MICHAEL ROTHER

A newcomer might not hear a lot going on here. Simple, strummed guitar rhythms; uncomplicated melodies; minimal soloing...all accompanied by some of the most repetitive drumming this side of a metronome: a Jaki Liebezeit trademark. But on closer exposure the beautifully simple design and execution reveals enough depth to allow the listener plenty of room for a private epiphany.

It's true the half-dozen instrumental tracks tend to blend together with sometimes unchanging uniformity. And yet individually each one is a minor miracle of understated grace: the gentle echoes of "Blauer Regen"; the monotone thrumming in the middle section of "Stromlinien"; the ecstatic chords rising to the climax of the title track. And best of all, that moment in the chorus of "Fontana di Luna" when the stereo separation dramatically opens: another clue to the subtle genius of producer / guru Conny Plank.

Imagine the music of NEU! without the Krautrock aggression, uplifting instead of edgy. But stick with the original vinyl if you can: the CD bonus tracks, recorded more than a decade later, actually spoil the experience. Vapid New Age harmonies, a barren digital soundstage, and the absence of a flesh-and-blood drummer all underline the extent of Rother's stylistic atrophy between 1977 and 1993. But of course the grass was usually greener on the other side of the analog fence, wasn't it?

Lust starts out with "Palmengarten," which was the single used to promote this release. It's one of the better tracks on the album, very lively and catchy, but still dark sometimes. "Primadonna" is a much more playful, repetitive track, but still very upbeat and enjoyable. "Dynamotron" to me sounds like a mix of the first two tracks, upbeat, not too dark, catchy, and a bit repetitve.

The title track keeps the style of the previous ones, but incorporates an acoustic guitar, which is quite nice. "Cascadi" is another lively electronic ditty, but isn't quite as good as the previous pieces (by now, it's becoming a little bit to samey for me...). The last track on the original LP, "Pulsar," is a bit slower paced and overall different from all of the other one on the album; it's nowhere near as upbeat.

Lust is a good album for fans of Rother's previous projects (Harmonia, NEU!, Kraftwerk), but it's not the best place to begin exploring his solo career. While a good album, this suffers from being a bit samey, and is nowhere near as consistently great as Katzenmusik, arguably, his best album as a solo artist. By the way, the Random Records release has three bonus tracks which are pretty good themselves, sounding a bit more modern than the tracks on the original studio album. In the end, this isn't for everyone, but for those interested it's a good album that deserves a solid three stars.

And even if you're not on the Krautrock bandwagon you'll have to admit his credentials are impressive. He was briefly a member of KRAFTWERK, in their early, experimental days (between the first and second "traffic cone" albums)...was one half of the classic Krautrock duo NEU!...teamed up with the legendary electro- pioneers Mobius and Roedelius to form the group HARMONIA...recorded an ambient album in collaboration with ENO...and since 1976 has been a solo artist renowned for his melodic sensitivity and intimate guitar sound.

Rother's third solo effort doesn't stray very far from the template he patented on his first two albums, with lots of blissfully overdubbed guitars arranged in ear-pleasing patterns over a laid-back but unrelenting motorik beat (which a veteran Free Jazz noisemaker like Jaki Liebezeit could play in his sleep). And like some of the best German music it gets a lot of mileage out of precious little material. The first eight tracks here, simply titled "Katzenmusik 1" thru 8", rework the same basic theme in several different variations (including an evocative "backwards" version), separated by short, ambient interludes and one gentle, typically gorgeous ballad.

"KM 9" through 12" (Side Two on my sadly scratched original vinyl) offer more variety, but in the often willfully repetitive soundworld of Krautrock that's a relative term, isn't it? "KM 11" is the highlight here, maybe because Liebezeit's disciplined drumming is a little more adventurous, or perhaps it's the fullness of the studio effects, subtly updating some of the guitarist's early NEU! experiments.

Any of Rother's first three albums would make a good introduction, but this one has by far the best sound (later efforts would actually downplay his distinctive guitar playing in favor of more keyboard-based electronics). I suppose it goes without saying that if you've heard one Michael Rother album you've pretty much heard them all. But on the other hand, if you've heard one, why not hear them all?

This is the lighter side of the sometimes schizophrenic NEU! canvas, as foreshadowed on the first half of their "Neu! '75" LP but with all the rough edges of the motorik blueprint ironed out smoother than an autobahn macadam. In classic Krautrock fashion the music makes a virtue out of simplicity, building uncomplicated, repetitive melodies over the steady metronome beat of drummer Jaki Liebezeit (the ace percussionist of CAN, moonlighting alongside an obvious kindred spirit), with discreet electronic enhancements adding an attractive, atmospheric sheen.

It's a sure-fire musical formula Rother would continue to fine tune, but never radically tinker with, over the course of his ongoing career. In an age when fleet-fingered guitar virtuosos were burning up their fret boards at 190 mph, Rother's style was a model of grace and economy, and like a lot of music from Germany in the 1970s it hasn't aged a minute in almost 30 years.