Search - Kraftwerk :: Radio-Aktivitaet

German or English?

eveoflove | North York, Ontario Canada | 01/01/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album is the german version of the "Radio Activity" album. NOT! Other than the artwork, the lyrics are ABSOLUTELY IDENTICAL to the American version, which, contrarily to what's stated in another review, didn't need to be translated: the original lyrics combine english and german. However, please note that other KRAFTWERK albums (like "Trans-Europa Express", "Computerwelt", "Die-Mensch Machine" and "The Mix") feature german lyrics, so one could say that those are "different". It is not so with "Radio Aktivitat"."

Everything Old Is New Again

Hugh Stegman | California | 07/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This misunderstood album deserves a re-release on CD somewhere. The German version is far more coherent than the insipid translation on the one sold in the USA. Even if we just give Kraftwerk's lyrics to Alta Vista, we can see that Radio-Aktivitat is less an anti-nuke protest, though the title track was redone as one later, and more a dreamy evocation of short wave radio. One can practically see the glow of the radio tubes on the ceiling at four in the morning. One can smell the hot dust on the pilot lamps, and hear all the world's languages and funny radio noises washing together in that wonderful, phase-shifted ambience that is the ionosphere.Musically, this is Kraftwerk's first all-electronic album, full of wonderful sounds, clever short sequences, and homages to pioneer composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. The sine waves wash over us like ionospheric whistles, and at the end we meditate right along with Ohm Sweet Ohm. It all reminds us why we ever got interested in electronic music in the first place. What we see here is the perfect alternative to post-modern dance thumping. It's one of the great bands just hitting its stride, all done experimenting, but not yet locked into the industrial/techno groove they went on to pioneer.Not for everyone, but then that's the whole point."