Kraftwerk -Genius or a load of old shite?

[brakespear]

Genius.

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[brakespear]

Geeks.

Something wrong with that?

 

[Bluejuice]

It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea BUT to write it off as rubbish would be massively ignorant.

Supremely important and influential artists with some bloody great songs

 

[Lethargic]

Genius when put into perspective. Started out in 1970 with bugger all financial backing and pioneered the electronics sound, additionally producing their songs in both English and German.

Many musicians seem to agree with Joy Division, Bowie and Duran Duran taking inspiration from Kraftwerk to name a few.

 

[bhaexpress]

Interesting at best but very dated now.

 

[Red n Blue Jelly Beans]

Zombie Nation always a favourite

 

[Juan Albion]

Used a little bit of Kraftwerk in my service 8 days ago. So they must be genius.

 

[bhaexpress]

Used a little bit of Kraftwerk in my service 8 days ago. So they must be genius.

Aren't your sermons supposed to be what induces sleep ?

 

[Agent_Torpor]

Hmmmm, the lyrics to Pocket Calculator go thus:

I'm the operator with my pocket calculator
I'm the operator with my pocket calculator
I am adding and subtracting
I'm controlling and composing
I'm the operator with my pocket calculator
I'm the operator with my pocket calculator

I am adding and subtracting
I'm controlling and composing
By pressing down a special key, it plays a little melody
By pressing down a special key, it plays a little melody

I'm the operator with my pocket calculator
I'm the operator with my pocket calculator


I'm no poetry expert myself but...

Miles better than anything sharted out by Gaga and her producers.

 

[Poyetry In Motion]

kraftwerk are pioneers of the hypnotic age. ( copyright LFO )

 

[bhaexpress]

Miles better than anything sharted out by Gaga and her producers.

Yes, pure lyrical gold

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

The Model
Trans Europe Express
Tour De France

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Trans Europe Express with the synth sounding like a train is genuis. It builds up over 9 minutes to a fantastic crescendo, you can feel its pace and strength grow as the track goes on much like a train as it gains momentum. It is one of the greatest tracks ever made from any genre.

 

[Trufflehound]

Geniuses, definitely, although they were only partially responsible for the electronic music age as we know it. You have to bear in mind that a lot of the late 70s electronic bands that are the real forebearers of what we know today - (pre-1981) Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Ultravox, Fad Gadget, (Vince Clarke era) Depeche Mode, etc, etc - were equally (if not more) influenced by Brian Eno, and especially by his work with Bowie on Low and Heroes.

Fond memories of seeing the Human League support the Banshees at the Rainbow in March '79, and a young Spizz of (in that year) Spizzenergi fame coming on during their encore in a bacofoil glitter suit and strutting aroung to the sounds of Rock 'n' Roll Part 1. Oh, happy days of innocence and ignorance...

I was also impressed how the early Human League had a band member who didn't sing or play an instrument - namely Philip Adrian Wright - who was charged with 'working the slide projector', and thus paved the way for later "talentless mates of the band" like Andrew Ridgeley and Bez...

HL's Dignity of Labour EP is still one of my favourite 'electronic' records, and you can still hear its influence 32 years later in bands like f*** Buttons.

Having said that, I also make a point of playing Trans Europe Express every time I drive to Germany (which is quite often).

 

[Gwylan]

Geniuses, definitely, although they were only partially responsible for the electronic music age as we know it. You have to bear in mind that a lot of the late 70s electronic bands that are the real forebearers of what we know today - (pre-1981) Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Ultravox, Fad Gadget, (Vince Clarke era) Depeche Mode, etc, etc - were equally (if not more) influenced by Brian Eno, and especially by his work with Bowie on Low and Heroes.

Fond memories of seeing the Human League support the Banshees at the Rainbow in March '79, and a young Spizz of (in that year) Spizzenergi fame coming on during their encore in a bacofoil glitter suit and strutting aroung to the sounds of Rock 'n' Roll Part 1. Oh, happy days of innocence and ignorance...

Although Kraftwerk had a definite influence on latter-day Bowie and Eno, so Kraftwerk had an indirect influence on the British bands too.

I remember seeing Human League in Sheffield in 1977, they'd not long been formed and certainly weren't as poppy as they were in later days. In fact, I stood next to Phil Oakey in the bar after that gig.

Good to see a mention of Cabaret Voltaire, an under-rated band IMO.

 

[Scampi]

I love the way that the Germans are meant to be the humourless ones and yet we have several people on this thread missing the comic genius of Kraftwerk.

 

[User removed 4]

loved kraftwerk, really takes me back, i always chuckle at the lyrics ' we stand here , exposing ourselves' sung in that clipped german accent, obviously not understanding the meaning of it , was that showroom dummies ?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm FIRMLY in the YES camp.

 

[Return of the Rev]

In place,thursday night,1980

kRAFTWERK GENIUS

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Expo Zwei Thausend - The Mixes.

Two CD single EP's that must rank amongst the greatest electronica ever.

But I'm more of a TD man myself, Le Parc is probably one of my all time favourites.