Entertainment For Lively Minds
ATM - Krautrock
Posted by johnsimpson1965 on 8 December 2011 - 3:52pm.
I know a little and I like a little of what I have. Four albums by Neu and a couple by Harmonia.
The tracks I like are the repetitive tracks that go and on, like travelling on, ahem, an autobahn. The noodling stuff I can well do without and that`s about half of the Neu albums ruled out.
Never heard anything by Can but i`ve made my mind up they`re a bit noodling, Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk always seemed too synthy.
So, bearing in mind my noodling constraints who should I be investigating?
Danke.
PS That Cope book, is it worth attempting to track down?
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I find them all rather similar
but no less marvellous for that.
Here's an excellent overview:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deutsche-Elektronische-Musik-Various-Artists/dp/...
I like the Popol Vuh album Hosianna Mantra...
...but I suspect you might find it too noodlesome. some of their other recordings are less noodly/more based on repetition, but its still all generally more about atmosphere than rhythm.
So I suppose I saying that you can probably rule out Popol Vuh!
That Cope book...
I can't say that I've bought any music on the strength of it but it's a great read - interesting and funny. I'm not a big prog-head (quite similar to you John, by the sound of it) but I'll be watching this thread for some pointers too.
If you like repetitive tracks
that go on and on, I would have thought that rules Neu definitely in.
Agree the Copey book is great.
Can
are an absolutely brilliant band that you should really investigate. I don't find them noodling at all and I too have an antipathy to that type of music, Try their 'Anthology' for size. I love Holger Czukay too, particularly 'Movies.'
Future Days
Future Days by Can is, as they say, 'Motorik' rather than noodling.
It has such momentum, it seems unstoppable.....
So you like Krautrock?
Unless its 'noodly' or has 'too many synths'.......
I have plenty of recommendations but with these exclusion criteria it rules out 99%; someone cleverer than me could draw a Venn diagram...
I'd like to
hear your recommendations. I have all of Neu, most of Can and Kraftwerk and one Harmonia.
Try some of these*
Tangerine Dream Rubycon, Ricochet or Phaeda for starters
Klaus Schulze Mirage, Moondawn, X and Live (1980) are the ones I play the most
Michael Hoenig Departure from the Northern Wasteland
If you like Neu and Harmonia maybe you'd like Cluster II
Deutsche Elektronische Musik the 2CD sampler set is absolutely superb and has many of these artists.
*WARNING Contain more synthesisers than you can shake a stick at!
Thanks
DEM ordered and eagerly awaited
Motorik Beat
I don't find Neu or Can noodly at all. Of the latter I'd recommend Future Days and Tago Mago.
Not necessarily classic Krautrock but based on your stated preferences I reckon you'd like the La Dusseldorf album.
La Düsseldorf
La Düsseldorf were Klaus Dinger's next band after NEU! They released 3 albums between 1976-81. Of the 3 I'd say 'Viva' (1978) is the best of 'em.
Kraftwerk's first albums (pre-Autobahn) aren't as synthy as you might expect & might be worth a listen (though they're out of print & disowned by the band - & also sporadically noodly). Try searching YouTube for 'Kraftwerk Ruckzuck', for example.
My faves...
Wolf City - Amon Duul II
Hinten - Guru Guru
IV - Faust
Future Days/Ege Bamyasi/Tago Mago - Can
Cluster 71 - Cluster
Musik von Harmonia - Harmonia
Trans-Europe Express - Kraftwerk
the compilation, mentioned by Five Centres and RS65, is a really good introduction to Krautrock (i.e. if you don't like it, don't buy anything else). The Cope book is excellent, although quite hard to come by these days.
Not to forget..
Amon Duul II - Dance of the Lemmings, an interesting double album.
Especially Chris Karrer's acoustic guitar driven side.
Tago
Mago.
Indubitably.
I find that the early stuff tends to be quite raw
Tangerine Dream circa Alpha Centauri, or pre-Autobahn Kraftwerk, for example.
Guru Guru and Amon Düül are well worth a listen (as recommended further up), as well as more obscure groups such as Floh de Cologne and Gila.
My personal faves are Agitation Free.
Best thing to do is dive in and see what you find. After all, it's more accessible now than it has ever been before.
Oh, and there was lots of interesting stuff released on the IC (Innovative Communications) label in the '80s.
Eloy.
No-one ever mentions Eloy. They were massive in Germany in the late 70's / early 80's and started to get a little penetration over here from about 1983 onwards.
The early stuff is classic Krautrock. They were generally accepted to have reached a peak with the albums Planets and Time To Turn. My personal favourite is Performance, but the afficionados find this a little too commercial.
Some early (bobbins) Eloy. The Sun Song. Live. No it isn't. They're lip-synching.
I do have a couple of Eloy albums
Inside and Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes, but never pursued them further than that. Perhaps I'll check out a couple more albums.
From the Arch Drude himself
A Krautrocksamplersampler
http://www.midsuffolk.unisonplus.net/Top%2050.htm
And here's the greatest clip on YouTube.
Faust-It's a Rainy Day(Sunshine Girl)
An admirably wacky fan video...