I was pretty enthused about the remastered versions of Kraftwerk’s eight best albums. However, David Cavanagh’s Uncut review has given me pause1
Sadly, the remaster is a fiasco. The soft tones of “Computer Love” become sharp, the wide spaces of” Home Computer” contract into tunnels, and “Pocket Calculator” bears down on us like a spiked ceiling in a horror film. Equally poor is the remastered Radioactivity, atmospheric crackles and hisses have been removed by noise reduction software. For pity’s sake, they’re part of the music! Autobahn, Trans-Europe Express and The Man-Machine have less sound-quality issues, but are all inferior to the original EMI CDs. Anyone planning to buy the 8 CD The Catalogue, would be well-advised to sample an individual remaster first.
Hütter is within his rights to tinker with Kraftwerk’s canon as he wishes, but a botched Kraftwerk remaster series is a bitter disappointment nevertheless. It’s not such an issue, thankfully, with the remaining three LPS; the lean, industrial Techno Pop {a re-titled Electric Cafe with added track “House Phone”}; The Mix (1991), a surprisingly addictive re-imagining of 11 classic tracks in dancefloor context; and Tour De France (2003), a cycling fetishist’s techno headphone soundtrack with a gorgeous five-note motif. For those who’ll never sport the yellow jersey, have no fear. It also works its magic if you’re on an exercise bike.
Yikes. Has anyone heard the remastered versions? Is it as bad as described?
Footnotes:- not available online, but click here for a scanned version for your personal use [↩]
Yes. Yes and no.
Apropos: http://5-against-4.blogspot.com/2009/11/kraftwerk-remastered-retrospective.html
The sound of the remasters is a little disapointing. Computer world have lost the background noice/distortion and becomed dark without details. It is the same for Man Machine! But the sound has improved on Electric Cafe, who sounds better and more distant, the same for The Mix. I prefer the old sound for Computer World and for Man Machine.
Buy Electric Cafe and The Mix Remarstered!
/Ole from Denmark