Kraftwerk: Man, Machine and Music

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 222 pages
• Published by: SAF Publishing; Rev Upd edition September 15, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0946719705
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0946719709
• Book Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Weighs: 8.5 ounces

From Library Journal
A German band invented the sound of humans and machines making love. Formed by Ralf H?tter and Florian Schneider in 1970, D?sseldorf's Kraftwerk ("power plant") pioneered electronic dance music before Madonna got her first training bra and trusted technology (i.e., the drum machine) before the personal computer. These studies are the first in America to document Kraftwerk's impact. Barr, music commentator for The Face and Dazed & Confused, argues that the German foursome (Wolfgang Fl?r joined in 1973, Karl Bartos in 1975) was the first band since the Beatles to revolutionize popular culture with what started as a backbeat. To prove this, the book opens with Kraftwerk's rapturous comeback at Tribal Gathering '97Aan all-night electro-hop in the English countryside. The same summer, bands influenced by Kraftwerk finally gained popular acceptance and achieved buzz bin status on MTV. After careful consideration of the band's avant-garde mentors, Barr makes another convincing case: in 1977, David Bowie's Low and Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange set the stage for Kraftwerk's first masterstroke, Trans-Europe Express. Barr must love to dance, because his narrative rises and falls like the best dance singles. Bussy, founder of an avant-garde record label, covers the same milestones with a more cerebral style and with one great advantage: H?tter, Schneider, Fl?r, and BartosAnotorious for their silenceAgranted Bussy interviews. The result: more specific explanations of artistic philosophies, recording processes, and the creative differences that caused Fl?r and Bartos to quit in the mid-1980s. Both titles are essential for popular music collections.AHeather McCormack, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Q Magazine, November 1993
“Bussy engagingly explains why theyre one of the few groups whove actually changed how music sounds.” --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
There will probably never be a definitive biography of Kraftwerk, due to the growing reluctance over the years of Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider-Esleben to say anything about the band and the placement of seemingly formidable roadblocks in front of probing journalists (and former band members). Pascal Bussy comes as close as any writer in this book, which was originally published in 1993 and has been updated several times. What Bussy has is a huge jigsaw puzzle of information and facts culled from many sources - including Hutter and Schneider-Esleben when they did grant interviews in the early years - and puts the story together to bring the three elements in the sub-title together. Particularly interesting is the history of the German music scene of the 1960s and 1970s, since no band or musician is in a vacuum when it comes to the early influences that launches a professional career. Though the 2004 world tour was an artistic success, Bussy hints at what a possible "tour" could look like in the future. It truly may be more fun to compute. Kraftwerk: Man, Machine and Music, may leave some readers wanting more tangible information, especially about the technical/experimental work done inside Kling Klang studio to achieve the band's sound & music. But until Hutter and Schneider-Esleben say more than the repetitive blips heard on Kraftwerk's official web site, Bussy's biography will remain the best observation at a legendary and mysterious group. Comment | Permalink | (Report this)