1 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trans_europe_express_3643.jpg]] |
2 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"From Music/{{station to station}}, back to Düsseldorf City/Meet Music/IggyPop and Music/DavidBowie..."'']] |
3 | [[quoteright:350:]] |
4 | [[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see the original German album cover]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trans_europe_express_german_2.jpg[[/labelnote]]]] |
5 | [[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see the album cover used on the 2009 remastered edition]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trans_europe_express_2009.jpg[[/labelnote]]]] |
6 | |
7 | ''Trans-Europe Express'' is the sixth studio album by Music/{{Kraftwerk}} and was released in 1977 through Kling Klang in Germany and Creator/CapitolRecords internationally. Widely considered to be one of the band's best and most groundbreaking records in the history of pop music (and ElectronicMusic in particular). |
8 | |
9 | ---- |
10 | !! Tracklist |
11 | |
12 | [[AC:Side One]] |
13 | # "Europe Endless" (9:40) |
14 | # "The Hall of Mirrors" (7:56) |
15 | # "Showroom Dummies" (6:15) |
16 | |
17 | [[AC:Side Two]] |
18 | # "Trans-Europe Express" (6:52) |
19 | # "Metal on Metal" (6:43) [[note]]Some versions of the album separate this into two tracks: "Metal on Metal" and "Abzug". It sounds exactly the same either way.[[/note]] |
20 | # "Franz Schubert" (4:26) |
21 | # "Endless Endless" (0:55) |
22 | |
23 | '''Personnel''' |
24 | * Ralf Hütter: voice, synthesizer, orchestron, synthanorma-sequenzer, electronics |
25 | * Florian Schneider: vocals, electronics, vocoder, votrax, synthesizer |
26 | * Karl Bartos: electronic percussion |
27 | * Wolfgang Flür: percussion |
28 | |
29 | ---- |
30 | !!The Hall of Tropes: |
31 | * BilingualBonus: A French version of "Showroom Dummies", titled "Les Mannequins" was recorded. There's also the fact that this album was recorded and released in German, English and French. |
32 | * BookEnds: "Endless Endless" is a brief reprise of the opening track, "Europe Endless". |
33 | * ConceptAlbum: European unity. "Trans-Europe Express" sounds more European than their earlier output, with both the title track and the opening track, "Europe Endless" directly referencing it. |
34 | * DarkerAndEdgier: A lot of the songs on this album have a much more sinister sound to them compared to their other works (looking at you, "Hall of Mirrors" and "Showroom Dummies"). |
35 | * EpicRocking: "Europe Endless", "The Hall of Mirrors". |
36 | * FaceOnTheCover: The band is pictured on the album cover in close-up. |
37 | * HallOfMirrors: One track has this title. |
38 | * LongestSongGoesFirst: The album starts with the nine-minute "Europe Endless"; no other track goes above eight. |
39 | * NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: "Franz Schubert". |
40 | * OminousPipeOrgan: On ''The Mix'' version of "Trans-Europe Express". Orchestration in their music is very rare, but it was of course a synthesized organ. |
41 | * RealLifeWritesThePlot: Ralf and Florian did, in fact, meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie, hence the name-dropping. |
42 | * ShoutOut: |
43 | ** The "eins zwei drei vier" count that begins "Showroom Dummies" was made as a reference to Music/TheRamones' habit of starting their songs with Dee Dee quickly shouting "one two three four!". |
44 | ** The title track references a meeting between the band members and Music/IggyPop and Music/DavidBowie, while they were working on Iggy's ''Music/TheIdiot'' and Bowie's ''Music/{{Low|DavidBowieAlbum}}''. |
45 | ** One song is named after Music/FranzSchubert. |
46 | * SiameseTwinSongs: |
47 | ** "Trans-Europe Express" and "Metal on Metal" are basically one long song. The first track is the vocal portion, and the second track is a mostly-instrumental coda. |
48 | *** And even still "Metal on Metal" is separated into "Metal on Metal" and "Azbug" on occasion, so it's a Siamese ''triplet''. |
49 | ** Similarly, "Endless Endless" is just a brief finale for "Franz Schubert". |
50 | * SyntheticVoiceActor: Some of the vocals (particularly in the title track). It became one of their trademark elements (and, later on, a staple of ElectronicMusic). |
51 | * TitleTrack: "Trans-Europe Express". |
52 | * TrainSong: "Trans-Europe Express" is about the train express named that way. Several electronic sounds during it mimick a train chugging. |
53 | * UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Owing to the deadpan delivery, "Trans-Europe Express" makes traveling to hang out with Music/DavidBowie and Music/IggyPop sound about as exciting as buying groceries. Florian Scheider and Iggy Pop [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GTrMzYhlG8 actually did buy groceries]]. |
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