Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography
Kraftwerk - Autobahn CD (album) cover

AUTOBAHN

Kraftwerk

 

Progressive Electronic

3.59 | 375 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

TCat
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
4 stars 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.
TCat | 4/5 |

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Share this KRAFTWERK review

Social review comments () BETA







Review related links

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.