Minimum-Maximum

by

Kraftwerk

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After more than 35 years of pioneering the genre of electronic music, the legendary German band Kraftwerk has conquered another first in their long career - a live album and what an album it is!!!

"Minimum-Maximum" is a double-CD recorded during Kraftwerk's 2004 tour and contains music from nearly every era of the group's career (except for their very early experimental period). It is essentially a greatest hits album performed live. For those who may fear that a Kraftwerk live album will sound identical to a studio release, fear not. The music performed here is full of fresh approaches and energy not apparent in their studio albums. The rhythms and sequences are heavier and have more of a punch. Also, the sound of a live audience heard over the course of the entire album adds even more excitement to the musical atmosphere. On "Dentaku", you can hear the enthusiastic Japanese crowd singing along while on "Music Non Stop", you can hear people clapping along with the song's relentless rhythm.

Indeed, all of the music on "Minimum-Maximum" is very well performed and proves that Kraftwerk is definitely an established live band and not just reclusive studio perfectionists. Besides containing great music, the CD booklet also includes several color photos of the band onstage during the concerts standing behind their workstations while images of the music's lyric content is projected on the large screens behind them.

"Minimum-Maximum" is Kraftwerk at their very best. Since they are a band who doesn't tour regularly, this double-live CD defnitely serves as the next best thing to being at one of their concerts.

Buy this disc, put it on, sit back and enjoy the ride!!!

Anyone who has been lucky to catch the live Kraftwerk show touring this past number of years knows that a Kraftwerk show is certainly an experience. The visualizations from these shows give it context, but this time around it's all about the music. To call it 'live' is almost difficult to do. Much of it is canned (The Robots), but they seem to have the sense to let a pair of human hands handle some of their best melodies (Tour De France). Ranging from faithfullness (Autobahn) to complete reworkings (Expo 2000 becomes Planet of Visions; and to think of 30-year-old songs as still being works in progress is kinda staggering), this is pretty much a best of Kraftwerk statement. Here you've got your personal double secret headphone jack into the soundboard of a number of performances. Infectiously clever buggers, aren't they? What is lacking for these songs to truly breathe is space. For anyone wanting something that captures the experience better, find the pristine recording from the 2004 Coachella festival. It's got just enough space for you to want to take the headphones off, turn up the speakers, and start dancing like you shoulda been.