TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Trans-Europe Express" - Kraftwerk (1977)

"Trans-Europe Express" - Kraftwerk (1977)

    The benign album cover gets creepier the longer you look at it.  The midtempo electronic music is both catchy and unsettling.  And the repetitive sounds and words get inside your head and can trance you out if you allow it.  "Trans-Europe Express" has a futuristic "Black Mirror"-esque vibe and wears it well.  I read somewhere that many consider Kraftwerk the Beatles of electronic music.  High praise, indeed, and hard to argue.  

    There are a couple of almost spooky songs that I also dug, and they could easily be a finger-point at "...show business kids making movies of themselves."  I mean, they are outrageous after all.  But then again, I could have just been tripping the light.  "Trans-Europe Express" is a needle drop to label spin.  The opening and closing tracks provide a satisfying full-circle experience to the journey.  I'm probably preaching to the choir, but give this at least one headphone ride.  

"Trans-Europe Express" - Kraftwerk (back)

"Trans-Europe Express" - Kraftwerk
(sleeve front & back)

Favorites include:
"The Hall of Mirrors"
"Showroom Dummies"
"Trans-Europe Express"

This was Kraftwerk's sixth album, and the little ol' band from Germany packed their lunch on this gem.  I found an early used copy still in its shrink wrap and very well taken care of.  It is said that the band met with David Bowie and Iggy Pop before entering the studio to record "Trans-Europe Express," which would explain the name-drops of both artists in the title track.

Capitol Records label

Cat #
SW-11603
SIDE A  DEADWAX
SW-1-11603 F7 #3  0 KP MASTERED BY CAPITOL
SIDE B  DEADWAX
SW2-11603 F1 #3 MASTERED BY CAPITOL  0 KP

"Showroom Dummies" - Kraftwerk / "Trans-Europe Express (1977)

TRACKS:
A1  "Europe Endless" 9:35
A2  "The Hall of Mirrors" 7:50
A3  "Showroom Dummies" 6:10
B1  "Trans-Europe Express" 6:40
B2  "Metal On Metal" 6:52
B3  "Franz Schubert" 4:25
B4  "Endless Endless" 0:55

PERSONNEL: 
Ralf Hütter - voice, synthesizers, Vako Orchestron, synthanorma-sequenzer, electronics, producer
Florian Schneider - voice, vocoder, votrax, synthesizer, electronics, producer
Karl Bartos - electronic percussion
Wolfgang Flür - electronic percussion

Good stuff.

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