Kraftwerk - Minimum-Maximum

If you’re a fan of techno, ambient or any of the other categories that fall in line with that sort of music, you probably already know who Kraftwerk is. The German granddaddies of this type of music have been together since 1978, and it is truly mindblowing to realize how long they’ve been making this kind of music. Even now it’s fantastic, but then, it was so far ahead of its time that it defied any category that existed. Minimum-Maximum is a live album recorded around the world at shows from the quartet’s 2004 tour. It’s not so much of a live album, however, as it is a compilation. The crowd noise is kept to a bare minimum and limited to the beginnings and endings of songs and the occasional outburst at quiet moments within the songs. Other than that, this could be a studio album like any other comp. After all, the band is known for being exacting, so audience participation is not necessarily encouraged anyway. Tracks included on this double CD release span the band’s history. I wouldn’t even want to contemplate how they chose which songs should be included…where would you start? The first disc opens with “The Man Machine.” Machine-like vocals and early techno noises, blips and keyboards softly drive this aptly titled song. I love “Planet of Visions” with its flowing melody and even beats. There are three versions of “Tour De France,” the first is heavy and soaring and the last is light and airy, enhanced with a little heavy breathing (I’ve got a thing for heavy breathing in music, what can I say). Look, I could go through each of the 22 tracks on Minimum-Maximum and list their attributes, but that would take days. Suffice to say, the heavy hitters are here: “Autobahn,” “The Model,” “Radioactivity,” “Trans Europe Express” and my personal favorites, "Elektro Kardiogramm" (more heavy breathing!) and “Aero Dynamik.” This is a great collection, and you should own it if you don’t already have some Kraftwerk in your collection or if you just want to have some crowd noise in between your current collection. So what are you waiting for? [www.kraftwerk.com]