NEU! 2

"Neu! 2" is uber exciting in it's quirkiness.

Neu!'s sophomore effort is too many times underrated, as it is in my book on the same level as the acclaimed debut, and is essential for the forming od the project's following album, "Neu! 75". It's ambition and boldness might turn off some people, or make them believe it's only pretentiousness, because what we have here in a few moments is pure avant-garde.

Compared to the debut, it looks that "Neu! 2" uses the same paradigm of the self titled but adds something to it: the sophomore is far more experimental, quirky, and straight-up weird. The rhythms are even more robotic and futuristic sounding, while the guitars are using even weirder effects (especially a lot of pitch change) and are even more abrasive in the lively moments, making Neu! one of the most influential bands for Punk and especially Post-Punk. Best way to describe this music seems to be Cyberpunk, in the end. But this is also groundbreaking for electronic music in general; many of the songs here are remixes, or little experimentations which are a result of messing around with old tapes. The use of soundscapes, sound collage and what else, has sure been used before, but never in such a context.

Cool and brave at the same time, "Neu! 2" has however one flaw only: some parts are a little boring and way too toned down: the effects these few moments have aren't really exhilarating and don't really do anything to the album. These moments are just pure fillers, and fillers usually are something that don't bother me.

This album is in fact at times hated for this reason, it is basically a collection of filler songs, each one of these different from the other: Examples of such variety are songs like "Lila Engel", with it's bizarre wild vocals, the drony "Super 16", the energy sprint of "Neuschnee 78", "Super 78" and the final song "Super", this last one the most Punkish song of the band. Finally, the dragging "Hallo Excentrico", and the opening eleven minute track which possibly is the most serious one and the one that most resembles the masterpiece of the debut album "HalloGallo".

"Neu! 2" is one of the most fun Krautrock albums ever written; courageous, ultra-strange, uber exciting. It's a shame that this album is sort of underrated compared to the other albums of the project, when it really maintains the same high qualities as the rest of their discography.

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