Kraftwerk Autobahn CD - Import

Though they'd recorded three previous albums, Kraftwerk's modern pop legacy starts with the sounds of a few footsteps and a slamming car door--the beginning of a 22-minute musically impressionistic excursion down Germany's famed superhighway. An unexpected hit on both sides of the Atlantic, Autobahn's "fahren, fahren, fahren" refrain echoes "Fun, Fun, Fun" by the Beach Boys (just one of Kraftwerk's unlikely influences), while the entire concept recalls Brian Wilson's frustrated attempts at creating what he called "a pocket symphony." The rhythmic synth pulse that carries the title track will be familiar to Kraftwerk admirers, while cofounder Florian Schneider's flute work and other more delicate melodic touches hearken back to the band's prog-rock foundations (as do the atmospheric "Kometenmelodie 1 & 2," "Mitternacht," and "Morgenspaziergang"). Kraftwerk's fascination with technology has been well documented, but the revelation of Autobahn is the playful human spirit behind the robots' masks.

Germanic in approach and delivery, this record gets under the skin and infuriates as you find yourself compelled to hum the melodies. A significant record in the development of electronic music, and not to be confused with other "kraut rock" efforts from the school of mid-70s prog, this is the album from which countless bands borrowed riffs--passages of the Cure, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, and New Order are to be found among the five lengthy tracks. Don't be fooled: Kraftwerk were there at least five years in advance. Great for driving on the motorway in Europe, incidentally!

Spin (p.87) - "[The album] buoys jolly German-language lyrics over humming synths and creates the sound of the future."
Spin (9/01, p.134) - Included in Spin's "5 Essential Krautrock Records" - "...A quick confection about zooming along the expressways of Germany....they'd discovered the joy of mechanical repetition..."
Q (10/95, p.141) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...23 minutes of synthetically simulated road miles, with several fascinating segments and hauntingly lovely tunes....A remarkable journey--and one that needs to be heard on headphones..."
Q (Magazine) (p.116) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "From 1974 to the early '80s, they were so ahead of the field as to appear almost superhuman, as instantly proved by the epic title track of 'Autobahn'..."