Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

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Quaco
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Quaco » 17 May 2010, 07:34

Davey the Fat Boy wrote:Favorite tracks?

I know I'll get raked over the coals for saying it, but I truly don't get how anyone listens to this stuff for pleasure. I mean I get all f the arguments about their influence and can certainly give them their credit on that score (unless it is takn to a foolish extreme - such as last month when it was argued here that they eclipse Ray Charles in influence). But I don't get why their actual music is so beloved in these quarters - then again folks here love Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and Jethro Tull - so I suppose I should not be shocked.

I can learn to accept that people like things that have absolutely no appeal to me. But am I 100% alone in this? Is there a single BCBer other than me who doesn't rate these guys?

To me, it's not about influence. I honestly couldn't give a shit about that (for some groups, that matters more for me), and even think that weakens the music a bit to think of it that way. It's about simple, clean melodies and a little wry sense of humor. It reminds me of the Firesign Theater line where the guy says he's high on a clean windshield and a shoe shine.

I didn't get them right away, but then I used to say I liked Chinese food but couldn't see the fuss about Japanese food. Now I have learned.

Hey, you have some great taste, it's OK you're not perfect. ;)
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Quaco » 17 May 2010, 07:34

Minnie the Minx wrote:Europe Endless
Trans Europe Express
Tour de France

You have a nostalgic streak, don't you?
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Minnie the Minx » 17 May 2010, 07:59

Quaco wrote:
Minnie the Minx wrote:Europe Endless
Trans Europe Express
Tour de France

You have a nostalgic streak, don't you?


Eh?
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby The Write Profile » 17 May 2010, 09:09

Quaco wrote:To me, it's not about influence. I honestly couldn't give a shit about that (for some groups, that matters more for me), and even think that weakens the music a bit to think of it that way. It's about simple, clean melodies and a little wry sense of humor. It reminds me of the Firesign Theater line where the guy says he's high on a clean windshield and a shoe shine.

I didn't get them right away, but then I used to say I liked Chinese food but couldn't see the fuss about Japanese food. Now I have learned.


Absolutely, there's something really precise about their melodies that's quite affecting, not to mention the strange nostalgia that infuses the music- sure, "Autobahn" is about the quiet pleasures of the motorway, but there's something oddly pastoral about it, particularly in the full version, as if it's taking to time to look outside the car while it speeds past the scenery. Trans Europe Express (the record) is like that, too, if anything it's quite a warm record, they genuinely love technology, but they're trying to imagine it without any pain, and only style ("elegance and decadence"). And everything just comes together- one of the reasons why their music is so enduring and influential is that they never chose to overcomplicate things, none of those wiggly time-signatures or symphonic delusions of grandeur (in a notorious interview withLester Bangs, they dismissed the ELPs of this world as "circus tricks on the synthesizer"), just...the sound, as pretentious as that seems.
And it's a gorgeous sound, one that can be interpreted for a variety of ends, not least because of the wryly suppressed humour. Anyway, I'm not sure what my favourites would be, probably something off Autobahn, Man Machine or Trans-Europe Express.
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Limpin' Jez McKenzie » 17 May 2010, 09:23

Davey the Fat Boy wrote:Favorite tracks?

I know I'll get raked over the coals for saying it, but I truly don't get how anyone listens to this stuff for pleasure. I mean I get all f the arguments about their influence and can certainly give them their credit on that score (unless it is takn to a foolish extreme - such as last month when it was argued here that they eclipse Ray Charles in influence). But I don't get why their actual music is so beloved in these quarters - then again folks here love Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and Jethro Tull - so I suppose I should not be shocked.

I can learn to accept that people like things that have absolutely no appeal to me. But am I 100% alone in this? Is there a single BCBer other than me who doesn't rate these guys?


The classic tracks are really dance music - get up and groove! Like a million other bands seeing them live makes a massive difference to one's appreciation.

Anyway my three favourites -

TEE
Autobahn
Tour de France
The Model
Neon Lights
Pocket Calculator
and and and
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby never/ever » 17 May 2010, 10:06

*rakes fatboy over coals*


struggler....


Radioactivity
Neon Lights
Tanzmusik.
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby never/ever » 17 May 2010, 10:07

Common Sense Checklist wrote:
The Pro-Tec-Tor wrote:Man-Machine!


Mix version wazzes all over it. From a great height


No.
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby soundchaser » 17 May 2010, 11:29

I'm surprised to see quite a bit of love for The Mix. Personally, I wasn't keen at all and it just had me running back to the originals.

Bungo the Mungo

Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Bungo the Mungo » 17 May 2010, 12:41

Davey the Fat Boy wrote:Favorite tracks?

I know I'll get raked over the coals for saying it, but I truly don't get how anyone listens to this stuff for pleasure. I mean I get all f the arguments about their influence and can certainly give them their credit on that score (unless it is takn to a foolish extreme - such as last month when it was argued here that they eclipse Ray Charles in influence). But I don't get why their actual music is so beloved in these quarters - then again folks here love Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and Jethro Tull - so I suppose I should not be shocked.

I can learn to accept that people like things that have absolutely no appeal to me. But am I 100% alone in this? Is there a single BCBer other than me who doesn't rate these guys?


I don't really 'get' them, but always wanted to - it's taken me years to reach a point where I can enjoy a handful of their songs - just about. I certainly have more sympathy for your point of view than for one that regards Trans Europe Express as some sort of classic - that album bores seven shades of shit out of me.

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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby funky_nomad » 17 May 2010, 13:12

The Robots (Minimum/Maximum version)
Vitamin
Neon Lights
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby doctorlouie » 17 May 2010, 13:43

Didn't slitsnot flame threads like this? He's with you Davey.

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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby KeithPratt » 17 May 2010, 13:53

Kraftwerk is about the most "unhip" men in the world making music that black people in Detroit and New York were utterly fascinated by. The quote about their music that "it's so stiff it's funky" seems apt. That, for me anyway, is the most intruiging aspect about them.

If you consider that most popular modern music has its roots in black musicians in America and the Caribbean, they were a remarkable and quite stellar exception to this rule. There are many exceptions and strange transmitters of cultural memes in popular music culture, but the ideas and aesthetics that have arisen from Kraftwerk and their adaptation into it have coloured music since in a way that no other band has quite managed with such distinction. Many other bands have been more popular and had greater short-term effect but it is hard to think of another act that has managed their identity and distilled their influence just through their music alone.

Influence and importance of course can mean nothing to a lot of people, but I think that the conceptual gesamstkunstwerk, the attention to detail, the remarkably restrained production, unexpected funkiness, the dry humour, the silliness and what Ralf has always called "my silly little melodies" bear witness to a great band. Sure, they're not a "personal" band, but what they define as "soul music" is just different to what the accepted definition is.

Top 3

Computer Love
Tour de France
The whole of Radioactivity

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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby The Slider » 17 May 2010, 14:03

and apart from all the idealogy they are simply great tunes that just fucking sound fantastic
Complete Ramones Mp3 set on its way

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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby the masked man » 17 May 2010, 14:17

Hall of Mirrors
Computer Love
Showroom Dummies

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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Jeff K » 17 May 2010, 14:20

Europe Endless
Autobahn
Neon Lights

While I can't say I'm surprised at davey's comments, you'd think that Kraftwerk would be one of the few out-of-the-mainstream groups he'd appreciate. They're almost impossible to dislike. Like Slider said, great tunes and fantastically sounding. What more do you want?
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby The Slider » 17 May 2010, 14:26

autheticity, dude.
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Jeff K » 17 May 2010, 14:50

Davey the Fat Boy wrote: But I don't get why their actual music is so beloved in these quarters - then again folks here love Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and Jethro Tull - so I suppose I should not be shocked.


I like how you make it sound that this kind of music is only popular on BCB. I hate to tell you but all the groups you mentioned are very popular with the young folks too. People keep picking up on it and rediscovering it and it has staying power so you might as well get used to it. It's not just a 'BCB thang'.
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Quaco » 17 May 2010, 14:55

Minnie the Minx wrote:
Quaco wrote:
Minnie the Minx wrote:Europe Endless
Trans Europe Express
Tour de France

You have a nostalgic streak, don't you?

Eh?

Maybe I should have said "You like travel don't you?" instead, but I just thought all three just had this wistful, world-going-by quality. Then again, a lot of their music has that I guess.
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Davey the Fat Boy » 17 May 2010, 15:35

The Slider wrote:autheticity, dude.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Even a cursory look at the stuff I tend to like renders this a complete non-starter.
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Re: Your Top 3 tracks by Kraftwerk

Postby Davey the Fat Boy » 17 May 2010, 15:38

Jeff K wrote:
Davey the Fat Boy wrote: But I don't get why their actual music is so beloved in these quarters - then again folks here love Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and Jethro Tull - so I suppose I should not be shocked.


I like how you make it sound that this kind of music is only popular on BCB. I hate to tell you but all the groups you mentioned are very popular with the young folks too. People keep picking up on it and rediscovering it and it has staying power so you might as well get used to it. It's not just a 'BCB thang'.


The proportion of love is off from what I've seen elsewhere. I've been around plenty of folks who like 'em. Several who love 'em. But I've never been in any environment where they would be a top 5 or 10 most loved band.
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