As far as most people know, 1974’s Autobahn was Kraftwerk’s first album. It’s certainly the one that solidified their image and sound, and as far as the band is concerned, it’s supposed to be their first record.
The truth is something different and far more interesting, however.
Autobahn was actually their fourth album. In fact, the band had been recording since 1970, going through a couple of lineup changes and honing their sound. Autobahn saw them settling on their now-familiar sound, which was largely dominated by computerized instrumentation and robotic vocals. The music was simple and repetitive, but somewhat melodic and catchy. It was certainly ahead of its time, and their influence on modern electronic music (and popular music in general) is still obvious to this day.
But the first three records were something altogether different. The band refuses to acknowledge their existence, and they’ve been out of print for almost 25 years. Continued...