TOUR DE FRANCE SOUNDTRACKS

After a very long break, the band came back with this ''Tour De France''. Partially ''sung'' in French, this album is not featured amongst my top fave to be honest?But this was already the case since ''Computer World''.

The uniform beats and boring moods are too much b y now. I can't get thrilled any longer with this techno / dance oriented music all the way through. Maybe that my twenty one years old son could appreciate this while being on the dance floor, but I can't.

The long suite ''Etapes'' (stages) is just a collection of almost sixteen minutes of dull electronics: uninspired and repetitive to death. ''Kraftwerk'' has always been playing this type of music, but with very much more grandeur and fun from ''Autobahn'' through ''The Man Machine''. What came after was not on par IMHHO.

When I listen to ''Vitamin'' or ''Aero Dynamik'' the boring feeling prevails, really. But the same languish mood goes on infortunately and ''Titanium'' is not what I can consider as a good tune. Being electronic or not.

Most of the songs are linked with the cycling world (''La Forme'', ''Regeneration'') and obviously, the ''Tour De France'' is the biggest event of all. It reminds some great stages/mountain (Tourmalet, Galibier etc.) but these are sporting memories. The music displayed here is flat and mostly uninteresting.

''Kraftwerk'' shouldn't have bothered with this one frankly (nor with some of their previous effort BTW), but here it is: probably the last (?) ''Kraftwerk'' album which is not a crafted work by any means.

This is not a tour de force should I say. Just a bit better than ''Electric Café'' (but this was not difficult, right?). Two stars (but IMO it is on the high range of the rating).