NearSchlag

I stopped trying to know which sounds were from Kraftwerk's music and which were from the city. I'd like to think they're one in the same, with Kraftwerk having this mastery over sound design and knowing just exactly how long a song should go on for, how loud certain parts should be, and how mechanical or organic the entirety of the record will end up being. It's surprising how much a repetitive (non-derogatory) electronic album has to say, and I'm amazed at how I was left with the feeling that ... read more

The quintessential album in the way that it turns inter-personal relationships and feelings of love and hurt into music. Every single track is lush and beautiful, with so many majestic moments in which every single element clicks and it becomes clear why this album has held the reputation that it has for so many decades. Yes, it might not be the most complex album ever, but I do think that ultimately this is what music is all about, writing about how we feel and a lot of the time we feel love, ... read more

Innocence lost. Paradise lost. Love lost. Rage unleashed. What really makes this one of my all-time favorites is its ability to transition from some of the most unhinged, vocal-chord-tearing rampages to soft, innocent bursts of joy. It's strange, and there's nothing quite like it.

Just like the "sessions" in some of which these songs were conceived in, this has ups and downs but when you look back it's certainly a memorable, one-of-a-kind experience. I am left with a handful of fantastic songs, a few which struck me as a bit repetitie (Foxey Lady), yet stilll enjoyable, and the curiosity of whether I'll enjoy this much more if I smoke some weed through it.