http://idealcopy.american-data.net//Merchant2/graphics/00000001/large/MUKraftwerk-MinimumMaximum2DVD.jpg
Minimum-Maximim DVD

"This is the first ever official document of Kraftwerk's legendary live show. Features two hours of visually stunning live performances from the band's 2004 world tour, filmed and recorded with Kraftwerk's legendary precision in DTS 5.1 surround sound. Features a bonus video for "Aerodynamik" filmed live at the MTV Europe Video Music Awards. "

A friend of mine saw this show, and couldn't stop raving about it. He likened it to Laurie Anderson meets electronica. Nice. See you at the stores.

Kraftwerk's time has come and gone.  The live double CD is solidly good, but not very interesting.  I give Kraftwerk all the accolades I can, but I can't endorse them above more interesting pioneers in electronic music, such as, say, Francis Dhomont or Noah Creshevsky.
http://www.voxnovus.com/composer/Noah_Creshevsky.htm
http://www.electrocd.com/bio.e/dhomont_fr.html
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/musik/music-smiley-001.gif

I give Kraftwerk all the accolades I can, but I can't endorse them above more interesting pioneers in electronic music


I wanted to like Kraftwerk really bad, I really, really did.. but they just aren't that good.

If they put electronic music into motion, they're okay in my book. Momus credits them as inspiration, so they're cool in my book.

I wanted to like Kraftwerk really bad, I really, really did.. but they just aren't that good.

If they put electronic music into motion, they're okay in my book. Momus credits them as inspiration, so they're cool in my book.

Kraftwerk varies.  They just hit a creative peak period in the 1970s and it never came back.  Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider had been collaborating since the late '60s and released three albums of "space rock" (Kraftwerk I and II; Ralf and Florian) before really hitting their stride with "Autobahn," realeased in November of 1974.  Beyond the "robotic" sound and image you can really hear a great deal of of their classical training and a Schubertian sensitivity to rhythm and melody--albeit a minimalist interpretation of this.  My personal favorite Kraftwerk album is "Radioactivity."  I know they album the shelved in 1984 would have been among their greats, but we'll never get to hear it.  Even the "Electric Cafe" EP was excellent, though it bordered on self-parody.

(excluding import compilations)

Recommended Kraftwerk:
Autobahn (1974) + singles
Radioactivity (1975)
Trans-Europe Express (1977) + singles
The Man Machine (1978) + singles
Computer World (1981) + singles
Tour De France (1983) single
Electric Cafe (1986) ep + singles
The Mix (1991)
Minimum-Maximum live (2005)

Semi-recommended:
Pre-Autobahn stuff, which is groovy, but is too much in the vein of German hippie prog rock for me.
Tour De France Soundtracks (2003), which rehashes the TDF material from 1983, and includes the first new and good tracks by Kraftwerk since 1986.  However, they're not all that good compared to the peak period work from the '70s and early '80s.

Avoid:
Expo 2000 and Expo 2000 Remixes, this is hokey pablum and boring to boot.

I heard something the other day which reminded me of a Kraftwerk song.  Coldplay maybe?