Definitive Krautrock album?

well what is it?  oh and not what you think it is, what most think it is

Aaron

It is impossible, because it is like trying characterise the British or US rock scene with one classic album, only - there are too many sub-genres in Krautrock and no one album can be "typical". The acknowledged expert on Krautrock Alan Freeman (author with his brother of The Crack In The Cosmic Egg, said by Julian Cope, a Krautrock expert himself, to be the definitive book on the subject:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ultimathule-audion/audion.html#boo k

), told me to start with Can's Tago Mago, if I was going to listen to Krautrock in a serious way. (I had long survived before with only with jazz rockers Klaus Doldinger's Passport, Amon Duul II's Dance Of The Lemmings and Kraftwerk's Autobahn, before deciding to build up my collection). Because  of my jazz-leanings Freeman has taken me to Kraan, Eiliff, (earlier) Guru Guru, etc. along with Grobschnitt and more recently Vinegar. BTW because of the respect Freeman is held Atlantic Records commissioned him to compile the Passport compilation: Passport Contol (Connoisseur/Atlantic)  - also check:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ultimathule-audion/UT-catalog-krau trock.html

I seem to remember Magma got lumped under the Krautrock heading in the mid 70's - was this because of the multinational line-up or the style of music or what?

Krautrock covers a great diversity of influences from electronic, free form rock,  medieval, world to fusion jazz all plunged into a psychedelic mood...so it's real hard to present the ultimate Kraut trip...The major difference between Krautrock and the others prog scenes is an obvious spirit for totally free and improvised collective musical adventures...essentialy instrumental with a lot of experimentations in sound.

In one word it is the avant garde and psych side of prog rock...

-the two first KRAFTWERK: for experimental weird rock just before the machines

-CLUSTER (number two) : Proto electronic music with a delicate hypnotic touch 

- ASH RA TEMPEL (number one): free space epic journey

- AGITATION FREE "Malesch": blues psychedelic music with oriental influences

 -THE COSMIC JOKERS "intergalactic supermarket" : A cosmic adventure throw the unknwon

- AMON DUUL "Phallus Dei": acid collective rock

- POPOL VUH "In den Garden...": a deep meditation with lot of spacey arrengements

 -GURU GURU "UFO": Freak 'n roll

- KLAUS SCHULZE "Cyborg": electric organ compositions...transe space music. 

-NEU! (the first): repetitive experimental & instrumental rock

-YATHA SIDHRA "A meditation mass": Moog synth and acoustic music with a lot of oriental influences

If you need more precisions or others references of major Kraut albums, just ask me! 

diddy wrote: Grobschnitt is from Germany but is it Krautrock? I don't think so...

Sorry I'm the messenger here not the source of the message. When an apparent expert like Mr Freeman advises, then I presume he is talking from some point of confidence. If you what to argue with him directly, I'll find an e.mail address!!!!

You are right Diddy...however the term Krautrock is difficult to define...some say that it simply refers to the german rock from the seventies, some others say that it is german prog rock, at last a few say that it is the old german electro music...for me it's acid rock from germany and all the underground rock scene which emerged at the beginning of the seventies and first signed on the ohr label...

but I think the term came from the band FAUST

diddy wrote: Dick Heath wrote: diddy wrote: Grobschnitt is from Germany but is it Krautrock? I don't think so...   Sorry I'm the messenger here not the source of the message. When an apparent expert like Mr Freeman advises, then I presume he is talking from some point of confidence. If you what to argue with him directly, I'll find an e.mail address!!!!   ...I don't want to argue with anyone ! I just wanted to point out that a band is not automaticly Krautrock just because they are from germany, that's all...   peace

Teasing you - but sometimes experts need sorting. If you think I sound a bit categoric at times, then Alan Freeman is making an art out of categoric statements. I'm here to provide some input, which I hope is useful. But equally I'm here to learn and if necessary have my ideas "sorted" if wrong.

I owuld say - all things considered - the LP for me that most epitomised krautrock is the huge sprawling monsterpiece known as YETI by AMON DUUL II. For me anyhow, the teutonic atmosphere of this LP, the organic improvisational spirit, the textured (and sometimes annoyingly lax) attitude to mixing levels & production and the great mysterious lyrics & cover just make this the definitve kraut LP!

By the way, could I introduce myself as I'm new to the site - which is excellent by the way - espec. the mp3 d/loads available - I'm Dave Abel from Ormskirk, Lancashire, United Kingdom. (its near(ish) to Liverpool) and have been collecting & playing prog rock for many years - since about 1987.

I especially like krautrock and European prog, like Italy's Celeste, Saint Just, and PFM. Also like a lot of Swedish stuff like Anglagard, Kaipa etc - and much German music - my all time fave being POPOL VUH.