The Krautrock Thread

Slartibartfast wrote: For some reason this thread has reminded me, we need to get out to Le Petitie Auberge or The Village Corner in Stone Mountain for some German food!  Octoberfest baby! Fahn fahn fahn on the autobahn...

Vor uns liegt ein weites Tal
Die Sonne scheint mit Glitzerstrahl...

Got Ege Bamyasi today, and I'm lovin' it!

Yukorin wrote: philippe wrote: CAN is the most overestimated band in krautrock history , 3/4 of their music is garbage. I wonder what a genius as Holger Czukay is doing in this band    The whole band were geniuses to me. Agree that they probably lost it a bit after  Soon Over Babaluma. Other than that I don't know what to say.   Overated? Where? Possibly the most underated rock band in history.

Kind of forgot about this thread. Even Landed is brilliant.

I think its more like I/4 of an intelligent person's opinions and taste are garbage. And Phillippes attitude towards Can, belongs in that 1/4.

Listening to Klaus Schulze: Irrlicht right now.  Can't get much colder than that. Maybe except for Cyborg...and maybe some of that 80's slick jazzfusion.

rileydog22 wrote: Haven't you had that A.R. and Machines avatar for more than three months, Bluesaga?  Achim Reichel is brilliant, BTW.  The only guitarist in existence who might be able to beat Manuel Gottsching at his own game.

Perhaps, I don't really keep track.  I started getting into it around the very end of school so it's been 2-4 months around.  A.R. and the Machines were the first kraut band I really got into, a bit of an unusual introductory band, but just as great as the classics I'd say.

Yeti and Tanz der Lemminge haven't fully hit me yet.  I like them, but since they're double albums and hard to digest, it will take a while before I can completely appreciate them.  Phallus Dei is a meisterwerk and Wolf City is really cool, although different and accessible, too.

Two extreme great Krautrock release that I have reviewed:

FRANCO BATTIATO

Sulle corde di Aries

(Studio Album, 1973)

My review is produced using this release: BMG Ricordi S.p.A. 74321-58555-2

Rating: 9/10

Well... Franco Battiato a Krautrock artist? In this "Sulle Corde Di Aries" yes. I think that this album is an impossible album if in reference of Italian scene. But in Krautrock scene... Is simply an amazing album. So "Sequenze E Frequenze2 is simply one of the more experimental italian song, a good Krautyrock, like "Aries". is a strange Italian version of Popol Vuh. Vice versa "Aria Di Rivoluzione" is catchy. Is, also, a strange POP song with the good voice of Battiato. "Da Oriente Ad Occidente" plays in my head like a strange Arabic Krautrock (!!!) more near a mix between Third Ear Band/ Aktuala and Space Rock. It is true this album is marvellous in reference of Krautrock. And like Krautrock album that I recommended "Sulle Corde Di Aries".

Is a Krautrock album, to take or to leave. Accessible like Krautrock, but extreme interesting. So is a very recommendable album.

BRAINTICKET

Brainticket (CottonWoodHill)+ Psychonaut

(Boxset/Compilation, 2002)

My review is produced using this release: Red Fox Records RF 612

Rating:9,5/10+ 8/10 (9/10)

This package of pyrenees' label Red Fox Records consist in the repackage of the first two Brainticket LP's "CottonWoodhill" and "Psychonaut" on one CD with one LP's cost. Well, Brainticket is one of my favorite psychedelic band. The first album "CottonWoodhill" is a great Psychedelic/ spacey Krautrock album. Sure the more Psychedelic and spacey album that one band has produced. In practice it splits the brain. Believe me, the Krautrock is a Brain Ticket... "Brainticket" song (not suite!!!) is 3/4 of this incredible album with various rumors (between the other a pneumatic hammer!!!) and it is based on the infinite repetition of two tune and feminine voice. Pratically the more ostic composition that I have listen in my life. The other two songs are more normals (well... for what farewell the definition "normal"). "Psychonaut", vice versa is more accessible album. Start with a Raga Rock with sitar and flute song "Radagauca", a simply Tyrannosaurus Rex song, have his bestmoments in "Watchin' You" and "Like A Place In The Sun", Rock and very accessible songs. But in general the music is a very good Krautrock for a visionary theater. In this sense is very good "One Morning" and "Coc'o Mary".

This remastered edition is published under license by Italian label Durium that in Italy has published this two LP. Durium is also the main label of the second album "Psychonaut", recorded, between the other, proper in the Durium studios in Milan. If you don't know Brainticket this edition is what it does for you. In any case a band to rediscover.

I ordered quite a bit of kraut this weekend including Agitation Free's Malesch, Popol Vuh's Affenstunde and Earth & Sky, and Mythos's debut.  Haven't been into kraut for too long, maybe 3 months, but I know quite a bit already.  Before that, I never gave it much a chance, but now I'm looking forward to explore it some more (among other things).

BaldJean wrote: did you know that John L., the guy who sings on Ash Ta Temple's "Schwingungen", used to appear naked and with a painted penis on stage and had himself whipped there during the performance? another one who appeared naked and with painted body on stage was Limpe Fuchs of Anima. in another thread someone said that Hawkwindf's Stacia was the first to do so, but these two beat her by 2 or 3 years

Sounds quite bizarre to say the least... it'll be hard to listen to those bands the same now

philippe wrote:   CAN is the most overestimated band in krautrock history , 3/4 of their music is garbage. I wonder what a genius as Holger Czukay is doing in this band

Can released virtually no garbage until Landed, which was about 50% good and 50% mediocre.  After that it's garbage, but they put out 6 brilliant albums and one solid album, which seems like a damn good career to me. 

did you know that John L., the guy who sings on Ash Ta Temple's "Schwingungen", used to appear naked and with a painted penis on stage and had himself whipped there during the performance?
another one who appeared naked and with painted body on stage was Limpe Fuchs of Anima. in another thread someone said that Hawkwindf's Stacia was the first to do so, but these two beat her by 2 or 3 years

Yukorin wrote: We are probably hitting the same band from different directions.   What makes me crazy about Ash Ra (and you can throw TD and Kraftwerk and Popul Vuh and Vangelis and Jarre and anybody else you care to mention) is the sheer don't give a fuuck atitude they were all brazenly displaying at the time.   Makes the scene even more enjoyable for me

You mean that they had the proper...psychedelic and acid rock attitude of revolutionizing the music?

Absolutely!!

You guys should really dig some Kluster. What they do in Eruption (practically the trio's composition with a more special mix done by a fourth musician) is purely brilliant; one of the greatest albums that are made of pure noise, scorching experimentalism and hallucinant emotions.


Edited by Ricochet - August 19 2007 at 14:58

Yukorin wrote: Ricochet wrote: Jesus! meaning bad or good?   Jesus as in good. Very good. Farkin' amazing actually. Listen to him on Ash Ra Tempels' first. Impossible! Geezer is a legend!

Ash Ra Tempel's first is monumental and uniquely artistic. The others suffer from less perfect music and less repeatable such wild achievements of sound and cosmic perforation.

But I do enjoy the albums with Rosi, Seven Up or Le Berceau Du Cristal (the latter being electronic and dark ambient). Good Ash Ra!

Ricochet wrote: Jesus! meaning bad or good?