| features in: Album Chart of 1970 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s |
After their previous band, Organization, had split, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider-Esleben formed Kraftwerk (German for Power Station). Their debut album, an all instrumental affair, was delivered in November, 1970, continuing where Organization had left off, operating in the realm of free-from experimental music fused with organ, guitar, flute, violin and drum. They lined up: Ralf Hütter (24, organ, guitar, tubon), Florian Schneider-Esleben (23, flute, violin, percussion), Andreas Hohmann (drums) and Klaus Dinger (24, drums). Four long pieces make up the set, beginning with the lively “Ruckzuck” (“Right Now”) which was retained from the Organization repertoire. The structureless “Stratovarius” follows next, half-film-score, half-dicking-about, with a wilful determination to screech abrasively now and again to keep you on your toes. Andreas Hohmann drums on both of the tracks on side one. The drumless “Megaherz” (“Mega Heart”) opens side two and it's a bit of a slow-paced proggish chore, leaving plenty of space for a lot of droning organ, followed by some prominent flute, before ending in a swirl of all with effects. “Vom Himmel Hoch” (“From Heaven Above”) features Klaus Dinger in bursts of drums with rhythms various, and plenty of keyboard noodling and doodling, simulating bombs from above, with the track ending with a great big final explosion. Vom Himmel Hoch is also the name of a very famous German hymn relating to the coming of the baby Jesus. There's some black humour at play here methinks. All in all, far from vital.
The Jukebox Rebel
03–May–2014
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [07:47]  Kraftwerk - Ruckzuck (Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider-Esleben) Prog |
| A2 | [12:10]  Kraftwerk - Stratovarius (Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider-Esleben) Avant-Garde |
| B1 | [09:30]  Kraftwerk - Megaherz (Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider-Esleben) Prog |
| B2 | [10:12]  Kraftwerk - Vom Himmel Hoch (Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider-Esleben) Avant-Garde |
