NEU! 75 (1975) - NEU!
landmark of german experimental rock
the third studio album by the german krautrock band Neu!, released in february 1975 by Brain Records. it has a length of 42:33 minutes and 6 songs on it.
Neu! was formed in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother in düsseldorf. both had previously been part of Kraftwerk. Dinger joined them in the middle of recording their first studio album in 1979 and played drums on some songs. Rother joined them 1971 and played some live gigs with them. their main career lasted from 1971 and 1975, during which they released three albums - Neu! (1972), Neu! 2 (1973), and Neu! 75 (1975). all were produced by Konrad "Conny" Plank, who is considered a “hidden member” of the group. due to differing musical interests, they disbanded in 1975. they briefly reunited in the mid-80s.
Neu! 75 was made once the band had reunited after a two-year break. both had grown apart musically. during those years, Rother collaborated with the band Cluster as the group Harmonia and released the album Musik von Harmonia. he preferred a more ambient sound, while Dinger favored a more aggressive, rock-influenced style. for this album, the two compromised and decided to showcase both sounds. side one (Isi, Seeland, Leb’ Wohl) was influenced by Rother’s more ambient production, similar to the first album. side two (Hero, E-Musik, After Eight) was more influenced by Dinger, who switched from drums on guitar and lead vocals, with his brother Thomas Dinger and Hans Lampe double drumming. the track Hero inspired many musicians of the time, including John Lydon of the Sex Pistols and David Bowie, who alluded to the track with his album and title track Heroes.
i like both sides. the opening song Isi is beautiful! i have no other words to describe it. Seeland feels like a song you’ve heard before. i don’t think it’s a bad song, but just nothing special, while the third one, Leb’ wohl, made me feel a lot. a lot of pain and sadness, but also relief. i think that’s what he wanted to express.
and yes, the style changes when you turn the record to the second side. with Hero we get a rocky guitar and drums, as we know it from proto-punk. his voice is raspy and rocky too. and i like that. he can do it. he already got my attention with the first guitar strum. but it’s still not a normal punk song as we know it. at the end there's a minute of pure noise, some eerie. like you're in the wood and it’s midnight. bats noises. there is rustling in the bushes. a car drives by on the otherwise empty road. E-Musik doesn’t really convince me. no voice, just some monotonous guitars and drums. quite tiring. and at the end the same deep noises, but for like 3 minutes. luckily that wasn't the last song! with After Eight he shows us his potential. it’s not as good as Hero, but i like to see how he has evolved from the same ambient style as Rother to this rock/punk music.
it’s a well done album! they've brought their two ideas and styles together and created something new, like their name. perfect for dinner to listen to ambient sounds and the cleaning party afterwards to rock with the sponge in the pan.
new york times described it as “landmark of german experimental rock”.
my fav’s: Isi, Leb’ wohl, Hero
Electric Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals: Michael Rother
Drums, Electric Guitar, Vocals: Klaus Dinger
can you guess what we will listen to next?
Michael Rother + Cluster = ???
J.P.
let’s talk about music! share your thoughts with me! what song are you listening to right now?