During Kraftwerk's initial inception, the group in hindsight operated in a more, for lack of a better word, "traditional" school of Krautrock exploration, one that due to it's often under-referenced influence (at least in comparison to the more universally celebrated strides they made with 1974's Autobahn and onward) makes for what I'm sure is a point of intense fascination for many fans of the group. Frustratingly, the band themselves have very sporadically acknowledged the merits of the first three records that Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider released under the Kraftwerk name. These early video clips, as one should expect, exhibit a wonderfully bold collective that had a distinctly malleable identity, weaving a sound that functions with audible strength between the distinctive traits that would form the basis of their many contemporaries and descendants, from Kluster's ominous and atonal improvisations, to the more traditional psych-rock elements that cropped up in some of Faust's early output, to Neu!'s more serene divergences into proto-ambiance, to Agitation Free's use of international and fusion influences to inform a consistently transfixing groove. I've heard that Kraftwerk have hinted that a box of their first three LP's (Kraftwerk, Kraftwerk 2, and Ralf und Florian) may at some point see the light of day, and I'm sure I'm only one of many who hopes such a vague promise might come to pass. Below, some excellent footage of Kraftwerk's early years:
The drummer in the first few clips is none other than Klaus Dinger...
Posted by: Mike | August 26, 2011 at 04:25 PM
I think early Kraftwerk is far superior to their more well-known "robot" stuff, even though the early 70s line-up is pretty much NEU! with Florian Schneider...
Posted by: Gel-Sol | August 27, 2011 at 01:04 AM
the last one is so beautiful and all of it is such apt accompaniment for a hurricane or what in MA is apparently going to peter out into a tropical storm. thanks for your post; good timing and nice selection.
Posted by: faaangface | August 27, 2011 at 11:17 AM