Label: Tochiba-EMI (Japan), TOCP-50578
Style: Electronic Pop, Experimental, Synth-Pop
Country: Dusseldorf, West Germany
Time: 42:46
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 217 Mb
The
album marked several personnel changes in the band, which was initially
a duo consisting of Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter; later, the group
added Klaus Roder on guitar and flute, and Wolfgang Flur on percussion.
The album also completed the group's transition from the experimental
krautrock style of their earlier work to an electronic pop sound
consisting mostly of synthesizers and drum machines. Recording started
at the group's own Kling Klang facility, but was predominantly made at
Conny Plank's studio. Autobahn also includes lyrics and a new look for
the group that was suggested by Emil Schult, an associate of Schneider
and Hutter.
Most of the album is taken up by the 22-minute
"Autobahn", featuring lyrics by Schneider, Hutter, and Schult. The song
was inspired by the group's joy of driving on Germany's autobahns, and
recorded music that reflected a trip emulating the sounds of a vehicle.
The album's release in West Germany saw little press attention.
"Autobahn" was released as a single and received airplay at a Chicago
radio station, leading it to spread across the United States. In 1975,
the song became an international hit and Kraftwerk's first release of
their music in the US. "Autobahn"'s success led to the band touring the
United States with new member Karl Bartos, who replaced Roder, followed
by a tour of the United Kingdom.
Initial reception to Autobahn was
mixed; receiving negative reviews, from Rolling Stone and Village Voice,
who felt the music was inferior to earlier music from Wendy Carlos and
Mike Oldfield, and positive reviews that praised the title track as
hypnotic and arresting for its imagery of driving on the autobahn.
Critics from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Newsday included the album
in their "Honorable Mentions" sections of their year-end lists.
Retrospectively, the album has been unanimously praised; Simon Witter
wrote in NME the album is of "enormous historical significance" and
Simon Reynolds said the album is where Kraftwerk's music really starts
to matter. Musicians of the 1970s and 1980s, including David Bowie,
cited the album as a major influence.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn_(album))
01. Autobahn (22:44)
02. Kometenmelodie 1 (06:25)
03. Kometenmelodie 2 (05:48)
04. Mitternacht (03:44)
05. Morgenspaziergang (04:03)
