Sunday, 23 September 2012

38:Neu! - Neu! 75



Though this should be called Neu! - the '75 bit being added on the inner sleeve only (at least on the reissue copy that I have at least). For this record I swapped the sunny skies and cute dogs of San Francisco for the cold and wet picturesque Sheffield. This one accompanied me as I dashed round the city, down to Palo Alto, back to the Mission and then onwards; lugging my case to Oakland for my last meal in the US and tearful farewells. It's almost ironic that the record almost sums up my time on the west coast - dazzling, beautiful, accomplished and that byword of the best krautrock: optimistic.

Neu! 75 totally makes up for the awfulness of Neu! 2. The terror of that second side washes away with the opener Isi - classic Neu! in the Hallogallo style but with a light piano. Then two tracks of that contemplative noisy ambiance that they do so well. Side 2 kicks off with Hero - proto punk? maybe but only in the sneer. Riffs and drums and some barely coherent singing, it's wondrous and fills the record with joy and sneer. E-Musik is back to the drums and riffing and then After Eight, revisits Hero with more sneer and more impudence.

All in this is just a great record and such a relief after the last one disappointed so. If you only get one Neu! record then get this.

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