Neu!'s debut is proof that less is sometimes more. The music is primitive, instrumental, minimalistic, and mostly improvised, yet it somehow manages to sound more moving and profound than some of the most professionally executed music out there. Lush soundscapes are created merely using a combination of guitar -- which Michael Rother uses either for light droning or restrained punk strumming -- and sampled ambient sounds, and are underpinned by the simple but driving drumwork of Klaus Dinger. Most of the moods on this album are light and pretty ("Weissensee", "Im Glück"), but "Negativland" is probably one of the most wonderfully punishing non-metal songs I've ever heard. Neu! may have been a one-trick pony (as evidenced by the obvious creative pains on their later albums, which are still pretty good), but damn could they pull that one trick off well. One of the most ethereal albums I've ever heard.
Favorite track: "Negativland"
Least favorite track: "Lieber Honig" (this track would be fine if not for the bad attempt at wordless "singing", but it's still hilarious for that reason)
Get it here
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