Not my favorite Kraftwerk album, but a very important piece of work from Germany's fab four. Which at that time (1974) included, of course, Florian Schneider & Ralf Hütter, Wolfgang Flur, and the mysterious Klaus Roeder who played guitar (!) and violin on "Autobahn." It's no large estimation on my part that Kraftwerk is one of the most important bands in the 20th century. Their influence is just as large as Elvis or the British Fab Four. Not only in image, which to this day, is full of wonder and mystery, but their musical concepts are equally fascinating.
"Autobahn" is a narrative without a story. It takes place on the famous German highway that is Federally controlled by that country. It is also famous for not having a 'speed limit,' as such, but if you're in an accident going that speed, it can count against you in a court of law. So, in a sense, it's a very libertarian landscape, and it takes you to point A to Point B. Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" is a documentary at the very least, and at its most important level, an impressionistic aural painting of experiencing such a journey on the famed highway. This is a band that doesn't deal with sexual matter or fantasy, but look at everyday life as an inspiration for their art.
With an ironic and funny (total respectful) take on The Beach Boys' "Fun Fun" this is a band that does not hide from its Germanistic characteristics. The album is also very Musique Concrete than an electro-pop album. "Autobahn" as an album is a bridge between the old Experimentation of Kraftwerk into their more polished mode of music making. Side one is "Autobahn" and side two is more of the impressionistic view of a 24-hour day, perhaps in nature. There is something very 'being in the country' about Kraftwerk. This is a band that loves nature, and life between the major cities. For instance, they make an album about going to Berlin, but rarely it's about Berlin itself, it's more about the travel to a major city than anything else. Their music is about movement, and it has a touch of the Situationists need to travel without a map.
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