Everything Starts With an A...: Neu

Showing posts with label Neu. Show all posts

Blue For You

La! Neu? - Blue (La Düsseldorf 5)

Ripped from a compact disc album eventually released on Captain Trip Records (CTCD 178) in 1999 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

Blue (aka La Düsseldorf 5) was recorded by Dinger around 1987 with a new band under the name La!Neu? There were four La!Neu? "studio" albums and four live albums. The first was Blue which was eventually to be released only in Japan in 1999.

Arms Control Blues is a lushly produced narrative by Dinger with some delightful guitar work, the title track Blue is a ridiculously catchy pop song and very likely Dinger's most commercial work. I love it, some may not. Lilienthal is a dreamy sequencer atmospheric much in the vein of mid-period Durutti Column. Touch You Tonight could have been a great track but here it sounds just like an unfinished Iggy Pop song.

The mainstay of the album is the eighteen minute punk masterpiece America. A shorter studio version appeared on Mon Amour but here it is in its full glory. Live "in the studio" was to become a feature of later La!Neu? albums.

1. Arms Control Blues
2. Blue
3. Lilienthal
4. Touch You Tonight
5. Für Omni (For Granny)
6. America

Klausi Sheißt Auf Hollywood

la-Duesseldorf.de - Mon Amour

Ripped from a compact disc re-released on Telefunken in 2006 (originally recorded in 1985) to high quality lossless FLAC audio. The second of three Neu! related reposts to cheer up your weekend.

The Dinger brothers split after Individuellos, Klaus planned to continue to record as La Düsseldorf but legal problems prevented this. So he recorded and released what was to be La-D.'s fourth album as Klaus Dinger + Rheinita Bella Düsseldorf and named the album Neondian (Klausi Sheißt Auf Hollywood). I'll leave you to form your own translations. It was quickly rushed out in 1985 on TELDEC and then pulled immediately.

The album was to sneaked out in Japan as La Düsseldorf 4 ten years later on Captain Trip Records (the same label which also snuck out Neu! 4), Finally, Telefunken reissued it in 2006 as Mon Amour (with extra tracks) and naming it after the synth anthem which opens the album. A new band name adorned the sleeve La-Duesseldorf.de. I understand that the album has been discontinued again.

This is an album full of highlights and easily Dinger's best since Neu! (imho). Mon Amour and Neondian are Dinger classics, America is pure riffing punk genius (and likely to upset a few across the pond) which was to be expanded on greatly on his next album Blue (so I'll cover it more in depth then). Music making has changed dramatically since the earliest Kraftwerk and Neu! recordings and Dinger successfully incorporated modern synths and drum machines into his sound. Koksknödel is very much like a later Kraftwerk track in everything apart from name. A few tracks on the release were actually reworkings of older La-D. tracks including an updated synthpop take on Cha Cha 2000. I love this record and it is such a shame that it will likely never see a legitimate release again. Have you kept up? If you have, then I promise La! Neu? next....

1. Mon Amour
2. America
3. Jag Alskar Dig
4. Neondian
5. Pipi AA
6. Koksknödel
7. Cha Cha 2000/85
8. Ich Leibe Dich!
9. Geld 2006 (Internet Warm Up Version)

New Neu!

Neu! - 4 (a repost)

Ripped from a compact disc album released on Captain Trip Records (CTCD 020) in 1995 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

After a break of nearly ten years, Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger returned to the studio in late 1985 to start on the fourth Neu! album. It was never to see an official release as it was never finished, plus the band could not find a suitable label for it. Well at least that's the story on the Neu! website. Neu! had numerous contractual disputes with labels (add in some in-house artistic bickering) so this album would never see the light of day, except for this rather suspicious grey-area import CD from Japan which snuck out in 1995 on an obscure Japanese electronica and krautrock label. The album featured more commercial tracks as Crazy (eventually a single) and Dänzing. Again, the album was to be built around a melody, this time the beautiful synth-strings of Wave and sequencers of Crazy.

Klaus Dinger sadly passed away in 2008. Michael Rother returned to the studio in December 2009 and finished the album. It was eventually released in 2010 as Neu! '86. Not all the tracks on Neu! 4 would appear on Neu! '86, and of those which did had been reworked and updated by Rother.

Neu! 4 is an extraordinary piece of work, and once you have heard this, your next purchase must be Neu! '86 to hear it as Rother finished it. I will be putting up a few (well three actually) of the more accessible Dinger releases for those who missed them first time around.

1. Nazionale
2. Crazy
3. Flying Dutchman
4. Schöne Welle (Nice Wave)
5. Wave Naturelle
6. Good Life (Random - Rough)
7. 86 Commercial Trash
8. Fly Dutch II
9. Dänzing
10. Quick Wave Machinelle
11. Bush - Drum
12. La Bomba
13. Good Life
14. Elanoizan

Sauerkraut with Noodles

La Düsseldorf - Japandorf

Ripped from a promotional compact disc released on Grönland Records (CDGRON 124) in 2003 to high quality lossless flac audio. Withdrawn as such, to be released as by Klaus Dinger & Japandorf, here's the final ever release by late Neu! drummer Klaus Dinger. Completely nütty as ever ...but totally wonderful!

1 Immermann Straße
2 Duomo Arigatou
3 Sketch No. 1-b
4 Udon
5 Kittelbach Symphony
6 Cha Cha 2008
7 Ai
8 Sketch No. 4
9 Spacemelo
10 Karnival
11 Osenbe
12 Andreaskirche

Post-Neu!

Various - Brand Neu!

Ripped from a compact disc album released on Feraltone (FER 02CD) in 2009 to high quality lossless flac audio. An interesting compilation of bands who claim a modern day Neu! influence. Some were Neu!, some seem to be quite genuine, some where influenced by earlier bands influenced by Neu! ...and others were clearly lying just to get onboard!

1 Ciccone Youth - Two Cool Rock Chicks Listening To Neu!
2 Primal Scream - Shoot Speed / Kill Light
3 Pets With Pets - We Only Found This Place
4 Oasis - Can Y'See It Now? (I Can See It Now!!)
5 Foals - Titan Arum
6 Cornelius - Wataridori
7 Holy Fuck - Super Inuit
8 Kasabian - Stuntman
9 LCD Soundsystem - Watch The Tapes
10 School Of Seven Bells - Device (Fuer M)
11 Fujiya & Miyagi - Electro Karaoke
12 Hook & The Twin - They'll Get Your Head
13 La-Düsseldorf.de - Sketch 1_08
14 Michael Rother - Neutronics 98 (A Tribute To Conny Plank)

...'bout time we had some more Neu!

Neu! - Neu!

Originally released on a vinyl album on Brain Records (BRAIN 1004) in 1972. Ripped here from a subsequent repressing to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. It's all about Hallogallo and Negativland isn't it? You'll struggle to find anything as groundbreaking released before the Neu! debut. Thousands of subsequent careers have been built upon the sound and grooves first heard here. Enjoy.

A1 Hallogallo 10:07
A2 Sonderangebot 4:50
A3 Weissensee 6:42
B1 Im Glück 6:52
B2 Negativland 9:46
B3 Lieber Honig

Dirty Dinger

Die Engel des Herrn - Die Engel des Herrn

Almost a year ago, I was in the middle of a post-Neu! Klas Dinger fest, covering virtually all of his musical incarnations. Pleasingly these were among the most popular posts ever shared. I rounded off with the chaotic Live As Hippie-Punks album by Die Engel des Herrn with a plead for a blog readers rip. Anyway, one never came, but just before Christmas 2013 an original copy of this album on blue vinyl did come my way, and here it is to round off my current krautrock meanderings.

The album was a self released, self distributed comeback album after years in the doldrums following numerous failed attempts to revitalise his career. Only 1000 records were ever pressed and those not given away to family, friends, press etc were sold via mail order. Any remaining compact disc versions were offloaded in Japan via the Captain Trip label.

As with most post-Neu! Dinger work, expect an eclectic blend of motorik-beat choral symphonics like the title track and the excellent Tschüs, and messy punk stompers such as Little Angel and S.O.S. The album is let down by the awful schlager-pop of Bitte, Bitte!. As a treat (sic) we also get another two unnecessary arrangements of Cha bloody Cha 2000, plus the keen of ear will note the poor pressing quality, especially evident on side A. Blog follower Phallus Die has written an excellent in-depth review over on Julian Cope's Head Heritage website. If you haven't already, your next music purchase should be last year's posthumous Japandorf album.

Ripped from a blue vinyl album released on LSD Records (2.000-1) in 1992 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A1. Die Engel des Herrn
A2. Sunlight
A3. Little Ange
A4. S.O.S.
A5. Bitte, Bitte!
B1. Tschüs
B2. Cha Cha 2000
B3. Cha Cha 3000

Music For Aeroplanes

Michael Rother - Flammende Herzen

Originally released on an album on Sky Records (SKY 007) in 1977, ripped here from a compact disc to high quality lossless flac audio.

A1. Flammende Herzen

A2. Zyklodorm

B1. Karussell

B2. Feuerland

B3. Zeni

Michael Rother - Sterntaler

Ripped from a vinyl album released in 1978 on Sky Records (SKY 013) to high quality lossless flac audio with bonus occasional surface noise.

A1. Sonnenrad
A2. Blauer Regen
A3. Stromlinien
B1. Sterntaler
B2. Fontana Di Luna
B3. Orchestrion

When Neu! split and Michael Rother had finished his work with Cluster/Eno as Harmonia, he went back to the studio with Connie Plank and Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit to record his first solo album. Rother combines the mellowness of Harmonia with Liebezeit's dingeresque motorik beats for two albums of subtle instrumental melancholy and pleasant familiarity. These two records also highlight the difference in Neu!'s musical ability, the manic punk style of Klaus Dinger and the opposing gifted creativity of Rother. There are sections on Flammende Herzen which could easily fit onto Neu! '75, whereas the follow-up Sterntaler tends to ooze off into a chilled more relaxed style with plenty of repetitive themes. Enjoy!

Out Of Negativland

Neu! - Neu!

On the back of the early Kraftwerk, here's a band whose recordings (especially the Klaus Dinger solo work) have featured heavily on Everything Starts With An A. Yes, I am fully aware that this album is still available on some shores, but there are plenty out in the blogosphere who will have never heard the combined talents of Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger, but will have heard plenty of their influence, especially in alternative bands from the late seventies to date. Hallogallo and Negativeland are truly immense, and a challenge you to find any two other tracks with a greater legacy. In theory, you should only need this the first album and the previously featured Neu'75. These are classics, and should be heard by all.

Originally released on a vinyl album on Brain Records (BRAIN 1004) in 1972. Ripped here from a compact disc reissue to lossless flac audio.

A1. Hallogallo
A2. Sonderangebot
A3. Weissensee
B1. Im Glück
B2. Negativeland
B3. Leiber Honig

More Clever Bastards

Kraftwerk - Exceller 8

A subtle change in direction now. I have dabbled with a little Kraftwerk in the past, but have been keen to avoid touching the main back catelogue as so much of it is still available - though I am concerned that many of the current digital remasters (even on vinyl) have ruined their original sound, and we should all seek out the original releases. Here is a 1975 British compilation which evidences their transition from experimental rock and noise (with Dinger and Rother etc) into fine early analogue electronica. Many of the tracks are edited versions from the originals, plus tracks like Klingklang and Ruckzuck are long lost classics, widely ignored by those who focus on the EMI years. After some delicate deep cleaning, this rip has come out very well.

Ripped from a vinyl album released on Vertigo Records (6360 629) in 1975 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A1. Ruckzuck
A2. Autobahn
A3. Tongebirge
A4. Kristallo
B1. Kometenmelodie II
B2. Klingklang
B3. Vom Himmel Hoch
B4. Stratovarius

Schlager Nicht

Krautrock - The Rebirth Of Germany

Here's a nice quality capture of the excellent BBC4 documentary looking at the roots and development of the German music phenomena (it's not a genre after all), from the early days of Amon Düüll (and dubious Baader Meinhoff links), Can and Faust, through to early Kraftwerk, Neu!, Cluster, Harmonia and later Kraftwerk. It includes fascinating chats with a few main players including Michael Rother, Holger Czukay, Dieter Moebius, and Wolfgang Flür. There is an impromptu performance by Faust, and a few interjections from Iggy Pop (whilst drilling a coconut!). The documentary ends with a look at Krautrock's influence on subsequent music and quite rightly exposes Brian Eno, who clearly should have given Harmonia a great deal more credit in the development of his own solo career, and also Bowie's transition from glam to über-cool euro-rock. The video is in the mastroka (MKV) format which will playback nicely in 720P on most media drives, or on desktop freeware such as VLC. Enjoy!

Live Rascals

Die (b)Engel Des Herrn - Live! As Hippie-Punks

When you attempt to decipher the Dinger timeline, the brief career of Die Engel des Herrn seems to fit in between Blue (aka La Dusseldorf 4) and the later La! Neu? recordings. I would be happily corrected. There was a studio album recorded in 1990, but this live show recording dates from their final gig in Dusseldorf in 1993.

The set comprised tracks from the La Dusseldorf album Viva, mixed with new compositions which were later laid down in the studio for the Die Engel des Herrn album proper. The title Live As Hippie-Punks tells you exactly what to expect music wise, it's a disorganised slightly ramshackle affair (but it is punk after all) plus you get another version of Cha Cha 2000, as if we already hadn't heard it enough times.

The studio album was originally a limited edition only by mail order with the remaining items sold off in the Japanese market. It's as rare as rocking horse poop and I don't have a copy. If anybody out there has a copy and is willing to share a rip, I for one would be pleased to hear it.

Ripped from a compact disc album released on Captain Trip Records (CTCD 012) in 1995 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

1. Intro
2. Viva
3. S.O.S.
4. Bitte Bitte '93!
5. The Song
6. The Waltz '93
7. Somewhere
8. Cha Cha 2000
9. Little Angel
10. Tchuss

Neu! Tiger!

La! Neu? - Year Of The Tiger

The story goes that Klaus Dinger found an old Neu! demo tape from the early seventies and decided to re-record the tracks for a new release. Whilst you must bear with the worst ever Dinger sleeve design and album title, this is greatly offset by the music contained therein. Dinger gets back behind the drums for two thirty minute (plus) tub thumping Neu!-beat monsters. Autoportrait builds to an almighty crescendo of noise from a slow atmospheric start, Nortre Dame is a little more sedate with Victoria adding mellow vocals over Rembradt's squeeky synths.

Ripped from a compact disc album released on Captain Trip Records (CTCD 124) in 1998 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

1. Intro
2. Autoportrait (Rembrandt mit Viktoria + Apache)
3. Notre Dame

Take Out The Out-Takes

La! Neu? - Zeeland

Also marketed as Live'97, this La!Neu? album is often mistaken as a live gig, but it wasn't. Klaus Dinger and his ever-expanding group of musical collaborators recorded this live in the studio with each track completed in just one take. So, expect plenty of ambient studio noise, occasional chatter and the odd German swear word thrown in for good measure.

The album starts well with the pleasant To Get You Real, then the plinkity-plonkity synthpop of Dank Se Janne and the Neu-beat of Champagne, though all of them are a tad lengthy .....the perils of letting a drummer play with a drum machine! Klaus Dinger takes back the vocals and kicks up the reverb on the stratocaster lullaby Satellite Of Mine, but then lets his mum loose on the awful title track. Insekt is just six minutes of high pitched drone, and a simple love song is dragged out for a whopping eleven minutes on the closing Silly Face.

Ripped from a compact disc album, released on Captain Trip Records (CTCD 086) in 1997 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

1. To Get You Real
2. Dank Je Sanne (For Not Erasing The Tune Of Dank Je Sanne)
3. Champagne
4. Satellite Of Mine
5. Nippon Video Geisha
6. Zeeland
7. Insekt
8. Silly Face

In Harmonium

Cluster - Zuckerzeit

It seems logical to follow the last post with the third Cluster album (it's the only one I have) and it has been widely recognised as their most important and influential. Hans Joachim Roedelius and Deiter Moebius were masters of the electronic art and their influence can be heard far and wide from diverse bands such as Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle and early Human League to more commercial acts like New Order, Soft Cell or Depeche Mode.

Ripped from a compact disc reissue of an album originally released on Brain Records (BRAIN 1065) in 1974 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.
1. Hollywood
2. Caramel
3. Rote Riki
4. Rosa
5. Caramba
6. Fotschi Tong
7. James
8. Marzipan
9. Rotor
10. Heiße Lippen

Haus Musik

Harmonia - Musik von Harmonia

Much less melodic than the sophomore Deluxe, the debut Harmonia album lies deeper in the roots of minimal synth music. The tags of krautrock and progressive rock are likely to scare off those who would otherwise enjoy their work. Like Cluster and Neu! (from whom form the band), they are a pleasant surprise to those who discover this music nearly forty years on.

Ripped from a compact disc reissue of an album originally released on Brain Records in 1974 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

1. Watussi
2. Sehr Kosmich
3. Sonnenschein
4. Dino
5. Ohrwurm
6. Ahoi!
7. Veterano
8. Hausmusik

Sweet Harmony

Harmonia - Deluxe

For lovers of analog electronic music everywhere. I was tempted to dig out more Dinger, but thought this would be more appropriate Michael Rother went on to make some fine music after Neu! and his collaborations with Herrs. Meobius and Roedelius are spectacular. Deluxe has to be one of the most essential albums from the seventies (it's influence can be heard in music for decades after), but its relative obscurity and limited distribution has kept it from a wanting audience.

Ripped from a compact disc reissue of an album originally released on Brain Records (BRAIN 1073) in 1975 to high quality lossless FLAC.

1. Deluxe (Immer Wieder)
2. Walky-Talky
3. Monza (Rauf und Runter)
4. Notre Dame
5. Gollum
6. Kekse

Krautpünks

La! Neu? - Düsseldorf

As a musical concept, Düsseldorf is much more in the same vein as the original Neu! albums than the Mon Amour, Blue or Die Engel Des Herrn albums. Twenty years on, Dinger covers Neu! with an updated version of the classic Hero and digs deeper into his past with the thirty-plus minute Krautrock jam of D.-11.12.95. Open live mikes in the recording studio add a live feel to the album, which I think works well. La!Neu? were to take this idea further with the Zeeland album.

Ripped from a compact disc album released on Captain Trip Records (CTCD 051) in 1996 to high quality FLAC audio.

1. Hero'96 (J'accuse)
2. Mayday'95
3. D.-11.12.95
4. Mayday'96

Too! Blue?

La! Neu? - Blue (La Düsseldorf 5)

Before we continue here is a quick re-cap. La Dusseldorf had split after their third album in 1981, but Klaus Dinger tried to rejuvenate the name with Neondian (aka La Düsseldorf 4 or Mon Amour as we know it here) in 1985. Neu! had attempted a fourth album, Neu! 4 in 1986, but it was never finished. Neu! 4 was eventually released in 1994 in an unfinished state, then finally polished up and officially reissued as Neu! 86 in 2010.

Blue (aka La Düsseldorf 5) was recorded by Dinger around 1987 with a new band under the name La!Neu? There were four La!Neu? "studio" albums and four live albums. I will try to cover some of them over the coming weeks. The first was Blue which was eventually to be released only in Japan in 1999.

Arms Control Blues is a lushly produced narrative by Dinger with some delightful guitar work, the title track Blue is a ridiculously catchy pop song and very likely Dinger's most commercial work. I love it, some may not. Lilienthal is a dreamy sequencer atmospheric much in the vein of mid-period Durutti Column. Touch You Tonight could have been a great track but here it sounds just like an unfinished Iggy Pop song.

Ripped from a compact disc album eventually released on Captain Trip Records (CTCD 178) in 1999 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

1. Arms Control Blues
2. Blue
3. Lilienthal
4. Touch You Tonight
5. Für Omni (For Granny)
6. America

Now we get complicated, you need to pay attention.

la-Duesseldorf.de - Mon Amour

The Dinger brothers split after Individuellos, Klaus planned to continue to record as La Düsseldorf but legal problems prevented this. So he recorded and released what was to be La-D.'s fourth album as Klaus Dinger + Rheinita Bella Düsseldorf and named the album Neondian (Klausi Sheißt Auf Hollywood). I'll leave you to form your own translations. It was quickly rushed out in 1985 on TELDEC and then pulled immediately. The album was to sneaked out in Japan as La Düsseldorf 4 ten years later on Captain Trip Records (the same label which also snuck out Neu! 4), Finally, Telefunken reissued it in 2006 as Mon Amour (with extra tracks) and naming it after the synth anthem which opens the album. A new band name adorned the sleeve La-Duesseldorf.de. I understand that the album has been discontinued again.

This is an album full of highlights and easily Dinger's best since Neu! (imho). Mon Amour and Neondian are Dinger classics, America is pure riffing punk genius (and likely to upset a few across the pond) which was to be expanded on greatly on his next album Blue (so I'll cover it more in depth then). Music making has changed dramtically since the earliest Kraftwerk and Neu! recordings and Dinger successfully incorporated modern synths and drum machines into his sound. Koksknödel is very much like a later Kraftwerk track in everything apart from name. A few tracks on the release were actually reworkings of older La-D. tracks including an updated synthpop take on Cha Cha 2000. I love this record and it is such a shame that it will likely never see a legitimate release again. Have you kept up? If you have, then I promise La! Neu? next.

Ripped from a compact disc re-released on Telefunken in 2006 (originally recorded in 1985) to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

1. Mon Amour
2. America
3. Jag Alskar Dig
4. Neondian
5. Pipi AA
6. Koksknödel
7. Cha Cha 2000/85
8. Ich Leibe Dich!
9. Geld 2006 (Internet Warm Up Version)