|
Kraftwerk: I Was a Robot
 |
Author: Wolfgang Flur
List Price: $12.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 1860744176
Publisher: Sanctuary Publishing (10 June, 2003)
Edition: Paperback
Sales Rank: 304,447
Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5
|
Customer ReviewsRating: 2 out of 5
the text contributes little to the Kraftwerk story
I've been a fan of Kraftwerk for decades now, and part of the allure of the band was always the mystery that surrounded them. Their consistency with putting forth a mannequin-like appearance and robotic rhythms told such a great story on its own. Wolfgang Flur was a member of the quartet during their most exciting and creative period, so his I looked forward to hearing his story.What I got was a child-like biography, poorly written and revealing in all the wrong ways. He talked little of the equipment and the song-writing procedure, however he was extremely open with information on his love-history and even (I swear this is true) bodily fluids. His narration comes off like a crybaby who in hindsight, thought he deserved more. To be truthful, Flur rarely wrote songs, handed the creative mantle to other members and contributed little aside from filling the 4th Kraftwerk suit and making sure the drum machines fired on time. This book is less about Kraftwerk and more about Wolfgang Flur. His story *should* be exciting, but it falls flat. Although this book contains some personal photos of Kraftwerk's most interesting period, the text contributes little to the Kraftwerk story.
Rating: 4 out of 5
He's a Mensch Too
As a big fan of Kraftwerk since the mid-'70s I was always curious about what these folks were like in real life. Now that I've read Wolfgang Flur's book I feel that I have much more insight into their personalities; in some ways the book pokes holes in Kraftwerk's corporate persona, but it also portrays the members of the band as real human beings who had a hilarious time creating innovative music and paving the way for our present-day techno and electronic dance music. I especially like Flur's surreal chapters about 'Mother Kraftwerk' (a sort of embodiment of the band's spirit) that apparently appeared to him while he was under anaesthesia, and his reportage about what it was like to be on tour (his description of Kraftwerk's India tour is especially poignant). There are some sour points (apparently a drum-machine patent was stolen from him, and Kraftwerk took legal action to prevent this book from being published), but overall Flur's attitude is high-spirited and humorous. He sounds like someone I would like to meet in person...
Rating: 4 out of 5
He's a Mench Too
As a big fan of Kraftwerk since the mid-'70s I was always curious about what these folks were like in real life. Now that I've read Wolfgang Flur's book I feel that I have much more insight into their personalities; in some ways the book pokes holes in Kraftwerk's corporate persona, but it also portrays the members of the band as real human beings who had a hilarious time creating innovative music and paving the way for our present-day techno and electronic dance music. I especially like Flur's surreal chapters about 'Mother Kraftwerk' (a sort of embodiment of the band's spirit) that apparently appeared to him while he was under anaesthesia, and his reportage about what it was like to be on tour (his description of Kraftwerk's India tour is especially poignant). There are some sour points (apparently a drum-machine patent was stolen from him, and Kraftwerk took legal action to prevent this book from being published), but overall Flur's attitude is high-spirited and humorous. He sounds like someone I would like to meet in person...
|
