TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS [AKA: TRANS-EUROPA EXPRESS]

It was the first album I bougth from the band, before to discover their earliest efforts in free experimentations and minimal improvisations. "Trans Europe Express" is clearly among Kraftwerk's most popular efforts (according to me it belongs to a trilogy with "Autobahn" and "The Man Machine", published during the same period). This album is my favourite from their complex and clinical electronic pop era. The general ambience delivers a "glacial seduction" with clever arrengements and efficient, always recognizable melodies. The title track is amazingly progressive and minimalist at the same time, a very enigmatic epic, mechanical composition with hypnotic drum machines and mysterious synth waves. "Europe Endless" looks like more to humorous and catchy pop acts written by the band with an album as "Computer World" (also the cheesy parts of "Autobahn", recorded a few years before and which remains the turning point of Kraftwerk career). "The Hall of Mirrors" is a futuristic, dark electronic hymn with non emotional vocals. "Showroom dummies" is in the same mood, but much more expressive and spacey. "Franz Schubert" is a simplistic, melodic synth exercise within a primitive organic energy. To sum up things, "Trans Europe Express" features beautiful, easy listening electronic movements with the typical Kraftwerk signature.