RALF & FLORIAN

Another interesting release from KRAFTWERK from November 1973, the last of their Kraut albums, after this glorious Prog album we have the Techno nonsense that follows.

This time we have a bit more melody with this album, their third album, Ralf & Florian, had a more electronic appearance towards it this time, but still good enough with it's PROG disipline.

The opening track is a pinball heaven soundtrack to any pub loving people, space rock and cosmic feel is a lovely gem with whizzing synths and sound effects.5/5!!!

The multi-tracked flute opening on "Tongebirge", with buzzy synthesizers give it that 70s PROG feeling, and is a very beautiful track 4/5!!!

"Kristallo" is a two channel space rock track with a electronic moog solo played like a piano in the one speaker and a fuzzy pulsating synthesizer in the other speaker, then it fades out and back in again with tape effects, and this honky tonk piano and whizzy synth then kicks in, following a trippy tape loop agin, not a favourite, bit irritating, 3/5!!!

"Heimatklange" brings side 1 to a close, a beautiful epic symphonic flute and piano orientated track, 4/5!!!

"Tanzmusik" opens side 2, with a electric fender rhodes piano riff that then plays aside with those electronic drums sounds, blended with bells, spacey tingly sounds and handclaps, very zany, but by heck it is lush, a blueprint for dance music, as the title speaks for itself, 5/5!!! The closier of the album is "Ananas Symphonie" (Pineapple Symphony), and is a chillout hawaiian sounding track with smooth moog sounds looped together, and a funky beach slide guitar sound courtesy of Florian Schneider, there is vocoders used on this track for the robotic voice, the future vocal of KRAFTWERK. the longest track clocking at over 13 minutes of semi electronica and a smooth 4/5!!!.

Eventually released elsewhere like the USA in 1974 on Vertigo and the back cover is a contrast to the front cover, but the back has Ralf and Florian in a colour format whilst the front, is a eerie black and white as it is beautiful yet disturbing portrait of them!!!

A sad story this is their last PROG album, but is AUTOBAHN prog or a notorius novelty pomp, in all Ralf and Florian is a overlooked, underrated, masterpiece of Krautrock!!

100% recommended to all prog fans, 10/10!!!, KRAFTWERK is a prog band (1970-1974 anyway!!), the horrid techno will follow, such a sad end to a beautiful cult Krautrock band!!!

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