This is electronic art. Synth-pop began here, this is pretty much its proof of concept. Since I first listened to it, it’s now a bucket list goal in my life to drive on the autobahn listening to Autobahn.
Have done exactly that - a truly transcendent experience. You can understand they joy they used to feel in their secondhand high capacity Mercedes Benz’s travelling the length and breath of their country at whatever speed they deemed appropriate (no limit). Amongst the rubble of post war Germany it must have been an absolute escape from the aftermath that of WW2. Their albums MADE me travel
As a 19 year old I remember buying the Autobahn single in 1975 and playing it on my Technics amplifier and Wharfdale speakers. Such joy. Weren't the 1970s simply the best for music?👏👏👏👍
Saw them doing this song on American TV. My mom and I were astonished. They didn’t look or sound like anyone else and their instruments were still so new. Loved them ever since!
I bought this album in a record store in 1974. I was 15 years old at the time. I had to save my pocket money before I could buy it. The album is still in beautiful condition. I am now 64 years old and still enjoy it. For today's music lovers nothing special I think, they were raised on synthesizer sound.
Somewhere there is a picture of my great grandpa sitting in a recliner with headphones on, listening to this album. It was taken about 1978. Electronic music runs in my blood.
You’ve got to imagine listening to this as a 12 year old boy who had never heard an electronic music instrument before, let alone a whole album of it. Truly mind blowing, apart from the genius of the band that produced this amazing piece of music.
Kraftwerk is the most sampled group in music history. From Afrika Bambaataa to Could play. Trans Europe Express, Robots, Models, Radioactivity, are some of the many classics of this sensational group.
the number Coldplay borrowed from them is one of my favourite Coldplay numbers but they have so many from there early years its a hard one with coldplay but kraftwerks influence is a hair raising moment in talk by coldplay
Finally Kraftwerk, one of the most influential band you usually never heard of. I live in Montréal Canada and most of my family lives in Québec City, and my father was a great fan of Autobahn, so every time we would drive to Québec, witch was a lot of time during the year, it would play in the car. Perfect music for the long 2 hour drive. You definitely have to listen to Autobahn during the next long drive you will do. In the beginning Kraftwerk had different member change but after the recording of Autobahn there is always 4 member. During their most popular years it was the 2 founding members, Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider and Wolfgang Flür and Karl Bartos where the other 2. Also, Autobahn was a transitional album, only Ralf and Florian played on the title track. Wolfgang only played on one track and Karl join the band for the tour. Autobanh is also the last album with acoustic instruments, after that they became electronic only.
Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre were the pioneers of electronic music and had a lasting impact on the genre. They were way ahead of their time and their possibilities. And what they did was something that had never been heard before. Anyone who heard the first 30 seconds of “Autobahn” during that time may have had their life changed forever. Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre definitely influenced me. And as children we always sang "Autobahn" when we were on the highway/freeway or on that Autobahn and on the way to vacation. Was great fun. I salute these pioneers. Greetings from Germany.
This is the dawn of techno. Huge influence on the Detroit techno legends Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills... who took this whole vibe and really developed it into a whole genre of futuristic dance music. Kraftwerk deserves credit for getting their first.
Justin, you have mentioned that you enjoy your bike. Kraftwerk's Tour de France soundtrack is excellent biking music. It is also good music to put on when the weather doesn't allow you to go out.
I like the way they use the sounds you would hear driving along the "Autobahn" car engines, the sound of a car zooming but using a synth to depict this sound, as such can be musical. It's different from the usual rock music around at the time. It's sounds clinical,but in a good way, also repetitive, but again in a good way. Does sound a bit like classical music in parts. I think this sound of car noises, and what you hear driving is maybe the aural equivalent of found objects in art The album cover does depict what the the lyrics say. Also if you look at the cover you will see 4 small photographs on the dashboard..
The trip, the joy of a sunny, relaxing trip, where the important is to go. No matter where. The wind, the clouds, the mountains, the sea beyond. The music in the car. Going fast but with no hurry. Stop at gas station, ask where is nowhere and start again the trip. This are my impression listening this amazing masterpiece.
Kling Klang, baby! So glad to see you get into these guys, JP - you've taken the car trip and now have the train (Trans-Europe Express) and bicycle (Tour de France) voyages ahead, among many other great tracks. I was selling stereo equipment back in 74 and could almost guarantee sales by running Side 1 here on a high end turntable and cartridge thru a couple of JBL floor monitors (each about the size of a mini Cooper😂). So much fun! Can't wait for you to explore further and I second the motion from others that you also check out Tangerine Dream, Cluster, Can and many others.👍
Happy memory - Driving from Taumarunui to Tauranga (NZ) on a hot, midsummer's day 1975 - windows down, Kraftwerk cranked up - first time hearing Autobahn - unforgettable
Im a army brat were stationed in Germany, I'm sitting in the px cafeteria just a kid a soldier goes to the jukebox and plays this tune the single version and my world is never the same after. It went to to number 3 in the BB charts. I heard on Casey Kasims American top 40 at #3 in 1975. Been a fan ever since. Long live Kraftwerk !
Their first 2 albums,simply called Kraftwerk 1 and 2 had a traffic come as the logo,when The Robots was released,they had mannequins made with motors in them.the heads sculpted to exact likeness
About the scenery, they sing: the road is a band of grey, with white lines and walls of green. Gives you some idea. Edit: Oh, you read the lyrics just after I posted this 😄.
Great review and greatly appreciate not stopping the music to talk. Kudos to you. I was 9 when I heard Autobahn and it was so different to the usual guitar rock stuff and so ahead of its time. This was recorded before polyphonic synthesizers, digital drum machines, digital sequencers, samplers came out. They mainly used a Minimoog, Arp Odyssey, EMS VCS3, Sennheiser VSM-201Vocoder and tape delays, phasers and flangers. They took apart an old rhythm box like the sort that came in home organs and added metal pads and sticks to trigger the sounds. The only polyphonic instrument was some kind of organ like a Farfisa, so if anyone knows what it was that Ralf used, I'd love to know. Both founding members were classically trained. Florian Schneider was a flautist and I'm sure it was Ralf who played the guitar parts. It is only recently that they were admitted to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. An incredible piece of music with clear classical influences and the forerunners of break downs and build ups of Trance. RIP Florian mein herr. The single version came out in 1975 and the traffic noises in the middle section was used as the theme tune for a BBC children's TV series called 'Out Of Bounds' and kometenmelodie 2 on the other side of this LP also featured during the last episode of the series.
Kraftwerk's appearance on the BBC science programme 'Tomorrow's World' in 1975 is credited with inspiring a generation of young musicians and pop fans in the UK. I think they are to electronic music what The Beatles were to guitar pop and rock. It took a few years for people to catch up.
You did Jean-Michel Jarre. You’ve done Vangelis. Now you’ve done Kraftwerk. Now it’s time to discover Tangerine Dream. Try their live concert in the USA (the album “Encore”, one song per side on a double-album) and the live concert in Poland (the album “Poland”, one song per side on a double-album). Now, back to Mike Oldfield, please :)
Full-length version is a challenge in repetitiveness, but that's what long trips on German motorways feel like, and it is a great and important piece!! Kraftwerk's first few albums (the band later was a bit embarrassed of) were actually experimental Krautrock thingys with flute, guitar noise etc. This was the first time they went fully electronic, the rest of this album sounds less so. Later albums cemented their reputation as robotic music performers and were maybe even more or at least equally influential.
While there were other members, the driving forces (pun unintended) behind Kraftwerk were Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider. Schneider, who died in April 2020 (RIP), was name-checked in David Bowie's track, "V-2 Schneider," from the "Heroes" LP.
In 1974, I was a meer 13 year old, listening to glam rock and along comes this really strange new sound. Yes, there was synthetic music, mainly from prog rock bands, but nothing like this. Autobahn, for me, was a pivotal point and the start of a journey into an electronic future.
This main title song had three section, first of BEGINNING,after the 2nd is CONTINUE, and the final section is CONCLUSION, released on 8-track cassette tape in US
We drive, drive, drive on the highway In front of us a wide valley The sun is shining in shimmering beams We drive, drive, drive on the highway The road is a grey ribbon With white stripes and a green border We drive, drive, drive on the highway Now we turn on the radio And out of the speakers it sounds: We driiiiiive on the hiiiiiiighwayyyyyyy
THE Autobahn is everywhere in Germany, from the coasts in the north to the Alps in the South, from the Western borders to the Eastern borders. It's actually a grid of many Autobahns (Autobahnen), who cross each other, with the odd numbers roughly leading fom North to South, and the even numbers leading from West to East with many shorter segments (higher numbers) in between. Except mumber 10 leads around Berlin. The scenery can be nice, depending on where you are.
Oh my god you finally did them. This is a great song The song of the future when this came out in 74. These guys have so many good songs, The Robots, The Model, The Man Machine, Trans Europe express, compoter love, Tour de france. Kraftwerk are amazing, also Ian curtis of Joy division used to bring in Kraftwerk albums during Joy divisions recording sessions and they got some influence from them, you can hear it on Unknown pleasures and Closer. Check out more Kraftwerk you wont be disappointed.
So recently I had this talk with a young Russian girl, huge fan of EDM. I played Die Roboter (The Robots) and asked whether she knew this new song. She went Wow, great dance song with retro elements, who are these guys? Haha, yea that was released in 78, for me their best song (that intro alone). Timeless music.
I remember a confused reviewer in Sweden recognizing the importance of this song, while not really liking electronica. “Well, I guess this is the future now”
I discovered this band in 1974 and bought this album as a cut out , Autobahn what great album, but I saw this band in ,2004 at the Jackie Gleason theater, but my friend and I miss half the show and we came in when they did neon lights. so we miss them do Autobahn, but that was no problem , because they release minimum. Maximum on DVD and when I saw it , I said , my god , I miss that many songs. , But what great concert , At least we got to see them perform Radio activity and other great songs.
Kraftwerk is a fantastic band! This is not normally my type of music but I love these guys! You're in for a treat! This album (Autobahn), Trans Europe Express and the Man Machine are essential listens
Kraftwerk were massively influential and are one of those "jumping off points" that can lead you in different directions, from spacey-prog to dance music to industrial electronic noise. Neu, Cluster, Popol Vuh. You won't be surprised to find out that Eno is in there too. Coming back to Kraftwerk, Computer World was another massively influential record.
cool video! I remember my dad playing this on the autobahn when we were visiting germany in 2016. I remember how we were going 220kmh in our volvo lol.
How cool is that to hear first the German band Tangerine Dream and now the German band Kraftwerk as a reaction. I love both bands and also the good Frenchman Jean-Michel Jarre I love this electronic music since the end of the 70s when I heard Kraftwerk's Roboter on the radio. By the way, the car sounds were originally recorded on a German Autobahn.
I'm a huge fan of Kraftwerk, and for the life of me cannot understand how they're not in the R&RHOF, (given their influence to not just the electronic music genre, but new wave, synth-pop, and even hip-hop). My favorite albums are the three with the classic line-up of Ralf Hutter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos, and Wolfgang Flur, "Trans Europe Express", "The Man Machine" and "Computerworld".
Haven’t heard this in *decades*, wow. It was a big deal for local DJ’s to play the whole song in 1974, prolly for a bathroom or Smoke break in hindsight. For a midwest kid it was truly groundbreaking music.
I still remember my first reaction to this one, seven years ago (I was almost fifteen back then): "Hey Dad!" "Hm?" "I want a car to blast this song on...."
Synth-pop starts with these guys. This is the album that got their name out there. This is the song that knocked on everyone's door. The world would never be the same from this point forward.
It might be worth repeating (no pun intended) that the development of affordable synths was in it's infancy at this time. Only a few years before this, Moog's modular synth was hand built and only affordable to a few rich individuals around the world. 72/73, Pink Floyd only had one synth for Dark Side of the Moon. New, smaller, affordable synths were coming out and you can hear the Minimoog on this album, for example. They also use the EMS Synthi AKS used by Floyd on "On the Run", with it's basic sequencer. The point is that the sounds on this were absolutely new and amazing to people at the time. It was futuristic in every way.
In 1974 there was no drum machines or vocoders that you could purchase. Kraftwerk build their own electronic drums. The drums were metal pads hit with metal sticks. Kraftwerk also had a vocoder built for them. The actual vocoder that was used in the recording has been owned by Daniel Miller for years. Daniel is the founder and head of Mute records. Kraft wek has done some rerecording's of this track. The Mix has a version The 3-d Catalogue has a version as well. Kraftwerk was originally a psychedelic band.Kraftwek has a lot of great albums
It is said the ‘chorus’ (“Wir fahren, fahren, fahren auf der Autobahn…..”) was written as a homage to the ‘Beach Boys’ song “Fun Fun Fun”, but both Wolfgang Flür and Ralf Hütter from the band have said this isn’t the case
Kraftwerk really sounded like the future in 1974 and motorways seemed to be a futuristic way of travel then too. It's an utterly hypnotic piece of music. This was a seminal album directly influencing Bowie ahead of his Berlin period but also dozens of electronic groups in the late seventies / early eighties.
Autobahns were built already since the 1930's. Originally their purpose was to allow fast transfer to troops, Germany being what it was at the time. But true by 1920's all the modern day travelling was possible, aeroplanes, trains and ships as well, telephone and radio were new and exciting. In a way the song is a reflection of that time and also 60's optimism, man on the Moon, television, jet passenger planes, travelling became possible to wide part of the people.
@@onsesejoo2605 That's really interesting. Motorways only really started opening in the UK on a gradual basis in the sixties, so I always think of a full cross-country motorway network as a seventies phenomenon So true about the era being seemingly full of possibilities with space travel and colour TV, etc.
Music aside, this was also regarded as social commentary, with the ability to drive endlessly on the Autobahn (with no speed limit) being seen as part of the mindless consumerism that was the "bread and circuses" for the German public in the era of the postwar economic miracle. I don't know if that's what the band had in mind, but that kind of interpretation was certainly part of the reaction to the song.
Justin's quotes from a band member near the end suggest that that was not what they had in mind, so I guess it must have been other people's hostile reaction to the song.
@@roberttaylor5997 At the time, especially British press tended to look down their noses to what they called "Krautrock", lumping bands like Can, Kraftwerk, Amon Düül, Tangerine Dream to that category.
One of my favorite driving songs is L.A. by The Fall. But it's kinda specific to driving late at night on the freeway, in light traffic, through an urban or industrial area. For example 101 through San Francisco north bound and onto the Bay Bridge to Oakland.
So ahead of its time...Chris Squire has made the claim that his solo album from 1975, FISH OUT OF WATER, was the first record to use Moog bass. But AUTOBAHN came out in 1974. I don't know if he was considering only "rock" albums, or simply wasn't aware of Kraftwerk, but here it is. Fun fact: Kraftwerk also made their own table-top electronic drum pads, which looked like tin foil. You can go an buy a set now with ease, with rubber pads and all the sound effect fixins, but in 1974...
This is really where pure electronica began to be established - "Synths" were still nothing like what they became in the 80's - everything was still modulated tones and sine waves but the control was much improved and new developments in electronics meant effects could be built in line and enabled and adjusted in real time. Just over 10 years before you had Delia Derbyshire of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop physically splicing together varying lengths of tape with specific tones recorded on them to create the seminal "Dr Who" theme by Ron Grainer - through the 60's the development of the Moogs allowed Wendy Carlos to record her legendary J.S. Bach albums and Gershon Kingsley to create the catchy "Popcorn" - later covered with drums by Hot Butter in 1972. By then you have Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk transitioning from acoustic to electronic and creating sound scapes - experimenting with the sounds that the early synths could generate and how they could be manipulated using after effects. Autobahn is one of the first substantial majority synth original created works that while still experimental follows traditional classical forms and structures. Side two augments more acoustic instruments and it is these which I feel elevate the album above mere experimental curiosity. Synths and particularly early synth music suffers from the lack of variety and diversity of the base tones - it all becomes very samey. Once you start using synths as one instrument amongst many others suddenly you create a much richer tapestry and the ear doesn't become fatigued - it becomes excited! Consider in 1974 - Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon had recently been released which expertly mixed early synths with their conventional rock instrumentation, Mike Oldfield had released Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge - the latter not only combining early synth and rock instruments but classical instruments as well creating a very dense but fascinating sound at times. Early electronica is still fascinating to explore simply because of where it develops and leads to and certainly at the time of release no one would have expected them to be as successful as they were and to still be bought, listened and enjoyed 50 years later!
Heard this for the first time in early 1975 in Philadelphia on a popular radio show at the time - The Dr. Demento show - who played a lot of music, much of it comedy and tracks like these that weren't so often played on the radio.
My first Kraftwerk experience was with this song. I was amazed at how they could create this groove without using guitars, bass or drums. On an unimportant note, a few years ago, my dream of driving down the Autobahn while listening to Autobahn came true lol
Imagine this is 1974. You're with a group of teenage friends, students, candles, beers, lots of it. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple...enz, enz. One of your friends stands up, walks towards the turntable and puts on Kraftwerks vinyl LP Autobahn IT..IS..1974!!...It is out of time, alien like, It has nothing to do about "I don't know how it feels like to drive in EUROPE on the Autobahm so I don't get the HYPE (lmfao). Murican dumbing down everyting they don't understand (Ignorant Muricans) As if all Eupopeans (see what I did there?) drove on the Autobahn and used that as an inspiration to make Techno music..20 years later. Anywhoo. Yet it feels natural. Hence your reaction. like you've heared it before. AND people nowadays are not easily shocked, let alone e the imagination how it was to hear this kinda music back in 1970-ish. Not only the sounds, but the rhythms. The innovators and pioneers of electronic music, as well as major influences for techno, synth-pop, hip-hop, house music, post-punk and various flavours of dance music.
Kraftwerk gave birth to electronic, no instruments, recorded music beginning with Autobahn... hands down... Man Machine is the greater collection, released a few years later... crucial recording artists to modern music
This's a great track. A real gamechanger in the genre of electronic music. Though this's not a 100% electronic, there's organic instruments too. And Kraftwerk often seen as the doyens, and were/are hugely influential. Though electronic music'd been around since the 50's. The underlying beats, the various sections/melodies played over mimicking the sounds, feel of a long road trip. The radio being tuned, nice touch. A classic, hypnotic, and accomplished piece of work.
My favourite Kraftwerk track. This was very innovative for the time, and one of the first electronic albums to chart. A highly edited version was released as a single.
Kraftwerk, Neu, Can, Faust, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Guru Guru, Agitation Free, Amon Duul, Amon Dull II, Cluster, Ash Ra Tempel and a whole host of other fantastic German bands from the Krautrock scene 69-75 produced some of the most creative, cosmic and transcendent music by anyone, anywhere at any time. You can hear whole new genres coming into being through their experimentation and embracing of new technology. An era difficult ever to see being repeated.
Know a lot of these bands from back then. I still love them and still have all the records. Krautrock! Do you know Grobschnitt? Solar music live, Rockpommel’s land are great albums.
@@palantir135 Hah, just listened this morning to a 31 linutes life version of Die Sinfonie with my son in the car. Reminded me why I was a fan of Grobschnitt (the only band I have ever seen 4 times and the only band I drank a beer with the guitar player).
A great song from the German club of electronic music pioneers and yes it does include some established instruments. Really liked Autobahn back in the mid 70's, the cars buzzing through your head was well done. Future music then and now. Remember they only had first generation electronic stuff in those days. The current autobahn numbering system was introduced in 1974 but the roads are older. Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream (Phaedra or Ricochet) and Klaus Schulze (Timewind or Blackdance) were the fathers of German electronic music which later went global. Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze are totally electronic. So enjoy the early German electronic music it is a deep well. Great reaction. PS When I was working in Germany driving on the Autobahn I could not shake this tune out my head! Even 20 years later.
I do remember hearing it on the radio, shorter version though. Later I found "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001), 1973)" by Eumir Deodato. Checked out of the library at the same time I checked ELP "Trilogy". Ah, the days of yore when one had to go google the books themselves!
Yay! Love these guys. Back in my university days, I used to listen to this, Trans-Europe Express, and Radioactivity with my earphones in so I could get to sleep when my housemates were being complete idiots and being loud till all hours in the night. I always used to think they were singing "Fan, fan, fan of the Autobahn". I think that fits quite well, since the whole album is dedicated to that road network.
Kraftwerk have a special place in my musical catalogue. I like the way they use different languages in their vocals, mainly German and English though. Had the chance to see them live a few years ago. Only concert I've been to where they handed out 3D glasses for the show. It was fantastic. Are we having an electronic weekend? With Tangerine Dream cued up for later?
@@Totenkopfzwerg Rubycon is their best album from my point of view because their two suites are very surreal but ultimately relatively accessible compared to say Phaedra which was more obscure. Stratosfear is really great too but easier to tackle.
@@a.k.1740 Well put. I do enjoy all of them, but yeah Rubycon is definitely the most spell-binding. Whether it's brought up to my mind from the album cover or whether it's something in the music itself, I'm not sure, but "with my mind's eye" I can see the movement of water in various ways and shapes when listening to that album. A profound experience every single time. And I don't use any hallucinogenic substances, mind you, that's just the power of the music itself :)
@@Totenkopfzwerg I don't use hallucinogens either so I really know what you mean because since listening to 70s Tangerine Dream music and more specifically Rubycon (which goes a long way back now), mentally visions of colors, smells, textures and landscapes come automatically to me so I understand the power of images that this music provides.
Thanks for putting up the video of the Autobahn dashcam - never been there, but parts of it are very similar to Highway 70 in Kansas. I really like Ralf and Florian in their early days - I have their 1973 self titled album, a collection of audio impressionist sketches of things like roulette tables. The flute is a nice flourishing touch. That same year, Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon - would be interested to know if the highway sequence was the inspiration for 1974's "Autobahn" - which of course takes it to a very advanced level. Great synth effect of rubber wheels splashing through a soaking rain.
It's funny you should mention I-70, Bob, as my friends and I would regularly drive it (abilene to Salina or abilene to Topeka, Lawrence or KC) and this album was, without a doubt, one of our go-to's.
A movie you might like: Hringurinn/The Ring Road, by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson -- everything seen through the windshield of a car while the filmmaker drove around the entire perimeter of Iceland.
Still one of my fav bands for nearly 50 years. All of Ralf Hütters and Florian Schneiders synthesizers, modulators and the vocoder were custom-built prototypes. Florian also played a synthesized flute and Wolfgang Flür one of the very first electronic drum kits, located in a briefcase. The line-up was completed by Klaus Röder, who played synthesized guitar and electronic violin and viola and produced many of the sounds of the cars and buildings passing by. The first fully virtual musical head trip! Greez from Germany, Mike! 😉 🚗 🚘 🚙
Glad to see this song getting some reactions. It is a classic. Though I actually like Kometenmelodie 2 a little bit more and Mitternacht is a great track as well.
It's hard to overstate how revolutionary this sounded when it came out. They totally influenced a generation of musicians who interpreted that sound into new genres. More amazingly, Kraftwerk listened to those musicians that they influenced and were themselves influenced and changed their music. I really encourage you to listen to a newer live version like this one... it's very familiar fo the original, yet they have updated the density and dynamics a bit, as well as some of the percussion. They kinda became DJs of their own tracks. ua-cam.com/video/1DO-Ddqbqgs/v-deo.html
There have been many members of Kraftwerk, but it all comes down to the classic foursome of Ralf, Florian (died April 2002), Karl, and Wolfgang. In the 80s Karl and Wolfgang left, and around 2009 Florian left. The only surviving member is Ralf, and he has three 'helpers': Fritz Hilpert, Henning Schmidt, and Falk Griffingen who have been 'Kraftwerk' ever since. They have toured more often than they ever did, and should you ever get to see them live go for it. You will be astonished at the sound quality. It should also be noted that the album Autobahn was recorded between 1973-74, and considering the effects they used it was quite a breakthrough. Look at UA-cam videos of their recent tours, and see how they have adapted Autobahn and other tracks for the modern era. Thank you for appreciating their music.
This is the only Kraftwerk that I truly love. It is delightful and surprising, even after decades of listening to it. Directly influenced by Kraftwerk, Gary Numan' album "Replica" has to very good instrumentals that might interest you, since most people credit him with creating the modern era of electronic Rock. "When the Machines Rock" is upbeat and danceable, while "I Nearly Married a Human" is slow and beautiful. Ultravox, the band whom Numan credits with starting his genre, have a fantastic instrumental: "Astradyne", from their Midge Ure-led period.
As a kid, I obviously didn't get what all that was about. It was on the German "Hitparade" in a short 3 minutes (or so) version which was kind of fun even to primary school me because it was so different from all the other stuff. This long version - nothing for little kids ;). But it perfectly matches the feelings you get from a long journey on the Autobahn. Putting the footage in the video was a brilliant idea, after watching it I'm actually in the mental state of driving :).
My brother taught me what stereo meant by playing this record. Kraftwerk is not given nearly enough credit for the influence they've had on music, from new wave to electronica, and even hip hop. I love your quote about whether the similarity to Fun, Fun, Fun is intentional (which I had thought it was). "No, they are wrong." Such German.
Wow, what a great song, so ahead from their time, I’ve heard this band back in 1978 Trans-Europe Express and that’s it, till now. I must add it on my list, thank you so much for bringing it up.
1974 a weird year of mixes and sounds....end of an era for some...continuation for others and the beginning for many. Among them:- Deep Purple - Burn and Stormbringer; Eric Clapton (debut return) - 461 Ocean Boulevard; David Bowie - Diamond Dogs; Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic; John Lennon - Walls and Bridges; Rory Gallagher - Wild Irish Tour; Genesis - Lamb Lies Down on Broadway; Jackson Browns Late for the Sky; Queen - Queen 2; Supertramp Crime of the Century; Rolling Stones It's only Rock and Roll; Roxy Music - Country Life; Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs; Lou Reed - Rock 'n Roll Animal; Jethro Tull - War Child; Tom Waits - Heart of Saturday Night; BTO - Not Fragile; Kiss - Hotter than Hell; Elton John - Caribou; Boz Scaggs - Slow Dancer; New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon; Minnie Ripperton - Perfect Angel; Labelle - Nightbirds; Barry White - Can't get Enough; and Kraftwerk - Autobahn Interestingly no Pink Floyd, Led Zep or Black Sabbath that year.
The world of music would not be the same without Kraftwerk. This is what pioneers sound like, even as they are quite accessbile most of the time. My favourite album of them is Trans-Europe Express, but The Man-Machine is probably their most accessible/successful one. Loved to see them live some years ago as well :)
This is electronic art.
Synth-pop began here, this is pretty much its proof of concept.
Since I first listened to it, it’s now a bucket list goal in my life to drive on the autobahn listening to Autobahn.
Have done exactly that - a truly transcendent experience. You can understand they joy they used to feel in their secondhand high capacity Mercedes Benz’s travelling the length and breath of their country at whatever speed they deemed appropriate (no limit). Amongst the rubble of post war Germany it must have been an absolute escape from the aftermath that of WW2.
Their albums MADE me travel
As a 19 year old I remember buying the Autobahn single in 1975 and playing it on my Technics amplifier and Wharfdale speakers. Such joy.
Weren't the 1970s simply the best for music?👏👏👏👍
70s and 80s such great times
Saw them doing this song on American TV. My mom and I were astonished. They didn’t look or sound like anyone else and their instruments were still so new. Loved them ever since!
I bought this album in a record store in 1974. I was 15 years old at the time. I had to save my pocket money before I could buy it. The album is still in beautiful condition. I am now 64 years old and still enjoy it. For today's music lovers nothing special I think, they were raised on synthesizer sound.
Somewhere there is a picture of my great grandpa sitting in a recliner with headphones on, listening to this album. It was taken about 1978. Electronic music runs in my blood.
Sounds like a good memory 🙂
You’ve got to imagine listening to this as a 12 year old boy who had never heard an electronic music instrument before, let alone a whole album of it. Truly mind blowing, apart from the genius of the band that produced this amazing piece of music.
Kraftwerk is the most sampled group in music history. From Afrika Bambaataa to Could play. Trans Europe Express, Robots, Models, Radioactivity, are some of the many classics of this sensational group.
the number Coldplay borrowed from them is one of my favourite Coldplay numbers but they have so many from there early years its a hard one with coldplay but kraftwerks influence is a hair raising moment in talk by coldplay
Finally Kraftwerk, one of the most influential band you usually never heard of. I live in Montréal Canada and most of my family lives in Québec City, and my father was a great fan of Autobahn, so every time we would drive to Québec, witch was a lot of time during the year, it would play in the car. Perfect music for the long 2 hour drive. You definitely have to listen to Autobahn during the next long drive you will do.
In the beginning Kraftwerk had different member change but after the recording of Autobahn there is always 4 member. During their most popular years it was the 2 founding members, Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider and Wolfgang Flür and Karl Bartos where the other 2. Also, Autobahn was a transitional album, only Ralf and Florian played on the title track. Wolfgang only played on one track and Karl join the band for the tour. Autobanh is also the last album with acoustic instruments, after that they became electronic only.
"Neon Lights" is another great one from Kraftwerk
That is possibly my favourite track by them
@@gerardodoherty9178 🤗👏
I used to listen to the song all the time when I drove with my dad in the car on the highway in Germany. Brings back good memories.🥰
Thats a great memory :)
Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre were the pioneers of electronic music and had a lasting impact on the genre. They were way ahead of their time and their possibilities. And what they did was something that had never been heard before. Anyone who heard the first 30 seconds of “Autobahn” during that time may have had their life changed forever. Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre definitely influenced me. And as children we always sang "Autobahn" when we were on the highway/freeway or on that Autobahn and on the way to vacation. Was great fun. I salute these pioneers. Greetings from Germany.
Kraftwerk are undoubtedly one of the most influential groups of all time. Such innovation and creativity. Hi from the UK 👋👍
Also Tangerine Dream...
This is the dawn of techno. Huge influence on the Detroit techno legends Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills... who took this whole vibe and really developed it into a whole genre of futuristic dance music. Kraftwerk deserves credit for getting their first.
Justin, you have mentioned that you enjoy your bike. Kraftwerk's Tour de France soundtrack is excellent biking music. It is also good music to put on when the weather doesn't allow you to go out.
Me: "Hell yeah! Can't wait for more Kraftwerk reactions!"
Most of the comments: "Hell yeah! Can't wait for more Tangerine Dream reactions!"
😒
Lol! Theres time for both :D
I like the way they use the sounds you would hear driving along the "Autobahn" car engines, the sound of a car zooming but using a synth to depict this sound, as such can be musical. It's different from the usual rock music around at the time. It's sounds clinical,but in a good way, also repetitive, but again in a good way. Does sound a bit like classical music in parts.
I think this sound of car noises, and what you hear driving is maybe the aural equivalent of found objects in art
The album cover does depict what the the lyrics say. Also if you look at the cover you will see 4 small photographs on the dashboard..
Ahhh, ill have to look at the cover again. Ty for the hint!
It is an absolute masterpeace! Sounds of the freeway and music united in one.
The trip, the joy of a sunny, relaxing trip, where the important is to go. No matter where. The wind, the clouds, the mountains, the sea beyond. The music in the car. Going fast but with no hurry. Stop at gas station, ask where is nowhere and start again the trip. This are my impression listening this amazing masterpiece.
Kling Klang, baby! So glad to see you get into these guys, JP - you've taken the car trip and now have the train (Trans-Europe Express) and bicycle (Tour de France) voyages ahead, among many other great tracks. I was selling stereo equipment back in 74 and could almost guarantee sales by running Side 1 here on a high end turntable and cartridge thru a couple of JBL floor monitors (each about the size of a mini Cooper😂). So much fun! Can't wait for you to explore further and I second the motion from others that you also check out Tangerine Dream, Cluster, Can and many others.👍
That's cheating. Of course you'd get a sale.
Happy memory - Driving from Taumarunui to Tauranga (NZ) on a hot, midsummer's day 1975 - windows down, Kraftwerk cranked up - first time hearing Autobahn - unforgettable
First heard this back in '77 or '78 I think, was high AF at the time... what trip! It's been on my playlist ever since.
Im a army brat were stationed in Germany, I'm sitting in the px cafeteria just a kid a soldier goes to the jukebox and plays this tune the single version and my world is never the same after. It went to to number 3 in the BB charts. I heard on Casey Kasims American top 40 at #3 in 1975. Been a fan ever since. Long live Kraftwerk !
Their first 2 albums,simply called Kraftwerk 1 and 2 had a traffic come as the logo,when The Robots was released,they had mannequins made with motors in them.the heads sculpted to exact likeness
About the scenery, they sing: the road is a band of grey, with white lines and walls of green. Gives you some idea.
Edit: Oh, you read the lyrics just after I posted this 😄.
Great review and greatly appreciate not stopping the music to talk. Kudos to you. I was 9 when I heard Autobahn and it was so different to the usual guitar rock stuff and so ahead of its time. This was recorded before polyphonic synthesizers, digital drum machines, digital sequencers, samplers came out. They mainly used a Minimoog, Arp Odyssey, EMS VCS3, Sennheiser VSM-201Vocoder and tape delays, phasers and flangers. They took apart an old rhythm box like the sort that came in home organs and added metal pads and sticks to trigger the sounds. The only polyphonic instrument was some kind of organ like a Farfisa, so if anyone knows what it was that Ralf used, I'd love to know. Both founding members were classically trained. Florian Schneider was a flautist and I'm sure it was Ralf who played the guitar parts. It is only recently that they were admitted to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. An incredible piece of music with clear classical influences and the forerunners of break downs and build ups of Trance. RIP Florian mein herr. The single version came out in 1975 and the traffic noises in the middle section was used as the theme tune for a BBC children's TV series called 'Out Of Bounds' and kometenmelodie 2 on the other side of this LP also featured during the last episode of the series.
Thanks so much Pete! Appreciate the info as well :)
Kraftwerk's appearance on the BBC science programme 'Tomorrow's World' in 1975 is credited with inspiring a generation of young musicians and pop fans in the UK. I think they are to electronic music what The Beatles were to guitar pop and rock. It took a few years for people to catch up.
Legend has it, while he was working on Low and Heroes around 76-77, a coked up Bowie would drive around Berlin blasting Kraftwerk.
You did Jean-Michel Jarre. You’ve done Vangelis. Now you’ve done Kraftwerk. Now it’s time to discover Tangerine Dream. Try their live concert in the USA (the album “Encore”, one song per side on a double-album) and the live concert in Poland (the album “Poland”, one song per side on a double-album).
Now, back to Mike Oldfield, please :)
Force Majeure FTW!
I saw Tangerine Dream at the Windsor Auditorium in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 1976. Theirs was one of the first laser light shows I saw. Peace.
YES! He will really like Tangerine Dream. And he's getting closer to Crises.
@@jimschroeder1176 can’t wait for Crises!
@@donthomasdunigan7004 lucky you! I love their concerts. So uniquely wonderful.
When you hear the music it sounds like the music song for them great music
Full-length version is a challenge in repetitiveness, but that's what long trips on German motorways feel like, and it is a great and important piece!!
Kraftwerk's first few albums (the band later was a bit embarrassed of) were actually experimental Krautrock thingys with flute, guitar noise etc. This was the first time they went fully electronic, the rest of this album sounds less so. Later albums cemented their reputation as robotic music performers and were maybe even more or at least equally influential.
Bollocks the full length version us the only decent version.
@@rickb.4168 Agreed - The repetitiveness is part of the theme of the song- being on a long hypnotic road trip.
Very true abou the tune, also Ralf in an interview many years ago, that the lyrics also take the joke of long motorway trips.
This track isn't fully electronic though, it has flute and guitar on it.
While there were other members, the driving forces (pun unintended) behind Kraftwerk were Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider. Schneider, who died in April 2020 (RIP), was name-checked in David Bowie's track, "V-2 Schneider," from the "Heroes" LP.
ah man! you missed the best part when you turned the screen to us! that was AMAZING! thank you for your sacrifice! ;) what a journey! awesome vid!
This all seems so simplistic today. Take yourself back 47 years and imagine hearing for the first time then. 47 years.
In 1974, I was a meer 13 year old, listening to glam rock and along comes this really strange new sound. Yes, there was synthetic music, mainly from prog rock bands, but nothing like this. Autobahn, for me, was a pivotal point and the start of a journey into an electronic future.
This main title song had three section, first of BEGINNING,after the 2nd is CONTINUE, and the final section is CONCLUSION, released on 8-track cassette tape in US
1974...when MY HOMETOWN DÜSSELDORF Heroes changed the Music Scene FOREVER !!!! STILL the MOST SAMPLED BAND EVER IN MUSIC HISTORY !!!!
Driving for 5 hours is sublime. 350 miles. Every week, twice. Mindcrushing and mindblowing
We drive, drive, drive on the highway
In front of us a wide valley
The sun is shining in shimmering beams
We drive, drive, drive on the highway
The road is a grey ribbon
With white stripes and a green border
We drive, drive, drive on the highway
Now we turn on the radio
And out of the speakers it sounds:
We driiiiiive on the hiiiiiiighwayyyyyyy
THE Autobahn is everywhere in Germany, from the coasts in the north to the Alps in the South, from the Western borders to the Eastern borders. It's actually a grid of many Autobahns (Autobahnen), who cross each other, with the odd numbers roughly leading fom North to South, and the even numbers leading from West to East with many shorter segments (higher numbers) in between. Except mumber 10 leads around Berlin. The scenery can be nice, depending on where you are.
Oh my god you finally did them. This is a great song The song of the future when this came out in 74. These guys have so many good songs, The Robots, The Model, The Man Machine, Trans Europe express, compoter love, Tour de france. Kraftwerk are amazing, also Ian curtis of Joy division used to bring in Kraftwerk albums during Joy divisions recording sessions and they got some influence from them, you can hear it on Unknown pleasures and Closer. Check out more Kraftwerk you wont be disappointed.
So recently I had this talk with a young Russian girl, huge fan of EDM. I played Die Roboter (The Robots) and asked whether she knew this new song. She went Wow, great dance song with retro elements, who are these guys? Haha, yea that was released in 78, for me their best song (that intro alone). Timeless music.
I remember a confused reviewer in Sweden recognizing the importance of this song, while not really liking electronica. “Well, I guess this is the future now”
they also influenced David Bowie when he lived in Berlin. Some say he drove the freeways and listened to this album for hours
I discovered this band in 1974 and bought this album as a cut out , Autobahn what great album, but I saw this band in ,2004 at the Jackie Gleason theater, but my friend and I miss half the show and we came in when they did neon lights. so we miss them do Autobahn, but that was no problem , because they release minimum. Maximum on DVD and when I saw it , I said , my god , I miss that many songs. , But what great concert , At least we got to see them perform Radio activity and other great songs.
Kraftwerk is a fantastic band! This is not normally my type of music but I love these guys! You're in for a treat! This album (Autobahn), Trans Europe Express and the Man Machine are essential listens
Kraftwerk were massively influential and are one of those "jumping off points" that can lead you in different directions, from spacey-prog to dance music to industrial electronic noise. Neu, Cluster, Popol Vuh. You won't be surprised to find out that Eno is in there too. Coming back to Kraftwerk, Computer World was another massively influential record.
Yeah, I jumped off after Trans Europe!
cool video! I remember my dad playing this on the autobahn when we were visiting germany in 2016. I remember how we were going 220kmh in our volvo lol.
🚗
How cool is that to hear first the German band Tangerine Dream and now the German band Kraftwerk as a reaction.
I love both bands and also the good Frenchman Jean-Michel Jarre
I love this electronic music since the end of the 70s when I heard Kraftwerk's Roboter on the radio.
By the way, the car sounds were originally recorded on a German Autobahn.
My 4 yr old nephew always as asked to listen to the song that went through his head, at least once a day. You need headphones to appreciate it.
I'm a huge fan of Kraftwerk, and for the life of me cannot understand how they're not in the R&RHOF, (given their influence to not just the electronic music genre, but new wave, synth-pop, and even hip-hop). My favorite albums are the three with the classic line-up of Ralf Hutter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos, and Wolfgang Flur, "Trans Europe Express", "The Man Machine" and "Computerworld".
They are 2021 inductees to R&RHOF.
Best way to listen to this is on a quadraphonic stereo, the music just circles you and surrounds you. Guarantee you will enjoy it.
You feel happiness drivning, while passing dying forests and brown lakes. Fine. That is what the song is about.
Haven’t heard this in *decades*, wow. It was a big deal for local DJ’s to play the whole song in 1974, prolly for a bathroom or Smoke break in hindsight. For a midwest kid it was truly groundbreaking music.
It’s hard to believe but this absolute masterpiece is going 50 this year (2024). The real innovators.
I still remember my first reaction to this one, seven years ago (I was almost fifteen back then):
"Hey Dad!"
"Hm?"
"I want a car to blast this song on...."
I'm here to second your Boards of Canada recommendation. Those guys are a huge influence on my own music. 👍
some of the most psychedelic music ever
Yup, they're great!
BOC who are Scottish are a fantastic band. If you get a chance, research the Warp record label, lots of great electronic bands on there.
Synth-pop starts with these guys. This is the album that got their name out there. This is the song that knocked on everyone's door. The world would never be the same from this point forward.
It might be worth repeating (no pun intended) that the development of affordable synths was in it's infancy at this time. Only a few years before this, Moog's modular synth was hand built and only affordable to a few rich individuals around the world.
72/73, Pink Floyd only had one synth for Dark Side of the Moon.
New, smaller, affordable synths were coming out and you can hear the Minimoog on this album, for example. They also use the EMS Synthi AKS used by Floyd on "On the Run", with it's basic sequencer.
The point is that the sounds on this were absolutely new and amazing to people at the time. It was futuristic in every way.
In 1974 there was no drum machines or vocoders that you could purchase. Kraftwerk build their own electronic drums. The drums were metal pads hit with metal sticks. Kraftwerk also had a vocoder built for them. The actual vocoder that was used in the recording has been owned by Daniel Miller for years. Daniel is the founder and head of Mute records. Kraft wek has done some rerecording's of this track. The Mix has a version The 3-d Catalogue has a version as well. Kraftwerk was originally a psychedelic band.Kraftwek has a lot of great albums
It is said the ‘chorus’ (“Wir fahren, fahren, fahren auf der Autobahn…..”) was written as a homage to the ‘Beach Boys’ song “Fun Fun Fun”, but both Wolfgang Flür and Ralf Hütter from the band have said this isn’t the case
Kraftwerk really sounded like the future in 1974 and motorways seemed to be a futuristic way of travel then too. It's an utterly hypnotic piece of music.
This was a seminal album directly influencing Bowie ahead of his Berlin period but also dozens of electronic groups in the late seventies / early eighties.
Autobahns were built already since the 1930's. Originally their purpose was to allow fast transfer to troops, Germany being what it was at the time. But true by 1920's all the modern day travelling was possible, aeroplanes, trains and ships as well, telephone and radio were new and exciting. In a way the song is a reflection of that time and also 60's optimism, man on the Moon, television, jet passenger planes, travelling became possible to wide part of the people.
@@onsesejoo2605 That's really interesting. Motorways only really started opening in the UK on a gradual basis in the sixties, so I always think of a full cross-country motorway network as a seventies phenomenon So true about the era being seemingly full of possibilities with space travel and colour TV, etc.
Music aside, this was also regarded as social commentary, with the ability to drive endlessly on the Autobahn (with no speed limit) being seen as part of the mindless consumerism that was the "bread and circuses" for the German public in the era of the postwar economic miracle. I don't know if that's what the band had in mind, but that kind of interpretation was certainly part of the reaction to the song.
Justin's quotes from a band member near the end suggest that that was not what they had in mind, so I guess it must have been other people's hostile reaction to the song.
@@roberttaylor5997 At the time, especially British press tended to look down their noses to what they called "Krautrock", lumping bands like Can, Kraftwerk, Amon Düül, Tangerine Dream to that category.
One of my favorite driving songs is L.A. by The Fall. But it's kinda specific to driving late at night on the freeway, in light traffic, through an urban or industrial area. For example 101 through San Francisco north bound and onto the Bay Bridge to Oakland.
So ahead of its time...Chris Squire has made the claim that his solo album from 1975, FISH OUT OF WATER, was the first record to use Moog bass. But AUTOBAHN came out in 1974. I don't know if he was considering only "rock" albums, or simply wasn't aware of Kraftwerk, but here it is. Fun fact: Kraftwerk also made their own table-top electronic drum pads, which looked like tin foil. You can go an buy a set now with ease, with rubber pads and all the sound effect fixins, but in 1974...
Kraut Rock!!!!! I am pleased my copy (bought when it came out) still plays on the old turn table. ALWAYS nice to hear.
This is really where pure electronica began to be established - "Synths" were still nothing like what they became in the 80's - everything was still modulated tones and sine waves but the control was much improved and new developments in electronics meant effects could be built in line and enabled and adjusted in real time.
Just over 10 years before you had Delia Derbyshire of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop physically splicing together varying lengths of tape with specific tones recorded on them to create the seminal "Dr Who" theme by Ron Grainer - through the 60's the development of the Moogs allowed Wendy Carlos to record her legendary J.S. Bach albums and Gershon Kingsley to create the catchy "Popcorn" - later covered with drums by Hot Butter in 1972.
By then you have Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk transitioning from acoustic to electronic and creating sound scapes - experimenting with the sounds that the early synths could generate and how they could be manipulated using after effects.
Autobahn is one of the first substantial majority synth original created works that while still experimental follows traditional classical forms and structures. Side two augments more acoustic instruments and it is these which I feel elevate the album above mere experimental curiosity.
Synths and particularly early synth music suffers from the lack of variety and diversity of the base tones - it all becomes very samey. Once you start using synths as one instrument amongst many others suddenly you create a much richer tapestry and the ear doesn't become fatigued - it becomes excited!
Consider in 1974 - Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon had recently been released which expertly mixed early synths with their conventional rock instrumentation, Mike Oldfield had released Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge - the latter not only combining early synth and rock instruments but classical instruments as well creating a very dense but fascinating sound at times.
Early electronica is still fascinating to explore simply because of where it develops and leads to and certainly at the time of release no one would have expected them to be as successful as they were and to still be bought, listened and enjoyed 50 years later!
Finally!!! 👏👏👏 the grand parents of the electronic music! do the whole The Man-Machine Justin! it´s in your hands! 😁
Definitely plan to! Just wanted to hear this one first as I've always heard so much about it😁
Heard this for the first time in early 1975 in Philadelphia on a popular radio show at the time - The Dr. Demento show - who played a lot of music, much of it comedy and tracks like these that weren't so often played on the radio.
Such a beautiful, positive tune, it flies by in much less than its nearly 23 minute run time. The ending is sublime.
My first Kraftwerk experience was with this song.
I was amazed at how they could create this groove without using guitars, bass or drums.
On an unimportant note, a few years ago, my dream of driving down the Autobahn while listening to Autobahn came true lol
Haha nice! That'd be fun to listen this song on the road
Also, it's worth mentioning, that the next 3 albums, after Autobahn, is in both English, and German. There are more actual lyrics on those...
You could not go on a motorway in the early 70s, without someone blasting out these vibes on a cars 8 track cassete system, amazing iconic!
Man, just found your channel today! You made a really good review 'bout the song! Have a great week, greetings from Brazil!
Ty Dan!
Imagine this is 1974. You're with a group of teenage friends, students, candles, beers, lots of it. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple...enz, enz. One of your friends stands up, walks towards the turntable and puts on Kraftwerks vinyl LP Autobahn IT..IS..1974!!...It is out of time, alien like, It has nothing to do about "I don't know how it feels like to drive in EUROPE on the Autobahm so I don't get the HYPE (lmfao). Murican dumbing down everyting they don't understand (Ignorant Muricans) As if all Eupopeans (see what I did there?) drove on the Autobahn and used that as an inspiration to make Techno music..20 years later. Anywhoo. Yet it feels natural. Hence your reaction. like you've heared it before. AND people nowadays are not easily shocked, let alone e the imagination how it was to hear this kinda music back in 1970-ish. Not only the sounds, but the rhythms. The innovators and pioneers of electronic music, as well as major influences for techno, synth-pop, hip-hop, house music, post-punk and various flavours of dance music.
Kraftwerk gave birth to electronic, no instruments, recorded music beginning with Autobahn... hands down... Man Machine is the greater collection, released a few years later... crucial recording artists to modern music
Hey Justin! Welcome to the wonderful world of electronic ‘krautrock’! I hope you’re looking forward to the amazing journey!
I suggest the whole album "Power, corruption and lies" by New Order
This's a great track. A real gamechanger in the genre of electronic music. Though this's not a 100% electronic, there's organic instruments too. And Kraftwerk often seen as the doyens, and were/are hugely influential. Though electronic music'd been around since the 50's. The underlying beats, the various sections/melodies played over mimicking the sounds, feel of a long road trip. The radio being tuned, nice touch. A classic, hypnotic, and accomplished piece of work.
This very cool Song....the Sound Effects...Are Great 👍🎵🎶🌈....Going Far Far Far on the Autobahn!!!!!.... Great Song!!!
My favourite Kraftwerk track. This was very innovative for the time, and one of the first electronic albums to chart. A highly edited version was released as a single.
Kraftwerk along with Klause Schulze and Tangerine Dream are at the beginning of the popular electronic music
The single version of this song was a hit in the UK charts in 1975.
Kraftwerk, Neu, Can, Faust, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Guru Guru, Agitation Free, Amon Duul, Amon Dull II, Cluster, Ash Ra Tempel and a whole host of other fantastic German bands from the Krautrock scene 69-75 produced some of the most creative, cosmic and transcendent music by anyone, anywhere at any time. You can hear whole new genres coming into being through their experimentation and embracing of new technology. An era difficult ever to see being repeated.
Know a lot of these bands from back then. I still love them and still have all the records.
Krautrock! Do you know Grobschnitt? Solar music live, Rockpommel’s land are great albums.
@@palantir135
Yes I know Grobschnitt😊 When I first got into Krautrock it was like an epiphany and I got really deep into it.
@@palantir135 Hah, just listened this morning to a 31 linutes life version of Die Sinfonie with my son in the car. Reminded me why I was a fan of Grobschnitt (the only band I have ever seen 4 times and the only band I drank a beer with the guitar player).
Klaus Schulze still listen to this great music and for a bit more fantasy I listen to Gandalf 💯😊
@@marceltroia9750 have a few of his earlier albums.
A great song from the German club of electronic music pioneers and yes it does include some established instruments. Really liked Autobahn back in the mid 70's, the cars buzzing through your head was well done. Future music then and now. Remember they only had first generation electronic stuff in those days. The current autobahn numbering system was introduced in 1974 but the roads are older. Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream (Phaedra or Ricochet) and Klaus Schulze (Timewind or Blackdance) were the fathers of German electronic music which later went global. Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze are totally electronic. So enjoy the early German electronic music it is a deep well. Great reaction. PS When I was working in Germany driving on the Autobahn I could not shake this tune out my head! Even 20 years later.
I do remember hearing it on the radio, shorter version though. Later I found "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001), 1973)" by Eumir Deodato. Checked out of the library at the same time I checked ELP "Trilogy". Ah, the days of yore when one had to go google the books themselves!
Yay! Love these guys.
Back in my university days, I used to listen to this, Trans-Europe Express, and Radioactivity with my earphones in so I could get to sleep when my housemates were being complete idiots and being loud till all hours in the night.
I always used to think they were singing "Fan, fan, fan of the Autobahn". I think that fits quite well, since the whole album is dedicated to that road network.
Till yer daddy takes the T-bird away.
Kraftwerk have a special place in my musical catalogue. I like the way they use different languages in their vocals, mainly German and English though. Had the chance to see them live a few years ago. Only concert I've been to where they handed out 3D glasses for the show. It was fantastic. Are we having an electronic weekend? With Tangerine Dream cued up for later?
Thats sounds really cool! We'll get some TD on here soon as well🙂
Tangerine Dream, yes please! Put 'Rubycon' (1975) on the airwaves and transport your soul to another dimension :D
@@Totenkopfzwerg Rubycon is their best album from my point of view because their two suites are very surreal but ultimately relatively accessible compared to say Phaedra which was more obscure. Stratosfear is really great too but easier to tackle.
@@a.k.1740 Well put. I do enjoy all of them, but yeah Rubycon is definitely the most spell-binding. Whether it's brought up to my mind from the album cover or whether it's something in the music itself, I'm not sure, but "with my mind's eye" I can see the movement of water in various ways and shapes when listening to that album. A profound experience every single time. And I don't use any hallucinogenic substances, mind you, that's just the power of the music itself :)
@@Totenkopfzwerg I don't use hallucinogens either so I really know what you mean because since listening to 70s Tangerine Dream music and more specifically Rubycon (which goes a long way back now), mentally visions of colors, smells, textures and landscapes come automatically to me so I understand the power of images that this music provides.
Thanks for putting up the video of the Autobahn dashcam - never been there, but parts of it are very similar to Highway 70 in Kansas.
I really like Ralf and Florian in their early days - I have their 1973 self titled album, a collection of audio impressionist sketches of things like roulette tables. The flute is a nice flourishing touch. That same year, Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon - would be interested to know if the highway sequence was the inspiration for 1974's "Autobahn" - which of course takes it to a very advanced level. Great synth effect of rubber wheels splashing through a soaking rain.
It's funny you should mention I-70, Bob, as my friends and I would regularly drive it (abilene to Salina or abilene to Topeka, Lawrence or KC) and this album was, without a doubt, one of our go-to's.
A movie you might like: Hringurinn/The Ring Road, by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson -- everything seen through the windshield of a car while the filmmaker drove around the entire perimeter of Iceland.
Still one of my fav bands for nearly 50 years. All of Ralf Hütters and Florian Schneiders synthesizers, modulators and the vocoder were custom-built prototypes. Florian also played a synthesized flute and Wolfgang Flür one of the very first electronic drum kits, located in a briefcase. The line-up was completed by Klaus Röder, who played synthesized guitar and electronic violin and viola and produced many of the sounds of the cars and buildings passing by. The first fully virtual musical head trip! Greez from Germany, Mike! 😉 🚗 🚘 🚙
One of my favorite songs
Glad to see this song getting some reactions. It is a classic. Though I actually like Kometenmelodie 2 a little bit more and Mitternacht is a great track as well.
It's hard to overstate how revolutionary this sounded when it came out. They totally influenced a generation of musicians who interpreted that sound into new genres. More amazingly, Kraftwerk listened to those musicians that they influenced and were themselves influenced and changed their music. I really encourage you to listen to a newer live version like this one... it's very familiar fo the original, yet they have updated the density and dynamics a bit, as well as some of the percussion. They kinda became DJs of their own tracks.
ua-cam.com/video/1DO-Ddqbqgs/v-deo.html
There have been many members of Kraftwerk, but it all comes down to the classic foursome of Ralf, Florian (died April 2002), Karl, and Wolfgang. In the 80s Karl and Wolfgang left, and around 2009 Florian left. The only surviving member is Ralf, and he has three 'helpers': Fritz Hilpert, Henning Schmidt, and Falk Griffingen who have been 'Kraftwerk' ever since. They have toured more often than they ever did, and should you ever get to see them live go for it. You will be astonished at the sound quality.
It should also be noted that the album Autobahn was recorded between 1973-74, and considering the effects they used it was quite a breakthrough. Look at UA-cam videos of their recent tours, and see how they have adapted Autobahn and other tracks for the modern era.
Thank you for appreciating their music.
Florian passed away in April 2020.
@@RobtSc Thanks, unwanted transposition!
This is the only Kraftwerk that I truly love. It is delightful and surprising, even after decades of listening to it.
Directly influenced by Kraftwerk, Gary Numan' album "Replica" has to very good instrumentals that might interest you, since most people credit him with creating the modern era of electronic Rock. "When the Machines Rock" is upbeat and danceable, while "I Nearly Married a Human" is slow and beautiful.
Ultravox, the band whom Numan credits with starting his genre, have a fantastic instrumental: "Astradyne", from their Midge Ure-led period.
Apparently, Kraftwerk were inspired by the Beach Boy and they wanted to emulate that happy sound. I think they accomplished it here.
As a kid, I obviously didn't get what all that was about. It was on the German "Hitparade" in a short 3 minutes (or so) version which was kind of fun even to primary school me because it was so different from all the other stuff. This long version - nothing for little kids ;). But it perfectly matches the feelings you get from a long journey on the Autobahn. Putting the footage in the video was a brilliant idea, after watching it I'm actually in the mental state of driving :).
My brother taught me what stereo meant by playing this record. Kraftwerk is not given nearly enough credit for the influence they've had on music, from new wave to electronica, and even hip hop.
I love your quote about whether the similarity to Fun, Fun, Fun is intentional (which I had thought it was). "No, they are wrong." Such German.
Wow, what a great song, so ahead from their time, I’ve heard this band back in 1978 Trans-Europe Express and that’s it, till now. I must add it on my list, thank you so much for bringing it up.
I remember well, i was 9 years old when this came.....everybody in school was the whole time fahren fahren fahren auf der Autobahn...^^
1974 a weird year of mixes and sounds....end of an era for some...continuation for others and the beginning for many. Among them:- Deep Purple - Burn and Stormbringer; Eric Clapton (debut return) - 461 Ocean Boulevard; David Bowie - Diamond Dogs; Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic; John Lennon - Walls and Bridges; Rory Gallagher - Wild Irish Tour; Genesis - Lamb Lies Down on Broadway; Jackson Browns Late for the Sky; Queen - Queen 2; Supertramp Crime of the Century; Rolling Stones It's only Rock and Roll; Roxy Music - Country Life; Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs; Lou Reed - Rock 'n Roll Animal; Jethro Tull - War Child; Tom Waits - Heart of Saturday Night; BTO - Not Fragile; Kiss - Hotter than Hell; Elton John - Caribou; Boz Scaggs - Slow Dancer; New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon; Minnie Ripperton - Perfect Angel; Labelle - Nightbirds; Barry White - Can't get Enough; and Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Interestingly no Pink Floyd, Led Zep or Black Sabbath that year.
9:11...fucking stupendous key change.
Hope you do the Computer World album, especially the track Pocket Calculator, it's so darn catchy!
One of the songs on that album, "Computer Love", was sampled for a more recent song by Coldplay.
...and „Nummern“ (Numbers in the english version). That is -for me- the best track of Kraftwerk.
The world of music would not be the same without Kraftwerk. This is what pioneers sound like, even as they are quite accessbile most of the time.
My favourite album of them is Trans-Europe Express, but The Man-Machine is probably their most accessible/successful one. Loved to see them live some years ago as well :)
this was a revolutionary LP when it came out.