Eigentlich habe ich die Reihe ja einmal angefangen, um Lobpreisungen jenseits von Kraftwerk und Neu! (den beiden üblichen deutschen Bands, die in England und Amerika verehrt werden) zu sammeln, aber wenn der Kopf von Creation Records, Entdecker von Oasis und Ex-Manager der Libertines dann so tief in der Lobesschublade kramt, bittesehr:

„Anticipation for the forthcoming Kraftwerk box set, The Catalogue, is understandably high. C’mon, it’s Kraftwerk! In electronic music, they hold the same status and influence as the Beatles, creating a new vocabulary for artists to experiment with. (…) The Catalogue begins with Autobahn (1974), the first in a classic run of records that stamped their influence on the international music scene. And what music! Radioactivity (1975), Trans Europe Express (1977) and Man Machine (1978) all set Kraftwerk’s music-as-revolution manifesto. (…)

The release of Computer World (1981) – easily my favourite Kraftwerk record – provided a fitting end to their classic run of albums. Originally criticised on release as a minor achievement (critics expressed concern over the album’s repetition and short length), its cold aesthetic provides a definitive statement on electronic music. Computer World a visionary look at how technology will prevail in everyday life and predates the Stasi-like barcode, and the online surveillance culture of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Even Computer Love was eerily prescient in terms of trends such as online dating. (…)

When you praise Kraftwerk’s back catalogue, you’re not just praising albums, but the language for an entire musical genres. They have influenced musicians as diverse as Juan Atkins, the Human League, Afrika Bambaata, the Flaming Lips, Aphex Twin, Depeche Mode, Ricardo Villalobos, New Order, and many others. It’s almost impossible to overestimate Kraftwerk’s contribution to modern music and life.“

(der ganze Text von Alan McGee über Kraftwerk ist im britischen Guardian zu finden)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdOX2mnMeUQ[/youtube]