R.I.P. Florian Schneider (Kraftwerk)

[Kentode]

I also have this.

The Free Trade Hall had the best acoustics I've ever heard.

After the introductory music they came on and played so loud, and with treble that I've never experienced since, that one of them said " l think we blow a speaker, yah?"

A superb memory...

[ITAM805]

and played so loud

Strangely enough, apart from a Status Quo gig in Croydon circa 1972, the loudest indoor gig I ever attended was at a Klaus Schulze (Tangerine Dream) performance in the early 80's, the sub-bass was actually gut-wrenching but such was the clarity of the PA that the volume was actually a pleasant experience

[dglcomp]

Supposedly when they first toured America they would regularly blow speakers as no-one was really used to amplifying synthesizers, made the sound companies quite annoyed.
I know Rick Wakeman has said that synths like the Minimoog were the first instruments to put players of electric guitars I their place!

[Joe_Lorenz]

Hello,

grown up in the late 60s/70s in Germany my by far favourite music was Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Frank Zappa, Emmerson, Lake and Palmer and the like.

To my great astonishment sometime I recognized that few German groups were able to produce music worth listening to, too. So among my vinyl collection you'd find Kraftwerk and The Scorpions, too.

Talking about Kraftwerk I used to listen to Autobahn, das Model and Roboter. Well, even one of my sons has these songs on his playlists in his car today, so I assume they are timeless.

Regards, Joe

[Richard_FM]

Thanks for the suggestions for the kit synths.

[Kentode]

Originally Posted by Joe_Lorenz

Hello,

grown up in the late 60s/70s

To my great astonishment sometime I recognized that few German groups were able to produce music worth listening to,

Regards, Joe

Hi Joe, you've forgotten to mention Popul Vuh, one of the greatest bands ever!

I'm still listening to them now.

[dave walsh]

Featured on Last Word [Radio 4 17/5/20] but the "top billing" went to Little Richard [pointing out Dylan's school Year Book ambition was "to play piano" with the latter while Mcartney, wanted to be him] There was also a recognition of the mathematician John Horton, crawling under the table to reach another dimension, his algorithmic game named after Turin and a unique but apparently undistinguished, number that fascinated him. Janet Carr was mentioned as well, who I happen to know about re her Downes Syndrome studies. I-Player.

Dave W

"Some are mathematicians
Some are Carpenters wives
Don't know how it all got started
Don't know what they're doing with their lives"

Tangled Up In Blue [BD]

[blotblot]

Originally Posted by turretslug

A good few years ago now, BBC 6 Music broadcast an overview of the "Krautrock" scene (as it was originally somewhat dismissively monikered by a parochial British music press) with particular reference to Kraftwerk, I see that it is available again- at least for a short time- as it was re-broadcast the other day as a tribute to FS.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ym2gz

Thanks for that - jut enjoyed a fabulous hours listening and reminiscing!

I saw Kraftwerk in Brixton Acadamy, and it was only the second time I have had to cover my ears - Motorhead was just LOUD, whereas Kraftwerks was not as loud but a so much purer and hence piercing sound!

[dave walsh]

Yes I've put that 2011 program on CD TS. Thank you for flagging it up. As it's KW plus Jarvis Cocker and others it's possible but not likely that I got it back then. I can pull out Video theses days but haven't got the audio archive sorted yet to be able to check.

Re your comment about the Free Trade Hall Ken [post 41*] I absolutely agree. I've been to it's replacement around the corner a few times but I could never understand why they stripped out such an iconic, purpose built and great sounding venue-other than to produce a vast amount of Hotel Income of course and maybe compete with the Beatles equivalent thirty miles away. Selling the family silver. Being able to stay in a "Bob Dylan Room" hardly compensates. I have video of Tony Wilson wandering around the Hall as it was being taken apart-very sad and he's gone as well.

They would never have destroyed the Festival Hall on the South Bank in "that London". In fact it was renovated and re-opened with great ceremony relatively recently.

Dave W

[Radio Wrangler]

I've fond memories of the good old free trade hall, the only disappointment was Yes' Tales from the topographic ocean tour. After their earlier material, it just didn't cut it for me.

Great acoustics that worked for orchestras and rock bands, and the organ.

David

[ms660]

I remember Manchester Free Trade Hall as well, back in the late '60's I saw Booker T & the MG's there (Booker T Jones, Steve Cropper etc) and Blue Mink (Madeline Bell etc)

Lawrence.

[dave walsh]

They had Pink Floyd with the newly built Azimuth Co-ordinator Joystick designed to spin multi-channel [very realistic] audio around the circular interior of the Albert Hall. The band were camped out on stage initially, frying bacon [with John Peel on the Transistor Radio]. Eventually, we had the Jungle track Pow R Toc H [from Piper At The Gates of Dawn] and it had all built up to a tremendous aural climax when someone in a Gorilla Suit suddenly appeared in the audience and the place erupted There was genuine Alarm! Despite the venue being the wrong shape, the "audio design", as they'd say now, worked very well !

When Captain Beefheart appeared at the FT [in 1974] he was was "supported" by a somewhat tedious Jazz/Rock band and most people went to the bar! Before the Surrealistic and Psychedelic Captain's Band appeared [after the interval] the lights dimmed and a Ballerina danced for 15 minutes. I expected trouble. She brought the house down!

Dave

[ITAM805]

Slightly OT, but if like me you thought "Trans Europe Express" was just a classic Kraftwerk track well watch this, the band does get mentioned too

[Radio Wrangler]

That is one of an extremely good series of documentaries that are not afraid to go into much more technical fields than that one, and to explain things clearly in understandable terms. If you search on Curious Droid, be prepared to lose a lot of time and to learn a lot as well.

David