Trans Europe Express

**Intro**This isn't just a casual music album, this is a snapshot of electronic music as it was in 1977, back when people weren't even sure if electronic music was going to be something that you enjoyed at a dance club or in a concert hall. Also, there weren't really very many commercially made electronic instruments, so a lot of the music that you hear on this album is made from instruments that Kraftwerk made themselves. This means that no only did they write a compose the songs on this album, they designed the timbre of each sound!**The songs**There are relatively few songs on this album, but they are all fairly long, and one gets the sense that Kraftwerk worked on each one a lot before they decided they were satisfied and approved the album for release. One gets the impression that every small note shape, timbre, rhythm, and embellishment is there because the band decided to put it there, and nothing was accidental. The stereotypical German attitude toward precision certainly seems to be here.1.) Europe Endless - A gentle start to the album, a happy beat that suggests the forward motion of travel. Bright percussive electronic sounds and occasional vocals with a pleasant German accent, sometimes distorted and sometimes not. Music already suggests train sounds and train travel, though the song does not commit explicitly toward trains.2.) The Hall of Mirrors - A darker song, focuses on self consciousness and self-image issues. Repetitive, echoing, and with electronic sounds that suggest pacing footsteps. The vocals seem forlorn to me.3.) Showroom Dummies - Somewhat silly in some ways, and more dark and ironic in others, this song is about mannequins in a store window, the lyrics are from the mannequins' first person perspective.4.) Trans-Europe Express - This is the masterpiece of this album. The electronic instruments that they are using seem to perfectly capture the sound and spirit of a train and its sounds. It seems to suggest a train ride at night, because there is a dark mood to it. There is a highly distorted voice that just repeats "Trans-Europe Express" repeatedly as a sort of degenerate chorus, but then there is also non-distorted lyrics that have more content, and are not distorted. Both sets of lyrics are fairly dark and a little creepy. It is amazing to listen to how their notes and sounds artfully imitate a train.5.) Metal on Metal - The previous Trans-Europe Express song seamlessly transitions into this song. For this reason, it is important that you purchase and enjoy both of these songs after each other. This song is very good for all of the same reasons as Trans-Europe Express is.6.) Franz Schubert - This song is brighter and happier than the previous four songs. I like to think of it as when the sun comes up in the morning after a long night on the train, and you are looking at the beautiful green countryside of Germany.7.) Endless Endless. This song is a seamless continuation of Franz Schubert, but with highly distorted, bright vocals that chant "Endless Endless" repeatedly. The timbre, tempo, and accompaniment evolve slowly over time, creating a trance-like atmosphere. The point is not really to listen to the lyrics, it is to study the subtle evolution of the song as it progresses, as with more modern Trance and House music.**Buying and Listening Advice**This is an incredible album that offers the modern listener a view of what very early electronic music was like, and the origins of where essentially all of our electronic music came from. Because this album was made well before the days of M3P's, and songs 4&5 and 6&7 continuous transition from one onto the next, it is best to buy this album as a whole, rather than picking out single songs. The Trans-Europe Express/Metal on Metal pair of songs is probably the best part of the album, but all of the songs are rather deep and provocative. Unlike most electronic music, it isn't really something you would play at a party. Instead, consider listening to this music if you feel quiet and meditative.It is easy for me to give this album 5 stars because it is *so unique*. Enjoy!

One of the groups best albums. So ahead of their time.

Out o fall the 2009 remasters, which have been cleaned up and properly put to digital form, this one probably benefits the most alongside The Man Machine. Tape hiss is cleaned up, bass is more prominent, and the overall sound of the record fits more within the ideas that they promulgated throughout the 70s and 80s. It's a purely amazing record, and probably their best one all told. The US master seems very close to the German master unlike the Computer World duo, where the US one had a bit more bass and compression and possibly used a different source.TEE is a timeless album and one that everyone should have on their shelf. The big debate then is English vs German. Well, it's hard to say here. In the end I think I prefer the US version overall, as the language to me just seems more musical and engaging. The German version is great to, and you should at some p0int pick up a copy any way you can, but if you are just getting into the band I think the US version is the way to go.The dynamics on this release are solid and fully use the peaks of the modern digital age while still keeping the inherently shifting nature of the music intact.

Muy buen sonido y viene con un catalogo vintage acorde con la época, genial !!!

I love this record!..used to own the original in the early 80’s and it got lost. Now I get to enjoy the remastered version and I’m completely satisfied!

I don't understand why this album is out of print, unless Kraftwerk is in the process of re-recording and remastering their old albums. This album is a mandatory one to get if you are a fan of techno/electronica music.Breakdancers will be familiar with the title track which merges into "Metal on Metal". "Showroom Dummies" and "Hall of Mirrors" are classic Kraftwerk tracks as they have drone German voices repeating certain phrases many times during the tracks ("Even the greatest stars, find themselves in the looking glass..")along with the electronics that only Ralf and Florian and the rest of the gang could do.Do yourself a favor and find a copy of this album ASAP. It is a shame that it is out of stock, and I have to believe this is a temporary thing. Kraftwerk is too important of a band in the history of music to not be able to buy their best stuff.

Superb sound since it was remastered! Compared to when I heard it before on LP. Indeed a must have for any Kraftwerk collection. I know I'm slowly building up mine. This is dedicated to the memory of founder Florian Schneider. The music lives on! I'm so enjoying this album all over again, and again! Highly recommended!

Finally picked this up on CD after losing the vinyl copy many years ago. It's hard to believe that this originally came out almost 30 years ago. It still tops a lot of the electronica that's out there, and you can't compare the imagery and irony contained in the lyrics to anything produced these days. Now if the copy of *Man Machine* I ordered would just get here, I could fully regress back to my high school days . . .