Entertainment For Lively Minds
Forget The Beatles Remastered. THIS is the Remaster of the year : Kraftwerk
Posted by Doods on 1 October 2009 - 7:20am.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catalogue
Not before time either.
Unfeasibly excited. Now, do I get the The Catalogue or Der Katalog. I am over on The Continent tomorrow...decisions, decisions...
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Fire
This is the remaster I'm waiting for.
Advice needed.
I was talking to a friend last night about Kraftwerk, as we are both a bit out of the loop. I've only heard Autobahn side one, and the single The Model. I didn't really care much for the latter. I like some Boards Of Canada, Tangerine Dream, and loved JJM's Oxygene/Equinox as a nipper. I am aware that Kraftwek are considered the apex of techno-synth stuff by many, so how and where should I investigate further.
The Man Machine
Great place to start. Quite accessible with some good "poppy" moments.
Side 2 of Autobahn is a bit of a slog so wouldn't recommend that.
The live album of recent years, Minimum/Maximum is very very good. All the famous tunes given a thumping disco-esque edge. Highly recommended.
Huh?
A slog?
Kometenmelodie 2 and Morgenspaziergang are just gorgeous, the former especially.
However, I'd say you're bang on about Minimum/Maximum: top quality stuff.
As a starting point, I'd probably recommend the Tour de France soundtracks or Computer World, but then I'm a JMJ fan too, so what do I know?
Computer World is a masterpiece.
And has to be listened to from beginning to end.
Trans-Europe Express is also very fine. And I'm with illuminatus on the Tour De France soundtracks. But would disagree as regards side 2 of Autobahn.
I do have a soft spot for Ralf and Florian.. it's a bit noodly in places, but..
The eponymous first double is an interesting one. I know it launched an epoch-defining band but to me, it is just shite. To my ear, Ruckzuck is about the only thing worth bothering with on it.
I believe the jury...
...is out on these sound quality-wise though. There is some suggestion that they're not in fact as good as the original CDs - crackles & what have gone from Radioactivity & the like...might be worth a listen before purchase just to check...
Yes i've heard about this
which is slightly disconcerting.
I loved Radioactivity, which I bought years ago, as the record shop I went to didn't have Man Machine in stock at the time, and I didn't want to go back home empty handed. Forgotten the name of the track on the lp, but there is a lovely piece of work which sounded like the best xmas track that never was.
"the best xmas track that never was..."
...Radioland
Have to say I'm in mental turmoil about these remasters. I want them but I don't need them. I love the original recordings, hiss and all, and I don't want the sound cleaning up.
And I doubt I'd play them that much anyway.
But for every sensible reason not to, the greedy bit of me say "but I'd still really like them"
I'll try to resist until late November, see if the price comes down after pre-orders have been fulfilled.
Thought occurred the other day about their percussion "sound" and how they used a live drummer, rather than a sequencer, for all the classic period recordings. Which is why, I think, they have such a warmth in their music, the minute flucuations instead of the motor-beat.
will the boxset mention -
"the other two" who got the boot and then proceeded to either live off the kraftwerk legend or go on to make some rather good music without them, and have been quietly removed from album sleeve credits ever since?
kraftwerk were famous of course for mixing the music purposefully to be heard on headphones, as until then all recordings had been given the virtual live treatment, lots of fake reverb etc, to give you the impression that the band was playing in your room - but kraftwerk's sound was meant to mimic the enclosed feel of the noise in your head - so any attempt at remastering thier sound will be more than interesting!
i have to admit to listening to autobahn on cd for the first time, whilst walking along a disused motorway(i didn't plan it btw, it just sort of happened), but i can recall that track being on "tommorow's world" back in the day, as being an early childhood memory of having my ears opened to music that was apart from the norm.
you've got to admire a band who have been so influential and didn't capitalise on that by releasing loads of bad material over the years.
Advice
While I am also exciting about these reissues, the Catalogue boxset includes The Mix and Tour de France Soundtracks which don't really need remastering. So I will probably just get some of the individual CDs when they turn up. Release of the box set appears to have been put back until November according to Amazon.
As to which ones to get, I would suggest starting with Computer World, the Man Machine and Trans Europe Express. If you like them, you'll like the rest too.
Thanks.
The albums you suggest are at the local library, so I'll give them a go and hopefully I may have a new listening task to enjoy. Good luck, by the way.
Hope they are good
Their music needs to sound pure at very high volume
The sound at their Bestival gig was great _ i was standing about 3 rows back to take this
Are they releasing both
the English and German language versions?
I tend to prefer the German myself as it, in some way, seems to complement the music.
Could this be the next "Beatles: Mono or stereo" controversy?
No controversy...
There will be two seperate boxes (one with German vocals, the other in English).
Being a German I always considered the German versions as the originals. Not only are the translations into English a bit clumsy, they feel tacked on to me. And where are the Japanese versions they put out for some songs?
They're not even
a real band for fucks sake. Four average blokes playing casio keyboards. Hendrix will be turning in his grave.
I'm not sure.
Jimi was very inquistive about other genres. If he had stayed with us, and after his Miles Davis workouts, imagine his feedback and psychedlic arsenal alongside our Dusseldorf chums.
If these are available in two languages, that's me sorted
I've got the CDs in English already so a German language version could be on my shopping list...
I love a bit of Kraftwerk. A few years ago, I'd say start with The Mix, but now Minimum Maximum is the place to start in my book; then head backwards from Computer World, recgonising that they seem to get more gentle or relaxed as they get younger...
Any reviews?
Has anyone bought the remasters/collection yet? And if so, what's your opinion?
I did......
My willpower went the same way as many a diet/detox period.....
I purchased Computer World and Radioactivity. The latter especially, is an improvement on the originals; the title track and Radioland especially sounding brilliant. Some of the effects seem to have really been drawn out in the remasters. The hissing noise on the Radioactivity track really sounds like steam being released from a huge power station somewhere deep and grey and, well, functional.....
Whilst "good", not sure they're worth repurchasing. Had the buyers remorse the next day.
Ich habe Der Katalog gekauft
Got the German version of the Boxset and am really enjoying it. The difference is definitely noticeable.
Computer World, TEE and The Man Machine in particular are much clearer and more precise - better. The Mix is much punchier, which suits its style. Radioactivity is also clearer, but I miss some of the analogue hiss on the title track in particular, which is now almost too clear - I'd always assumed that was intentional replication of listening to a transistor radio, but maybe that was just serendipitous... They all sound great really loud.
I'm also liking the packaging very much as well - you get the full booklets for each album in a LP-size booklet.
Worth the money? I'm happy with what I got for my £70...