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Unsung Forum » Early Kraftwerk |
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alan lake soon 349 posts |
Jan 17, 2003, 17:51
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Can anyone sort out what's available/good from early Kraftwerk? I have The Organisation and Ralf & Florian and love them both. Both on CD on iffy-looking Crown label, which might be Italian, and I chanced on them. Both are so loose and un-Man Machine I ain't even sure it's them. Now... ...am I right the order goes Organisation 'Tone Float', then 'Kraftwerk', then 'Kraftwerk2', then 'Ralf & Florian'. I think I heard that Kraftwerk & Kraftwerk2 were put together as one LP at some stage? Are they available (apart from silly collectors prices)? On CD? And are they as mad as the Tone Float? ta v much PS. the post-R&F stuff I'm not really into.
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Lascivia 422 posts |
Jan 17, 2003, 19:38
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You're right about the order the albums come in, and the first two Kraftwerk albums are even madder than the ones you have. The jazz influence on the Organisation LP is gone, to be replaced by the beginnings of their mechanical rhythms (though they're still very un-pop at this stage). "Kraftwerk 2", for instance, opens with "Kling Klang", which after several minutes of pinging chimes, develops an amazing pulse of flutes; instead of the standard modulation to the fifth found in pop, several times they _speed up_ the tape for very amusing effect. "Wellenlänge" could easily be mistaken for a great unsung bit of post-punk instrumental. There's a track on the first album that features ethnic-sounding music (zither?) which segues into vast breathing, like a god inflating the universe. And of course, there's the opening track of "Kraftwerk 1", "Ruckzuck", which was used as the theme to a U.S. children's science show (Newton's Apple); how they ever got rights to that I have no idea, since Kraftwerk insanely won't let the early albums be officially reissued. The early Kraftwerks are harder to find these days. The originals go for thirty or forty dollars. There was a 2LP set containing both of the original albums, with different artwork (an oscilloscope signal). There was also a "best-of" sampler called "Exceller 8" containing tracks from their first two or three albums. The albums have been bootlegged by both Germanofon (defunct, out of Luxembourg) and Crown (out of Italy). I haven't seen the Crowns for a while either, so they might have gotten caught as well. I know the sound quality on the Germanofons is not exceptionally high, probably the same as your "Ralf und Florian" on Crown.
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Stevo 6664 posts |
Jan 17, 2003, 21:26
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I used to have the 2fer lp of the first 2 Kraftwerk lps. They came in a gatefold sleeve with a very 30s Hollywood FRankenstein looking Van Der Graaf generator on the front cover. I've since seen them around places separately on cd in the Traffic Cone cover cds. I think I may have even seen them in Stand Out records on the last LOndon trip a couple of weeks back but can't be sure. I still need to get them cos they're great. The compilation lp Exceller8 was pretty cool too. I found it in the local E17 2nd hand record store when I was desperately trying top lay my hands on a copy of that double I mentioned earlier but only found on arrival in Dublin. I thought I heard of some 2cd set that had most of the first 3 lps on plus some other stuff. I think it must've been a bootleg but I think I saw it in the SisterRay records ad in the BNME or sump'n. Stevo Np Kinks Ultimate Collection See My FRiends/ From the Morning to The End of THe Day
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Lascivia 422 posts |
Jan 17, 2003, 22:20
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That's right, I forgot about the 2CD set. That was also put out by Crown Records, and I should slap myself for not buying it when I had the chance. It had the first three LPs plus (if I remember right) either some early singles (circa Autobahn) or perhaps a live track. Crown also put out a disc called "Frühwerke" (Early Works) which contained the Organisation LP, the "Kometenmelodie" and "Autobahn" singles, and some live stuff (which I think is on a separate live Kraftwerk boot as well). The Organisation LP in particular is presented in higher sound quality than the Germanofon boot, but lacks the bonus live Kraftwerk track at the Beat Club (from the short-lived lineup of Ralf Hütter, Klaus Dinger, and Michael Rother). If you like Organisation, be on the look out as well for the forthcoming reissue of Ibliss' album "Supernova", which features Basil Hammoudi from Organisation and engineering and production from Conny Plank. Garden of Delights has it on their list of things to come.
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Popel Vooje 5373 posts |
Edited Oct 06, 2015, 22:03
Jan 18, 2003, 12:35
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Just to add a brief bit of info - having heard both the Crown and Germanofon issues of the 1st two LPs whilst working in a second hand shop, I can confirm the Germanofon Cds sound a little better than Crown's although there's not much in it. Both of their now redundant boots of "Neu! 2" sounded pretty poor though. Having not yet heard the Organisation LP in any form, I'd like to ask - is the bonus track (which is titled "Von Der Bauen Block" on the CD) the same track that appears on various boots under the name "Ruckstop Gondoliero "? If it is, then I'd definitely go for the Germanofon issue, regardless of sound quality, as that track is superb. For the full effect though, I reckon you're best off downloading the TV appearance as the music is enhanced by Klaus Dinger's not inconsiderable rock-god stage presence. It used to be downloadable from both http://www.groenland.com and http://www.astralwerks.com although I don't know whether it's still there or not.
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Maldoror 720 posts |
Jan 18, 2003, 13:37
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Their first album is very powerfull and mind-blowing stuff. The whole thing is an electro-acoustic monster drived by Stockhausen's tape loops colliding with grinding, heavy-droney industrial machinery. For my money, Kraftwerk never equalled the level of frantic madness of tracks like "Ruckzuck", "Megaherz" and "Vom Himmel Hoch". I simply cannot understand why this masterpiece, and also "Tone Float" by Organisation, were not properlly reissued!!! Damn, even the neverending story of Neu!'s reissues finally comes to a happy end!!!!
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Maldoror 720 posts |
Jan 18, 2003, 13:38
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Their first album is very powerfull and mind-blowing stuff. The whole thing is an electro-acoustic monster drived by Stockhausen's tape loops colliding with grinding, heavy-droney industrial machinery. For my money, Kraftwerk never equalled the level of frantic madness of tracks like "Ruckzuck", "Megaherz" and "Vom Himmel Hoch". I simply cannot understand why this masterpiece, and also "Tone Float" by Organisation, were not properlly reissued!!! Damn, even the neverending story of Neu!'s reissues finally comes to a happy end!!!!
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Maldoror 720 posts |
Jan 18, 2003, 13:45
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Their first album is very powerfull and mind-blowing stuff. The whole thing is an electro-acoustic monster drived by Stockhausen's tape loops colliding with grinding, heavy-droney industrial machinery. For my money, Kraftwerk never equalled the level of frantic madness of tracks like "Ruckzuck", "Megaherz" and "Vom Himmel Hoch". I simply cannot understand why this masterpiece, and also "Tone Float" by Organisation, were not properlly reissued!!! Damn, even the neverending story of Neu!'s reissues finally comes to a happy end!!!!
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Maldoror 720 posts |
Jan 18, 2003, 13:53
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Sorry for this pathetic 'hat-trick'...
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Lascivia 422 posts |
Jan 19, 2003, 00:43
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It looks like Germanofon put out several versions of many albums: my copy of "Tone Float" doesn't list the bonus track at all. And it is the same as "Rückstoß Gondoliero". I was wrong, though, as it was Florian who was in the trio, not Ralf. I'd say getting both Germanofon's reissue and Crown's "Frühwerke" is a good idea, as that way you get both the extra live Kraftwerk track (which sounds like it could be early Neu!), the album "Tone Float" in decent sound quality, and then some bonus Kraftwerk live material and singles.
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