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NEU! '75
Neu!
(Gronland/Astralwerks)
Though "Krautrock" figures Neu! haven't existed in 26 years, their work haunts artists from David Bowie to Sonic Youth. The Dusseldorf duo's three rare albums are now available in digitally remastered form through U.K. label Astralwerks, and, while the recordings don't sound much different than on previous CD reissues, you'd be hard-pressed to find this indispensable material more readily or for a better price (I got mine at Soundscapes on College for $17.99 a pop).
Listening to Neu! for signs of what came later is entertainment in itself: Michael Rother's yawning guitar buzz and drummer Klaus Dinger's hypnotic thump sound like a garage band's prediction of techno; the scraped-together album art style would later be employed by the punks; and similarities between parts of Neu! and, say, Public Image Ltd., Stereolab, and even early U2, are stunning.
That said, whether through the winding minimalism of Neu!, the patchy but often brilliant Neu! 2, or the magnificent swan song Neu! 75, the band have a gloriously narcotic way of tapping right into your pulse and propelling your limbs.
Or, as Radiohead's Thom Yorke notes with uncharacteristic enthusiasm on one disc's packaging, Neu! "sound like joy ... Like a brand new motorway and you are the first person to drive along it." No argument here.
Track Listing
1. isi (5:06)
2. Seeland (6:54)
3. Leb Wohl (8:50)
4. Hero (7:11)
5. E-Musik (9:57)
6. After Eight
TOTAL TIME: 42:45