AUTOBAHN

This was the breakthrough album for Kraftwerk, who had been struggling for years (and through several line-up changes) in order to make a difference in the music scene: the krautrock mark was still evidently born on their sleeves in "Autobahn", while they were decided to turn their road toward the trends of electronic avant-garde experimentation. Lifelong artistic partners Hutter and Schneider had by then invented a type of electronic percussion, and along came Wofgang Flür, an academically trained percussionist who was pretty much in tune with all this experimental stuff, focused on minimalism and electronic sources. A second newcomer, Klaus Roeder, played guitar and violin as a vehicle of additional textures to complement those sonic layers and basic harmonies provided by both Hutter and Schneider on synths and organs. The namesake 22-minute epic occupied the whole A-side of the vinyl, and to this day it's still one of the legendary anthems of Kraftwerk's entire career. This track is more epic in length than in structure, since there are no symphonic-oriented variations nor there is any pyrotechnical show-off: the main idea here is to provide a musical landscape of a highway, full of mechanical frenzy, urgency and sense of adventure than are inherent to any car travel in the high road. Music is for this Kraftwerk a document that "portrays" the usual situations and sensations that take place in our contemporary urban environment on a daily basis (or, eventually, a future environment that doesn't seem too far from today). This track alone serves as a manifestation of what is soon to become the band's main recurrent motif in both the musical and the ideological aspects. There are also some touches of flute (oh, an acoustic instrument in a Kraftwerk album. there were lots of them in the band's earlier albums, indeed), which, in my opinion, deliver the image of a human individual driving the car, a human heart that beats surrounded by the artificial environment built on plastic stuff, mechanical resources and electronic devices. The last 6 minutes of 'Autobahn' keep a slower pace, as if showing a relaxing moment - perhaps the relief of having reached the intended arriving point. This track is a gem in itself, and makes more than 50 % of the album's overall artistic value. but still there's more to enjoy here. The 2 part 'Kommetenmelodie' starts as a dense, somber minimalistic play of layers, until a more festive sequence comes to the fore, as if alluding the ritualistic meanings of the passing of a comet. This stuff reminds me a lot of Schulze, but again, the krautrock scene was so mutually integrated, that it was not odd that all bands would interact and influence each other. The most obscure track in the album is 'Mitternacht', enigmatic as a being from limbo who displays its shadow over the shades of twilight: very similar in spirit to TD's "Phaedra". Finally, the segued album's closure 'Morgenspaziergang' emerges with its lyrical evocations properly conveyed by soft synth layers and bucolic flute lines, over a background of birds singing at dawn. The last four tracks are definitely related to Kraftwerk's earlier album, so "Autobahn", as a whole, can be seen as a combination of "farewell to the good old keyboard-centered krautrock days" and "welcome to a brand new world of musical electronics all of our own".

Ok, Autobahn has a following. That's good but it is no where near as good as a TD release. Forget a period comparison either. Far too commercial and more like an older version of the band Yello ( remember them?)

If anything Kraftwerk remind me of a very commercial Faust, but just to add this album did reach the masses and ' Highway' desperately struggles to achieve progressive status. I am glad they are on this site though even to just certify how contrite and poor their sound was compared to their illustrious peers of the time/s. Sorry but not even close.

There is an overriding feeling of bliss that transcends over the atmospheric driving anthem of the 22 minute title track on Kraftwerk's fourth album. There is no other choice but to get saturated in the rhythm and mood of the music, something which could be the equivalent to going for a long floating drive while escaping through the effects of ecstasy, while comfortably aware and accepting of the dangers... The lines float in and out and all around your head, the transient lyric which at first sounds dated then functions to hypnotise the listener with a beautiful ease....The B side draws another facet of the band, shorter pieces bringing a darker tone, which bridge both sides together even if it is still a little low key when compared with the lengthy trip of "Autobahn". "Kometenmelodie 1" is certainly an experimental mechanical piece but by the end of Autobahn a more organic tone winds down the journey with a haunting solo flute to end the drive.

Kraftwerk's fourth album was their first international success, and the first to feature what was to become their trademark sound. For all its status as a landmark in the development of electronic music and as a conceptual masterpiece, it was actually neither of those things; it was the last Kraftwerk album to feature conventional instruments (although they were very much secondary to the synthesiser and electronic percussion) and only the epic title track can be considered conceptual. It was really the work of a band in transition, and heralded the arrival of two key players in the band's development over the next few years - drummer turned electronic percussionist Wolfgan Flur and sleeve designer and occasional lyricist Emil Schult.

The title track evolved from a journey down the autobahn in a grey mercedes with a tape recorder picking up the sounds of the traffic. Kraftwerk's hommage to the enormous highways criss crossing Germany's industrial heartland was considered controversial in some quarters. The autobahn was a legacy of the Third Reich, an episode in recent history that German popular culture had so far avoided confronting. This was a good indicator of what was to come - Kraftwerk were always aware of the darker, more sinister aspects of the high tech, industrial world that they wrote about, and their work was full of ambiguity, subversion and ominous warnings. The piece itself combines found sounds with a motorik beat (something they had in common with Neu!, who had worked with Kraftwerk shortly before this album) and almost classical melodies. The 'fahn fahn fahn' refrain (it means drive drive drive) is a sly nod to the Beach Boys, and bits of guitar and flute add a human element to the almost robotic feel of much of the track. As other reviewers have noted this track is hypnotic and trance like, and it actually feels like you're driving a brand new car on a new, perfectly smooth motorway.

The second half of the album is purely instrumental, and shows a gift for melody that had only been hinted at on earlier albums. Kommetonmelodie 1 is rather sombre, but segues into the gorgeous part 2 which is light, breezy and melodic. Mitternacht is another low key piece, and the album ends with an almost folky piece played on flutes and recorders (the last time purely acoustic instruments would feature on a Kraftwerk album).

Kraftwerk's prog credentials are debatable, but they were a crucial part of the German electronic music scene of the 1970s and remain hugely influential cross many genres to this day. Few bands have combined lyrics, melody, rhythm and visual imagery so intelligently and to such great effect, and they should be considered essential listening for any open minded music fan.

If ever there was an album that proves that complexity is not essential for quality in music then "Autobahn" is it in my opinion. This is a minimalist gem. Every time I listen to it I marvel at how clever it is. For 1974 KRAFTWERK were way ahead of their time (a decade ahead?). Loads of synthesizer but with a totally different approach to that of TANGERINE DREAM (or other synthesizer-centric contemporaries such as TRIUMVIRAT, ELP and WAKEMAN, for that matter).

The nearly 23-minute track 'Autobahn' is a work of electronic art. It's just so German, so Bauhaus, it's unbelievable. The use of synthesizers to evoke the feeling of travelling along an autobahn is perfect: the boom of the road; the Doppler 'neeeeeaahhh' of cars whizzing past in the other direction; the throbbing beat of passing pylons, bridges and lampposts; the sound of the wipers; the hiss of water on the asphalt; horns blaring; the mesmerising pulse; the chant - at one point made to sound like it's coming from the twiddling of the tuning knob on an analogue car radio - and the shear monotony of it, pounding into your brain. And yet I find myself humming or tapping my foot to much of this. The synthesizer is not trying to duplicate the sounds of the autobahn; it's evoking them musically in a catchy and hypnotic fashion. What's more hypnotic than a long car journey on an autobahn?

'Kometenmelodie 1' is dark and moody, and could be the background music to a spacewalk (not surprising, given the track name) - I find it very atmospheric. 'Kometentmelodie 2' lifts the gloom and quickly breaks into a catchy piece of electronica that the jerky dance style of the 1980s would suit. 'Mitternacht' sounds, as the name suggests, spooky. The night sounds from the synthesizer, the plinking, the hooting, the baying, and the hissing. 'Morgenspaziergang' uses synthesizer like the morning calls and noises of a whole host of birds. It really is the dawn chorus. Then the repetitive, simple flute (almost cuckoo-like), acoustic guitar and piano continue to evoke the feeling of the early morning. I can almost see the mist lying on the fields as I walk along the path. This is an excellent and relaxing ending to the album.

I realise that this stuff is not for everybody. If you want ornate Progressive Rock or 'space music' à la TANGERINE DREAM then look elsewhere. If you want an oeuvre of mesmerising analogue electronic music from a bygone era that is superficially accessible yet clever then check it out. It doesn't sound dated to me and I believe it to be something special, avant-garde at the time of release and - to me at least - very pleasing. You have to crank the sound up on a good sound system when you know you won't be disturbed. Listen. Sometimes less is more. I'm sorely tempted to award 5 stars to this album but there are other albums that I would take first to that desert island, so I'll settle for 4 stars (excellent addition to any progressive music collection). Nevertheless, it's a classic.

'Autobahn' was released in 1974 and was 'Kraftwerk's' fourth album. While the first three records moved on a common ground of avantgarde-electronic music, 'Autobahn' would not only take a differebt direction , but introduced a musical revolution that still shows it's effects today.

In the beginning of 1974 the group decided to buy a 'Mini-Moog'( a more affordable version of his big brother), but at this time still a big investement. Now the 'Moog' was either used for athmospheric music like the one of 'Tangerine Dream' or early 'Popol Vuh' or for Pop-music like 'Popcorn', the infamous 'Hot Butter' hit in 1972. (or in the case of Wendy Carlos classical adaptions) .

'Kraftwerk' were more interested in the 'pop'-potential of synthesized music and in particular the fonction of the sequenzer allowing to create rhythmic and /or melodic patterns. Remember, in this time the music industry still smiled at this 'electronic gadget' and the non-music produced by it, but 'Kraftwerk' already saw the concept of de-humanized robot music-, music played by machines, quite an avant-garde concept in the time of keyboard wizzards playing scales at increasing speed up and down the keyboard.

Side One contains the long title track 'Autobahn'. The theme of the endlessly enfolding motorway fitted quite nicely with the monoton rhythmic pattern. The German artist Emil Schult, long time friend of 'Kraftwerk', designed the cover, a naive painting of a typical German highway with a VW beetle, the average man's car on the right lane and a Mercedes, a rich man's car on the left lane and the sun glowing in the corner, an ironic comment on the after war Germany.

The long track had a quite traditional verse chorus song form stretched out to 22 minutes interwoven with car noises.The vocals followed the same irony as the cover, an simple catch phrase "Wir fahr'n, fahr'n, fahr'n auf der Autobahn" (We drive, drive, drive on the motorway), sounding strangely like 'fun, fun, fun auf der Autobahn.(and getting them the nick name of the German Beach Boys inthe States) The simple song structure made it easy to reduce the long track to a single( one of the reasons for the huge success of the record in the states, BTW the first single with German lyrics to show up in the charts reaching number 25,(the LP stayed number 5 for 22 weeks!!) , with big airplay on FM and AM radios, and showing that the Americans were much more sensible to 'Kraftwerk's pop-potential, while 'Kraftwerk' had difficulties to change their image in Germany.

Side two is a continuation of the first 3 records. 'Kometenmelodie 1 and 2' both build around a simple melody line K1, a slow version and K2 an uptempo 'dance tune'. 'Mitternacht' is a short athmospheric track à la 'Tangerine Dream ' and 'Morgenspaziergang' a tongue in cheek illustration of a 'mornig walk in the sunshine'.

'Autobahn' was going to be a blueprint for every kind of intelligent dance music to come and influenced namely Bowie, Eno , Front 242 , the whole Chicago-Hous- scene up to Techno and other forms of pop music.

A masterpiece and one of the most important records of the 70's.

Someone gave me a copy of this album many years ago when I was a kid. They had purchased it thinking it was more of a Beach Boys 'Little Deuce Coupe' or something like that, but they were disappointed that it turned out to be this cold, minimalist Kraut kind of thing instead. I had the same impression and, except for a few listens while somewhat stoned where I thought the sounds of cars 'moving' through my headphones was kind of interesting, this album largely gathered dust on my shelf for many years. Some things just don't transfer well across cultures. I was, after all, living in mid-western America in the early 70's, the Cold War was still going full force, and there was a broad spectrum of more friendly psychedelic, symphonic prog, and even modern blues-influenced music to listen to. The repetitive synthetic tones of a couple of robotic technophiles just didn't do anything for me spiritually or emotionally, and for me at the time, music just needed to evoke some emotion - and borderline catatonia didn't count. Sorry if that offends any Kraftwerk fans, it's just my opinion.

Several years later when bands like Gary Numan, Devo, and even Flock of Seagulls came along with their pure electronica sound, I tried to get into this album once again, but no luck. It still bored me to tears. No doubt these and many other synthetic bands, along with a whole generation of basement musicians with their Commodores and Midi players, were influenced by Kraftwerk. So too were some of the electronic dance bands of the later 70's and early 80's, I suppose -Throbbing Gristle, Art of Noise, Thomas Dolby, and the like, so Kraftwerk gets credit as one of the pioneers of the genre, but this album isn't even the best work they ever did. The Kraftwerk 1 and 2 albums were less well-known in the States, and I never even heard them until the mid-80's when there was a bit of a renewed interest in the band after their Computer World release (which is still a bit more well-known here than Autobahn), but these albums were certainly more interesting to listen to, if for no other reason than they offered a bit more variety with the added percussion at least.

Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream, and even more cabaret-oriented groups like Human League and New Order really perfected the techno sound in the 80's by interjecting at least a sense of bored melodies and heroin-like stoicism in their music. While most of that was depressing, at least it had some emotional spark, which was more than I was ever able to get out of Autobahn.

The 20-plus minute cover tune was undoubtedly an ambitious and creative concept in the early 70's when computer-driven sequencing machines and programmable keyboards weren't available that would basically allow any lives-with-his-Mom techno nerd to become a recording 'musician'. Kraftwerk at least had the distinction of making their music largely one note at a time, and with actual orchestrated arrangements, so they get a nod for that. There's even a hint of violin and a small amount of guitar, particularly on the minor tracks on the reverse of the album (Kometenmelodie #1 and #2, and the rather odd Mitternacht - I really have no idea what that one is about). I believe there's even a flute that works its way into the background from time to time (unless that's synthetic too), but overall the only real variety that's detectable is the short dead space of the needle pops between songs.

The final track, Morgenspaziergang, is supposed to represent some kind of bizarro- world stroll through a meadow or something, kind of a Robot Frank meets Central Park, I guess. Again, this was probably a novel concept thirty-plus years ago, but unfortunately it doesn't wear well with time.

Today of course these sounds can be generated by anyone with a cheap PC and some sound effects shareware program, or frankly even ripped off of a Sims game CD. True, these won't have the aura of early authenticity of the Autobahn album, but the sound can be had elsewhere. Unfortunately for bands like Kraftwerk, they may have been ahead of their time with their circuit board-inspired sound thirty years ago, but the significance of their accomplishment has been lost over time with the tidal wave of technological advancements in electronic music since then.

This is certainly a critical album for Kraftwerk and techno fans, but it wasn't even considered a pivotal release when it came out in 1974. Some bands that were ahead of their time years ago have now become elder statesmen for genres that are considered more mainstream today. I'm afraid that in Kraftwerk's case, the techno sound that has evolved over the past thirty years simply serves to underscore the fact that their sound was perhaps early, but certainly not timeless. Two stars seems like the right mark for this one.

peace

Autobahn, great album title dont you think?

This is one of the most popular Kraftwerk`s works, in fact, my mother knew this album before me, (thats weird) i dont understand why yet, but anyway. Kraftwerk is maybe one of the pioneers of Progressive Electronic music, that point gives them automatically a bit of respect, and in fact this is nother band from Germany, it is a country which has made great electronic bands suchs as Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel.

Well ,here because it is electronic music ( and maybe some Krautrock sound), we can listen looots of synthesizers, great electronic sound, always changing, a nice landscape in every song, and of course this music is always progressing, some nices changes to different moods, and musically is a nice album, maybe when we hear a strong synth, behind it, there are piano notes, which make it more special, but talking about voice, i dont like the voices here, maybe because im not a huge fan of German language, and of course i dont understand anything, but for me the voice is not good, the first song "Autobahn" is a 23 minute song, a like it because it has some nice changes, but i think it could be sometimes repetitive and boring, as usual as progressive electronic is, great soundscapes , a very creative album, i enjoy it , but only sometimes, it is not an album that i play continuous, only when i had the whim, i take it to my stereo. "Kometenmelodie" parts 1 and 2 are great songs, shorter than Autobahn, but still good. "Mitternacht" is the shortest of them all, and i think its is unusual to see a 4 minute song for a Prog Electronic band, the last song is "Morgernspaziergang", the whole album is good, sometimes strange and a bit boring, with robotical and space sounds, if youre fan of this kind of music, im sure you will enjoy this album.

I want to clarify something, i think, well, im sure that this album is Essential , Essential = 5 stars, i think that because all prog fan and collector must have this album in their collection, but im convinced that this is NOT a masterpiece of progressive music masterpiece of progressive music = 5 stars. So, because of that, im giving it 4 stars.

Let me begin by saying that Autobahn is a stone cold classic. It brought Kraftwerk into the public eye and transformed electronica forever. That being said, it's really not that great of an album.

The title track is charming and fun, but in all honesty it goes on for too long and suffers from a shortage of ideas. Maybe it's just the copy I have, but the mix seems quite low and all the subtleties are hard to hear.

Kometenmelodie 1 & 2 are two versions of the same song, one fast and one slow. It's a good idea, but the melody in question isn't really strong enough to warrant it, although the second half taken on its own is quite nice.

For me, the highlight of the album lies in the last two tracks. Mitternacht is a very well done, atmospheric instrumental that conjures up images of of dark solitude perfectly. Morganspaziergang contrasts well, with a cheerful flute melody that is reminiscent of the band's earlier albums.

As I said, this album is a classic, but ultimately Kraftwerk would make much more successful music in their later albums.

I will do my best to be objective, which is difficult as: 1. Electronic is not my cup of tea. 2. This album was experienced very early in my life and not overplayed, thus gets big familiarity credit.

Autobahn is one of the earliest canned beat albums I know of. It is void of musical complexity in any sense of the word. Yet it is enjoyable. The 20+ minute title track is, as the name might imply, the musical equivalent of a Sunday drive. The sounds are presented with almost a childlike innocence as Kraftwerk attempt to portamento their Moog to make it sound like a car driving by at a high rate of speed. Much of the rest of the album recalls the early days of the New Age music movement with highly transient sounds. The closer "Morgenspaziergang" is a warm melody for an ethreal cap to the album.

I give 3 stars to Autobahn for nostalgia sake, even though I am not predisposed to any enjoyment of electronic (especially modern). I should expect that many fans of the genre would rate it even stronger for said nostalgia.

As I have said in an earlier ''Kraftwerk'' review, I first discovered ''Radio Activity'' and then dug backwards into their catalogue; but not further than ''Autobahn'' in those remote days (1975).

The music that is featured here is much more accessible than on their previous recordings (but this was not difficult). Their style is very much set in place, and the band is now ready for world recognition.

IMO, it is also their best album so far. Electronic music at its best, this album develops some fine melodies and it sounds much more organized that their first two albums which were quite an experimental affair. The repetitive side of their music is brought to its extreme during the side long (on the vinyl) title track, but the synth work does bring some variety in here (yes!). I obviously think that it is more fun than great but I have liked this track pretty much back then.

I wouldn't speak of gem, marvel or jewel but this album is quite a decent one. Even if you aren't a deep lover of this sort of minimalist work (which is my case in general), one has to admit that ''Kraftwerk'' put some good stuff together in this album.

To some extent, I would say that this work is quite important in terms of influence for such an album as ''Low'' from Bowie (which will see the light three years later - I'm talking about ''Low'' of course). This feeling is fully palpable during both of ''Kometenmelodie''. This is an obvious source of inspiration of the great B-side from ''Low''. Part two is probably the finest music available on ''Autobahn''. A real good melody with some more ''warmth'' than usual.

Some dark and scary mood for ''Mitternacht'' (midnight) is a fine break. Only some repetitive keys note which provide a gloomy atmosphere. Not joyful music of course, but I quite appreciate this short number (which is not the case of the closing ''Morgenspazierga'').

In all, ''Autobahn'' is a good album. I would probably have rated with seven out of ten if it was possible (but this option doesn't seem to be available on PA, which is a PITA). Since I can't really raise this effort to four stars, three is the final score.

|C| A few great musical ideas spread too thin over the course of the album.

That pretty much sums up one of electronic prog group Kraftwerk's more well know albums, Autobahn. It apparently has pretty good historical points for the development of electronic music in Europe, or at least enough so that my AOR pop rock listening parents had heard of and bought the vinyl in the late seventies, which is why I have it today. I remember looking through my parents' old albums a few months ago and saw this album made by the band Kraftwerk, and thought, "hey wait a minute, isn't that one of the electronic prog bands on the Archives?" I looked at the track listing and was like "dude, it has an epic! Sweet, I can't wait to here this!" On first listen, it sounded really cool, I'd never heard electronic prog before so this was a pretty important album for me to hear. Overall, I am quite pleased with it, and it's definitely one of the better albums from my parents' meager record collection. It has some great melodies and use of keyboard sound effects, but overall the texture of most of the album was too thin and repetitive to really raise it to a four in my book.

Side A, the epic album title track, Autobahn (translating to Highway) is the case where just about all of the musical ideas were wonderful, but they were so overused, extended, and thinly scored for such a lengthy amount of time that it took away from the overall quality of the epic. It was very much like having great toast with great butter, but you had so little butter you had to spread it too thin, resulting in every bite being pretty good but always giving you the feeling there should have been more too it than that. That's pretty close to the feeling I got listening to the album as a whole, especially the epic. Too thin and too repetitious, after sixteen minutes it's like, "okay, I've heard this plenty of times now" and would just get a bit boring. However, the production, composition, and keyboard use, although thinly scored, is really very good.

Side B also included quite thin and overly extended tracks, but overall introduced newer material more constantly, which kept it fairly interesting. Comet Melody 2 is probably my favorite track on the album, here we get more dense textures. Morning Walk was a very interesting track, it included mostly keyboard parts creating forest sound effects; first introduced is the bird chirping sounds, then added are the sound of a stream (sort of reminding me of the intro to Close to the Edge) and the slight roaring sound of the waterfall. All combined they make a pleasing woodsy atmosphere effect, and then added to that is the main melody of the track, played by the keyboard sounding like a recorder, creating a very delightful track.

Overall there are no really weak sounding moments throughout the album, but not too many strong moments either, although there are occasional glimpses of brilliance. This album probably could have been a masterpiece, or very close to it, if there were more material of this quality condensed into a smaller space, this would be a killer album. But thus it falls more in the above average category. I recommend this album to listeners of this kind of music and fans of Kraftwerk. Otherwise, there's really nothing essential about this album.

"Autobahn" is the 4th full-length studio album by German experimental electronic pop/ rock act Kraftwerk. The album was released through Philips/Vertigo in November 1974. Kraftwerk started their career as a krautrock group but slowly started to incorporate more and more electronic elements into their sound with each album they released. "Autobahn" is the first album in their more dominant "electronic" phase. The music is still experimental in nature and if you´re familiar with their first three albums it´s obvious that Kraftwerk still have elements of the more ambient/experimental krautrock style featured on "Autobahn".

In my world the 22:30 minute long title track, which filled the whole of Side 1 of the original LP, is by far the most interesting track on the album. It´s also the track which mostly reminds me of the later electronic pop/rock that Kraftwerk are predominantly known for (even though the music on the album features some organic instruments like flute, violin and guitar). I really appreciate the memorable and simple themes as well as the repetitive electronic rythm. The "Autobahn" track is the first Kraftwerk track to feature vocals and the only track on this album to feature them. "Autobahn" was a commercially successful track in the 3:27 minutes long single version and single handedly put the band on the international music map. It features both "regular" vocals and vocoder processed vocals. Side 2 of the Original LP features four tracks which even after repeated listens don´t appeal much to me. They are too ambient, repetitive and not memorable enough.

So even though the obvoiusly great musicianship and the high quality sound production are assets that pull my rating up, the varying quality and entertainment level of the material on "Autobahn", drag it down a bit. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

Autobahn is a difficult album to judge. I remember both me and big brother were rather disappointed with it and frankly, I didn't check out any kraut again until I had become a fan of the bands that were inspired by it. Our main issue with Autobahn was the lifelessness of it. Of course the 23 minute nihilism of Autobahn was fun the first time but it wears thin rather quickly.

Another issue I first had was the lack of melody. I was raised on symphonic prog so this sparse minimalism was a bit too much (or too less?) to take back then. I can appreciate it a lot more now but compared to the following albums, this still remains not much more then a transitory album between their early kraut (Morgenspazierung, Mitternacht) and the techno direction they would take later one.

The first 5 minutes of Autobahn and the Kometenmelodie2 are the only tracks that reveal where Kraftwerk was heading for. For me the album is a historical document but not much more then that.

This was the breakthrough album for Kraftwerk and Autobahn was quite progressive electronic track for its time. The 22+ minute album-titled composition marks this albums biggest highlight but time has aged the music here much too fast. The sound is just not what it used to be and, in my opinion, the performance tends to drag on for too long. The rest of the material featured here is nothing too spectacular and I would rather recommend listening to some of the lesser tracks from the later Kraftwerk albums instead.

1974 was a significant year for electronic music and, together with Phaedra, Autobahn marked a renaissance in the development of a new genre. Personality I've never been a huge fan of either of these two early electronic releases because both of these bands would make even better music later on in their individual careers. Still both of these releases were undeniably important and therefore should not be missed out on if you're even remotely a fan of the genre and its current state of development.

**** star songs: Highway (Autobahn) (22:30) Comet Melody 2 (Kometenmelodie 2) (5:44) Midnight (Mitternacht) (4:40)

*** star songs: Comet Melody 1 (Kometenmelodie 1) (6:20) Morning Walk (Morgenspaziergang) (4:00)

"Fun fun fun with the Autobahn!"

Kratftwerk launched in to the stratosphere with "Autobahn" after a mediocre start of some very forgettable music that nobody understood except the underground crowd and fans of Krautrock. The title track features a very lengthy excursion onto the freeway where cars leap into unbelievable speeds to get from point A to B. The acceleration of motors and cars that fly by is mimicked with incredible precision by the music particularly in the middle instrumental section that is accompanied by a low drone and Mini Moog. The honking sounds and Doppler effect of cars swooshing by are unforgettable. The heartbeat rhythms and driving timelessness are indicators of one of the most innovative German groups.

They didn't just break down barriers they demolished them with a ferocity that is unequalled in music of the era. The title track was a side long masterpiece and worth the purchase of the album alone. But it took on a whole new vibe when radio stations picked it up, butchered it to a mere 3 minutes or so and played it in the 70s to an unsuspecting audience.

Of course Kraftwerk became household names in Germany and indeed enjoyed worldwide success with 'Autobahn'. I believe listeners would have received a shock though as the rest of the album simply defies description and is nowhere as accessible as the tuneful melodies of the title track.

The weird high strangeness of side 2's tracks are peculiar and way off centre , and I remember as a child being absolutely petrified of 'Mitternacht' in particular with is scary effects. The other side 2 tracks are repetitious and dull. However it is what it is and 'Autobahn' was the beginning of greatness for these most influential progenitors of techno pop and progressive electronic.

Koln to Bonn in under 23 minutes

"Autobahn" (the German word for Freeway or Motorway) was the 1974 album which delivered a first taste of critical and major commercial success for Krafkwerk. The move into the big league was entirely down to the editing of the 22+ minute title track to become a 3 minute single. That single found some chart success in the US and even greater success in the UK and Europe.

By the time of "Autobahn", Kraftwerk had already gone through line up changes, but the core duo of Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter would remain together into the 21st century. Due credit should also be paid to engineer Konrad Plank who worked with the band on their early albums, and was responsible for transforming the base tracks for this album into what we actually hear. This would however be Plank's last collaboration with the band.

The album consists of the monster title track which occupies the whole of side one of the original LP, plus a quartet of 4-6 minute tracks on side 2. The track "Autobahn" is an audio sketch of a high speed journey from Cologne in Germany to Bonn, the former West German capital. Given that these roads had no speed limits, presumably 22 minutes and 30 seconds is a feasible time for that journey! The piece is the first by Kraftwerk to feature vocals, although these are brief and largely monotone, and the first to feature their newly acquired minimoog. These innovations afforded the band the opportunity to vary the sound more, although the self imposed mechanical restraints which are now familiar to us, are very much enforced throughout. Repetition, synthesised sounds and occasional sound effects are the overriding motifs which dominate the track, the results seeming highly original to the audience of the day. Indeed, those who approached the album on the basis of the 3 minute single would probably have been somewhat taken aback by the apparent inaccessibility of the extended version.

The tracks on the second side of the LP are loosely based around a theme of the passing of a night. There are no vocals at all on these four tracks, the music consisting to a greater extend of ambient soundscapes painted on synthesiser and minimoog. The opening pair of tracks on this side were inspired by the comet Kohoutek passing through the night sky (It also inspired a track by Argent on their "Nexus" album which has a slightly Kraftwerk feel to it). While the inspiration for the two sections may have been common to both, musically there is little to link them together, part 2 being much more lively and upbeat with pleasing polyphonic synth sounds.

"Mitternacht"("Midnight") is the least musical of the tracks on the album, the focus being on ambient noises rather than anything tuneful. The closing track "Morgenspaziergang" ("Morning Walk") begins in similar fashion, but real flute (not synthesised) introduces a peaceful repeating melody to close the album.

In today's context, the rudimentary, almost clumsy nature of the title track in particular may bemuse a younger audience. Those of us who were there at the time though will remember this album with some affection. At the time it was without doubt one of the most innovative and original albums commercially available. Strangely, to this day the album has managed to avoid release at mid-price, an accolade reserved only for a few chosen artists and albums.

Incidentally, it was Germany's ability to move their troops and equipment rapidly via the Autobahns during the second world war which inspired President Eisenhower to commission the interstate system for the USA. The UK approach has been more haphazard, resulting in journey times today more akin to a slow ballad.

"Die fahrbahn ist ein graues band, weisse streifen, grüner rand"

Autobahn was not Kraftwerk's debut, but it surely was their breakthrough album. I cannot compare it with the hard-to-find earlier albums as I have never heard any of them, but compared with their subsequent output it is certainly one of the best ones. The 22 plus minute title track of this album is a true classic of electronic music, and dare I say of music in general? It is also the only progressive (as opposed to experimental) composition by Kraftwerk as I know them. (Progressive yes, but it is not Prog by any means if by the latter term is understood progressive Rock, as this is not Rock). This conceptual piece about traveling on the German motorways does indeed progress and different themes replace each other to return at a later stage. It is melodic, well-structured and, again, progressive. Electronic music is usually not my cup of tea, but Autobahn is indeed a charming piece and undoubtedly a milestone in the Progressive Electronic genre. The lyrics are a bit silly and if you don't understand German (though only very basic skills are required here!), you are not missing much on this occasion!

Autobahn was recorded before Kraftwerk became a (proto-) Synth Pop band and this is not quite as sterile, cold and robotic as some later efforts. It is also much less minimalistic as we hear not only electronic sounds here, but also some acoustic ones like piano and flute.

The second half of the album is clearly not up to par with the epic first, but even here we find some good material. Kometenmelodie 1 and Mitternacht are rather dull electronic experiments, but nothing offensive at all. Kometenmelodie 2 and Morgenspaziergang are a bit more interesting and the former features some appealing synthesiser solos.

I'm very far from an expert on Progressive Electronic, but I would say that this is a pretty good place to start investigating the genre. It is certainly a good place to start your investigation of Kraftwerk.

The last time I heard this album I really enjoyed it, so I feel at liberty to take pot shots at the opener, knowing that overall I'll like it when it finishes. 'Autobahn' is a likeable synthetic album that always seems to add up to nothing when you reach the end. Unnoticed by many is the fact that this sleeve along with 'Radioaktivatet' have allusions to the Third Reich. Hitler's Autobahns, his car of choice being the Mercedes and his promise to all Germans of a Volkswagen Beetle are all on display on the bright, colourful sleeve.

This is their first electronic album where the death knell of Florian Schneider's flute comes to pass. The title track - 'Autobahn' lasts a full 22 minutes and is as hammy as hell, but always good in an entertaining, but shallow way. It's' full of tinny percussion and paper thin vocals and displays a lack of vision as it meanders from one theme to the next. It's like the musical equivalent of watching a 'Noddy and Big Ears' outing on a Sunday driving picnic. Maybe that was the point?

Thankfully things pick up on side two. Here's where the influential side of Kraftwerk kicks in. There's many similarities with Bowie's 'Low' from '76. A far more serious affair with lots of innovative keyboards being executed in an austere manner. Sadly, there's the rather shoddy flute outro that is clearly a remnant of their prog origins.

What's worse is that we still have two more years to go before the grey and bland 'Radioaktivatet' is released, before a massive upswing in robotic inspiration which leads to three great albums in a row .

Autobahn is highly regarded as one of the best, if not the best, Kraftwerk album. Definitely essential listening in the Kraftwerk catalog, this album stands out as being fun, energetic, and one of their most progressive overall.

Before this album, Kraftwerk were firmly placed in the krautrock style, but ultimately decided to progress their style into creating electronic pictures that still retained the krautrock punk energy. Autobahn shows Kraftwerk at their creative best. The title tracks goes on for over 22 minutes and displays quite a good bit of progressive electronic and post-krautrock feel. It moves at a steady mid-pace as electronic sounds fade in and out of the periphery. The robotic vocals progressively get more and less robotic through the duration, and the mood ranges from optimistic to very dark and mechanical. To me, this track shows both sides of what automobiles bring to the world: high enjoyment and extreme danger. Tempo and time changes also occur, which is usually of interest to the progressive listener.

Following the title track are a few more electronic tracks of the more experimental variety. "Kometenmelodie 1" is a fading and droning monster with an arrhythmic pulse and whistle-like breath, though it isn't entirely a pessimistic picture. Glistening cascades of robotic keys also fill the frame. "Kometenmelodie 2" is a poppy pre-dance-electo with a steady beat. "Mitternacht" is the sound of a severely industrialized community and it's mechanical inhabitants. The sounds of the factories let off steam and warning alarms blare, in addition to squeeking robot shoes and the dripping of condensation. "Morgenspaziergang" is a whimsical and delightful experiment that brings up images of green grass and flittering butterflies, and the sounds of faun's wooden flute definitely standout here.

Highly recommended work of robotic imagery.

Kraftwerk's breakthrough album sees them adopt a cold, stark, predominantly synthesised sound which somehow manages to be catchy and pop-friendly would eventually exert a huge influence over the new wave (particularly artists like Gary Numan). A few acoustic sounds slip in here and there, but the strong emphasis on synthesisers is already becoming apparent, and would eventually be relied on to an almost cartoonish extent by the band - but here, the transitional nature of the album means it's of more than usual interest to fans of their earlier Krautrock style. Definitely worth a listen and unquestionably a historical album, but the title track does go on for a bit and some of the synths sounds have not dated well.

Kraftwerk has to be admired for one thing and that would be that they found a place in popular music for electronic music which has helped spur several periods after the release of Autobahn of when electronic music has been well accepted among the masses. Although straightforward electronic music is not always my preference or my strong point in progressive rock, I do enjoy listening to it once in a while.

Regardless of my own preferences and that I usually seem to be attracted to the more experimental side of electronic music than the popular side, I have always been a lover of both "Autobahn" and "Trans Europe Express" having been a passenger on both back in the early 80s and I have loved the way that both of these tracks have effectively captured those experiences. I can close my eyes and it's just like I am back in Europe and the atmosphere of the way of life is manifest in the music and in my mind. Since "Autobahn" is on this album, it is a personal favorite of mine. I love how it captures the essence of travelling through Europe in a way that only those that have experienced it can relate. And the nicest thing is, this is a 22 minute track which seems to be broken up into a "theme and variations" type piece which never seems to wear out it's welcome. Some people may find it sounds dated, but if it is, that doesn't bother me. It reflects the time that I spent in Europe, so it works for me.

The second side (or half) of the album consists of 4 tracks. The first two are linked as part 1 and 2 of Komentenmelodie (Comet Melody). You can hear why they are linked as you listen to them even though they are distinct; part 1 being a study in minimalism and part 2 sounding like an attempt at making another popular track with a boogie feel to the supporting instrumentals. Neither one of these are ground breaking or stand out tracks really. Track 4 is named Mitternacht (Midnight) I find to be a more experimental track and I find it a lot more interesting. It is aptly titled as I feel that it portrays midnight quite adequately. Nice sound, calming but not as minimalistic as track 2. The last track is a very nice melody which is very accessible yet nice to listen to in a very simple way.

Overall, I think Kraftwerk made a very nice album here with a lot of variety and not the feeling of sameness that a lot of the electronic artists seem to have problems with. Historically, I think this is an important album but technically, it is nothing new or special and that is always not a bad thing. If you are interested in electronic music, it is an excellent addition. If you want to enter into the world of electronic music, this is a great place to start.

Contrary to what the band itself would have you believe, "Autobahn" wasn't Kraftwerk's debut album. Ralf and Florian have officially denied the existence of anything recorded prior to their 1974 breakaway hit, but despite its reputation as a pioneering slice of embryonic electronica the record was actually the last of their formative efforts, sharing more common ground with the band's Krautrock roots than with the robotic archetypes of later albums.

In retrospect the 22-minute title song was an obvious preview of coming attractions. But at the time the band was still more Man than Machine, with flutes and guitars very much in evidence, notably on Side Two of the original LP, divided into four shorter instrumental tracks. "Kometenmelodie" presented a more symphonic refinement of their earlier techno-pop single (dropping any reference to the cosmic dud of Comet Kohoutek); "Mitternacht" was a darker, ambient refugee from the band's experimental adolescence; and the gentle flute of "Morgenspaziergang", complete with tacky electronic birdsong, quietly reprised the "Autobahn" melody in a nice bit of understated (acoustic) closure.

Nothing too revolutionary, which may be why the latter half of the LP is often dismissed as filler. But in career terms the album has to be considered a landmark recording, breaking new ground (for both the band and for musical posterity) by embracing the brave new world of synthesizers in a pop music format. Before "Autobahn", most electronic innovators (think TANGERINE DREAM) were stuck in a deep exploratory rut. But Ralf and Florian made the canny decision to abandon the influence of Stockhausen in favor of The Beach Boys, and the result was a hit that made them unlikely global superstars.

The next few Kraftwerk albums would define the newly-minted KlingKlang ideal for all time. But it's the lingering echoes of their closet avant-rock adolescence that make this album special: the still warm fossil of an all-too human impulse the band would soon and forever turn their backs on.

If what you want is a mishmash of the synth and sonic innovations accomplished a couple of years earlier by Pink Floyd, ELP, Amon Duul II, Roger Powell and Hawkwind delivered with the dead-behind-the-eyes glaze of an accountant or economist, this is the album for you. Most of the good parts feel like quotations of On The Run or Echoes or bits of Gong's Angel's Egg.

The titular pop-synth epic has the ambience of a terrible crash between two lorries full of skittles. The first part of Cometenmelodie just has nothing happening and the lack of a bottom end really leaves you feeling ungrounded for the glaring synths. I'm not going to spend fifty words review savaging the lackluster electronic drums or the floppy novelty vocals that no doubt gave it its hit status. I hate them. That is my whole opinion on the matter. In terms of the composition I can't hear much going on. Call it 'minimalist' if you like but I just can't hear anything I don't feel like I've heard before. The sonic effects on Mitternacht you can hear done with far more panache in Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast or Echoes and the brief padded chords are as bog standard as you get, leading to a conclusion where nothing happens, which seems to be the motif of this review.

The much lauded sonic innovations here were done earlier and better by artists working in a panoply of genres and there were tempered by ambition and ideas. The only redeeming piece is the closing Morganspazierung which reminds me of the psychedelic music that used to get attached to British children's TV in better days. Even that is kind of spared for its lack of ideas on account of a very short running length.

Rating: 2/15. Go to the source where the water's fresher. Favourite Track: Morganspazierung

One of the most influential albums of musical history of all times, Kraftwerk´s third album is definitely a landmark on contemporary music. I can understand the low ratings it got here on PA since their influence was mainly felt on dance and techno-pop genres, which a lot of progheads seems to have a deep love to hate them. However, their music open new roads into many different ways and it was, for the time, revolutionary and groundbreaking. By shedding away most of the avant guard elements (but not all of them), taking catchy melodies into electronic and giving them a steady beat, they did something unheard of. So much so that when an american manager asked them to release a 3 minute version of the title song in a single, the result was a top twenty hit in America! It was the first time a German band achieved that feat. And to top it all, it was sung in their native language!

But the album showed much more than that. The long version is quite bold and interesting: written to simulate a ride by car from Berlim to Bonn in their autobhan. USA, with its freeways might explain the unlike relation to the song, plus the vocal line is an obvious lift from the Beach Boys Barbara Ann. It was minimalist music taken to new heights. The remaining tracks are also good, although not as remarkable, with the exception of Kometenmelodie 2 (Comet Melody 2 ), with its beautiful melody line and driving beat. Mitternacht (Midnight ) is their link with the former avant guard/electronic past. Morgenspaziergang (Morning Walk ), on the other hand, is a bucolic piece, featuring acoustic piano and recorder (played by Florian Schneider), the last time they ever used acoustic instruments on record. For this LP the original masterminds Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter recruited two new members: Klaus Roeder (violin, guitar) and Wolfgang Flür (electronic percussion). Roeder is hardly noticed and soon would be gone, but Flür would become part of the so called "classic" line up, with future member Karl Bartos. Much credit must be due to legendary engineer and producer Konrad "Conny" Plank, who helped build the new sound and never got it.

It´s interesting to listen to this record today: It sounds a little "bland" and primitive. Maybe because it was so imitated. When David Bowie heard it and decided to adopted the style for himself the musical change was a long and powerful one. That would be hardly possible without Kraftwerk´s pioneering work. And the band would prove themselves to be no hoax in their future releases.

Rating: musically nowadays and for personal tastes maybe the record itself deserved only 4 stars, but for its historical importance there is no way to deny its classic status, and it is a masterpiece of progressive music. Love it or hate it. 5 stars.

Review Nº 548

Kraftwerk's influence in the "modern" music is so huge that it's rather difficult to pinpoint all its real dimensions. The group is responsible for popularizing the electronic music and is always remembered when we are talking about the origins of techno, electro, dance music and also of funk. However, being Kraftwerk one of the most important, revolutionary and influential groups in the history of the "modern" music, it's curiously one of the most unknown too. Kraftwerk survived to see the rhythmic patterns developed in the studio serving as the basis for electronics. Even so, their story remains shrouded in some mystery, largely because of their members are averse to any type of advertising.

Kraftwerk was founded in 1970 by Florian Schneider-Esleben (flute) and Ralf Hutter (keyboards) in Dusseldorf, Germany. They met when they studied at the Dusseldorf Conservatory in the late 60's, participating in the experimental music scene of the time, the movement later called Krautrock. The band had other members in their line up all over the years. In 2009, Schneider announced his departure from the band. So, only Hutter remained from the original line up.

The origin of the name Kraftwerk (Power Plant, Electrical Complex) comes from the place where the group's tests and experiments were carried out, a Refinery (Complex) in Dusseldorf. It's in this industrial ambient with the mechanical rumination of factories in the background that Kraftwerk records their first works, "Kraftwerk" in 1970, "Kraftwerk 2" in 1971 and "Ralf & Florian" in 1973, merging noise, sound, poetry and industrial folklore. The progression of the group's sound came gradually assimilated to technology and its elements. This dedication mixed with "genius" gave rise to the masterpiece "Autobahn" in 1974. With "Autobahn", Kraftwerk was able to create the glacial beauty of the cyber music.

"Autobahn" is an album with five tracks. The 22 minute of the title track became a big hit when it was released in edited form as a single, and that was quite an achievement for a song with German vocals. It begins with the slamming of a car door and the throaty whirr of an engine ignition, intro this iconic track, which takes up all the side one of the album. The track evokes the feeling of driving on the Autobahn, from journeying through the landscape, in the high-speed concentration of the fast lane, to tuning the car radio and the monotony of a long trip. It describes the A 555 from Cologne to Bonn, the first Autobahn. The track featured some of Kraftwerk's finest themes, built around sequenced electronic rhythm patterns. Schneider's atmospheric flute gives some passages an almost otherworldly feel, but he would unfortunately stop using it after this album. The band also used the electronic equipment to imitate the sounds of speeding cars along the Autobahn, and this experimentation was taken even further on the completely instrumental second side of the album. The 12 minute of the two-part "Kometenmelodie" feature lots of spacey sounds that illustrated flying comets, especially on the first part. Both parts were inspired by the Kohoutek comet, which passed close to Earth in 1973. "Kometenmelodie 1" is a ponderous, yet entrancing, piece of space-inspired electronica which serves as a preface to "Kometenmelodie 2". The theme from the first part had evolved completely in the second part, and should be counted as yet another classic Kraftwerk's theme. In contrast to "Kometenmelodie 1", "Kometenmelodie 2" embraces a structure and melody more akin to the title track of the album. "Kometenmelodie 2" was released both as a B side to the "Autobahn" single and as an A side follow up single in its own right. The gloomy and sinister "Mitternacht" lives up to its name, which means "Midnight". The sombre feel of this track seems at odds with the prevailing mood of the album, but lends to it a true ominous beauty. The rural "Morgenspaziergang" featured lots of electronic imitations of birds and running water, with a simple and repetitive melody played on flute. It's one of the most natural songs the band ever made. It belies their reputation for producing pure electronica. It also showcases the diversity of the album, delineating the track from the rest and ending the album on a true high point. The ending reintroduces a musical motif first heard in the instrumental section of "Autobahn". It's a potent end to a peerless album.

Conclusion: In 1974, Kraftwerk created an electronic epic. Five decades on, "Autobahn" is hailed as a masterpiece. At the heart of Kraftwerk was the relationship between humans and technology, were the synths dominated the sound, which was sparse, linear and rhythmic, but beneath the machine like ethos breathed elegant and enticing melody. On this album, Kraftwerk created a sound that was transformative and unique, a hypnotic and insistent electronic pulse populated by shimmering electronic keyboards, rhythm loops and trance like guitars. "Autobahn" is an album that saw man and machine working in perfect harmony. It was a pivotal step forward for contemporary music. It's a timeless and profound piece of work that still remains relevant, even today. It's an almost mystical reverence for the ordinary objects of an industrial world. "Autobahn" remains one of the best and most memorable electronic prog albums of the 70's.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)