Track Listing

1. Europe Endless
2. Hall Of Mirrors
3. Showroom Dummies
4. Trans Europe Express
5. Metal On Metal
6. Franz Schubert
7. Endless Endless

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9907 in Music
• Released on: 2003-01-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

CD Description
Kraftwerk reached a creative peak on this 1977 masterpiece,whose second side was entirely devoted to a breathtaking aural recreation of an intercontinental train journey. The first side featured the shimmering beauty of "Europe Endless" alongside the eerie, dislocated vocals of "The Hall of Mirrors" and "Showroom Dummies", the latter track demonstrating the band's often unappreciated sly humour. Representing one ofthe pinnacles of 70s electronic music, it was a notable irony that the expressionless and mechanistic Kraftwerk went onto become, via Afrika Bambaataa's sampling of "Trans-EuropeExpress" on his seminal "Planet Rock" single, one of the early pioneers of dance music.

Customer Reviews

A Hugely Influential Record
I've always thought that Trans Europe Express is a record that couldn't have been made anywhere else than Europe. As before, with Autobahn, the travel theme is central but several things have come together to make this record a more focused and rewarding experience than previous releases in my opinion.

The improvement in technology, which has vital implications when you're using state of the art technology as the bedrock of your groups music, is obvious to the ear as it was to be on the following two releases up to 'Computer World'. The technological ability to produce more complex rhythms and melodies really comes together on the key title track. The full influence of Trans Europe Express really came to the fore with the sampling and 'borrowing' of parts of the record by the hip-hop electro movement in the States during the early eighties and house music thereafter.

The atmosphere of the record is interesting. The use of new technology and name checks of contemporaries such as "Iggy Pop" and "David Bowie" is contrasted by the references to a golden era of travel and an evocation of an endless European continent of palaces and classic cities. New sits comfortably with the old.

With all Kraftwerk records the melodies are very strong and the songs are loaded with hooks which will keep you humming them for days after hearing the record. 'Showroom Dummies' was released as a minor hit single after the belated success of 'The Model' in the early 80's.

The key tracks are the title track and 'Europe Endless'. This album opened the door to what was to follow in the next 10 years as electro-pop became the norm. What sets this apart is that somehow Trans Europe Express still sounds fresh and has a stlye that many of the bands to follow could never capture.

An essential purchase.

TEE: A Totally European Experience
Awesome. It's still stunning more than a quarter of a century after its release. Kicking-off with the nine-minute opus Europe Endless with its evocative lyric, T.E.E is as much a masterpiece as The Man Machine (its sequel) still is.

I was just a lad of eleven when my older bro brought this home. Sticking in the turntable - no CD players in '77 chaps! -it was quite unlike anything we'd ever heard, although we both had dim memories of their breakthrough hit Autobahn from two years before. Even the cover photo was intriguing, smartly dressed young men with short hair being a bit rare in music in 1977!

The tracks here are stunning: The Hall Of Mirrors stark, formidable and riveting, it was later covered by Siouxsie & The Banshees. To say this album was influential is a distinct understatement. Loads of people picked up on what Kraftwerk were doing in Dusseldorf. From Bowie and Eno in Berlin, to the embryonic Human League in Sheffield, to The Yellow Magic Orchestra in Tokyo to Gary Numan in west London and even hip-hop DJs in New York, this was the boy and it still is.

The title track was ruthlessly plagiarised to form the main riff to Afrika Bambaataa's Planet Rock (Kraftwerk sued him) and is a superb 'electronic blues' (a phrase suggested to them by a friend) that evokes the train journey across the continent. The band struck upon the idea of inviting journalists on board a special run of the real-life TEE, piping the album through the train's speakers and everyone getting totally dog-faced during the trip!

The album was such a winner in New York's discos it won an award. A total gem for an amazing band. Music wouldn't be the same without the inspiration of the founding fathers of modern electronic music. A classic album from a classy outfit.

Retro Electronic Music at its best ....!!
Since the unfortunate "demise" of my Turntable , it is ages since I have had the chance to Re-visit the older Kraftwerk Albums .
Having seen them in 1981 (Computerworld Tour - hammersmith Odeon)
I feel they are still high amongst the inspiration for so much of todays music.
Of course I have been a fan for ages , so did not need much convincing.
The Minimalist approach , and thematic approach to their earlier works still stand the test of time , with classics like the Single "Showroom Dummies " included here and the Hypnotic "Europe Endless" and title track "Trans Europe Express" a superb album full of good memories.