bunch of Sega Gensesis video game songs. This is like that hipster kid who tries unique stuff to be cool, but it mainly misses the mark. there are some cool things in here but not enough to warrant another listen.
I'm not sure what just happened. The first time through, listening - distracted - in my car, I was ready to write it off after Seeland. But the moaning in Let' wohl was interesting. As I was getting out, Hero caught my ear. So next morning I pulled out my headphones, laid down on the couch, and restarted it. I had this deeply-felt quasi-religious experience. I didn't swoon or get amped up or laugh or cry. It was subtle. I felt secure, expansive, hopeful. Honestly, WTF. Why I love certain music and not others is as mysterious as why I love certain people. But when you find that special one, and it clicks, you just thank the Gods and celebrate life. (Note - if you're interested in liking this album, listen on a dedicated stereo or headphones in a quiet place. The magic is in the mids which get swallowed by background noise, and are underrepresented on bluetooth and soundbar speakers.)
This is the first I've heard of the group NEU! From what I gather, they were a krautrock band, which is to say they are a German experimental rock band. The primary members were Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother, who formed the group after departing Kraftwerk early on. Their third album NEU! 75 would be last before disbanding followed by a brief reunion in the mid-'80s. Now for the fun part - NEU! 75 is one of those albums where it is apparent that the band began to fall apart because the album is divided into two styles. Side one is the more ambient, keyboard-driven work that Rother wanted to pursue, whereas side two is the more aggressive, rock-influenced jams that Dinger wished to pursue. To be fair, I consider both sides to sound well-executed. The impeccable atmosphere of the keyboards combined with the spare guitar lines and soft percussion of side one is just as potent as the crunchy guitar riffs over Dinger's sneering vocals and punching 4/4 beat of side two. My only gripes with this album are the tonal clash between both sides where one doesn't lead into the other as well, and the lyrics of side two as Dinger struggled to find the words to vent out his frustrations. Despite the obvious division in creative focus between our two main members, NEU! managed to put out one final album that is still sonically pleasing and innovative for the time. I expect this album to grow on me, but for now, it gets a solid recommendation.
Robot punks back when Daft Punk were still blueprints on a 5¼-inch floppy disk somewhere in France.
On se fait un peu trop chier
I actually liked this less on the second listen. You can tell it’s two guys doing their own thing separately. First half sounds like spa music or something off a meditation app. Second half is just a bit rubbish. Can see it was probably ahead of its time and influenced post rock but still… Want to give it 1.5 b cause it’s not quite bad enough for a one
Overall I really like this. I didn’t know what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised - especially by the first three tracks. The fourth and sixth songs must be some kind of a PRE-post-punk songs - although I can hear some Stooges in there also. E-Musik was too long and repetitive though.
Удивительным образом, вот уже лет триста я хотел послушать НОЙ, но всё никак - и вот! Это! Случилось! Приличный краут/прог/арт роцк. Местами очень напоминает в плане характера звука любимую группу GY!BE (но может быть это моя личная трансформация, ни в чем в реальности не основанная) Лучшая песня - Seeland.
It was weird. I didn't really like it
Interesting, but largely forgettable, I'm afraid.
A nije dobar ko prvi ali je svejedno genijalan album. Krautrock iznad svega ❤️
Amazing soundscape. Feels like it influenced a lot of music coming after it, especially post-punk and post-rock
Ambient sound, calming, few lyrics. First half was good but the second half ruined the vibe.
Super funky berlin rock. Reminds me of cold war era
Favourite tracks: ISI, Hero, E-Musik Kind of indifferent about this one. Had good range, and instrumentals are great. But probably won't come back to it.
This was very calming. I almost fell asleep to it.
Un álbum históricamente muy relevante por lo innovador, que merece formar parte de esta lista. "Punk antes del punk", con temas que suenan a post-punk ya en el año 1975. Por otro lado, no me ha atrapado para nada. La mitad de los temas son muy atmosféricos, lo cual me ha aburrido un poco. La otra mitad es proto-punk que, a estas alturas, no tiene nada de especial. Prefiero mucho más la etapa Kraftwerk de esta gente. Así que, en lo personal, le daría un 2, al que le sumo una estrella por relevancia.
Really promising start; ISI is great ambient rock, good pianos, and drums. The guitar on seeland is amazing, great bass, and great atmosphere. Great outside atmosphere, piano on Leb’ wohl. Interesting vocals on Hero, ok instrumental, overall I didn’t really like the song. E-Musik is repetitive and the sound quality is weird, pretty decent tho; nice groove. Interesting section at the end, with the slowed down voice. Really interesting choice for the ending track. Overall, very ambient and atmospheric rock album, initial listen: 8/10 or 4/5
This seems very bland and really missing something. The first 3 tracks are pleasant, and the album speeds up a bit after that. Never really does much for me though.
Heute lernte ich was "Krautrock"/"Kosmische Musik" ist. Hat mich in meine Kindheit zurückgeworfen, wo mein Vater Songs von Kraftwerk und psychedelischen Rock uns aus seiner Musiksammlung vorspielte. Hat mich aber auch an Gabe von "The Office" erinnert: Imagine one instant of a song expanded to be the size of the universe. Ein Wechselbad weirder und schöner Gefühle, 4 Sterne!
Puh, schwierig. Hallogallo und Negativland waren gut. Rest sehr experimentell.
Erste Hälfte hat mir gut gefallen, war schön melodisch. Mit Noise Cancelling war es echt angenehm anzuhören, der zweite Teil war dann leider nicht mehr so cool. Trotzdem cool entdeckt zu haben. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Keine
Elevator music but the good kind
Ok
Enjoyed the album, seemed to start softer and ended more industrial. An interesting journey.
I was really enjoying this album at first. It was all instrumental but it was fun and enjoyable to have going in the background, even found myself dancing to Leb Wohl and Hero. But then it just kind of fell off and got boring with E-Musik. I really thought that song was building to something but no crescendo happened. After Eight wasn't bad but didn't seem to fit on the rest of the album, it seemed much more punk rocky then the rest of a chill calm album. If it had stayed on the original path I could have gone to a 4 but the way it ended gotta go with a 3.
Starts off pretty good. I like Isi. It's a feel good, happy dance instrumental. Seeland is kinda slow and boring but I like the big reverb sound. Leb Wohl sounds like some music for a deep breathing meditation or maybe good to fall asleep to. Hero is pretty rocking. His vocal sytlings are a bit cringe. OK suddenly there are vocals but I can't understand any of the words. Doesn't feel like this is the same band as the first three songs. E-Musik is unremarkable and not really experimental. Mostly annoying that it's a long song that goes nowhere. After Eight has good rocking energy. But just plods along as a washy beat with unintelligible lyrics. nah.
I can’t think of anything to say about this. Not horrible and not interesting.
This album was weird and confusing. It went from soft instrumental rock to music you’d hear while getting a massage, and then it moved to rocking out (sorta) in German. Didn’t feel cohesive and it was also pretty boring.
A mix of instrumental and krautrock, a perfectly good album for doing what I was doing which was getting a mechanical massage.
I listened to this at work, which was definitely the right call. It's good work music, upbeat but not intense, varied enough to keep me engaged, but not so clever as to intrude on the clever work thoughts that take precedence over it. At the same time, the genre it belongs to would be most-accurately described as Muzak or Elevator Music. It is inspired Muzak, yes, but Muzak nonetheless. If they put this on while waiting for my Liberty Mutual representative to pick up the phone, I would say "what nice call waiting music they have". If I listened to at work I would say "what nice background music this is". But there's a limit to how far that can take you.
Elevator music with a snap.
kinda got down with this heavy. Will I listen to again: 100%
Kraut rock! Real interesting and you can see where the pistols got the inspiration on that one song.
This album struggled to hold my attention. And maybe thats by the nature of it being half ambient music, but I enjoyed the Eno album's I've had so far. This just didnt have the same pull for me. And by the time the 9 minute Leb' wohl ends, the album turns on a dime into something different, a half of an album I also didn't care too much for. All in all, very skippable for me. My favorite here would have to be Isi.
I like it. The melody is beautiful and I always love when the songs have more pure instrumental parts and some room for experiment. This is exactly what I'm looking for on this website. Simple enjoyment, I would give it a solid 4/5.
Bits of good music surrounded by uncomfortably slow and quiet ambient sounds.
Weird album, part slow ambient and part punkish.
Ein elektronisch experimentelles Juwel. Wer das Album hört, weiß woher das „New“ in New Order kommt. Gern mal wieder Ihr Haudegen aus Ddorf.
Good shit
Ótrúleg plata sem hefur haft gríðarleg áhrif á tónlistarheiminn síðan. Pönk, post pönk, Bowie, Sigurrós. Áhrifin eru út um allt. Sjöan var mjög tónlistarlega frjó í Þýskalandi.
A right little gem from this challenge. No expectations going in but a really good bit of krautrock that I’ll definitely return to
This is elevator music
Immediately caught my ear. I feel like this is also engineered for the nihilist crowd and empathetic art collectives. Not sure what the Venn diagram looks like, but anyways, generally liked this.
First track wasn't great but the next few tracks were amazing. Then some guy started making noises and it killed me
Ambient? Experimental? Proto-Punk? Proto-Chill Wave? Definitely unique. Not familiar at all with the group Neu! and beyond Kraftwerk I'm not familiar with much German progressive/new wave music. Really, it sounded like some people got into a studio and had some fun making some music. It also made an hour of work go by more quickly. Definitely worth a listen.
The last time I talked about krautrock is technically when I was covering a solo album from one of Can’s members. But that didn’t really represent the best aspects of the genre to me. So the last time I spoke about something krautrock related that I really enjoyed was the titular fourth album from Faust, whose existence is basically the genesis of the genre itself. I haven’t gone back to give that record another listen recently, but I’m always down to hear more krautrock. NEU! is a band who also had a pretty huge impact on the genre. Except on this album, they take a less electronic drone and post-rock approach, and more focus on ambient psychedelic music. This can be split into two halves. The first, which covers track one through three, lean way more on the ambient stuff. It’s incredibly meditative and entrancing, and also entirely instrumental. Most of the album is, really. They’re super chill songs, and it’s definitely a cool sound. The latter half, on the other hand, delves into what could possibly be considered proto-punk. This was after some of early punk music’s most important albums had come out. But punk was still very juvenile and experimental. And that can be seen here. The last three songs are more intense in execution for sure. But they still maintain that repetitive feeling. Maybe to their own fault at some points, as E-Musik is too long for how little is really going on. I don’t think this tackles how weird this genre can be in as effective of a way as Faust’s album did, but it’s still enjoyable. Rating: 7/10
Oh great, more krautrock. I'm not sure why the curator of this list thought that everyone needs to hear this music before they die. It's nothing special at all. In fact, it's boring. I turned it off after the first 2 tracks. Knew the rest was the same garbage. 1/5
Loved it on my first listen. Not quite as much on the subsequent ones but still a great album
Finding great stuff recently that I probably never would have found otherwise!
This is an interesting album that I once again do not want to talk about at length. I feel the need to write a review for everything, but sometimes I don’t want to.
The dichotomy between the two sides is really interesting. As a fan of both ambient and krautrock, I'm a fan of both. I can definitely feel the influence of this album on a lot of music I love.
Favorite Track: E-Musik
Pretty atmospheric and ambient for the first half. Immediately shifts tones for the last half of the album with some long, layered rock sounds. I guess some of this group's members were formerly of Kraftwerk, which sort of checks out given the sound of the last half of the album. I don't think this really holds a candle to the work that Kraftwerk has put out though. There's something slightly different here, as it leans more into somewhat of a psychedelic rock sound. I didn't really get the sense of feeling satisfied after listening through this one, though. Not an album I'll think about ever again.
This isn’t as high energy as I remember some of their stuff being but it’s pretty chill and quite interesting.
Background noise? Nothing important. It's chill except 4th song. I really cannot grasp what happened there.
The reason I have started this challenge was to find new music. Well I'm happy I have found Neu! because I was really looking forward to hearing something new.
Short but enjoyable
Interesting band with great instrumental work. Can't fit this into a single genre. Sounds original.
Un très bon album, je ne m'attendais pas ça à ce style de progressif/psychédélique. Il y a vraiment une ambiance propre. Quelques moments un peu trop doux à mon goût, mais globalement une belle surprise. 9/10
Really?
Yes :) pleasant surprise - really enjoyed this and never heard before
This was a very interesting surprise. Can tell they've had an influence on many artists. Just on the first track alone I can hear the influence on Public Service Broadcasting, The Horrors, and David Holmes to name but a few. Other tracks have clearly had an influence on the early UK punk scene. Good though that is, I'm giving it 4 out of 5 because I feel it's a collection of ideas rather than a collection of songs.
Never heard of them before.
Very nice sound well constructed
Relaxing in places
Took me by surprise this album. I had it on whilst baking and initially felt really relaxing … until it wasn’t.
Krautrock you say? Learn something new every day.
Nice listen, different vibes, overall just a fun little album.
Very influential album. They were defining the sound of post punk before punk music ever really took off. I really enjoyed the ambient and moody tracks. The more straightforward punk/Velvet Underground sounding tracks were ok. Mid 4.
No es mi favorito hasta el momento, siento que se le notan los años.
3+
Wasn’t sure what to expect but I really enjoyed it
God I love krautrock
Not my type of music. It ain't bad but not my wheelhouse
It's a really solid vibey rock album. The form reminds me a lot of Kraftwork's Autobahn. These kinds of albums usually have a really low ceiling for me, like you won't often find me giving them a 5/5, but as long as the music isn't bad, they're generally really enjoyable! And that's where this one falls for me. It's not great, but good and very solid. Favorite Song(s): Isi
70s space rock, I prefer the other album by them
Highlights: ISI, Hero. In a nutshell: cosmic and ambient krautrock. Mellow and hypnotic. It could be argued that the roots of the ambient genre can be found here in NEU! 75. Mainly in "Seeland" and "Leb' wohl". Brian Eno is credited for inventing the term "ambient" but Eno didn't record his first experiment in ambient music- Another Green World- until July 1975. Neu! 75 was released in February of the same year. I like Air and early Kraftwerk, so this was a winner for me. Overall: 8/10
Lovely ambient-like post punk - it packs a punch and it’s soothing at the same time - and well balanced and paced album.
It was ok.
This was wild and unexpected.
Chug-a-lug music never really been a big thing for me, people will either find it energising and psychedelic or monotonous and boring. Hero is a standout but it leans more to the latter. Perhaps one of those albums that was revolutionary at the time for pushing the boundaries of rock structure and inspiring the move into punk, but now it feels a little repetitive and German.
Half of the songs sounded like a movie soundtrack and the other half gross.
I was into the first few songs and then... not so much
There is undoubtedly something new here for the time. Proto post punk but it gones on and on. Some judicious editing could have really made this something special, but now dated I feel. 2.5*
Ikäisekseen edelläkävijäsoundi. Biisit turhan pitkiä ja jäävät junnaamaan, mutta jälleen, sekin taitaa kuulua ajan henkeen. Ripauksen jää kolmosesta.
Oli lähelle sitä mitä osasi ennakolta odottaa. Joutokamaa.
Was more irritating than enjoyable
I was dreading it but its quite good.
Chill, kind of great thinking music. Hear a lot of modern music in this album. 3/5
Interesting at first but finished in a repetitive and kind of chaotic place that didn't feel like it paid its dues to the first part of the album. Not for me but impressively modern for 1975.
this was a surprisingly cool listen!! never heard of these guys before but this album was kind of a mix of jazz, jam, psychedelia, and british. the best parts of the album were the non-british parts when they didn’t bother with lyrics and cared more for cultivating the atmosphere
Regarding music I like, it’s a 2; but I think it deserves a 3. OK for background music but I likely wouldn’t listen to this again.
Some E-Musik right here. But don’t listen to this until it’s After Eight.
Chiller than chill. Practically meditative. It's nice, although Hero takes a turn to more of a club music vibe with punk vocal strainings. Then E-Musik seems to be almost 10 minutes of the same riff over and over and over... unfortunately, the aforementioned meditative quality has slipped into a \"poke-my-eyes-out\" quality. I'm tapping out.
Not as good as the first one but still one of the best krautrock records ever!
Not really my thing
The Good: Minimalist album cover! The Bad: Minimalist music… The Ugly: the mislabeling of this album being “Krautrock” which this isn’t at all. Never heard of this group before, and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Sound-wise, one could argue that they are ahead of their time, like contemporary artists such as Kraftwerk et al Will dish out 3* as I don’t believe this album will become part of frequent listens, however, worth a spin once a year...
"Neu! 75" is the third studio album by German krautrock band Neu! Krautrock, kosmische music, experimental rock, pyschedelic rock and proto-punk are the Wiki-listed genres. I'll just go with those. Neu! regrouped after bandmembers and former Kraftwerk bandmembers Michael Rother (electric guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals) and Klaus Dinger (drums, electric guitar, vocals) compromised their musical styles. Side one is Rother's ambient music and side two is Dinger's most aggressive and rock influenced music. "Isi" begins side one. It's an instrumental. Piano, drums and happy. The guitar comes in and this sounds like "A Ghost is Born"-era Wilco. Not a bad thing. "Seeland" has a more forward guitar. Anytime I hear water, it falls in the ambient genre and this is that. "Leb's Wohl" has a slow piano and drum beat. There's wave sounds, actual vocals and ends side one. Hey, we got rock starting with "Hero." Searing guitar, bass and drums. A guy, it must be Dinger, screaming. There's a punk attitude. "E. Musik" adds keyboards and a droning sound to a rock music base. Now, this sounds like Kraftwerk doing rock. The album ends with their most rockin' song in "After Eight." A melodic, driving guitar. Hypnotic, repetitive. Dinger screaming again. Layered guitars. I hear a number of bands. The music sounds like Wire and the vocals like Johnny Lydon in PiL. This is definitely an album of two sides; they both work for me. The first side is mostly instrumental and ambient. It has a distinct German sound. I was was also reminded of Brian Eno's music. The second side turns on the rock; it's has a punk and even post-punk edge. Wire, David Bowie came to mind. Overall, a very good album with most people at least liking the second, rockin' side.
Never heard of them before. Very chill, almost ambient. Interesting. Playlist material.
I really liked this album. I was expecting Kraftwerk, but I got a precursor to M83, Mogwai, and other post-rock acts. I was surprised at the punk vocals towards the end and the transition, but it all still felt like it fit and was all good. I definitely will be listening to more of their albums.
I like the more ambient first half, as sort of background music. The "singing" in the second half is just absurd and not pleasant. It feels ahead of its time for 1975, with all the synth work and the sort of punk-ish feel. The drums and bass were pretty repetitive and boring, even in the higher-energy second half. Songs seemed like they just went on for too long, like this was a long jam session that was recorded. Overall, I can see how later artists might have been influenced by this, but I didn't super enjoy it.
Most tracks feel like royalty-free music for YouTube videos, and the ones that don't sound generic are just obnoxiously annoying
Fun and weird. The second to last track was pretty boring though. 4/5
First half is stupid, second half is marginally ok. This is a generous 2
Fantastic
There must have been a lot of bands in the late 1970s and early 1980s that listened to this album. It isn't my favorite, but I can hear where this might have had a greater influence than I'm expecting it to have.
Starting out, the album is ethereal, yet plain. The second half is like a whole different band.
I enjoyed it.
Horrible noise
I guess krautrock isn’t what I expected. This turned out to be mostly inoffensive ambient music with a little bit of rock flavor
Genuinely loved this. Side A and Side B are considerably divergent, but both are delightful to listen to. It's hard to imagine that this was made in 1975. What made executive take such risks producing albums that were so obviously incongruent for their time? I'm glad they did.
Some interesting numbers
German insanity, largely instrumental, influential without being enjoyable, could have scored anything - depending on how much time I had to engage with the work. Luckily for them (if they care) I had time to listen until it started (almost) making sense; so I fell for the madness of it all
An interesting album. I enjoyed the instrumental tracks but the singing not so much.
Two good tracks and then downhill from there.
30 minutes of outer space, and then there's the psychedelic brit pop rock (or whatever it is) that is After Eight and Hero.
I LOVED THIS
Great
58
The flow of this is very cool. It's neat that this is mellow for a whole half before getting into it, going against the idea of frontloading. Then it does a micro version of the same with the long track trailing off before picking it up in a punk thing. Pretty cool! Unfortunately for a 2024 listener it's not all that novel so I start thinking of Can or whatever and get distracted. sorry Neu! the most rounded down to 3 something can get. just barely misses reaching that 'yeah I'll definitely listen again soon' mark.
A cooler-than-me pal hipped me to these guys (and this record) way back when. I was ready for it then, I am now. I love the A/B split here, it really goes wilder than a person would expect. Great creative stuff, a solid and satisfying record.
Not too bad! I had not heard of them and from the name expected something more industrial, but it had a lot of piano and mellow music.
Ok my peeps, let's make a dentist chair album that relaxes people. Liam-I want to bloody sing! Liam pays the producers to put his songs on the end of the album. Boring went to crazyness.
This album starts out as perfect concentration music. It’s enjoyable and keeps my brain focused enough to ignore outside noises. Then track 4 happens and it all goes to hell. Tracks 5 and 6 aren’t terrible but it’s a jarring difference from where the album started.
Listened to this while reading the rulebook to The Isofarian Guard. I really enjoyed this album. The first 3 more ambient tracks were still full of unexpected moments, and that steady motorik beat. The second three tracks, though more "aggressive," still felt like they belonged. I'm sure there are other Neu album on this list, and I look forward to when they pop up!
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: ⬛🆕❗ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎸🎂🍄 Rating: 🆕🆕🆕🆕🆕/5
nennt sich wohl "Krautrock", aber von Rock kann ich da nix erkennnen; ist für mich nur ein dünnes gesummsel
What started as pleasant, chill music transformed into what sounded like music for crackheads. Like what the actual hell. I would love to give this one star, but I can't discount the okay music at the beginning. C'mon on now. You're telling me this is a must-listen-to album? Are you fucking kidding me? Sick. Siiiiiiiiiiick, dude.
Surprised by the production quality on this since it came out of the '70s.
Never heard of this, but I like it!
Sounds like hold music
2.5
fine
Está bueno. La primera mitad algo rara, como de película ochentera de fantasía, pero de la mitad para adelante el asunto cambia y está potente.
nice
GENERISCH!
very good background music
Reminds me of OMD which is not a bad thing at all.
Pretty bland and boring and was a slugfest even halfway .
Its crazy how a well crafted instrumental part of an album can conjure so many images out of your imagination. I sat and listened to this and went on a journey, as weird as that sounds. A lot of tracks elicit emotion, I found Seeland did this best. A nice gradual rise through the song, like someone on a lone drive across the country.
A fun chill album. Not at all what I was expecting. Im a softie for this kind of music
Electronic/ New Age music from the 70’s, Alwaya a nice change.
Surprisingly good. Heavily instrumental, some pieces are reminiscent of the Minecraft soundtrack, others more of jam. Fascinating stuff.
Seems very nice, but also quite slow - mostly instrumental krautvibes are not really my lane I've learned today
Wow! No expectations going in and this was amazing! Really cool instrumental (mostly) rock from a band I’d never heard of. Every song was moody and conveyed an emotion or feeling pretty well. There were some cool grooves. What lyrics there were, I didn’t understand, and I honestly couldn’t tell you if they added or subtracted from the experience. But overall though, this was a great record and I’d love to hear more of them. Really progressive and modern sound, especially for 1975z Four stars. Standout Tracks: Isi, Hero, E-Musik
First half was very boring. But from 'Hero' onwards, it's great.
Listened Before? N It's not terrible, but I'm not sure why it's on this list. I guess we just needed multiple examples of the mighty "krautrock" genre? The whole thing is meh. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: ISI
Best Song: E-Musik. There's a kind of relaxed rodeo vibe to this that kind of works. Something about that chugge-chugga ends up worming itself into your bones, turning would could have been an annoying song into a groove. Worst Song: Hero. I thought that the first half of the album was so sparse as to be almost absent until I heard the man sing and I realized that it was much better sparse. The album should have been wholly instrumental. Overall: An album that is only as good as it is quiet. Every attempt it makes at making noise or causing a ruckus comes off gritty and a bit annoying, but the calmer instrumentals are really enjoyable.
great
I really don't have a ton to say here other than that I was pleasantly surprised. I saw Krautrock in the description and prepared my body for the worst. As it turns out, I just had a false impression of what Krautrock is. This album was really nice, full of long form instrumental exploration that generally made for a soothing voyage with some lush layering. Some points that stood out to me: - Leb' wohl, while not my favorite on here, was some high quality relaxation music. Pretty piano with ocean sounds layered into the background. - Crazy juxtaposition into upbeat Hero that feels a bit like a parody of Bowie + Mick Jagger. - Really enjoyed the way that the rug was pulled out on finale of E-Musik. Really blissful experience. - After Eight reminds in essence of The Rolling Stones, but exists sort of in this uncanny valley that is amplified by the use of production effects to distort and warp the vocals. Solid 4 / 5 for me.
This sounds like scores for a movie like Mission Impossible. Intense into slow dramatic moment where Tom Cruise is making out with some girl. Weird album. 2.5 stars
Wonderfully peaceful beginning makes me want to play Minecraft for hours on end on a rainy day. Hero was not a great track with whatever the vocals were supposed to be. Instruments were fine, but this track was so different from what I was getting from the first half of the album. I am glad that E-Musik got the album back on track. After Eight felt out of place too, but I liked it a lot more than Hero. Honestly without Hero and After Eight this is a high 4 for me. I still think it gets the 4, but I feel like it was such a cohesive album before listening to those songs.
First 3 songs were super calming and if I were on mushrooms I would be sinking into the earth. Hero was a bit rough to follow those 3. E-Musik had some really sweet sounds and that clicking was a cool way to make me feel on edge a bit. After Eight was kind of the same as Hero being a bit rough. This album started off in the 5 category but kind of got out of hand and sounded like 2 different albums put together. Still super cool and when I learned that this had some Kraftwerk members it kind of all made sense. Solid 4 and could be a relistener.
This was an interesting one. A few couple songs into it I was thinking this is perfect going to sleep music (not a dig), but then it got wild with some of the songs. Kinda sounded like a way way better Undertones.
STANDOUTS: Isi OVERALL: 2.5/5; I was EXCITED for the first half's Mannheim-esque noises and general ambiance...but then the second half of the album got weird.
Never before did I think I would hear punk mixed with ambient but it makes for a really interesting listen. There are a couple of songs where they put it all together and make something really interesting for the time, and there are other points where you don't know what the hell you're listening to. I think with anything experimental like this it's going to be a mixed bag but I liked it more than I hated it.
well, this was far too short - what a fantastic album. hard to believe it was from 1975. in after eight, i hear a bit of the stones, which is funny - but in seeland, i hear jane's addiction, and in hero, i hear pailhead, both of which were many years in the future. meanwhile, e-muzik's 10-minute, single-key jam is simply an incredible, hypnotic journey, and after eight, while an almost jarring change of pace after e-muzik, is a great sendoff for this album. all in all, an easy favorite
That was unexpected. The album contains some excellent instrumental tracks. If all the songs would have been of the same quality as the first three (ISI, Seeland and Leb' wohl), this would have gotten five stars. Sadly, the remaining instrumental track, E-Musik, is just OK, and the more guitar oriented ones (Hero, After Eight), which also contain some form of vocals, are atrocious in comparison. Still, on the strength of the instrumentals, this is a 4/5.
this was NEU! for me...
Pretty groovy. Didn't feel overly special. But a nice listen all around.
It’s giving Nintendo or Wii games vibes so bad, but it’s like so moody too? Like emo-Wii games vibes. Most songs are just atmospheric, no words or none. 4.1/10.
loved it
Áhugavert m.v. ártalið.
Pretty cool, hero brought needed energy
I liked it a lot although I wasn't a fan of the vocals whenever they came up - 8/10
First track was nice but I didn’t enjoy the rest of it.
I’m really confusing myself because I highkey really liked this? Except for Leb wohl. Like im just very much enjoying music lately but idk why im rating things so high. edited, I liked this but idt id give it a 5 so 4
Really good! Kind of all over the place stylistically but I liked it a lot. 8.5/10
4/10 - It was all over the place in a way I do not enjoy. it sounded a bit like tago mago which lucas says makes sense bc its the same genre. A few songs were ambient and then Hero was crazy and loud.
Some nice ambient stuff and then some less enjoyable weird stuff. Pretty good though
ufatteligt vibe skift halvvejs gennem det her album. Jeg var ret stor fan af begge halvdele, foretrak den første
Super lækker plade, specielt den første og mere elektroniske halvdel men kan også godt lide den skøre protopunk lyd på side B.
Kunne rigtig godt lide første halvdel af pladen - det var lige for mig! Anden halvdel var ikke så useriøs som jeg havde frygtet.
Interesting techno.
Great fun ride!
This might be my favorite Neu! album (Neu! 2 is the other potential option). It's pretty consistent with the other work that the band was doing during the first half of the 70s. It's fucking great. Just solid toe-tapping jams propelled forth by the driving drum beat. I think you could easily make a case that other Krautrock bands were better than Neu, but Neu remains a very accessible way to get into the genre and provides a ton of useful context for what other German bands were doing in this period 5/5
This is more my vibe, though I think I prefer Harmonia.
Pretty good ambient stuff, sounds like it was quite ahead of it’s time.
Whoa, this is a cool album. Never heard of this band before now but they are going onto my rotation.
Ambient and cool at times. In general good experimental tunes with great resolutions. All in all not for me. Too experimental for new wave and not enough emotion for first wave. Punky at times which lends to first wave. Not bad but not for me.
This made me think of a German U2 with fewer lyrics. It was like eating celery-not good, not bad.
Loved it. Something I could listen to as background music or with focused intention. Will definitely be coming back to this one.
I have a soft spot for 70s synths. This is sure pretty when it wants to be. Aggressive and fun when it wants to be. 8/10 Exactly what I imagine when I think of kraut rock