Computer World

33⅓ Main Series #163

by Steve Tupai Francis

Computer World was Kraftwerk's most concise and focused conceptual statement, their most influential record and crowning achievement. Computer World transformed the way pop music was composed, played, packaged and released and, in the process, helped create entire new genres of music including hip-hop, techno, trance, electro, industrial and synth-pop. They influenced the influencers.

Upon its release on 10 May 1981, the record was a revelation. It was unlike anything created for mainstream consumers of music at that time, an electronic suite of assured and industrious propulsive forward movement. Kraftwerk set off a sonic detonation that is still being felt today.

This book explores Kraftwerk's revolutionary sonic template, their conceptual and artistic preoccupations and lyrical obsessions to provide new insights into one of the greatest records ever made.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2022

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE Computer World. It's one of those albums, I play three times a month and , trust me, Steve Tupai Francis' volume on the record does it more than justice.

Kraftwerk were part of the boomer generation who wanted to document the future, thus they looked back at films such as Metropolis and incorporating it into their philosophy. This reached it's culmination with Computer World.

Steve goes into a lot of detail, documenting Kraftwerk's role in the German music scene of the day and their love for synth (for the record there's a ton of synth porn within the pages and the first half is dominated by early keyboard models)

Then there's the actual making of the album where the band even used the nascent speak and spell machine in their tracks. In between there are description of the subversive quality of the lyrics in Computer World (the track)

The book ends with Computer World's influence on Hip Hop and the dance punk craze of the mid 00's.

Just wow - i had a ton of fun reading this one. A gem

[matt]

"In composing Computer World, the band’s overarching principle was geradeaus, a German word meaning ‘straight ahead’. Geradeaus avoids the reductionism associated with words like ‘simplistic’ or ‘minimalistic’ carrying with it the idea of knowing where one is going, and wanting to get there as quickly as possible."

[Evan Storey]

My dad regards the fact that I like Kraftwerk as an absurd fascinating oddity. Apparently he mentioned it to his friend Doug, who then had this book sent to me unprompted. Thanks Doug!

[atom_box Evan G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned probably 2x as much as I cared to know about how they made these songs, but that is okay. This was a good read.

You learn the exact brand names of the machines that made each sound. And you somewhat learn who are Kraftwerk (gist: in public they are always in character and they ride bicycles a lot). We learn about their music scene in Dusseldorf. We take an entire chapter to learn how the album led to Planet Rock, and how Kraftwerk got huge in the African American community, especially on 98FM in Detroit and with Afrika Bambataa in New York.

More than other books in this 33 1/3 series, you should have the album and close by, because Steve Tupai Francis goes song by song and describes the sequences, the arpeggios, the echo level, giving minute by minute cues. If that sounds too detailed it's not.

[Christopher Renberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have distinct memories of "borrowing" my older brother's KISS 8-track tapes to listen to. One day I heard him playing an odd sounding cassette-completely different from the bombastic rock of KISS. It was Kraftwerk's Computer World. Game changer.
This book was a smooth and easy telling of that seminal album and the group that created it. Interesting background information on their studio and their process. Very detailed information on the instruments and tools used to create it. A song by song breakdown. Everything you could want.
I listened to the album as I read through each song chapter.
This was a good read and a nice addition to the series. Now I have a larger biography of Kraftwerk in my reading queue.
Kling Klang!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appreciate the amount of research that went into such a short book. Got incredibly lost on the more technical section of song analyses but it was cool to read despite - felt reassuring to submit to someone else's expertise I guess.

Just such a relief to read music writing without hype or name dropping. Fittingly mechanistic given Kraftwerk's obsession with the functional.

[Dr. Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great insight into the mad genius of Kraftwerk.

Computer World is one of their best albums (The streak from Autobahn to Computer World is full of gems, you really can't go wrong). This book provides some cool little details about the album, like how a Speak-and-Spell was co-lead vocalist on a song, or how they got Casio to make a musical calculator.

Really makes you appreciate an album more.

[Jon Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better entries in the 33 1/3 series that I have read so far. The author knows his stuff; not just about the album and the band, but about relevant art, philosophy, and pop culture. If you like Kraftwerk, you're going to love this book.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This astute analysis was refreshing and exciting. There are lots of metaphors used to describe the band's relationship with their work. This enhances understanding. I also liked the details regarding Florian's before concert ritual. Another quality read in this series.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best of the 33 1/3 series that I’ve read.

[David Klingenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some technical weeds here, but I absolutely enjoyed every page of this insightful, thorough, and sharp monograph.

[Alberto Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it but sometimes it got too technical for me, regarding the music. The last few chapters were the least satisfying.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little heavy on the musical structure at points, but excellent on the context and history of the LP.

[Brian Shevory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Francis’s entry into the 33 1/3 book series on Kraftwerk. This was one of the stronger entries, not only focused on the technical aspects of the album, but also on the cultural significance of the album as well. Francis not only explores the history of the album and how it came about, but also examines the legacy of Kraftwerk and how influential they have been in other genres of music as well, whether it is techno, hip-hop, disco, funk, etc. Most enjoyable for me was Francis’s exploration of the different equipment Kraftwerk used to create their albums. He helped to show how they shifted ideas about art and music, and like Dadaists in visual art earlier, helped to emphasize how readymade objects and everyday devices can be repurposed for art and expression. I really appreciated how revolutionary Kraftwerk were and hadn’t necessarily thought about this. Nevertheless, it was fascinating to learn more about the ways they explored technology and its uses in our lives, and how they attempted to interrogate that kind of merging of man and machine that has been growing steadily closer as we move towards a knowledge economy. Although recorded over 40 years ago Computer World remains relevant because Kraftwerk were so visionary and experimental. This book provides not only an enjoyable overview of the album, but also looks at the cultural factors that helped to create the album as well as the legacy and influence of the album and the band.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book, thinking back on the various ways one could dive into anything revolving the historic band. But, for all intents and purposes, the latter half of the book fell flat. I was invested early, enjoying the backstory of the band and their various influences in their craft. But, when it turned to the song analysis, it maybe fell flat, and perhaps a touch robotic; it just felt cold and distant in its explanation, to me. Not a bad run out, but perhaps not nearly the love I would have liked to see given.

[Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think any of the books in this (33 1/3) series will grab any five-star ratings. What you are getting is one author's perspective on the band, through the lens of one album, focused roughly on the time period that album was being created. Each book is like a long, interesting Rolling Stone article, and should be accepted as such. (To be fair, I probably should give each one a five...unless it completely falls flat!)

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good essay about the album but keeps it pretty basic. I guess there's not a whole lot to say about this album that hasn't been said but I guess I was hoping for some previously unknown revelations or something.

[Maashu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, I was just hoping it would be more focused on the writing and recording of the album than on the author's descriptions of the songs.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books. About. Music. Sometimes. Disappoint.