Kraftwerk

Radio-Activity
$18.98
The 3 star review is in regards to the remastering only. Otherwise "Radio-Activity" is an extremely worthwhile album, perhaps a commentary on the "concept album" but destroying the false pretenses of prog rock, sticking to the song length basics and stripped down quality of punk rock and influential on both post punk and electronica. I also generally appreciated the remasters (Trans-Europe Express and especially The Man-Machine being the best out of them. However, one of the reasons "Radio-Activity", before the remastering was a successful album is because it takes the concept of a radio as both a piece of technology and also a broadcaster of pop songs (in some ways perhaps a reference to:The Who Sell Out in the second reference. What makes this remaster less than successful is that the deliberate feel of an antiquated radio and the pops, hissing and crackling sounds that accompany it have been edited out or polished up. Although using 21st century ("Kling Klang") techonology to remaster Kraftwerk's albums was a worthwhile venture, the analog quality of the albums should have been left alone. With other albums the "warm" quality of the Moogs and the like was not tampered with. However, "Radio-Activity" has hints of some re-editing and one might do better with the original.

Trans-Europe Express
$11.98
Not many people are into progressive music/electronica like this. Too bad for them. Simply close your eyes and let this take you for ride. The music is seriously different but soothing and if you let your mind flow with it you will be surprised at the journey they take you on. This is definitely for the open minded.

Tour de France Soundtracks
$18.98
Tour de France Soundtracks being Kraftwerk's 2003 release and their 10th studio was also their first album with new music since 1986. The cover is very similair to their cover for the 1983 cover for the single Tour De France. The album is not one of their best albums. I prefer Man Machine and Electric Cafe before this one. However, that does not mean that I do not like it. The book is one gigantic ode to the bicycle and racing. This is the last album to include Florian Schneider whom left the group 2008 and now Ralf Hutter is the only original member left of the group. For the Kraftwerk fan this is a record that should not be missed. Allmusic, Drowned in Sound and Uncut all gave the album favorable reviews. 4/5.

Minimum-Maximum
$19.98
There is something inherently prosaic in this dead dull "music of der future". Fortunately, man has still some sense of individualism, but barely, and Kraftwerk's fascist goal for music has not rendered vocals obsolete. Listening to this, it harkens back to the techno geek 1970's when Germans laden in neo-fascist uniforms with thin ties and a pound of grease on their hair, showed no emotion on stage, acting like machines. Most of them wore leather pants so tight that they froze while playing, hence the dumb and inarticulate Krautbot look. They copied architecture chic from the 1930's, added some 70's porn montage and called it "modern" 1970's and praised the revolution of robots and computers. Not only is that very idea horrifying, but it is also silly. "Kraftwerk" means "cheese plant" in German and they are very cheesy.

The CD is probably one of the most horrible things I've listened to. If you can get to the end of it, you'll find all sorts of unwanted electronic noise, Krautbot voice dubs, electro fuzz, beeps, computer konks, repugnant computer-generated vocals, static, repulsive synthesizers, and extremely unpleasant clamor that goes on forever, that you'll soon be reaching for a hammer to crush the CD. In my estimation, all crap. A few American bands at the time tried the stale trend with deadly results, Gary Numan The Pleasure Principle (1979), Styx Kilroy Was Here (1983) , both tossed their careers away because of it.

You'll be reminded of foolish telephone companies, lumbering computer screens, electronic wires, gay 70's discos, and moronic techno cabarets in smelly, dark German cellars. This is the 2nd album by these Krautbots in 28 years, so be glad their production output has ceased. So, unless you're a nerd or have little taste in music, forget this stuff ever existed.